Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02723112 2010-11-30
TITLE
DENTAL AND MEDICAL ULTRASONIC TIP AND METHOD OF
MANUFACTURING THE SAME
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dental and medical ultrasonic tip and a
method of
manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a dental and medical
ultrasonic tip that
may enhance a durability and a reliability, and simplify a manufacturing
process, and a
method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A dental ultrasonic tip is used to remove tartar attached onto teeth and other
attached
substances by vibrating a tip using the vibration energy of ultrasonic waves,
or is used for an
endodontic treatment, for example, a root cap operation. In addition, the
dental ultrasonic
tip is widely used for various types of dental treatments such as dental
implant surgery,
periodontal surgery, oral surgery, maxillofacial surgery, and the like. The
dental ultrasonic
tip may be used minimizing damage to soft tissues, for example, nerves, blood
vessels,
muscles, and the like, when performing all types of treatments, such as
osteotomy and
drilling that are an orthopedic treatment with respect to a bone,
saucerization of thinly
removing a cortical bone, an oscillation by a mechanical saw blade that is a
beauty-oriented
procedure, rasp of a bone using a reciprocation and a polishing tool, and the
like.
In general, the dental ultrasonic tip may have a sharp distal end having a
decreasing
cross-sectional area while approaching the distal end. A coating layer having
particles, for
example, diamond particles may be coated on the tip to form protrusions. A
contact and a
friction between the dental ultrasonic tip and an operation portion may be
made when
diamond particles of the coating layer protruded from the tip contact with the
operation
I
CA 02723112 2010-11-30
portion.
The conventional dental ultrasonic tip may be manufactured by a general
mechanical
processing such as a cutting, a polishing, and the like. Therefore, it is
difficult to perform
precise processing and an error rate may increase. Also, since an additional
processing
process needs to be added to form the coating layer on the conventional dental
ultrasonic tip,
a number of manufacturing processes and costs may increase.
As described above, the conventional dental ultrasonic tip may be formed by
the
mechanical processing and thus may not enhance a processing precision to be
greater than a
predetermined level and may use only a material suitable for the mechanical
processing. In
addition, manufacturing costs may increase and a processing speed may
decrease, which may
act as disadvantages for a mass production.
In the conventional dental ultrasonic tip, the coating layer formed on the tip
may be
partially come off due to repetitive contacts and abrasions with teeth.
Accordingly, a
treatment efficiency and a medical stability may decrease. In particular,
particles, for
example, diamond particles of the conventional dental ultrasonic tip may be
easily come off
from the coating layer. Accordingly, a durability and a lifespan may be
deteriorated and a
precision and a convenience of treatment may be deteriorated.
Accordingly, there is a need for a dental ultrasonic tip that may enhance a
durability
and a reliability and may also simplify a manufacturing process.
SUMMARY
An aspect of the present invention provides a dental and medical ultrasonic
tip that
may simplify a manufacturing process and decrease manufacturing costs, and a
method of
manufacturing the same.
Another aspect of the present invention also provides a dental and medical
ultrasonic
tip that may be advantageous for a mass production due to a quick and easy
manufacturing
2
CA 02723112 2010-11-30
process, may enhance a processing precision, and may use a material without
some
constraints on the material, and a method of manufacturing the same.
Another aspect of the present invention also provides a dental and medical
ultrasonic
tip that may enhance a durability and a reliability and may also expand a
lifespan, and a
method of manufacturing the same.
Another aspect of the present invention also provides a dental and medical
ultrasonic
tip that may enhance a treatment efficiency and may also enhance a precision
and a
convenience of treatment, and a method of manufacturing the same.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of
manufacturing a dental and medical ultrasonic tip, including: providing a
molding mixture
containing powder; manufacturing an intermediate molded object by injecting
the molding
mixture so as to integrally form a tip body and a plurality of tip protrusions
protruded from
the tip body; and sintering the intermediate molded object. The tip body and
the plurality of
tip protrusions may be formed using the same material, and the plurality of
tip protrusions
may be closely arranged on a substantially polished portion of the tip body.
In this instance, a metal power may be used for the powder and a non-metal
power
may be mixed with the metal power and thereby be used for the power. A
functional
additive may be mixed to enhance various types of physical characteristics.
The shape, the size, and the arraignment of each of the tip protrusions may
variously
vary depending on requirements and design specifications. For example, each of
the tip
protrusions may be provided on a non-contact portion to be in a contactable
shape according
to at least one of a point contact, a line contact, and a sideface contact.
