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Apparatus for evacuation of root canalRelated Patent Categories: Dentistry, Apparatus, Having Intra-oral Dispensing Means, EndodonticApparatus for evacuation of root canal description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080032259, Apparatus for evacuation of root canal. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] The present application is a non-provisional application claiming the benefit of the priority of provisional application Ser. No. 60/579,915 filed Jun. 14, 2004 and is a-continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/387,804 filed Mar. 13, 2003. 1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention is in the field of endodontics, more particularly methods and apparatus used during root canal procedures. 2. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] To preserve a tooth that has or could develop a diseased pulp cavity, it is necessary to prevent bacterial proliferation within the root or pulp canal of the tooth by enlarging the canal without excessively weakening the root's wall by using endodontic files, bores, reamers or other instrumentation in order to: 1) mechanically remove as much of the root canal contents as is possible and 2) allow the introduction of irrigants into the root canal space that dissolve and disinfect organic debris, thus minimizing the presence of bacteria, as well as clearing the walls of the root canal of calcific debris created during instrumentation. After completing steps 1 and 2, the root canal is typically filled or obturated with a material such as gutta-percha and a sealer to occlude the pulp cavity and thus seal the root canal. This procedure is referred to as root canal therapy. Irrigation assists in removing debris and necrotic material remaining after the endodontic files, bores, and reamers used during the removing and shaping steps of the procedure. Although, the irrigant preferably is capable of dissolving or disrupting soft tissue remnants to permit their removal, the irrigant may be any suitable liquid such as water or various alcohols. More particularly, although some degree of debridement is preferred, any fluid may be used to flush debris from the root canal. General examples of appropriate irrigants include hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite. In order to ensure that as much of the debris and necrotic material as possible is removed, the irrigant is typically applied under pressure using a syringe and a needle inserted into the canal as shown in FIG. 2. However, as reported in Endodontics, 5.sup.th Edition, by John I Ingle and Leif K Bakland published June 2002, pages 502-503, it is important that the needle fit loosely in the canal to allow backflow. It is also reported that there is little flushing beyond the depth of the needle unless the needle is bound in the canal and the irrigant forcibly ejected which is undesirable due to the danger of an irrigant such as sodium hypochlorite breaching the apex of the canal and entering the periapical tissue. However, unless the end of the needle is near the apex, the portion of the canal from the apex to the end of the needle cannot be effectively irrigated. But placing the end of the needle near the apex increases the likelihood of the irrigant, which is applied under pressure, entering the periapical tissue. This can be a source of post treatment endodontic pain for the patient. Furthermore, if a significant quantity of an irrigant like sodium hypochlorite is accidentally injected into the periapical tissue, morbid clinical complication can occur including excruciating pain, immediate swelling (ballooning) of the tissue and profuse bleeding. [0004] Existing techniques attempt to address this problem by using very small needles to get close to the apex while still fitting loosely in the canal to allow backflow or using an instrument to move some of the irrigant towards the apex with the irrigant no longer under pressure. However, neither technique completely solves the problem. Even the tip of the smallest needles that deliver irrigants under pressure must be kept a safe distance (approximately 4-6 mm) away from the apex in order to avoid accidentally forcing irrigants into the periapical tissue. This safety issue most often results in an area or zone between the apex and needle tip devoid of irrigant. Use of an instrument to force the irrigant through this zone towards the apex is very time consuming and also does not guarantee that the irrigant has flushed the canal all the way to the apex without going too far. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0005] The present invention addresses the prior art problems of inadequate delivery of the irrigant to the apex of the canal resulting in an incomplete cleaning of the canal and penetration of the irrigant past the apex into the periapical tissue resulting in treatment complications. According to the invention, after the working of the canal by instruments to remove material and shape the walls of the canal, a cannula is inserted into the canal extending to about 5 mm from the apex and a vacuum is applied which begins to suck up the debris inside the canal. As this vacuum is applied, a small tube used to deliver irrigant is placed just inside the coronal opening of the root canal. Irrigant is passively flowed into the opening of the root canal, but not under pressure. As the irrigant is supplied, it is drawn to the source of the vacuum causing it to cascade down the walls of the root canals, into the tip of the cannula and out through the vacuum system. After several minutes of irrigant cascading down the canal walls, the cannula is removed and a second, smaller cannula with a hole in its wall near the tip is inserted into the canal until it virtually touches the apical tissue, but unlike the prior art, extending it past the apex does not cause irrigant to enter the periapical tissue because as soon as the hole enters the periapical tissue, since it is no longer in an open space, the vacuum created by the cannula is not present. In an alternate embodiment, instead of delivering irrigant via the cannula and applying a vacuum to the microcannula, the irrigant may be supplied via the microcannula. In this embodiment, a vacuum is applied via a tube which is inserted partway down the root canal. Tube and microcannula pass through a material created by a standard dental filling material of a composite nature which provides a seal at a position near the top of the coronal opening. The irrigant is supplied in a manner sufficient to ensure delivery to the side vent of the microcannula. The vacuum at the end of tube draws the irrigant and debris up from the apex of the root canal into the tube. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0006] FIG. 1 is a cut away side view of a tooth showing its root canal and periapical tissue. [0007] FIG. 2 shows a prior art endodontic irrigation system. [0008] FIG. 3a is a cut away side view of a tooth showing a first cannula and fluid delivery tube. [0009] FIG. 3b is an expanded view taken along line 3b-3b of FIG. 3a. [0010] FIG. 4a is a cut away side view of a tooth showing a second cannula and fluid delivery tube. [0011] FIG. 4b is an expanded view taken along line 4b-4b of FIG. 4a [0012] FIG. 5 is a cut away side view of a tooth showing an alternate embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4a. [0013] FIGS. 6a-6e show alternates embodiments of the side vent used by microcannula 41. [0014] FIG. 7 shows a finger piece for use with the invention. [0015] FIG. 8 shows how the finger piece of FIG. 7 is used. [0016] FIG. 9 shows a master delivery tip with syringe for use with the invention. [0017] FIG. 10 shows how the master delivery tip of FIG. 9 is used. [0018] FIGS. 11a and 11b show the detail of a macro cannula or cannula for use with the invention. [0019] FIG. 12 shows a handle which may be used to hold the macro cannula shown in FIGS. 11a-11b. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Continue reading about Apparatus for evacuation of root canal... Full patent description for Apparatus for evacuation of root canal Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Apparatus for evacuation of root canal patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Apparatus for evacuation of root canal or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Method and apparatus for monitoring the structure of a tooth Next Patent Application: Dental and medical instruments comprising titanium Industry Class: Dentistry ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Apparatus for evacuation of root canal patent info. 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