DE29717033U1 - Root canal tip - Google Patents

Description

GRÜNECKER, KINKELD^'STCÖCK^^I^'i .SCtfiW^NHÄUSSER

LAW FIRM

LAW FIRM MAXIMIUANSTRASSE 5B D-80538 MUNICH GERMANY

German Patent Office

Zweibrückenstr. 12
80297 Munich

LAWYERS

DR. HERMANN SCHWANHÄUSSER
DR. HELMUT EICHMAN
GERHARD BARTH
DR. ULRICH BLUMENRÖDER, LL. M.
CHRISTA NIKLAS-FALTER

YOUR REF.

OUR REF.

G 3709 -829/il

PATENT ATTORNEYS

EUROPEAN PATENT ATTORNEYS

AUGUST GRUNECKER

DR. HERMANN KINKELDEY

DR. WILFRIED STOCKMAIR (-1996)

DR, KLAUS SCHUMANN

PETER H, JAKOS

DR. GUNTER BEZOLD

WOLFHARD MEISTER

HANS HILGERS

DR. HENNING MEYER-PLATH

ANNELIE EHNOLD

THOMAS SCHUSTER

DR. WALTER LANGHOFF

DR. KLARA G0LD8ACH

MARTIN AUFENANGER

GOTTFRIED KLITZSCH

OR. HEIKE VOGELSANG-WENKE

REINHARD KNAUER

DIETMAR KUHL

DR. FRANZ-JOSEF ZIMMER

BETTINA K. REICHELT

DR. ANTON K. PFAU

DATE

23.09.1997

Applicant:

ROEKO GmbH + Co. DENTAL PRODUCTS

Raiffeisenstrasse 89129 Langenau

ROOT CANAL TIP

TEL 089 / 21 23 50 ·

FAX (GR 4) 089 / 21 86 92 93 ■ FAX (GR 3) 089 / 22 02 87 · http://www.grunecker.de · e-mail: postmaster@grunecker.de ■ TELEX 529 380 MONA D MAXIMIUANSTRASSE 58 ■ D-80538 MUNICH DEUTSCHE 8ANK MUNICH, NO. 17 51734, 8LZ 700 700 10

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a root canal tip with a substantially pointed cone-shaped body, which has a blunt and a tapered end and at least one marking.

Such root canal tips are known from practice. They are used to clean root canals, whereby the tips are inserted into the canals and rotated there if necessary. The root canal tip has a pointed cone-shaped body and is essentially pin or needle-shaped with a blunt end at the back and a tapered end at the front. The tapered end is inserted into the root canal and the root canal tip is held by a user next to its blunt end. In order to identify different materials from which the root canal tips are made and/or different lengths and/or different thicknesses of these root canal tips, at least one marking is applied to them.

In the case of the root canal tips known from practice, this marking is arranged as a colour marking starting from the blunt end. Consequently, the marking is held by the user in the hand or with tweezers when handling the root canal tip. On the one hand, this means that there is a possibility that parts of the marking can come loose when using the root canal tip and fall into the root canal as a wound in the patient's throat. Such a foreign body can lead to infection in addition to contamination. On the other hand, when the user holds the marking, the marking is usually covered by his fingers and is therefore no longer visible or only poorly visible. This makes it difficult to determine what type of marking is on the root canal tip when using it.

Finally, the marking partially impairs the handling of the root canal tip, since the hold can be negatively influenced by sterilization or the like.

The invention is therefore based on the object of improving a root canal tip of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that it can be easily visibly marked and held securely even during use, while at the same time preventing contamination of the root canal or adjacent areas.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the marking is arranged at a distance from the blunt end.

This amazingly simple measure avoids all the disadvantages associated with the root canal tips previously known in practice. When handling the root canal tip, the marking is not touched, so that it cannot come loose and fall into the root canal or its surroundings. This largely avoids the risk of contamination or infection in this area. At the same time, when handling the root canal tip, the body section of the tip located between the marking and the blunt end is grasped. This provides a better grip even in the relatively moist environment of a patient's throat. Since the marking is not grasped when handling the root canal tip, it is also clearly visible in the user's hand. It is therefore always possible to determine which marking the root canal tip has and what this tip is marked with.

A well-absorbent root canal tip can be obtained by making the body at least partially out of paper. Preferably, the entire body is made out of paper.

To simplify the production of the root canal tip, the body is made from a rolled-up paper pattern. This is produced by producing the pattern in large numbers, for example by punching it out of a corresponding sheet of paper. This can be done automatically. The paper patterns can also be rolled up automatically and the resulting root canal tips collected accordingly. Different lengths and/or thicknesses for the root canal tips are made possible by appropriately designed paper patterns.

If root canal tips with high elasticity are desired, the body can be made at least partially from gutta-percha. Preferably, in this context, the entire body is made from gutta-percha. However, examples are also possible in which a combination of gutta-percha and other fillers is used for root canal tips.

The marking can be formed, for example, by a label, by symbols or the like. A simple and quick way of distinguishing between different markings is when such a marking is a color marking.

To make the marking easier, it can be done by applying a color to the outside of the body. This can be applied automatically when the root canal tips are made. Of course, color combinations for marking are also possible.

