JP7637557B2 - Dental Unit - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a dental unit, and in particular to a dental unit equipped with a cleaning device for cleaning a water supply passage.

A dental unit is a unit that contains various equipment used during dental treatment, etc., and includes a patient chair on which the patient sits. Around the dental unit, there is a doctor's unit on which various tools used by the practitioner for dental treatment are placed, an assistant hanger, a water outlet that supplies mouthwash and the like to the patient, a cuspidor to drain it, and a dental light that illuminates the inside of the patient's mouth.

Thus, the dental unit is equipped with a water supply passage for the water outlet and the handpiece. From a hygienic standpoint, it is preferable to clean the inside of the piping that constitutes the water supply passage, and for this purpose, as shown in Patent Document 1, for example, there is a technology for a cleaning device that has a valve that switches between a pipe for tap water and a pipe for cleaning liquid, and fills the pipe for the water supply passage in the dental unit with cleaning liquid to suppress the growth of bacteria.

JP 2012-192119 A

The suppression of bacterial growth in the water supply line by such a cleaning device involves the process of filling the water supply line with cleaning liquid and rinsing it, and each of these processes is controlled to a preset time. For example, the amount of water circulated for rinsing (water flow rate) is determined by the product of the water speed (flow rate) and time, but in a dental unit, only the time is set, so the water flow rate varies depending on the difference in flow rate caused by the water pressure of the water supplied to the dental unit. In order to avoid insufficient rinsing, the rinsing time is usually determined assuming the lowest water pressure (lowest flow rate), so in many cases an excessive flow rate of water is supplied. Even if the amount of such excessive flow rate of water is small at one time, it becomes a problem that cannot be ignored when considered throughout the year due to the accumulation of daily cleanings and the number of dental units installed.

Therefore, in consideration of the above problems, the present disclosure aims to provide a dental unit equipped with a cleaning device that enables efficient cleaning in terms of water volume.

One aspect of the present disclosure is a dental unit equipped with a cleaning device that cleans the water supply passage, and in which the rinsing time of the cleaning solution is changed based on the amount of water per unit time supplied to the dental unit.

The device may be configured to include a water outlet that automatically fills the cup with water, and to calculate the amount of water per unit of time based on the time it takes to fill the cup with water.

The dental unit of the present disclosure can prevent excessive water consumption during cleaning,
This will be a dental unit that allows for efficient cleaning.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the dental unit 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a cleaning device 10.

1. Configuration of the dental unit Fig. 1 is an external view of a dental unit 1 according to one embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining a cleaning device 10 provided in the dental unit 1. As can be seen from Fig. 1, the dental unit 1 includes a base 2, a patient chair 3, a dental light 4, a doctor unit 5, an assistant unit 6, a water supply passage, an air passage, and the cleaning device 10.

1.1. Base The base 2 is disposed below the patient chair 3 and serves as the base of the patient chair 3. The base 2 has an outer shell formed by a housing, and various control devices are housed inside the housing. Examples of the control devices included here include a hydraulic circuit for raising and lowering, tilting and standing up the patient chair 3, and a hydraulic control means for controlling the hydraulic circuit. Therefore, a foot switch is provided on the back side of the patient chair 3 of the base 2. The practitioner can operate the foot switch or an operation switch on the operation panel 5d of the doctor unit 5 to issue a command to the hydraulic control means and raise and lower the patient chair 3 and tilt and stand it up by controlling the hydraulic circuit.

1.2 Patient Chair The patient chair 3, as is well known, is provided with a seat, a backrest, a headrest, a legrest, and a footrest, and is configured so that it can be raised and lowered and tilted and stood up as described above by the hydraulic circuit disposed in the base 2.

1.3 Dental lighting The dental lighting 4 is attached via an arm that can move and rotate freely using a universal joint or the like so that it can accurately illuminate the inside of the patient's oral cavity during treatment. Therefore, by adjusting the position and angle of the dental lighting 4, the practitioner can move the dental lighting 4 to a position where the practitioner can properly observe the inside of the patient's oral cavity.

1.4 Doctor Unit The doctor unit 5 is provided on the side of the patient chair 3 opposite to the assistant unit 6, and has a work table 5a equipped with various tools and switches required by the practitioner. The work table 5a has a work surface 5b on its upper surface, and a handpiece group 5c used by the practitioner during treatment is stored in a holder. Examples of handpieces included in the handpiece group 5c include an air turbine, a micromotor, a scaler, and a syringe. The work table 5a may be provided with an operation panel 5d on which various operation switches are arranged, and for example, the patient chair 3 can be tilted and raised, raised and lowered, and the dental light 4 can be turned on and off.
The work table 5a is supported by an arm 5e so as to be movable and rotatable, and the work table 5a can also be moved and rotated in accordance with the movements of the practitioner, thereby improving convenience.

