US 12,440,307 B2
Apex locator attachment
Silvio Langbein, Finsing (DE); and Reinhold Storch, Freiburg (DE)
Assigned to Dentsply Sirona Inc., York, PA (US)
Filed by DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc., York, PA (US)
Filed on Apr. 28, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/141,047.
Application 18/141,047 is a continuation of application No. 15/966,097, filed on Apr. 30, 2018, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/491,506, filed on Apr. 28, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0338115 A1, Oct. 26, 2023
Int. Cl. A61C 5/44 (2017.01); A61C 5/42 (2017.01); A61C 19/04 (2006.01)
CPC A61C 5/42 (2017.02) [A61C 5/44 (2017.02); A61C 19/042 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apex locator attachment for electrically coupling different dental instruments to an apex locator comprising:
an electrode comprising an electrically conductive material that includes a first portion and a second portion; and
an insulating overmold which at least partly covers the electrode;
wherein the first portion includes a clamping element with a spring back mechanism that clamps or hooks the apex locator attachment to the different dental instruments for root canal measurement,
wherein the second portion is constructed as a jack-style connector or constructed to receive a jack-style connector for connection to an electrical connector of the apex locator,
wherein the apex locator attachment is configured to determine a position of an apical foramen to measure a length of a root canal during endodontic treatment,
and
wherein:
(i) the first portion of the electrode includes a plurality of openings for clamping different shaft diameters of the dental instruments, or
(ii) a plastic portion of a finger exposes at least a portion of the electrode and includes a plurality of notches for receiving and clamping different sizes of the dental instruments, or
(iii) a cantilevered projection extends to the electrode and includes a plurality of notches, the cantilevered projection constructed to spring back to hold the different dental instruments.