EP2651330A1

EP2651330A1 - Endodontic instrument for drilling the root canals of a tooth

Info

Publication number: EP2651330A1
Application number: EP11808132.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jean-Claude Rouiller
Original assignee: FKG Dentaire SARL
Current assignee: FKG Dentaire SARL
Priority date: 2010-12-16
Filing date: 2011-12-12
Publication date: 2013-10-23
Also published as: WO2012079183A1; CN108350532A; MX2018005582A; US9931179B2; JP7133218B2; SG11201803658YA; CH704235B1; CA2819204A1; BR112018008424B1; BR112018008424A2; US20140004479A1; CL2018001170A1; MY190220A; ES2858756T3; AU2016348753A1; JP2014505507A; ZA201803177B; US11571275B2; CH704235A1; JP2018531709A

Abstract

The invention relates to an endodontic instrument (10) for drilling the root canals (21) of a tooth (20). Said instrument (10) comprises a working area (11) for forming and/or shaping and/or cutting the wall of the root canal (21) of the tooth (20). Said working area (11) is provided with a supporting endpiece (13) that is attachable to a manual or mechanically driven mounting (14). The working area (11) is arranged so as to assume a stowed configuration when the instrument (10) is in an inoperative position, and a structured expanded configuration when the instrument is in a working position, the transition from the inoperative position to the working position and vice versa being caused by predetermined variations in the temperature of the instrument. To this end, the working area (11) is made from a wire of a metal alloy having shape-memory properties or particular elasticity properties.

Description

ENDODONT1QUE INSTRUMENT FOR DRILLING RADICULAR CHANNELS OF A TOOTH

Technical area

The present invention relates to an endodontic instrument, in particular an instrument for boring a root canal of a tooth of a patient, said instrument having a longitudinal axis and comprising a working zone arranged to form and / or shape and / or or cutting and / or cleaning the wall of the root canal of the tooth, this working area being provided with a holding tip arranged to be fixed on a support.

Prior art

The cleaning and shaping of the root canals of a tooth for receiving the filling substances is carried out by the use of boring instruments having an active part, called a working part, which has the purpose of to shape and clean the root canal to prepare it for receiving treatment and sealing materials.

The root canals often have particular geometries with complex curvatures and reduced sections, such as constrictions or oval areas, which are not well suited to the introduction of preparation and shaping instruments. This is why instruments called limes must have sometimes contradictory characteristics: These files must be thin but resistant while being flexible enough to follow the curvatures of the root canal and reach its end while remaining hard enough to cut and cut the walls of the root canal. this channel.

These requirements impose on the odontologist a process of preparation and treatment of the root canal during which he is forced to use all 0 a range of tools with progressive action in order to adapt to the morphology of the canal, this range of tools with structural and dimensional variations. The speaker begins with a flexible and fine instrument that will then be replaced by instruments of increasing section until the root canal has adequate internal clearance to receive the stuffing substance. This set of operations is long and delicate, knowing that, for safety reasons, the treatment and sealing material must fill the cavity of the root canal completely, carefully avoiding that residual air remains in the bottom of the root canal. this cavity thus creating a risk of feeding bacteria and ultimately an infection.

These instruments are difficult to introduce into the root canal. In addition, there is currently no universal instrument adapted to the morphology of the root canal to be treated and which allows all the preparation operations at once. The instruments may screw, lock in the channel or heat up excessively, which can cause their break. This risk is particularly present when nickel-titanium alloy motorized instruments are used which are tiring and whose odontologist must monitor the duration of use. It is therefore certain that the successive use of several different instruments increases both the cost of the intervention, the complexity of the work for the odontologist and the risks for the patient.

0

The US publication US 2010/0233648 discloses an endodontic instrument which is made of a superelastic material which has a first shape at the time of its introduction into the root canal and which takes a second shape when it is inside this channel. . This shape modification 5 is related to the property of superelasticity of the material, which allows the instrument to undergo deformations due to mechanical constraints imposed by the profile of the channel.

The international patent application published under No. WO 2005/070320 0 also describes an endodontic instrument which is made of a superelastic and shape memory material whose profile can change in progress. of use due to mechanical stresses that are imposed by the walls of the root canal.

These embodiments are subject to mechanical stresses, but do not constitute cutting files that allow reaming the root canal while following and respecting its profile.

Presentation of the invention

The present invention proposes to overcome all of the above disadvantages and to provide means for ensuring effective preparation of the root canal, by providing the practitioner with an adaptable instrument that is easily introduced to the patient. interior of the root canal and which may nevertheless have a suitable shape to ensure the preparation for the root treatment and the closure of this channel.