Each of the tip
protrusions may be provided in at least one of a circular conic shape, a
polygonal conic shape
(e..g, a quadrangular polygonal conic shape, a triangular polygonal conic
shape, and the like),
a frustum shape of the circular conic shape and the polygonal conic shape
(e.g., a truncated
circular conic shape, a truncated polygonal conic shape, and the like), a
circular cylindrical
3
CA 02723112 2010-11-30
shape, a polyhedral shape (e.g., a pentahedral shape, a hexahedral shape, and
the like), and an
ellipsoidal solid shape. Also, each of the tip protrusions may be provided in
at least one of a
shape such as a triangular screw having a triangular vertical cross-section
and being
continuously protruded along a spiral direction or a circumferential direction
and a shape
such as a quadrangular screw having a quadrangular vertical cross-section and
being
continuously protruded along the spiral direction or the circumferential
direction.
The tip body may be formed in a linear shape to have a predetermined length,
and
may also be formed in a curved shape. The tip body may be formed to have a
distal end
having a decreasing cross-sectional area while approaching the distal end.
Depending on
requirements, the tip body may be provided to have a circular cross-section or
a polygonal
cross-section such as a triangle, a quadrangle, and the like.
Also, the tip body may be formed to have the overall same thickness and width.
In
this case, each of the tip protrusions may be formed to have a decreasing size
while
approaching the distal end of the tip body. The entire shape of the dental and
medical
ultrasonic tip may be provided in a taper shape due to the plurality of tip
protrusions each
having a different size. Also, all the tip protrusions may be formed to have
the same size
and shape.
The molding mixture may include a binder. Prior to the sintering of the
intermediate molded object, debinding the intermediate molded object may be
added to
remove at least one portion of the binder. For example, the binder may be
removed through
a solvent debinding process using a solvent and a thermal debinding process
using a heat.
The dental and medical ultrasonic tip may vibrate according to the vibration
energy
of ultrasonic waves, and may be used to remove tartar attached onto teeth and
other attached
substances and may also be used for various types of endodontic treatments,
for example, a
root cap operation. Also, the dental and medical ultrasonic tip may be widely
used for
various types of dental treatments such as dental implant surgery, periodontal
surgery, oral
4
CA 02723112 2010-11-30
surgery, maxillofacial surgery, and the like. In addition to the dental
treatments, the dental
and medical ultrasonic tip may be used minimizing damage to soft tissues, for
example,
nerves, blood vessels, muscles, and the like, when performing all types of
treatments, such as
osteotomy and drilling that are an orthopedic treatment with respect to a
bone, saucerization
of thinly removing a cortical bone, an oscillation by a mechanical saw blade
that is a beauty-
oriented procedure, rasp of a bone using a reciprocation and a polishing tool,
and the like.
EFFECT
According to embodiments of the present invention, there may be provided a
dental
and medical ultrasonic tip and a method of manufacturing the same. In this
instance, the
dental and medical ultrasonic tip having a plurality of integrated tip
protrusions may be
manufactured through a powder injection process without using an additional
process.
Accordingly, it is possible to simplify a manufacturing process and to
decrease manufacturing
costs.
Also, according to embodiments of the present invention, since a manufacturing
process of a dental and medical ultrasonic tip may be simplified, it may be
advantageous for a
mass production. Compared to a mechanical processing, it is possible to
significantly
enhance a processing precision. Also, when a material unsuitable for the
mechanical
processing is used, it is possible to easily manufacture the dental and
medical ultrasonic tip.
Also, according to embodiments of the present invention, a tip body and a
plurality
of tip protrusions may be provided not as separate parts but an integrated
single part.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent or decrease separation or alienation of
the tip protrusions
occurring due to a contact between a dental and medical ultrasonic tip and
teeth.
Also, according to embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to
extend a
lifespan of a product and to enhance a precision and a convenience of a
treatment.
Also, according to embodiments of the present invention, there is no
particular
5
CA 02723112 2010-11-30
constraint on a size of a tip protrusion, a shape thereof, a number of tip
protrusions, and an
arrangement thereof. Accordingly, it is possible to readily manufacture a
dental and medical
ultrasonic tip having various tip protrusions depending on requirements and
design
specifications. Also, depending on requirements, the tip protrusions may be
provided in a
regular arrangement.
