Method and apparatus for drilling teeth with a pressurized water stream
AssigneeBrigham Young University
InventorsRobert H Todd, Scott Hansen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method are disclosed for boring into teeth to remove decaying tool matter using a high pressure jet of water. A system according to the invention may include a pressurized water source operably connected to an applicator used to target the water stream at the decayed portion of the tooth. The invention contemplates water streams utilizing single or multiple stream orifices, pure water or particle-entrained streams, and constant high pressure or pulsing pressure to accomplish removal of oral material, including enamel.
Claims43
An apparatus for drilling tooth matter comprising:
- a pressurized liquid source configured to provide a flow of pressurized liquid;
- and
- an applicator operably connected to the source to receive the pressurized liquid, wherein the applicator comprises a first orifice selectively disposed to direct a first stream of the pressurized liquid against the tooth matter wherein the stream of liquid is capable of boring into tooth matter.
An apparatus for drilling tooth matter comprising:
- a pump capable of pressurizing a liquid to a pressure within a range of 250 psi to 17,000 psi;
- and
- an applicator operably connected to the pump to receive the pressurized liquid, and wherein the applicator has an orifice size from 0.003 inches (0.076 mm) to 0.008 inches (0.203 mm) in diameter.
An apparatus for drilling tooth matter comprising:
- a pressure source configured to pressurize an aluminum oxide and water slurry;
- and
- a slurry applicator operably coupled to the pressure source and capable of ejecting the slurry at a force adequate to remove a determined mass of tooth matter sufficient to allow
A method for drilling a tooth comprising:
- pressurizing a liquid;
- conveying the pressurized liquid into an applicator having an orifice;
- and
- ejecting a constricted stream of pressurized liquid from a first orifice onto a surface of a tooth, wherein the velocity of the liquid is sufficient to bore into the tooth.
A method for removing a decayed portion of tooth comprising:
- pressurizing an abrasive slurry;
- and
- ejecting a fine stream of pressurized slurry at a decayed portions of tooth;
- and
- boring out the decayed portion of tooth.
A method for drilling tooth matter comprising:
- pressurizing a slurry to a pressure of about 250 psi to 17,000 psi, the slurry comprising a 4% to 20% volumetric concentration of aluminum oxide particles, wherein the aluminum oxide particles having an average particle size from 1 to 30 micron in diameter;
- and
- jetting the pressurized slurry at tooth matter through a round orifice that is 0.004 inches (0.102 mm) to 0.006 inches (0.152 mm) in diameter.
A system for removing tooth matter comprising:
- a pressurized liquid source;
- a pump capable of generating high pressures in a liquid, wherein the pump is operably coupled to the liquid source;
- a high pressure conduit;
- and
- a handheld applicator that ejects the pressurized liquid stream at a tooth with a force effective to controllably bore into the tooth's enamel.
A system for removing tooth matter comprising:
- a liquid source;
- a hydraulic pump;
- a intensifier pump receivably coupled to the liquid source and configured to receive an operating input from the hydraulic pump, wherein the intensifier pump generates a high pressures in a liquid;
- a high pressure conduit;
- and
- a handheld applicator that ejects the pressurized liquid stream at a tooth with a force effective to controllably bore into the tooth's enamel.
An apparatus for drilling tooth matter comprising:
- a pump that pressurizes an aluminum oxide and water slurry to a pressure in the range of 250 psi to 17,000 psi, wherein the slurry had a volumetric concentration of the range of 4% to 20% of aluminum oxide, the aluminum oxide generally having a particle size of 1 microns to 30 microns.
- ejecting the slurry in a high force stream through a round orifice or a non round orifice.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.