1.5 Assistant Unit The assistant unit 6 is disposed on a side of the patient chair 3 opposite to the side where the doctor unit 5 is disposed, and includes an assistant hanger 7, a spitting receptacle 8, and a water outlet 9.

1.5a. Assistant hanger The assistant hanger 7 is a section that is equipped with tools mainly used by the assistant. The assistant hanger 7 includes a hanger section 7a and a hanger support 7b. Handpieces such as a vacuum, saliva ejector, and syringe are suspended on the hanger section 7a. The hanger section 7a is supported by the hanger support 7b so that it can move and rotate.

1.5b. Cuspiddon The cuspidor 8 is used when a patient gargles and cleans his/her mouth with water supplied from the water outlet 9 during or after treatment. The cuspidor 8 is bowl-shaped to spit out water from the mouth after gargling. Saliva and water discharged into the cuspidor 8 are discharged through a drain trap in the water unit. The cuspidor 8 is rotatable within a horizontal plane toward the front of the patient. As a result, the cuspidor 8 can be positioned in front of the patient, improving convenience.

1.5c. Water Outlet The water outlet 9 is a part where water flows out from the water supply source, and is used when the patient gargles during or after treatment to clean the mouth. The water outlet 9 is configured to allow a cup to be placed on it, and when the cup is placed on it, a predetermined amount of water is automatically poured into the cup. The means for automatically pouring water into the cup in this way is well known and is not particularly limited, and examples include a method of detecting the water surface with ultrasonic waves and a method of detecting the amount of water by changes in weight (a method using a strain gauge). In addition, the water outlet 9 is configured to also acquire the time until the water is full (the time from the start of water supply to the stop of water supply).
In this embodiment, as will be described later, the flow time of water for rinsing in the cleaning device 10 is determined based on the past water supply performance of the water outlet section 9.

The water supply passage is a water supply passage that is made up of piping and various devices that supply water from a water supply source to the water outlet 9, handpiece, etc., as shown in Fig. 2. The various devices provided here may be as known in the art, and examples thereof include valves and regulators.

1.7 Air Path The air path is an air circuit consisting of piping and various devices that supply air from an air supply source to each handpiece, as partially shown in Figure 2. The various devices provided here include, for example, valves and regulators, and known devices can be used as necessary.

The cleaning device 10 is a device that cleans the inside of the pipe of the water supply line, fills the water supply line with a cleaning agent, and supplies water to rinse the cleaning agent. The configuration of the cleaning device 10 is conceptually shown in Figure 2.
The cleaning device 10 includes a cleaning liquid container 11, a liquid flow path 12, an air supply path 13, and a control device 14. These will be described in detail below.

1.8a. Cleaning liquid container The cleaning liquid container 11 is a container that stores cleaning liquid (a liquid obtained by diluting an original solution with water to a predetermined concentration). A lid is placed on the cleaning liquid container 11 so that the container can be sealed, and piping is passed through the lid. Specifically, piping from an air passage and piping from a water supply passage are passed through the lid.
The piping from the air passage opens at the top of the cleaning liquid container 11 and is arranged to supply air to the top of the cleaning liquid container 11.
The piping from the water supply line extends to the bottom of the cleaning liquid container 11 and opens at the bottom, and is positioned so that cleaning liquid can flow into the pipe from the bottom of the cleaning liquid container 11 (the opening is in the cleaning liquid).

The type of cleaning solution used is not particularly limited, but examples include hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorous acid, and surfactants.

The liquid flow path 12 is a flow path that supplies the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid container 11 to the water supply path. The cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid container 11 through the liquid flow path 12 to the water supply path, which is the piping of the object to be cleaned.

As described above, the specific configuration of the liquid flow path 12 is not particularly limited as long as it is configured so that the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid container 11 through the liquid flow path 12 to the water supply path. In this embodiment, piping from the water supply source to the water supply path that is already equipped in the dental unit is used. This allows the structure of the dental unit to be simplified. Therefore, in this embodiment, the liquid flow path 12 is equipped with a liquid switching valve 12a.

The liquid switching valve 12a is connected to a pipe from the water supply source, a pipe (water supply path) to the water outlet 9 and the handpiece, and a pipe from the cleaning liquid container 11. This connection makes it possible to switch between a flow path connecting the water supply source and the water supply path (a flow path used in normal treatment, etc.) and a flow path connecting the cleaning liquid container 11 and the water supply path (a flow path through which the cleaning liquid is supplied to the water supply path that is to be cleaned).
The specific form of the liquid switching valve 12a is not limited as long as it can switch the flow of liquid in this manner, but it is preferable that it be an electromagnetic valve from the standpoint of being able to automatically switch by electrical control and having a fast response speed.