Also, according to embodiments of the present invention, when an intermediate
molded object is sintered, pores may be removed in the intermediate molded
object. When
the intermediate molded object is shrunk, tip protrusions constituting the
intermediate molded
object may also be shrunk. Accordingly, it is possible to form the tip
protrusions having a
minimum size.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and/or other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will
become
apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of
exemplary
embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a dental and
medical
ultrasonic tip according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a process diagram to describe a method of manufacturing a dental and
medical ultrasonic tip according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of a dental and medical
ultrasonic
tip according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating a structure of a dental and medical
ultrasonic tip
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG 5 is a cross-sectional view cut along a line I-I of FIG 4; and
FIGS. 6 to 11 are perspective views illustrating a structure of a dental and
medical
6
CA 02723112 2010-11-30
ultrasonic tip according to other embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present
invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
wherein like
reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. Exemplary
embodiments are
described below to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a dental and
medical
ultrasonic tip 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and
FIG. 2 is a
process diagram to describe a method of manufacturing the dental and medical
ultrasonic tip
100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG 3 is a
perspective view
illustrating a structure of the dental and medical ultrasonic tip 100
according to an
embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating a
structure of the
dental and medical ultrasonic tip 100 according to an embodiment of the
present invention,
and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view cut along a line I-I of FIG 4.
As illustrated in figures, the dental and medical ultrasonic tip 100 according
to an
embodiment of the present invention may be manufactured through a
predetermined
manufacturing process as follows:
The dental and medical ultrasonic tip 100 may be manufactured through
operation
S 10 of providing a molding mixture 30 including powder, operation S20 of
manufacturing an
intermediate molded object 100' including a tip body 200 and a plurality of
tip protrusions
300 by injecting the molding mixture 30, the tip body 200 and the plurality of
tip protrusions
300 being integrally formed on the tip body 200 and the plurality of tip
protrusions 300 being
protruded from a portion of the tip body 200 substantially polished by a
contact with teeth,
and operation S30 of sintering the intermediate molded object 100'.
Initially, the molding mixture 30 including the powder may be provided. The
7
CA 02723112 2010-11-30
molding mixture 30 may be formed on a feedstock unit of a predetermined size
to enable the
molding mixture 30 to be readily supplied to a general injection molding unit
210.
General metal powder or a mixture thereof may be used as the powder. Depending
on embodiments, in addition to the metal powder, general non-metal powder and
a mixture
thereof may be used. Also, a functional additive may be added to enhance
various types of
physical characteristics and a bio-suitability. For example, the power may use
the metal
power such as a stainless steel base (e.g., austenite such as 316 and 304), a
martensite base
such as 420 and 440, precipitation hardening such as 630 and 631, a ware-
resistance (e.g.,
SKD, SCM, and the like), a titanium alloy (e.g., Ti, Ti-6A1-4V, and the like),
or a mixture
thereof Depending on embodiments, in addition to the metal powder, the non-
metal
powder such as hard metal (WC-Co), ceramic (zirconia, alumina, and the like),
and a mixture
of the non-metal powder may be used for the powder.
The molding mixture 30 may be provided together with the binder and thus the
powder and the binder may be mixed at a predetermined mixture ratio in an
appropriate
temperature and thereby be provided. For example, in operation S 10 of
providing the
molding mixture 30, compared to a total volume of a base material including
the powder, the
binder of about 30% to about 70% may be mixed with the base material whereby
the
injection moldable molding mixture 30 may be provided. Depending on
embodiments, the
ratio of the binder to the powder may variously vary and thus the present
invention is not
limited. thereto or restricted thereby.
The binder may be mixed so as to assign a fluidity enabling the powder that is
a raw
material to be uniformly injected into a metallic pattern 20 during an
injection process, and to
enhance a strength of the intermediate molded object 100' molded from the
metallic pattern
20. A general single binder may be used for the binder and various types of
binders having
different melting points may be used for the binder. For example, paraffin
wax,
polyethylene, polypropylene, stearic acid, and the like may be mixed with each
other at a
8
CA 02723112 2010-11-30
fixed amount to thereby constitute the binder. In addition, a bonding agent, a
lubricant, a
plasticizer, a surfactant, and the like, and a mixture thereof may be added as
the binder. In
operation S 10, the powder and the binder may be uniformly mixed using a
general twin screw
extrusion type mixer, a twin blade mixer, and the like.
Next, the intermediate molded object 100' including the tip body 200 and the
plurality of tip protrusions 300 being integrally formed with the tip body 200
and being
protruded from the tip body 200 may be molded using the molding mixture 30
through a
powder injection molding (PIM) scheme.
