IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
UP-0063354
(2005-02-23)
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등록번호 |
US-7665212
(2010-04-09)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Lewis, Paul
- Nielsen, John
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출원인 / 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
1 인용 특허 :
54 |
초록
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Endodontic instruments having a desired cutting edge are formed, at least in part, using a cold forming process. The method of forming the endodontic instrument includes providing a blank metal thread or wire and at least one die that has a negative impression of a cutting edge. The die is pressed a
Endodontic instruments having a desired cutting edge are formed, at least in part, using a cold forming process. The method of forming the endodontic instrument includes providing a blank metal thread or wire and at least one die that has a negative impression of a cutting edge. The die is pressed against the blank with sufficient force in order for the die to form an at least partially formed cutting edge in the blank. Any desired shape can be formed into the blank by selecting a die with the proper corresponding negative impression. Cold forming techniques suitable for forming endodontic instruments include roll forming, flat rolling, radial forming, cold drawing, and similar techniques. The files can be sharpened or otherwise modified before or after cold-forming using techniques such as cutting, grinding, and chemical milling.
대표청구항
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What is claimed is: 1. A method of manufacturing an endodontic instrument, comprising: (a) providing a blank comprising a deformable material; (b) providing at least one die comprising a negative impression that corresponds to an essentially finished endodontic instrument having at least three esse
What is claimed is: 1. A method of manufacturing an endodontic instrument, comprising: (a) providing a blank comprising a deformable material; (b) providing at least one die comprising a negative impression that corresponds to an essentially finished endodontic instrument having at least three essentially finished and continuous cutting edges spaced around a longitudinal axis of the endodontic instrument and that has a length and width so as to be readily insertable within a root canal of a tooth; and (c) cold working the blank using the at least one die comprising the negative impression to form an essentially finished endodontic instrument having at least three essentially finished and continuous cutting edges spaced around a longitudinal axis of the endodontic instrument and that has a length and width so as to be readily insertable within a root canal of a tooth. 2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein cold working is performed by at least one of roll forming, radial forming, flat rolling, or cold drawing. 3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the blank is cold worked by roll forming it using the die with the negative impression corresponding to a polygonal cross section, and wherein the roll forming of the blank using the die with the negative impression yields an endodontic instrument having a polygonal cross-section. 4. A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising torsioning the endodontic instrument to yield at least three continuous helical cutting edges. 5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the at least three continuous helical cutting edges are subsequently sharpened by chemical milling. 6. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the polygonal cross section is at least one of a square, a triangle, a polygon having straight surfaces, a polygon having concave surfaces, or a polygon having convex surfaces. 7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the endodontic instrument is further modified by torsioning the instrument to form helical cutting edges. 8. A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising further modifying the endodontic instrument by chemically milling at least a portion of the cutting edges. 9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein chemically milling is performed by progressively inserting and/or withdrawing the endodontic instrument from a chemical milling composition at a predetermined rate in order to taper the instrument. 10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the cutting edges are is chemically milled using a solution of hydrofluoric acid and/or nitric acid, water, and a wetting agent in order to sharpen the cutting edges. 11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the blank comprises a metallic thread or wire. 12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the deformable material comprises stainless steel or a titanium-based alloy. 13. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising further modifying the endodontic instrument by further sharpening at least one of the essentially finished and continuous cutting edges subsequent to cold working the blank. 14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein further sharpening the at least three essentially finished and continuous cutting edges is performed by one or more of cutting, grinding, machining, chemically milling, electrochemical milling, laser micromachining, or grit blasting. 15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein providing a blank comprises providing a tapered metallic thread or wire having a diameter that decreases from a proximal end to a distal end and that is formed by at least one of cold forming, cutting, grinding, machining, chemically milling, electrochemical milling, laser micromachining, or grit blasting. 16. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising tapering the endodontic instrument by chemical milling. 17. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the negative impression of the die further corresponds to a tapered endodontic file having a diameter that decreases from a proximal end to a distal end so that cold working the blank yields a tapered endodontic instrument having a diameter that decreases from a proximal end to a distal end. 18. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the negative impression further corresponds to a blunt tip of an endodontic instrument so that cold working the blank yields an endodontic instrument having a blunt tip. 19. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising further modifying the endodontic instrument by dulling a tip of the endodontic instrument by at least one of cutting, grinding, machining, chemical milling, electrochemical milling, laser micromachining, grit blasting or combinations thereof. 