Claims
- 1. An obturator system for filling an endodontically prepared tooth root canal comprising:an elongated heat conductible shaft having a proximal portion and a smooth distal portion; filler material applied onto said shaft distal portion, said shaft having sufficient rigidity to serve as a vehicle for carrying said filler material thereon and compact the filler material into the lowermost portions of a tooth root canal; and a coil of electrically conductive wire positioned around said shaft proximal portion and adjacent said distal portion having said filler material thereon, said coil having conductors extending therefrom connectable to a source of AC voltage whereby said shaft may be inductively heated to reduce surface tension of said filler material permitting said shaft to be removed to leave said filler material compacted in said root canal.
- 2. An obturator system according to claim 1 including:a signal generating temperature sensor affixed to said shaft.
- 3. An obturator system according to claim 2 including:circuitry attached to said temperature sensor employed to control electrical energy to said coil.
- 4. An obturator system according to claim 1 wherein said shaft is of metal.
- 5. An obturator system according to claim 1 wherein said shaft is of plastic having electrically conducive material admixed therein.
- 6. An obturator system according to claim 1 wherein said coil is encompassed within a non-electrically conductive body portion.
- 7. An obturator system according to claim 6 wherein said non-electrically conductive body portion is formed of plastic.
- 8. An obturator system according to claim 6 wherein said body portion forms a handle for manually manipulating said shaft.
- 9. An obturator system according to claim 1 wherein said coil is telescopically removable from said shaft.
- 10. An method of filling an endodontically prepared root canal of a tooth comprising:applying filler material to the external surface of a distal portion of an elongated structural shaft formed of heat conducting material, the shaft having an integral generally uniform diameter proximal portion, the shaft having sufficiently rigidity to serve as a vehicle for carrying and compacting said filler material into a lowermost portion of a root canal, and having a coil of electrically conductive wire positioned around said shaft proximal portion and adjacent said distal portion, the coil having conductors extending therefrom connectable to a source of AC voltage; inserting said proximal portion of said shaft having said filler material thereon into the root canal; applying said AC voltage to said coil to inductively heat said shaft to decrease the surface tension of said filler material; and removing said shaft leaving said filler material in the root canal.
- 11. A method according to claim 10 wherein said shaft has a signal generating temperature sensor affixed thereto.
- 12. A method according to claim 11 including the step of controlling said AC voltage applied to said coil in response to a signal generated by said temperature sensor.
- 13. A method according to claim 10 wherein said coil is encompassed within a plastic body portion.
- 14. A method according to claim 13 in which said plastic body portion forms a handle portion and wherein said step of inserting said proximal portion of said shaft having filler material thereon into the root canal is accomplished using said handle portion.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/481,611, filed Jan. 12, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,312,261.
US Referenced Citations (19)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1220369 |
Apr 1987 |
CA |
513640 |
Nov 1971 |
CH |
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Dec 2001 |
DE |
775073 |
Dec 1934 |
FR |
2163953 |
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FR |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (5)
Entry |
Jun. 1978- Journal of Endodontics vol. 4, No. 6. |
The Dental Cosmos- New York Odontological Society vol. XXV, P. 185-195. |
Obturation of the Radicular Space by Ingle and Taintor-Endodontics Third Edition, P. 271-272. |
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/481611 |
Jan 2000 |
US |
Child |
09/925988 |
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US |