1. A dentin anchor, comprising:
a frusto-conical shaped coronal portion, to which a tooth restorative material may be secured, and
a frusto-conical shaped dentinal portion received in a pre-drilled frusto-conical shaped hole in tooth dentin.
2. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fibers for the fiber reinforced composite material are selected from one or combinations of the group comprising: glass, silica, quartz, carbon, graphite, Kevlar, ceramic, polyethylene, and a combination thereof.
3. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fibers of the fiber reinforced composite material are embedded in a synthetic resin chosen from a group comprising: polyethylene, polypropylene, acrylic, polycarbonate, epoxy, polysulfone, Bis-GMA resin, Nylon 6, isosite, ceramic or other materials, and a combination thereof.
4. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the modulus of elasticity of the dentin anchor approximates the modulus of elasticity of tooth dentin.
5. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 1, wherein a diameter of the wider end of the dentinal portion of the dentin anchor is substantially equal to a diameter of the narrower end of the coronal portion.
6. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 5 wherein the diameters of the wider end of the dentinal portion and of the narrower end of the coronal portion are about 0.75 mm.
7. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 6, wherein:
a diameter of the narrower end of the dentinal portion is about 0.50 mm; and
a diameter of the wider end of the coronal portion is about 0.1.00 mm.
8. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 5, wherein:
a diameter of the dentinal portion is smaller than a diameter of the coronal portion;
substantially all of the dentinal portion is received in the tooth dentin; and
the relatively larger diameter of the coronal portion extending from the tooth dentin mechanically anchors the tooth restorative material to the coronal portion.
9. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 1, wherein about one-half of the dentin anchor is received in the tooth dentin.
10. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the coronal portion comprises serrations for strengthening the attachment between the dentin anchor and a tooth restoration.
11. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the dentinal portion of the dentin anchor is unthreaded.
12. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the dentin anchor is fabricated from a light transmissible fiber reinforced composite material.
13. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 1, wherein an angular distance across the dentin anchor is about 5.725\xb0.
14. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
a height of the coronal portion is about 2.50 mm;
a height of the dentin portion is about 2.50 mm; and
substantially all of the dentin portion is received in the tooth dentin.
15. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the coronal portion is constructed of a material that chemically bonds with a tooth restoration.
16. A dentin anchor for use in anchoring a dental restoration to the dentin or enamel of a damaged vital or non-vital tooth, the dentin anchor comprising:
a frusto-conical shaped elongated body formed from a fiber reinforced composite, the elongated body including:
a frusto-conical shaped dentinal portion received in a pre-drilled frusto-conical shaped hole in the dentin or enamel of the damaged tooth; and
a frusto-conical shaped coronal portion shaped to receive and anchor the restoration, a diameter of the coronal portion being larger than a diameter of the dentin portion.
17. The dentin anchor of claim 16, wherein the coronal portion chemically bonds to the dental restoration.
18. The dentin anchor of claim 16, wherein:
a height of the dentinal portion is about 2.50 mm;
a height of the coronal portion is about 2.50 mm; and
the dentinal portion extends about 2.50 mm into the dentin or enamel of the damaged vital or non-vital tooth.
19. The dentin anchor of claim 18, wherein:
a diameter of the wider end of the dentinal portion of the dentin anchor is substantially equal to a diameter of the narrower end of the coronal portion.
20. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 16, wherein the fiber reinforced composite is formed from a physiologically-inert, curable synthetic resin and multiple physiologically-inert elongated fibers.
21. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 16, wherein the modulus of elasticity of the dentin anchor approximates the modulus of elasticity of tooth dentin.
22. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 16, wherein the dentinal portion of the anchor is unthreaded.
23. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 16, wherein the fiber reinforced composite is formed from a resin selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, acrylic, polycarbonate, epoxy, polysulfone, bisphenol A-glycidylmethacrylate (Bis-GMA) resin, Nylon 6, isosite, and combinations thereof and fibers selected from the group consisting of glass, silica, carbon, graphite, quartz, Kevlar, polyethylene and combinations thereof.
24. A method of restoring a tooth using one or more dentin anchors, comprising:
preparing a frusto-conical shaped hole in the tooth dentin shaped to receive a portion of a dentin anchor;
introducing a curable cement into the hole andor onto said dentinal portion of the dentin anchor;
placing a frusto-conical shaped dentinal portion of a fiber reinforced composite dentin anchor into the frusto-conical shaped hole;
curing the cement to secure the frusto-conical shaped dentin anchor to the dentin; and
placing a tooth restoration around a frusto-conical shaped coronal portion of the dentin anchor, the frusto-conical shape of the coronal portion anchoring the tooth restoration to the coronal portion.