Another simple way to create such a marking is to print it on the tip of the root canal. This applies to colors as markings as well as to the other markings mentioned above.

The marking can be printed on the finished body, especially if it is made of gutta-percha. However, it is also possible to print the marking or color directly on the paper pattern before it is rolled up. It should be noted again that only one or more colors can be printed as a marking. If several colors are used, the printing can be done simultaneously or one after the other.

Essentially, any pattern of color can be printed on, such as colored dots or the like. Likewise, any other marking with essentially any pattern can be printed on. When using colors as markings, it is particularly possible to print these as colored stripes that extend transversely to the paper pattern or transversely to the root canal tip.

In order to have enough space at the blunt end of the root canal tip to handle it and at the same time to be able to clearly see the marking when the root canal tip is inserted into the root canal, for example, the distance ratio between the marking and the blunt end and the pointed end can be between 1:4 and 1:9 and preferably between 1:5 and 1:7. In addition, by placing the marking closer to the blunt end of the root canal tip than to the tapered end, the blunt end and the end to be grasped are identified. This prevents the relatively small root canal tips from being grasped at the tapered end and pushed into the root canal with the blunt end.

/■■'
be used.

In this context, a length of the marking in the longitudinal direction of the root canal tip can also be substantially equal to the distance of the marking from the blunt end. This further improves the assignment to the blunt end and its identification for handling and at the same time ensures the visibility of the marking even when the root canal tip is in use.

In the following, advantageous embodiments of the invention are explained and described in more detail with reference to the figures attached to the drawing.

Show it:

Figure 1 is a side view of a first embodiment

a root canal tip according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of a second embodiment of a root canal tip according to the invention, and

Figure 3 is a plan view of a pattern for producing a

inventive root canal tip

Figure 1 shows a side view of a first embodiment of a root canal tip 1. This has a pointed cone- or needle-shaped body 2 with a blunt end 3 and a tapered end 4. On an outer side 7

of the body 2, a marking 5 is visible, which is formed, for example, by a color 8 applied to the body.

Figure 2 shows a side view of a second embodiment of a root canal tip 1 according to the invention. This differs from the embodiment according to Figure 1 in that its diameter increases more in the longitudinal direction 13 between the tapered end 4 and the blunt end 3. It should be noted that the different diameters are generally circular. The root canal tip 1 according to Figure 2 also differs in the arrangement of the color 8 as a marking 5 and its length in the longitudinal direction 13.

In both embodiments, the area of the body 2 between the respective marking 5 and the corresponding blunt end 3 serves to hold and handle the root canal tip during its use.

Figure 3 shows a top view of a paper pattern 6 for producing a root canal tip 1. The root canal tip is created by rolling up the paper pattern in direction 14.

The paper cutting pattern is only shown as an example and in principle, although different cutting patterns are possible, which, by rolling or winding, produce root canal tips as shown in Figures 1 or 2.

A colored stripe 9 is applied to the paper pattern 6 as a color marking 8 at a distance 10 from a side that forms the blunt end 3, for example by printing. The colored stripe 9 has a length 12 in the longitudinal direction 13, which in the illustrated embodiment corresponds approximately to the head distance 10. The colored stripe 9 is at a greater foot distance 11 from the tip 4.

It should also be noted that the color stripe 9 can also be printed at an angle to the longitudinal direction 13. Furthermore, the color stripe 9 can be printed on one side or both sides of the paper pattern 6. In addition, the color contained in the color stripe 9 can also be absorbed by the paper due to the appropriate absorbency of the paper, so that the color stripe is visible on both sides of the pattern.

This avoids the situation where the sides of the cutting pattern on which the color stripe 9 is printed have to form the outside of the root canal tip produced. Instead of being made of paper, such a root canal tip according to Figures 1 and 2 can also be made of another material, such as gutta-percha, in which case a cutting pattern is not required, and the root canal tips 1 can be produced directly in their final form using an appropriate tool from the starting material.

Claims (11)

EXPECTATIONS 1. Root canal tip (1) with a substantially conical body (2) which has a blunt and a tapered end (3, 4) and a marking (5), characterized in that the marking (5) is arranged at a distance from the blunt end (3). 2. Root canal tip according to claim 1, characterized in that the body (2) is at least partially made of paper. 3. Root canal tip according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the body (2) is formed from a rolled-up paper pattern. 4. Root canal tip according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the body (2) is at least partially formed from gutta-percha. 5. Root canal tip according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the marking (5) is a color marking. 6. Root canal tip according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the marking is formed from paint (8) applied to an outer side (7) of the body (2). 7. Root canal tip according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the marking is printed. 8. Root canal tip according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the color (8) is printed on the paper pattern (6). 9. Root canal tip according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the color (8) is printed as a color stripe (9). 10. Root canal tip according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a distance ratio of the distances (10, 11) from the marking (5) to the blunt end (3) and from the marking (5) to the tapered end (4) is 1:4 to 1:9 and preferably 1:5 to 1:7. 11. Root canal tip according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a length (12) of the marking (5) in the longitudinal direction (13) of the root canal tip (1) is substantially equal to the distance (10) between the marking and the blunt end (4).