This object is achieved by the instrument according to the invention as defined in the preamble and characterized in that said at least one working zone is arranged to have a retracted shape with at least partially straight geometry when the instrument is in the rest position. the instrument being in the so-called martensitic phase and an expanded structured form adapted to the profile of said root canal when the instrument is in the working position, the instrument then being in a so-called austenitic phase, the transition from the martensitic phase to the the austenitic phase being caused by a first predetermined change in the temperature of the instrument and the return of the instrument from its austenitic phase to its martensitic phase being caused by a second predetermined variation of the temperature of this instrument.

Advantageously, at least said first predetermined variation of the temperature of the instrument is caused during the use of said instrument after its introduction into said root canal. Preferably, said first predetermined temperature variation of the instrument is a rise in temperature.

Said temperature rise, which causes said passage of the martensitic phase to the austenitic phase, is advantageously in a range of temperatures between 0 ° and 60 ° C and preferably between 25 ° and 40 ° C.

According to a preferred embodiment, said second predetermined variation of the temperature of this instrument is a lowering of the temperature.

Said lowering of temperature, to a value called transformation temperature which advantageously causes the passage of the austenitic phase to the martensitic phase, is in a range of temperatures between 60 ° and 0 ° C and preferably between 40 ° and 40 ° C. 25 ° C.

Advantageously, said at least one working zone may be made of a metal alloy having shape memory properties enabling it to take a retracted form at room temperature and a structured form expanded to a higher temperature at the time of or after its introduction into said root canal.

In a particularly advantageous manner, said metal alloy having shape memory properties is an alloy chosen from the following alloys: nickel-titanium, copper-zinc-aluminum-nickel, copper-aluminum-nickel, or zinc-copper-gold -fer or a combination of at least two of these alloys.

According to the uses, said expanded structured form may have a twisted appearance, a substantially flat twist shape or a twisted twisted form of substantially circular section. For specific uses, in the expanded structured form, the working area of the instrument may comprise parts having cutting edges or smoothing edges or an abrasive surface or at least one end sector forming an angle with the axis of the instrument.

According to the variant embodiment, in said structured form, the working zone of the instrument may be tubular and comprise two end sectors forming an angle with respect to the axis of the instrument, these two sectors being arranged to describe a cone during the axial rotation of the instrument.

When the instrument is made of an elastic metal alloy, the instrument is arranged to resume the retracted form by mechanical action after use in which it was in its expanded structural form. Brief description of the drawings

The present invention and its main advantages will become more apparent in the description of various embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1A shows an instrument according to the invention in the form of a flat tendril, at the moment of its introduction into a root canal of a tooth, FIGS. 1B to 1D show the instrument of FIG. 1A after its introduction into the root canal of the tooth, FIGS. 1C and 1D respectively representing sections in this tooth along the axes AA and BB, Figures 2A and 2C show another embodiment of the instrument according to the invention at the time of its introduction into a root canal of a root of a tooth, Figure 2C showing a section in the root of this tooth along the axis AA, FIGS. 2B and 2D represent the instrument of FIG. 2A, after its introduction into the root canal of a root of the tooth, FIG. 2D representing a section in this root along axis AA,

FIGS. 3A and 3C show another variant embodiment of an instrument according to the invention which is expandable, in a first working state in a root of a tooth, FIG. 3C showing a section in this root along the axis AA FIGS. 3B and 3D represent the so-called expandable instrument of FIG. 3A, in a second working state, FIG. 3D showing a section in the treated root of the tooth along the AA axis, FIGS. 4A and 4B. represent an expansible instrument similar to that of FIGS. 3A to 3D, in a different working configuration in a root of a tooth, FIG. 4B showing a section in this root along the AA axis, FIG. 5A illustrates a variant, tubular, of the instrument according to the invention, introduced into the root of a tooth but in a rest position, FIG 5B is an enlarged view of the end of the working area of the instrument of the FIG. 5A in the rest position, FIG. 6A illustrates the instrument of FIGS. 5A and 5B in the working position in the root of the tooth, and

5

Figure 6B is an enlarged view of the end of the working area of the instrument of Figure 5A in the working position.