Specifically, the molding mixture 30 may be placed into a cylinder 211 of the
injection molding unit 210, be transported while being plasticized, and be
injected from a
nozzle of the cylinder 211 into the metallic pattern 20 and then be cooled and
solidified.
Through the above process, the intermediate molded object 100' in a shape of
the dental and
medical ultrasonic tip 100 may be obtained.
In operation S20 of manufacturing the intermediate molded object frame 100', a
shape, a size, and an arrangement of the tip protrusion 300 may variously vary
depending on
requirements and design specifications. For example, the tip protrusion 300
may be
provided on a non-contact portion to be in a contactable shape according to
one of a point
contact, a line contact, and a sideface contact. The tip protrusion 300 may be
provided in
one of a circular conic shape, a polygonal conic shape (e..g, a quadrangular
polygonal conic
shape, a triangular polygonal conic shape, and the like), a frustum shape of
the circular conic
shape and the polygonal conic shape (e.g., a truncated circular conic shape, a
truncated
polygonal conic shape, and the like), a circular cylindrical shape, a
polyhedral shape (e.g., a
pentahedral shape, a hexahedral shape, and the like), and an ellipsoidal solid
shape. Also,
the tip protrusion 300 may be provided in one of a shape such as a triangular
screw having a
triangular vertical cross-section and being continuously protruded along a
spiral direction or a
circumferential direction, and a shape such as a quadrangular screw having a
quadrangular
9
CA 02723112 2010-11-30
vertical cross-section and being continuously protruded along the spiral
direction or the
circumferential direction (see FIG 3, and FIG. 6 to FIG 10).
In operation S20 of manufacturing the intermediate molded object 100', the tip
body
200 may be formed in a linear shape to have a predetermined length, and may
also be formed
in a curved shape. The tip body 200 may be formed in a general taper shape to
a decreasing
cross-sectional area while approaching a distal end. Depending on
requirements, the tip
body 200 may be provided to have a circular cross-section or a polygonal cross-
section such
as a triangle, a quadrangle, and the like.
Also, the tip body 200 may be formed to have the overall same thickness and
width.
In this case, the tip protrusion 300 may be formed to have a decreasing size
as the tip
protrusion 300 comes closer to the distal end of the tip body 200 from a
proximal end of the
tip body 200. The entire shape of the dental and medical ultrasonic tip 100
may be provided
in a taper shape due to the plurality of tip protrusions 300 each having a
different size. Also,
all the tip protrusions 300 may be formed to have the same size and shape.
Next, a debinding process using a general debinding equipment (not shown) may
be
performed to remove a portion of the binder contained in the intermediate
molded object 100'.
When the binder is configured to include a plurality of binders having
different
characteristics, for example, different melting points, the binder may be
removed by
performing debinding several times. For example, the binder may be removed by
a solvent
debinding using a solvent and a thermal debinding using a heat.
Specifically, the solvent debinding of the intermediate molded object 100' to
remove
a wax such as a paraffin wax in the binder may be performed according to a
general solvent
debinding scheme using a solvent such as an N-hexane, a heptanes, a thinner,
and the like.
The thermal debinding by heating the solvent debound intermediate molded
object to remove
a remaining binder may be performed according to a general thermal debinding
scheme.
Depending on embodiments, instead of the debinding scheme applied to the
aforementioned
CA 02723112 2010-11-30
debinding process, a general debinding scheme such as an electrolytic
degreasing, an
ultrasonic degreasing, and the like may be applicable.
In the case of the metal powder, the thermal debinding may include performing
a
preliminary sintering of excluding an oxidation of the intermediate molded
object 100', which
may occur during the thermal debinding, by heating the intermediate molded
object 100'
within a heating furnace maintaining a reductive or inactive atmosphere, and
of enhancing a
strength of the intermediate molded object 100' by increasing the temperature
of a thermal
debinding furnace after the thermal debinding.
The manufacturing process of the dental and medical ultrasonic tip 100 may be
completed by performing sintering in a general sintering furnace (not shown).
Here, the
general sintering furnace may maintain a predetermined temperature condition
and
atmosphere in order to remove pores of the intermediate molded object 100',
and to maintain
a mechanical strength.
A sintering temperature required during the above process may be slightly
different
depending on a type of powder that is a material of the intermediate molded
object 100', a
particle size, a purity, and a type of additive. However, in the case of
stainless powder, the
sintering may be performed in a state where a sintering furnace temperature
condition is
maintained at around about 1000 C to about 1500 C. A sintering time may vary
depending
on required physical properties, however, about 1 minute to about 5 hours may
be appropriate.
