Methods for manufacturing endodontic instruments by milling
AssigneeUltradent Products, Inc.
InventorPaul Lewis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for manufacturing endodontic instruments by milling. A provided metallic (e.g., a nickel-titanium alloy or stainless steel) thread or wire having a longitudinal axis is advanced along its longitudinal axis at a feedrate while contacting at least a portion of the metallic thread or wire with a plurality of rotating milling heads so as to remove portions of the thread or wire and yield a metallic rod including a cutting portion having a plurality of cutting edges.
Claims21
A method of manufacturing an endodontic instrument for use in performing an endodontic procedure, comprising:
- (a) providing a metallic thread or wire having a longitudinal axis;
- and
- (b) advancing the metallic thread or wire along the longitudinal axis at a feedrate while contacting at least a portion of the metallic thread or wire with a plurality of rotating shank-type endmilling tools that are peripherally spaced about the longitudinal axis of the thread or wire so as to remove a portion of material from the thread or wire.
A method of manufacturing an endodontic instrument for use in performing an endodontic procedure, comprising:
- (a) providing a metallic thread or wire having a longitudinal axis;
- (b) advancing the metallic thread or wire along the longitudinal axis at a feedrate while contacting at least a portion of the metallic thread or wire with a plurality of rotating shank-type endmilling tools so as to remove a portion of material from the metallic thread or wire;
- and
- (c) rotating the metallic thread or wire about the longitudinal axis simultaneous with (b) so as to form a plurality of helical flutes within the metallic thread or wire.
A method of manufacturing an endodontic instrument for use in performing an endodontic procedure, comprising:
- (a) providing a metallic thread or wire having a longitudinal axis;
- (b) advancing the metallic thread or wire along the longitudinal axis at a feedrate while contacting at least a portion of the metallic thread or wire with a plurality of rotating shank-type endmilling tools that are peripherally spaced about the longitudinal axis so as to remove a portion of material from the wire, wherein at least a portion of the metallic thread or wire is shaped by the plurality of rotating shank-type milling tools so as to yield an intermediate metallic rod having a polygonal cross section;
- and
- (c) torsioning the intermediate metallic rod having a polygonal cross section so as to form helical cutting edges in a cutting portion of the instrument.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.