Best ways to achieve the invention

The instrument shown in Figs. 1A-1D is a manual-type instrument for attachment to the end of a handle to allow the practitioner to scrape the substantially oval root canal of a patient's tooth. essentially by back and forth movements and pivoting movements about the longitudinal axis of the instrument. This instrument 10 comprises a working zone 11, made of a wire comprising one or more strands, extended by a holding tip 13 which is carried by a support 14, in this case a handle allowing the practitioner to manipulate the instrument. . FIG. 1A shows the instrument 10 in its insertion position in the root canal 21 of a tooth 20. In this position, the working zone 11 of the instrument 10 is in the retracted position, in this case, substantially rectilinear, which facilitates its introduction into the root canal 21 and allows easy passage through an apparent constriction 16 in this channel. At ambient temperature, the working zone 11 retains its retracted form, substantially rectilinear because the metal alloy in which it is made has a characteristic called "shape memory". This characteristic, known per se, allows a suitable metal alloy to have a first geometric shape in a given temperature range and take a different geometric shape after switching to another temperature. In this case, the working zone 11 of the instrument, made of a nickel-titanium-based alloy, has a substantially rectilinear shape at an ambient temperature, for example between 0 and 35.degree. C., preferably between 10 and 30.degree. ° C and in particular of the order of 20 ° C, and takes a structured form expanded to a higher temperature. At "low" temperature, the material is in the so-called "martensitic" phase and is in a relatively flexible form that facilitates the introduction of the instrument into the root canal. At a higher temperature, the material enters the phase called "austenitic" and the instrument takes a structured form that allows the machining of the walls of the channel, whatever the profile of the latter. To bring the material from its martensitic phase to its austenitic phase, depending on the materials, a first temperature variation, such as an elevation, is applied, which is in the range of temperatures between 0 ° and 60 ° C. and preferably between 25 ° and 40 ° C. To bring the material from its austenitic phase to its martensitic phase, depending on the materials, a second variation in temperature is applied, such as a lowering to a a value called transformation temperature, which is in a temperature range between 60 ° and 0 ° C, and preferably 40 ° and 25 ° C for some nickel alloys. The alloys usable for their shape memory properties are mainly copper-zinc-aluminum-nickel, copper-aluminum-nickel and zinc-copper-gold-iron alloys. Other alloys with similar properties could of course be used. The rise in temperature can be accelerated by means of heating incorporated in the support of the instrument or by external means such as for example sodium hypochlorite (NaOCI) which is used for the disinfection of the root canal. This compound can be injected by a heating syringe, commonly used in the field by practitioners.

The expanded structured shape taken by the working zone 11 of the instrument 10 is represented by FIGS. 1B to 1 D. The working zone 11 has, in this embodiment, taken the form of a flat tendril which substantially fills the entire width of the root canal 21 as illustrated by Figures 1C and 1D. This auger has great flexibility, so that it adapts to the shape of the channel 21. In the sector of the throat 16 of the channel, the loops 17 of the tendril are less accentuated than in widened sectors 18 and 19 respectively corresponding to the bottom and the inlet of the channel 21 ^' . FIGS. 2A to 2D show an instrument 10 according to the invention, of the motorized type, engaged in one of the channels 21 of a molar tooth 20 with two root canals. In FIGS. 2A and 2C, the working area 1 1, in its retracted form, is substantially rectilinear, which allows easy insertion into the root canal 21. In FIGS. 2B and 2D, the work area 1 1 has taken its expanded structural form, following an increase in temperature obtained either by contact with the body of the patient, or by means of a heating resistor (not shown) present in the support 14 which In the example shown, the instrument is mechanically rotated and has, in its structured state, a form of corkscrew. The working zone 11 of the instrument 10 has, moreover, a sufficiently flexible consistency so that its section can adapt to the section of the root canal 21 which is more or less conical. For this purpose the working zone 11 is made with a shape memory metal alloy wire which takes its expanded structural form following a rise in temperature or a change in temperature. The section of the wire may be substantially circular or possibly angular so that the function of the instrument is rather smooth or rather sharp or abrasive depending on the desired result. Several instruments having different or complementary functions can be used by the practitioner, depending on the initial profile of the root canal to be treated. Figures 3A to 3D show another embodiment of an instrument according to the invention of the motorized type. This instrument 10, said expandable, has specific characteristics that allow it to adapt to the profile and dimensions of a root canal or "machine" this canal to give it the desired profile and dimensions for further processing of root. The instrument 0, in its state represented by FIGS. 3A and 3C, is introduced into one of the root canals 21 of the tooth 20. This channel comprises a slight bulge 21a in its central part, followed by a narrowing 21b. . The working area 11 of the instrument 10 adapts to this configuration. Like the instrument illustrated in FIGS. 2A to 2D, this instrument is rotated by its support 14 and, depending on the section of the wire of metal with which it is constituted, its action produces either machining, cutting, abrasion or In this case, the aim is to widen the upper part of the channel by eliminating the constriction 21b in order to facilitate the introduction of the sealing paste. For this purpose, the instrument 0 expands, takes a form of corkscrew of substantially circular section and acts on the walls by cutting or eroding the material of the body of the tooth, as shown in Figures 3B and 3D. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the expansion of the instrument 10 is essentially in the upper part of the working zone 11 and the aim is to cone the root canal 21 The working zone 11 can be cutting, abrasive or smoothing according to the envisaged machining of the channel 21.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate another embodiment of the instrument 10, in which the working zone 11 is substantially tubular and has a twisted appearance. The lower end 12 of this working zone 11 is slotted axially over a certain length and comprises two sectors 12a and 12b which are visible in FIG. 5B. In the rest position of the working zone whose end 12 is shown enlarged by FIG. 5B, the two sectors 12a and 12b are juxtaposed in the axial extension of the remainder of the zone of