Also, the thermal debinding for removing the binder and the sintering of
sintering the
intermediate molded object 100' in which the binder is removed may be
simultaneously
performed using the sintering furnace. In this case, the thermal debinding may
be
performed together while sintering the intermediate molded object in which the
binder is
partially removed through the solvent debinding. Accordingly, a number of
processes may
be reduced, which may result in bringing a good product productivity.
11
CA 02723112 2010-11-30
In addition, it is very difficult to process a tip protrusion of tens of
microns using a
general mechanical processing. However, according to an embodiment of the
present
invention, when the intermediate molded object 100' is sintered, pores may be
removed
within the intermediate molded object 100' and the intermediate molded object
100' may be
shrunk. Also, since the intermediate molded object 100' is shrunk, the tip
protrusion 300
may also be shrunk. Accordingly, the tip protrusion 300 may be formed to have
a minimum
size. Also, since the density of the intermediate molded object 100' formed by
injection
molding is uniform, sinter shrinkages in directions X, Y, and Z may be the
same.
Accordingly, each of the tip protrusions 300 may also maintain a uniform size.
The dental and medical ultrasonic tip 100 manufactured by the above
manufacturing
method may vibrate due to ultrasonic frequency, be used to remove tartar
attached onto teeth
and other attached substances, and may also be used for various types of
endodontic
treatments, for example, a root cap operation. Also, the dental and medical
ultrasonic tip
100 may be widely used for various types of dental treatments such as dental
implant surgery,
periodontal surgery, oral surgery, maxillofacial surgery, and the like. In
addition to the
dental treatments, the dental and medical ultrasonic tip 100 may be used
minimizing damage
to soft tissues, for example, nerves, blood vessels, muscles, and the like,
when performing all
types of treatments, such as osteotomy and drilling that are an orthopedic
treatment with
respect to a bone, saucerization of thinly removing a cortical bone, an
oscillation by a
mechanical saw blade that is a beauty-oriented procedure, rasp of a bone using
a
reciprocation and a polishing tool, and the like.
Hereinafter, the dental and medical ultrasonic tip 100 including the tip body
200 and
the plurality of tip protrusions 300 being integrally formed with the tip body
200 and being
protruded from the tip body 200 is described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5 by
taking an
example of forming the tip protrusions 300 in a circular conic shape to be
contactable on a
non-contact portion.
12
CA 02723112 2010-11-30
As described above, the tip body 200 and the plurality of tip protrusions 300
are
provided not as separate parts but as a single integrally formed part.
The tip body 200 may be formed in a linear shape to have a circular cross-
section and
to have a predetermined length. In the present embodiment, the tip body 200 is
formed to
have the circular cross-section and to have a decreasing diameter while
approaching a distal
end of the tip body 200. Depending on embodiments, a plurality of taper faces
(not shown)
may be formed on the tip body 200 for the tip body 200 to have a decreasing
polygonal cross-
section while approaching the distal end of the tip body 200. For example, the
surface of
the tip body 200 may be divided into four taper surfaces, and may also be
divided into two
taper surfaces, three taper surfaces, or at least five taper surfaces.
Each of the tip protrusions 300 is formed in a circular conic shape having a
sharp
vertex and a circular base side, and the plurality of tip protrusions 300 is
integrally formed
with the tip body 200 on the whole surface of the tip body 200. An axis of the
tip protrusion
300 may be vertically provided with respect to the base side. Depending on
embodiments,
the axis of the tip protrusion 300 may be provided to be inclined at a
predetermined angle
with respect to the base side. An inclined angle a of the tip protrusion 300
and a height h of
the tip protrusion 300 may variously vary depending on requirements and
treatment
environments.
Hereinafter, a dental and medical ultrasonic tip according to other
embodiments of
the present invention will be described. FIGS. 6 to 11 are perspective views
illustrating a
structure of a dental and medical ultrasonic tip according to other
embodiments of the present
invention. Like reference numerals are assigned to the same or equivalent
elements and
thus further descriptions related thereto will be omitted here.
As shown in FIG. 6, a dental and medical ultrasonic tip according to another
embodiment of the present invention may include a tip body 200 and a plurality
of tip
protrusions 310 protruded from the tip body 200 to be integrally formed with
the tip body 200.
13
CA 02723112 2010-11-30
In this instance, the tip body 200 may be formed to have a decreasing cross-
sectional area, for
example, a circular cross-section or a polygonal cross-section while
approaching a distal end.
