Dental tool having a miniaturized RFID tag and dental CNC milling / grinding machine using the same

A system comprising:

• a dental tool configured to be mounted in a dental CNC milling/grinding machine, the dental tool configured for machining a dental restoration from a workpiece under direction of the dental CNC milling/grinding machine, the dental tool comprising:
• a shaft, the shaft comprising:
• a back end for mounting with the dental CNC milling/grinding machine;
• and
• a front end disposed opposite the back end;
• a RFID tag arranged proximate the back end of the shaft;
• and
• a protective housing connected to the back end of the shaft for covering the RFID tag and for attaching the RFID tag to the shaft, the protective housing comprising:
• a cylindrical body defining an interior cavity for the RFID tag and having a u-shaped cross-section, wherein the interior cavity is configured to receive therein a reduced diameter section of the back end of the shaft or wherein the u-shaped cross-section is configured to fit into a bore of the back end of the shaft;
• and
• the dental CNC milling/grinding machine configured to receive the dental tool, said dental CNC milling/grinding machine comprising:
• a machine compartment including one or more carriage units for machining, each of the one or more carriage units adapted to exchangeably receive the back end of the dental tool with the connected protective housing and the RFID tag and drive the dental tool for machining the dental restoration from the workpiece;
• at least one transceiver unit adapted to read and/or write to the RFID tag of the dental tool;
• and
• a control unit adapted to control the at least one transceiver unit, and the one or more carriage units based on the information read from the RFID tag,
• wherein the protective housing and the RFID tag have a concentric, rotationally symmetric and balanced arrangement on the shaft.

A system comprising:

• a dental tool configured to be mounted in a dental CNC milling/grinding machine, the dental tool configured for machining a dental restoration from a workpiece under direction of the dental CNC milling/grinding machine, the dental tool comprising:
• a shaft comprising a back end for mounting with the dental CNC milling/grinding machine and a front end disposed opposite the back end, wherein the back end comprises at least one protrusion that radially projects from the back end and that extends circumferentially about the back end of the shaft;
• a RFID tag which is attached to the dental tool and is arranged proximate the back end of the shaft;
• and
• a protective housing connected to the back end of the shaft for covering the RFID tag, wherein the protective housing comprises:
• a front section configured to fit over the at least one protrusion to mechanically connect the protective housing to the back end of the shaft;
• and
• a rear section extending axially rearward from the front section;
• and
• the dental CNC milling/grinding machine configured to receive the dental tool, said dental CNC milling/grinding machine comprising:
• a machine compartment including one or more carriage units for machining, each of the one or more carriage units adapted to exchangeably receive the back end of the dental tool with the connected protective housing and the RFID tag and drive the dental tool for machining the dental restoration from the workpiece;
• at least one transceiver unit adapted to read and/or write to the RFID tag of the dental tool;
• and
• a control unit adapted to control the at least one transceiver unit, and the one or more carriage units based on the information read from the RFID tag,
• wherein a space disposed between the protective housing and the back end of the shaft is filled with a sealant such that the RFID tag is encapsulated by the sealant.