Work 11. The introduction of the working area of the instrument 10 into the root canal 21 is easy because of its straight tubular shape. In its working position represented by FIGS. 6A and 6B, the lower end 12 has opened due to a rise in temperature, thanks to the shape memory properties of the alloy in which the instrument is made, and the two sectors 12a and 12b form an angle between them to describe a cone more or less open, during the rotation of the tool driven by its rotating support 14. The objective for the odontologist is to create an enlarged cavity 22 at the end of the root canal 21, this cavity being intended to receive the filling paste and avoid the imprisonment of air microbubbles at the bottom of said can & l. Indeed, air microbeads contain oxygen which can feed bacteria and degenerate producing an infection in the longer term.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described, but may undergo various modifications or variations. In particular, although the described variants are manual and motorized, it is possible to also consider vibrating the instrument by ultrasound. In addition, depending on the forms chosen, the preparation of the root canal may vary. These variations can also be obtained by adapting the profile of the metal with which the instrument is made, which profile can be smooth cutting, round or angular etc.

Claims

claims

1. Endodontic instrument, in particular an instrument for boring a root canal of a tooth of a patient, said instrument (10) having an axis

5 and having a working zone (11) arranged to form and / or shape and / or cut the wall of the root canal (21) of the tooth (20), this working zone () being provided with a nozzle of retainer (13) arranged to be fixed on a support (14), characterized in that said at least one working zone (11) is arranged to have a retracted form with at least partially straight geometry when the instrument (10) is in the rest position, the instrument being in the so-called martensitic phase, and an expanded structured form adapted to the profile of said root canal when the instrument is in the working position, the instrument then being in a so-called austenitic phase, the passage of the

Martensitic phase to the austenitic phase being caused by a first predetermined change in the temperature of the instrument and the return of the instrument from its austenitic phase to its martensitic phase being caused by a second predetermined variation of the temperature of this instrument.

0

2. endodontic instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that at least said first predetermined variation of the instrument temperature is caused during the use of this instrument after its introduction into said root canal.

25

Endodontic instrument according to claim 2, characterized in that said first predetermined variation of the temperature of the instrument is a rise in temperature.

4. An endodontic instrument according to claim 3, characterized in that said temperature rise, which causes the martensitic phase to pass to the austenitic phase, is within a range of temperatures between 0 ° and 60 ° C and preferably between 25 ° and 40 ° C.

5. endodontic instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that said second predetermined variation of the temperature of said instrument is a lowering of the temperature.

6. endodontic instrument according to claim 5, characterized in that said lowering of temperature, to a value called transformation temperature which causes the passage of the austenitic phase to the martensitic phase, is in a range of temperatures advantageously included between 60 ° and 0 ° C and preferably between 40 ° and 25 ° C.

An endodontic instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one working zone (11) is made of a metal alloy having shape memory properties enabling it to take a retracted form at room temperature and an expanded structured form. at a higher temperature at the time of or after its introduction into said root canal (21).

Endodontic instrument according to claim 7, characterized in that said metal alloy having shape memory properties is an alloy selected from the following alloys: nickel-titanium, copper-zinc-aluminum-nickel; copper-aluminum-nickel; or zinc-copper-gold-iron or a combination of at least two of these alloys.

9. endodontic instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that, in said expanded structured form, the working area (1 1) of the instrument (10) has a twisted appearance.

Endodontic instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that, in said expanded structured form, the working zone (11) of the instrument (10) has a substantially flat tendril shape.

11. endodontic instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that, in said expanded structured form, the working area (11) of the instrument (10) has a shape of corkscrew of substantially circular section.

Endodontic instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that in said expanded structured form, the working area (11) of the instrument (10) has portions having at least one cutting edge or at least one smoothing edge or at least one an abrasive surface or at least one end sector forming an angle with the axis of the instrument.

Endodontic instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that in said expanded structured form, the working zone (11) of the instrument (10) is tubular and comprises two end sectors (12a, 12b) forming an angle with respect to to the axis of the instrument, these dei: x sectors being arranged to describe a cone during the axial rotation of the instrument (0).

Endodontic instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that it is arranged to recover the retracted form by a mechanical action after use in which it was in its expanded structured form.