20. A method of manufacturing an endodontic instrument, comprising: (a) providing a blank comprising a deformable material; (b) providing at least one die comprising a negative impression that corresponds to an essentially finished endodontic instrument having at least three essentially finished and continuous cutting edges spaced around a longitudinal axis of the endodontic instrument and that has a length and width so as to be readily insertable within a root canal of a tooth; and (c) rolling the blank using the at least one die comprising the negative impression and with sufficient force to form an endodontic instrument having an at least three essentially finished and continuous cutting edges spaced around a longitudinal axis of the endodontic instrument and that has a length and width so as to be readily insertable within a root canal of a tooth. 21. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein rolling the blank comprises one of roll forming, flat rolling, or a combination thereof. 22. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein rolling the blank yields an endodontic instrument having a polygonal cross-section. 23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the polygonal cross section is at least one of a square, a triangle, a polygon having straight surfaces, a polygon having concave surfaces, or a polygon having convex surfaces. 24. A method as recited in claim 20, further comprising chemically milling the endodontic instrument in order to sharpen at least a portion of the at least three cutting edges. 25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the cutting edges are chemically milled using a solution of hydrofluoric acid and/or nitric acid, water, and a wetting agent. 26. A method of manufacturing an endodontic instrument, comprising: (a) providing a blank comprising a deformable material; (b) providing a die comprising a negative impression that corresponds to an essentially finished endodontic instrument having a polygonal cross section, at least three partially finished and continuous cutting edges spaced around a longitudinal axis of the endodontic instrument, and a length and width so as to be readily insertable within a root canal of a tooth; (c) rolling the blank using the at least one die comprising the negative impression and with sufficient force to form an endodontic instrument having a polygonal cross-section, at least three partially finished and continuous cutting edges spaced around a longitudinal axis of the endodontic instrument, and a length and width so as to be readily insertable within a root canal of a tooth; and (d) torsioning the endodontic instrument in order to transform the at least three partially finished and continuous cutting edges into helical cutting edges. 27. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein rolling comprises roll forming or flat rolling. 28. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein the polygonal cross-section formed in (c) using the die comprising the negative impression is at least one of a square, a triangle, a polygon having straight surfaces, a polygon having concave surfaces, or a polygon having convex surfaces. 29. A method as recited in claim 26, further comprising sharpening the at least three partially finished and continuous cutting edges and/or helical cutting edges by chemical milling. 30. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein the die comprising the negative impression corresponds to an endodontic instrument having a taper from a promixal end to a distal end and rolling the blank forms an endodontic instrument having a taper from the promixal end to the distal end. 31. A method of manufacturing an endodontic instrument, comprising: (a) providing an untapered blank comprising a deformable material; (b) providing at least one die comprising a negative impression that corresponds to a tapered endodontic instrument having a diameter that decreases from a proximal end to a distal end of the endodontic instrument and a length and width so as to be readily insertable within a root canal of a tooth; and (c) rolling the blank using the at least one die and sufficient force to form a tapered endodontic instrument having a diameter that decreases from the proximal end to the distal end of the endodontic instrument and a length and width so as to be readily insertable within a root canal of a tooth. 32. A method as recited in claim 31, wherein the negative impression of the die also corresponds to an at least partially formed cutting edge of an endodontic instrument so that rolling the blank further comprises forming an at least partially formed cutting edge in the endodontic instrument. 33. A method as recited in claim 32, wherein the at least partially formed cutting edge is helical. 34. A method as recited in claim 31, further comprising: providing at least one other die comprising a negative impression that corresponds to an at least partially formed cutting edge of an endodontic instrument; and rolling the endodontic instrument formed in (c) using the at least one other die and sufficient force to form an at least partially formed cutting edge in the endodontic instrument. 35. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein the at least partially formed cutting edge is helical. 36. A method of manufacturing an endodontic instrument, comprising: (a) providing a blank comprising a deformable material; (b) providing at least one die comprising a negative impression that corresponds to three or more at least partially formed cutting edges spaced around a longitudinal axis of an essentially finished endodontic instrument having a taper and a length and width so as to be readily insertable within a root canal of a tooth; and (c) cold working the blank using the at least one die comprising the negative impression and with sufficient force to form an essentially finished endodontic instrument having three or more at least partially formed cutting edges spaced around a longitudinal axis of the essentially finished endodontic instrument having a taper and a length and width so as to be readily insertable within a root canal of a tooth. 37. A method of manufacturing an endodontic instrument, comprising: (a) providing a blank comprising a deformable material; (b) providing at least one die comprising a negative impression that corresponds to three or more at least partially formed cutting edges spaced around a longitudinal axis of an endodontic instrument having a length and width so as to be readily insertable within a root canal of a tooth; (c) rolling the blank using the at least one die and sufficient force to form an endodontic instrument having three or more at least partially formed cutting edges spaced around a longitudinal axis of the endodontic instrument and a length and width so as to be readily insertable within a root canal of a tooth; and (d) sharpening the at least partially formed cutting edges by chemical milling.
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