The tip protrusion 310 may be formed in a quadrangular conic shape having a
sharp vertex
and a quadrangular base side, and be protruded from the tip body 200 to be
integrally formed
with the tip body 200.
As shown in FIG. 7, a dental and medical ultrasonic tip according to still
another
embodiment of the present invention may include a tip body 200 and a plurality
of tip
protrusions 320 protruded from the tip body 200 to be integrally formed with
the tip body 200.
In this instance, the tip body 200 may be formed to have a decreasing cross-
sectional area, for
example, a circular cross-section or a polygonal cross-section while
approaching a distal end.
The tip protrusion 320 may be formed in a triangular conic shape having a
sharp vertex and a
triangular base side, and be protruded from the tip body 200 to be integrally
formed with the
tip body 200.
As shown in FIG 8, a dental and medical ultrasonic tip according to yet
another
embodiment of the present invention may include a tip body 200 and a plurality
of tip
protrusions 330 protruded from the tip body 200 to be integrally formed with
the tip body 200.
In this instance, the tip body 200 may be formed to have a decreasing cross-
sectional area, for
example, a circular cross-section or a polygonal cross-section while
approaching a distal end.
The tip protrusion 330 may be formed in a frustum shape having a circular or
polygonal
cross-section as a cutting edge, and be protruded from the tip body 200 to be
integrally
formed with the tip body 200. Here, the frustum may include a truncated
circular cone such
as an oblique cylinder that is a frustum of a general circular cone, a
truncated quadrangular
cone such as an oblique parallelepiped that is a frustum of a general
quadrangular cone, and a
truncated triangular cone such as an oblique parallel pentahedron that is a
frustum of a
general triangular cone, and may also include a polyhedron such as a
hexahedron, a
pentahedron, and the like. A shape and a structure of the frustum may
variously vary
14
CA 02723112 2010-11-30
depending on requirements and design specifications. Therefore, the present
invention is
not limited thereto or restricted thereby.
In the aforementioned embodiment, the contact surface, that is, a top surface
of the
tip protrusion 330 formed in the frustum shape may have the same size and
shape as the base
side. Depending on embodiments, the contact surface of the tip protrusion 330
may have a
size or a shape different from the base side such as a general truncated
circular cone or a
truncated pyramid.
As shown in FIG 9, a dental and medical ultrasonic tip according to a further
another
embodiment of the present invention may include a tip body 200 and a plurality
of tip
protrusions 340 protruded from the tip body 200 to be integrally formed with
the tip body 200.
In this instance, the tip body 200 may be formed to have a decreasing cross-
sectional area, for
example, a circular cross-section or a polygonal cross-section while
approaching a distal end.
The tip protrusion 340 may be formed in a hemispherical or ellipsoidal solid
shape, and be
protruded from the tip body 200 to be integrally formed with the tip body 200.
As shown in FIG 10, a dental and medical ultrasonic tip according to still
another
embodiment of the present invention may include a tip body 200 and a plurality
of tip
protrusions 350 protruded from the tip body 200 to be integrally formed with
the tip body 200.
In this instance, the tip body 200 may be formed to have a decreasing cross-
sectional area, for
example, a circular cross-section or a polygonal cross-section while
approaching a distal end.
The tip protrusion 350 may be formed in a shape such as a triangular screw
having a
triangular vertical cross-section and being continuously protruded along a
spiral direction or a
circumferential direction, and be protruded from the tip body 200 to be
integrally formed
with the tip body 200.
As shown in FIG 1, a dental and medical ultrasonic tip according to still
another
embodiment of the present invention may include a tip body 200 and a plurality
of tip
protrusions 360 protruded from the tip body 200 to be integrally formed with
the tip body 200.
CA 02723112 2010-11-30
In this instance, the tip body 200 may be formed to have a decreasing cross-
sectional area, for
example, a circular cross-section or a polygonal cross-section while
approaching a distal end.
The tip protrusion 360 may be formed in a shape such as a quadrangular screw
having a
quadrangular vertical cross-section and being continuously protruded along the
spiral
direction or the circumferential direction, and be protruded from the tip body
200 to be
integrally formed with the tip body 200.
In each of the aforementioned and illustrated embodiments of the present
invention,
description is made using a single type of a tip protrusion. However, it is
only an example
and thus, depending on embodiments, the aforementioned tip protrusions formed
to have
different shapes may be simultaneously applicable.
Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown
and described, the present invention is not limited to the described exemplary
embodiments.
Instead, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may
be made to these
exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the
invention, the
scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.
16
