WIP: A Study on the Development of Endodontic Micro Robot

Abstract

Endodontic therapy, also called root canal treatment, is a procedure that is performed to remove damaged tissue from the inner canal of a tooth, and then the canal is sealed to prevent this area from being a source of infection. A typical procedure includes access preparation, root canal preparation and root canal filling. The treatment process is time-consuming and prone to human error. The outcome relies on the clinician’s expertise, which can only be gained through years of training and practice. The treatment success rate is 60-65 % by general dentists and 90 % by specialists. In order to improve the quality and reliability of endodontic therapy, the design and building of an endodontic micro robot is proposed. This computer controlled micro machine will need to be mounted on several teeth within a patient’s mouth. With on-line monitoring and positioning control, this multi-purpose micro robot will automatically perform the treatment procedures including drilling, filing, cleaning and filling the open canal. This paper will discuss the preliminary investigation of: the mechanical design and manufacture of the micro robot; the choosing and fabricating the embedded sensors and actuators using MEMS technology; and the control system design using an NC controller. The paper will also discuss the innovations involved from the traditional way