# US 12,213,731 B2 · Dental and medical treatments and procedures

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- Number: US 12,213,731 B2
- Document ID: US12213731B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/537,742
- Filed: 2014-11-10
- Published: 2017-02-02
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2006-08-24
- Assignees: Pipstek, LLC
- Applicants: Pipstek, LLC
- Inventors: Enrico E. DiVito; Douglas L. Glover; Kemmons A. Tubbs; Mark P. Colonna
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12213731B2

## CPC

- A61B 18/26: for producing a shock wave, e.g. laser lithotripsy
- A61C 1/0046: {Dental lasers (surgical lasers A61B18/20; working by laser beam in general B23K26/00; lasers per se H01S3/00)}
- A61C 5/40: Implements for surgical treatment of the roots or nerves of the teeth; Nerve needles; Methods or instruments for medication of the roots
- A61N 5/0624: {for eliminating microbes, germs, bacteria on or in the body}
- A61N 7/022: {intracavitary}
- A61B 2018/00565: {Bone}
- A61B 2018/263: {the conversion of laser energy into mechanical shockwaves taking place in a liquid}
- A61N 5/067: using laser light
- A61N 2005/0606: {Mouth}
- A61N 2005/0631: {using crystals}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A61C: DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE (non-driven toothbrushes A46B; {tongue scrapers A61B17/24;} preparations for dentistry A61K6/00; preparations for cleaning the teeth or mouth A61K8/00, A61Q11/00)
- A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B)

## Abstract

A method treating a root canal in a tooth by introducing into the pulp chamber of a tooth and pulsing a laser light into the fluid reservoir so as to disintegrate pulp within the root canal without generation of any significant heat in said liquid fluid so as to avoid elevating the temperature of any of the dentin, tooth, or other adjacent tissue more than about 5″ C.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for treating a root canal in a tooth, the method comprising:
providing a liquid to a treatment region of the tooth including an infected or decaying portion;
submerging a conical application tip of an elongate optical fiber in the liquid;
operating a laser source to generate a laser light beam and transmit the laser light beam along the elongate optical fiber to the submerged conical application tip; and
irradiating the liquid in the tooth using the laser light beam to clean the treatment region of the tooth via a photoacoustic effect while the conical application tip is submerged in the liquid, the conical application tip directing at least a portion of the laser light beam laterally outwardly into the treatment liquid, the laser light beam emanating from the conical application tip having sufficient power to create photoacoustic waves in the liquid of sufficient vibrational energy to remove at least organic material from a portion of a wall of the root canal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein irradiating the liquid using the laser light beam to clean the treatment region of the tooth comprises causing the liquid to expand.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein irradiating the liquid using the laser light beam to clean the treatment region of the tooth does not damage healthy tissue of the tooth.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising pulsing the laser light beam.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising irradiating the root canal of the tooth to clean the treatment region and locations of the tooth remote from the treatment region, wherein the locations of the tooth remote from the treatment region comprise one or more accessory canals.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein operating the laser source comprises operating the laser source to generate the laser light beam at a wavelength of at least 1500 nm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein operating the laser source comprises operating the laser source to generate the laser light beam at a power of at least 0.5 W.