In other words, in this embodiment, the liquid flow path 12 is configured with a liquid switching valve 12a and piping connecting the liquid switching valve 12a to the cleaning liquid container 11.

The air supply path 13 is a flow path that supplies air to the cleaning liquid container 11. The air supplied from the air supply path 13 to the cleaning liquid container 11 increases the internal pressure of the cleaning liquid container 11, and the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid container 11 is pushed out and caused to flow into the liquid flow path 12.

The specific configuration of the air supply path 13 is not particularly limited as long as it is configured so that the air supplied from the air supply path 13 to the cleaning liquid container 11 increases the internal pressure of the cleaning liquid container 11, forcing the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid container 11 out and causing it to flow into the liquid flow path 12. In this embodiment, a flow path from the air supply source to the air path that is already equipped in the dental unit is used. This makes it possible to simplify the structure of the dental unit. For this reason, in this embodiment, the air supply path 13 is equipped with an air switching valve 13a and a regulator 13b.

The air switching valve 13a is connected to a pipe from an air supply source, a pipe (air path) to a handpiece or the like, and a pipe to the cleaning liquid container 11 (in this embodiment, a regulator 13b is disposed midway). This connection makes it possible to switch between the air supply source and the air path (a flow path used in normal treatment, etc.), and the flow path connecting the air supply source and the cleaning liquid container 11 (a flow path that supplies air to cause the cleaning liquid to flow out of the cleaning liquid container 11).
The specific form of the air switching valve 13a is not limited as long as it can switch the air flow in this manner, but it is preferable that the air switching valve 13a be an electromagnetic valve from the viewpoints of the ability to automatically switch by electrical control and the fast response speed.

Regulator 13b is a regulator that allows adjustment of the filling pressure of the cleaning liquid, and is intended to supply a fixed amount of cleaning liquid through a constant time control when used in conjunction with air switching valve 13a. Regulator 13b also has a pressure gauge.

In other words, in this embodiment, the air supply path 13 is configured to include an air switching valve 13a, a pipe connecting the air switching valve 13a and the regulator 13b, and a pipe connecting the regulator 13b and the cleaning liquid container 11.

In this embodiment, from the viewpoint of reducing the number of pipes and simplifying the device structure, a flow path from the air supply source to the air passage that is provided in a normal dental unit is used. However, this is not limited to this, and a flow path may be provided in addition to the flow path from the air supply source to the air passage that is provided in a normal dental unit.

It is preferable that the above-described cleaning of the water supply passage by the cleaning device 10 is performed automatically. For this reason, the cleaning device 10 is provided with a control device 14.
In the present disclosure, as will be described later, the control means 14 controls to adjust the amount of water supplied (supply time) to the water supply channel during rinsing based on information on water supply to the cup by the water outlet unit 9. Therefore, as shown by the dashed line in Fig. 2, the control means 14 is electrically connected to the liquid switching valve 12a and the sensor of the water outlet unit 9. Here, the sensor of the water outlet unit 9 is a sensor that detects the time it takes for the water outlet unit 9 to pour water into the cup and the position of the water surface, as described above. How the water supply is specifically adjusted will be described in detail later.

An example of the control means 14 is a computer. That is, the control means acquires data on the time it takes for water to be poured into the cup at the water outlet 9 and on the change in the water level, and issues a command to the liquid switching valve 12a to clean the water supply passage. The specific flow of the cleaning will be described later.
In addition, in this embodiment, the control means 14 is configured to also perform other cleaning-related controls (for example, control of the flow of air through the air supply path 13, and control of the opening and closing of the water outlet 9 provided in the supply path and the valves provided individually in the handpiece).
To this end, the control means comprises, for example, an operator, a RAM, storage means, receiving means and output means.

The operator is composed of a so-called CPU (central processor), and in this embodiment, it is a means for controlling the liquid switching valve 12a and the air switching valve 13a, which are electrically connected to the control means 14. The operator also executes various programs stored in the storage means, which functions as a storage medium, and performs calculations based on these programs to generate various data and select data.

RAM is a component that functions as a working area for operators and a storage means for temporary data. RAM can be composed of SRAM, DRAM, flash memory, etc., and is similar to known RAM.

The storage means is a component that functions as a storage medium in which programs and data that are the basis for various calculations are stored. The storage means may also be capable of storing various intermediate and final results obtained by executing the programs.

In this embodiment, one of the programs stored in the storage means includes a program for operating each component and performing cleaning, as described below.

