US 10,653,399 B2Granted

Medical or dental instrument with a temperature-measuring device

AssigneeW&H Dentalwerk Bürmoos GmbH

InventorsChristian Pruckner, Karlheinz Eder, Johann Grosslhuber

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Abstract

Medical or dental instruments, preferably handpieces, can have different temperature-measuring devices for measuring the temperature in the instrument or of at least a part of the instrument. The temperature-measuring devices can be designed, for example, to measure the temperature contactlessly by detection of electromagnetic radiation or to measure the temperature of an interior of the instrument that can be heated by a heat source. The temperature-measuring devices may be designed, for example, as electrical temperature-measuring devices or may have a magnetic material whose magnetic property is a function of temperature and/or has a temperature-dependent course. The temperature-measuring device may have, for example, an electrical switching device and a signal device wherein the signal device is switched at least between a first signal condition and a second signal condition when a temperature limit value is reached or exceeded or is underrun.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A medical handpiece, comprising

a handpiece head having an outer shell defining an inner volume,
a tool holder device for releasably holding a tool that can be connected to the handpiece, wherein the tool holder device is moveably arranged in the inner volume,
at least one bearing unit operatively connected to the tool holder device to moveably support the tool holder device, wherein the at least one bearing unit is arranged in the inner volume,
a drive device for setting in motion a tool that can be connected to the tool holder device,
an electrical temperature sensor of a temperature-measuring device for measuring a temperature of the at least one bearing unit, wherein the electrical temperature sensor is arranged in the inner volume of the handpiece head, and wherein the electrical temperature sensor comprises an electric resistor having a material whose electric resistance or dynamic resistance is variable as a function of temperature, and
an electric and signal line connecting the temperature sensor of the temperature-measuring device to a unit having
(i) a current or voltage source to supply a constant electric measuring current to the temperature sensor, wherein a temperature measuring signal comprises a value of the electric measuring current sent from the current or voltage source over the temperature sensor or a change in the value of the electric measuring current sent from the current or voltage source over the temperature sensor, which is indicative of the temperature of the at least one bearing unit, and
(ii) an evaluation unit for evaluating the temperature measuring signal, and a regulating or control unit for temperature-dependent regulation or control of the medical handpiece based on the temperature measuring signal,
wherein the electric and signal line extends out of the handpiece head to connect to the unit.

6 more elements

A medical handpiece, comprising

a handpiece head having an outer shell defining an inner volume,
a tool holder device for releasably holding a tool that can be connected to the handpiece, wherein the tool holder device is moveably arranged in the inner volume,
at least one bearing unit operatively connected to the tool holder device to moveably support the tool holder device, wherein the at least one bearing unit is arranged in the inner volume,
a drive device for setting in motion a tool that can be connected to the tool holder device,
an electrical temperature sensor of a temperature-measuring device for measuring a temperature of at least one heat source of the medical handpiece, wherein the electrical temperature sensor is mounted on the at least one heat source in the inner volume of the handpiece head, and
an electric and signal line connecting the temperature sensor of the temperature-measuring device to a unit comprising an evaluation unit for evaluating measured signals of the temperature-measuring device indicative of the temperature of the at least one heat source of the medical handpiece, and a regulating or control unit for temperature-dependent regulation or control of the medical handpiece;
wherein the electric and signal line extends out of the handpiece head to connect to the unit.

4 more elements

A medical handpiece, comprising

a handpiece head having an outer shell defining an inner volume,
a tool holder device for releasably holding a tool that can be connected to the handpiece, wherein the tool holder device is moveably arranged in the inner volume and extends along a longitudinal axis,
a first bearing unit operatively connected to the tool holder device to moveably support the tool holder device, wherein the first bearing unit is arranged in the inner volume of the handpiece head,
a second bearing unit operatively connected to the tool holder device to moveably support the tool holder device, wherein the second bearing unit is arranged in the inner volume of the handpiece head at a distance from the first bearing unit,
a drive device for setting in motion a tool that can be connected to the tool holder device,
a space arranged in the handpiece head extending around the tool holder device and along the longitudinal axis of the tool holder device and accommodating the first bearing unit, the second bearing unit and at least a portion of the drive device, and
an electrical temperature sensor of a temperature-measuring device for measuring a temperature of the first bearing unit and the second bearing unit and an electric and signal line extending out of the handpiece head to connect to a unit, wherein
the electrical temperature sensor is disposed in said space in the handpiece head.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/346,572Filed 8 Nov 2016 · continuation
Priority: EP 1116663819 May 2011
Published: US 2017/0049424 A123 Feb 2017
Granted: 19 May 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

A61B 17/00
Surgical instruments, devices or methods
A61B 90/06
Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00,…
A61C 1/0007
Dental machines for boring or cutting ; General features of dental machines or apparatus, e.g. hand-piece design: control devices or systems
A61C 1/0015
Control devices or systems: electrical systems

Family

PCT/EP2012/059228Parent of this continuation · filed 18 May 2012
Application14/080,745Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Nov 2013
US 2017/0049424 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 Feb 2017
US 9,526,585 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2014/0072930 A1Published application
US 10,653,399 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.