25. The dentin anchor as set forth in claim 24, wherein the step of placing a tooth restoration around a coronal portion of the dentin anchor further comprises chemically bonding the tooth restoration to the coronal portion.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A fluid pump comprising:
a motor;
a material pump interconnecting a material reservoir and a material dispenser; and
a closed-loop pressure regulation system between said motor and said material pump comprising:
a hydraulic pump connected to and driven by said motor;
an impeller connected between said hydraulic pump and said material drive; and
a pressure regulator to regulate pressure in said closed-loop pressure regulation system.
2. The fluid pump of claim 1 wherein said hydraulic pump moves hydraulic fluid through said closed-loop pressure regulation system at a first pressure level.
3. The fluid pump of claim 2 wherein said impeller comprises a set of counter-rotating gears.
4. The fluid pump of claim 3 wherein said counter-rotating gears are rotated by said hydraulic fluid moving through said closed-loop pressure regulation system.
5. The fluid pump of claim 4 wherein said material pump delivers a fluidized material from said material reservoir to said material dispenser at a second pressure level.
6. The fluid pump of claim 5 wherein said first and second pressure levels are substantially constant.
7. The fluid pump of claim 6 wherein said second pressure level is substantially equal to said first pressure level.
8. The fluid pump of claim 1 wherein said closed-loop pressure regulation system further comprises an expandable hydraulic fluid reservoir.
9. The fluid pump of claim 2 further comprising a valve operatively connected to said impeller for preventing backflow of said hydraulic fluid.
10. The fluid pump of claim 5 wherein said pressure regulator regulates said first pressure level of said hydraulic fluid in said closed-loop pressure regulation system.
11. The fluid pump of claim 10 wherein regulating said first pressure level regulates said second pressure level.
12. The fluid pump of claim 10 wherein said pressure regulator is positioned between an inlet of said impeller and said expandable hydraulic fluid reservoir.
13. The fluid pump of claim 10 wherein said pressure regulator includes a bypass connection operatively connected to said expandable hydraulic fluid reservoir.
14. A method of pumping a fluidized material, said method comprising:
interconnecting a motor and a material pump with a closed-loop pressure regulation system, said system comprising:
a hydraulic pump;
an impeller; and
a pressure regulator;
circulating a fluid at a first pressure through said closed-loop pressure regulation system with said motor; and
pumping a fluidized material at a second pressure from a material reservoir to a material dispenser by driving said material pump with said closed-loop pressure regulation system.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein interconnecting said motor and said material pump with said closed-loop pressure regulation system comprises connecting an output on said motor to a hydraulic pump, and connecting an output of an impeller to said material pump.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein circulating said fluid at said first pressure comprises driving said hydraulic pump with said motor output.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein circulating said fluid at said first pressure further comprises directing said fluid from said hydraulic pump to said impeller.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein circulating said fluid at said first pressure further comprises directing said fluid from said impeller into a fluid reservoir connected to said hydraulic pump.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein pumping said fluidized material comprises driving said material pump with said impeller, thereby causing said material pump to deliver said fluidized material from said material reservoir to said material dispenser.
20. The method of claim 14 further comprising regulating said first pressure with said pressure regulator.
21. The method of claim 14 wherein said first pressure level and said second pressure level are substantially constant.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein the first pressure level regulates the second pressure level.
23. The method of claim 21 wherein the first pressure level is substantially equal to the second pressure level.
24. A paint sprayer comprising:
a paint reservoir;
an outlet valve;
a trigger mechanism operatively connected to said outlet valve;
a motor;
a pump interconnecting said paint reservoir and said outlet valve; and
a closed-loop pressure regulation system interconnecting said motor and said pump, wherein said motor drives fluid through said closed-loop pressure regulation system at a first pressure, and said closed-loop pressure regulation system drives said pump to deliver paint at a second pressure from said paint reservoir to said applicator nozzle.
25. The paint sprayer of claim 24 wherein said closed-loop pressure regulation system comprises a hydraulic pump connected to said motor.
26. The paint sprayer of claim 25 wherein said closed-loop pressure regulation system further comprises an impeller interconnecting said hydraulic pump and said pump.
27. The paint sprayer of claim 26 wherein said closed-loop pressure regulation system further comprises a pressure regulator.
28. The paint sprayer of claim 27 wherein said closed-loop pressure regulation system further comprises an expandable bladder reservoir.
29. The paint sprayer of claim 28 wherein said closed-loop pressure regulation system further comprises a bypass conduit interconnecting said pressure regulator and said expandable bladder reservoir.
30. The paint sprayer of claim 24 wherein said first and second pressure levels are substantially constant.
31. The paint sprayer of claim 30 wherein said first pressure level regulates said second pressure level.