The receiving means is a component that has the function of receiving signals indicating the start of cleaning or the arrival of a predetermined timing, and obtaining information from the sensor in the water outlet section 9.

The output means is a component that has the function of appropriately outputting to the outside the information that should be output from among the obtained results, and in this embodiment, the liquid switching valve 12a and the air switching valve 13a are electrically connected to it.

In the dental unit 1 having the above-mentioned configuration, cleaning of the water supply passage is carried out, for example, as follows. The following operations are automatically carried out by the control means 14.

2.1 Calculation of Rinse Time Change Coefficient K and Rinse Time T In this embodiment, when water is poured into a cup during normal treatment, the amount of water when full (A [ml]) and the time until the cup is full (B [sec]) are obtained from the water level obtained by the sensor of the water outlet 9, and the amount of water per unit time (C [ml/sec]) obtained by A/B is calculated and stored. This value of C may be an average of multiple times during normal treatment, or may be a value calculated when pouring water immediately before the start of cleaning, and is not particularly limited.

Here, a standard for rinsing the cleaning liquid is set in advance. Specifically, a standard time T ₀ [seconds] required for rinsing the cleaning liquid and a standard amount of water per unit time C ₀ [ml/second] at that time are obtained and recorded as one item in a database in the storage means of the control means 14.

From the obtained water volume per unit time C [ml/sec] and the reference water volume per unit time C ₀ [ml/sec], a rinsing time change coefficient K is calculated as C ₀ /C.
Then, from the rinsing time change coefficient K and the reference time T ₀ [seconds], the actual rinsing time T [seconds] is calculated as K×T ₀ [seconds].

2.2 Cleaning Cleaning starts as follows when a cleaning start operation is performed or when a predetermined time has elapsed.

When the cleaning start operation is performed or a predetermined time is reached, the liquid switching valve 12a switches to open the liquid flow path 12 of the cleaning device 10 (allowing the flow of A1 in FIG. 2), and the air switching valve 13a switches to open the air supply path 13 of the cleaning device 10 (allowing the flow of A2 in FIG. 2). At this time, the individual valves for the water outlet 9 and handpiece installed in the water supply path are also opened.

Next, air is supplied from the air supply source to the cleaning liquid container 11 through the air supply path 13 (arrow A2 in Figure 2). This causes the internal pressure of the cleaning liquid container 11 to rise, and the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid container 11 is forced out and flows into the piping of the liquid flow path 12, and passes through the liquid switching valve 12a and into the water supply path (arrow A1 in Figure 2). This fills the water supply path with cleaning liquid. When the water supply path is filled with cleaning liquid in this way, the water outlet 9 and individual valves for the handpiece installed in the water supply path close, and the cleaning liquid is held in this state for the required time, thereby cleaning the water supply path.

After the retention time for the above-mentioned cleaning has elapsed, the liquid switching valve 12a switches so that water flows from the water supply source to the water supply line (arrow B1 in FIG. 2), and the individual valves for the water outlet 9 and the handpiece installed in the water supply line open, and water flows into the water supply line to rinse the water supply line.
Here, the time for which water is allowed to flow through the water supply passage may be the calculated rinsing time T [seconds]. Therefore, when the time T [seconds] has elapsed since the start of rinsing, the water outlet 9 and the individual valves for the handpiece installed in the water supply passage close, stopping the water supply.

3. Effects According to the cleaning device 10 and the dental unit 1 equipped with the same as described above, the amount of water used for rinsing during cleaning is adjusted to an appropriate amount depending on the environment in which the dental unit is installed, so that excessive water supply during cleaning can be suppressed, resulting in a dental unit equipped with a cleaning device that enables efficient cleaning.

4. Other aspects In the above embodiment, an example was described in which information from the water outlet of the dental unit (the time it takes to fill a cup with water) is used as a means for calculating the amount of water (C) supplied to the dental unit per hour. This uses a sensor that is already equipped in a normal dental unit, so there is no need to install new equipment, and costs can be reduced and the reliability of operation can be improved by simplifying the device.
However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the amount of water (C) supplied per unit time may be obtained by separately providing a sensor such as a flow meter.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 dental unit 10 cleaning device 11 cleaning liquid container 12 liquid flow path 12a liquid switching valve 13 air supply path 13a air switching valve

Claims (1)

A dental unit including a water outlet that automatically pours water into a cup and a cleaning device that cleans the water supply passage,
The rinse time of the cleaning solution is changed based on the amount of water per unit time supplied to the dental unit,
obtaining the water level of the cup, calculating the amount of water when the cup is full and the time required to fill the cup from the water level, and calculating the amount of water per unit time based on the water filling time to fill the cup calculated from the amount of water when the cup is full and the time required to fill the cup;
Dental unit.

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