US 5,538,423 AGranted

Apparatus for controlling operational parameters of a surgical drill

AssigneeMicro Motors, Inc.

InventorsRonald G. Coss, James H. Dabney

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Abstract

The present invention relates to a dental drilling system having a programmable control unit. The control unit controls operating parameters of the drilling system, such as the direction of rotation, the speed of rotation and the torque of a tool bit of a dental drill, as well as the irrigation fluid flow rate generated by a pump and the intensity of light generated by a light source. The control unit can be programmed with a number of sets of data values. Each set of data values represents a desired value for each of the operating parameters to be controlled. Also, each set of data values corresponds to a different step in a dental operation. Thus, for each step of a dental operation, a surgeon can choose a desired set of operating parameter values from those sets that have been preprogrammed. The control unit then controls the operating parameters to achieve and maintain the values represented by the selected set of data values. Also, the control unit determines the electrical current and voltage applied to or generated by the drill motor to calculate the rotation speed and the torque at the tool bit. This enables the control unit to accurately achieve and maintain a specified rotation speed or torque. Applying a predetermined torque to a screw driving bit allows the dental drilling system to be used as a torque wrench.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An apparatus for performing a surgical procedure comprising a plurality of steps, each of said steps involving the use of said apparatus on hard tissue in accordance with selected operating parameters, said apparatus comprising a drill comprising a motor, a handpiece, and a tool, said motor driving said tool upon activation of said motor, said apparatus further comprising:

means for inputting a first set of data values representing the magnitudes of said operating parameters for one of said plurality of steps of said surgical procedure;
means for inputting a second set of data values representing the magnitudes of said operating parameters for another of said plurality of steps of said surgical procedure;
means for concurrently storing said first and second sets of data values;
means for selectively recalling any one of said concurrently stored sets of data values;
means for causing said drill to operate in accordance with the parameter magnitudes corresponding to each of the recalled set of data values, said means for causing said apparatus to operate comprising:
means for monitoring the magnitude of at least a selected operational parameter during operation of said apparatus;
and
means for controlling the magnitude of said selected operational parameter, said means for controlling being responsive to said means for monitoring to substantially maintain the magnitude of the selected operational parameter at a value corresponding to the value represented by the recalled set of data values.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.