Patent Application
20230008824
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The disclosure relates to diagnostic devices and more particularly pertains to a new diagnostic device for diagnosing dental health. The device includes a sensing probe that can be positioned against a tooth and a diagnostic unit that is in communication with the sensing probe. The diagnostic unit transmits a diagnostic pulse into the sensing probe and the diagnostic unit measures the tooth's reaction to the diagnostic pulse. The diagnostic unit includes a display which displays a number corresponding to the magnitude of the tooth's reaction for diagnosing the health of the tooth.
The prior art relates to diagnostic devices including a percussion instrument for delivering a percussive strike to a tooth and measuring rebound of a striking implement to diagnose the health of the tooth. The prior art discloses a tooth probe which is positioned against a tooth to deliver a constant sinusoidal force to the tooth for diagnosing the health of the tooth. The prior art discloses a vibratory device for imparting an oscillating signal into a tooth to measure the reaction of the tooth for diagnosing health of the tooth. The prior art discloses a tooth diagnosis method that includes a vibration sensor that is positioned against a tooth and a hammer that is employed to strike the tooth for diagnosing health of the tooth.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a handle that can be gripped by a dentist. A sensing probe is coupled to the handle and the sensing probe has a curved end which can be positioned against a tooth in a patient's mouth. A diagnostic unit is in remote communicates a diagnostic pulse to the sensing probe to transmit the diagnostic pulse into the tooth. The diagnostic unit analyzes the resistance to the diagnostic pulse to determine the health of the tooth. Moreover, the diagnostic unit includes a display for displaying numbers indicating the value of the magnitude of resistance to visually communicate the health of the tooth to the dentist.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A diagnostic unit 26 is provided and the diagnostic unit 26 is in remote communication with the sensing probe 18. The diagnostic unit 26 produces a diagnostic pulse of a predetermined force and the diagnostic pulse is communicated to the sensing probe 18. In this way the sensing probe 18 can transmit the diagnostic pulse into the tooth 22. The diagnostic unit 26 senses resistance to the diagnostic pulse when the sensing probe 18 transmits the diagnostic pulse into the tooth 22. Moreover, the diagnostic unit 26 analyzes the resistance to the diagnostic pulse for determining a magnitude of the resistance. The diagnostic unit 26 compares the magnitude of the resistance to a pre-determined diagnostic range of magnitude. In this way the diagnostic unit 26 can determine the health of the tooth 22 in a precise, non-subjective manner. The diagnostic unit 26 includes a display 27 for displaying numbers indicating the value of the magnitude of resistance to visually communicate the health of the tooth 22 to the dentist.
The diagnostic unit 26 comprises a housing 28 that has a front wall 30 and a perimeter wall 32. A control circuit 34 is integrated into the housing 28 and a conductor 36 is coupled between the perimeter wall 32 of the housing 28 and the second end 16 of the handle 12. The conductor 36 is in communication with the control circuit 34 and the conductor 36 is in communication with the sensing probe 18. Additionally, the conductor 36 is in communication with the activate button 24. The conductor 36 might include a force conducting section that is capable of transmitting the diagnostic pulse to the sensing probe 18. Additionally, the conductor 36 might include an electrically conductive section.
The diagnostic unit 26 includes a pulse generator 38 that is integrated into the housing 28. The pulse generator 38 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 34 and the pulse generator 38 is in communication with the conductor 36. The pulse generator 38 is turned on when the activate button 24 is depressed. Moreover, the pulse generator 38 generates the diagnostic pulse into the conductor 36 thereby facilitating the conductor 36 to communicate the diagnostic pulse to the sensing probe 18. The diagnostic pulse may have a force sufficient to cause a tooth 22 to displace slightly when the tooth 22 is not healthy but insufficient to displace a tooth 22 that is healthy. Additionally, the diagnostic pulse has a force that is sufficiently low enough to avoid damaging enamel and other structures of the tooth 22.
The diagnostic unit 26 includes a signal analyzer 40 that is integrated into the housing 28 and the signal analyzer 40 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 34. The signal analyzer 40 is in communication with the conductor 36 and the signal analyzer 40 analyzes the resistance to the diagnostic pulse for determining the magnitude of resistance. The signal analyzer 40 may be an electronic signal analyzer that is capable of determining the magnitude of resistance the tooth 22 poses to the diagnostic pulse.
The display 27 is coupled to the front wall 30 of the housing 28 such that the display 27 is visible to the dentist and the display 27 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 34. The display 27 displays indicia 44 comprising numbers 46 ranging between 1 and 10. Each of the numbers 46 corresponds to the predetermined diagnostic range of magnitude ranging between a minimum magnitude and a maximum magnitude. In this way the numbers 46 communicate the magnitude of resistance to the dentist to facilitate the dentist to diagnose the health of the tooth 22. The display 27 may be a liquid crystal display or other type of electronic display. Additionally, the diagnostic range of magnitude may be a range determined by dental health professionals.
The diagnostic unit 26 includes a data port 48 that is integrated into the perimeter wall 32 of the housing 28 such that the data port 48 can receive a data cable. The data port 48 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 34 thereby facilitating the data port 48 to download data to an external computer. The data port 48 may be a universal serial bus port or other type of data port. The diagnostic unit 26 includes a power button 50 that is movably integrated into the front wall 30 of the housing 28. The power button 50 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 34 and the power button 50 turns the control circuit 34 on and off. A power supply 52 is positioned inside the housing 28, the power supply 52 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 34 and the power supply 52 comprises at least one battery.
In use, the curved end 20 of the sensing probe 18 is positioned against a tooth 22 in the patient's mouth 23 at a desired location on the tooth 22. The activate button 24 is depressed and the pulse generator 38 generates the pulse into the sensing probe 18. Additionally, the signal analyzer 40 analyzes the resistance of the tooth 22 to the diagnostic pulse. The resistance is compared to the diagnostic range of magnitude and the display 27 displays the number 46, ranging between 1 and 10, that corresponds to the diagnostic range of magnitude. In this way the dentist can precisely diagnose the health of each tooth 22 in the patient's mouth 23.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
