Medical or dental treatment device and tool for such a treatment device

Abstract

A medical or dental treatment device comprises a tool retainer, a measuring coil and an evaluation device. The tool retainer can be connected to a plurality of different tools. The measuring coil can be supplied with a periodic electrical energy. The evaluation device can be connected to the measuring coil for detecting whether a tool is connected to the treatment device or which of a plurality of tools is connected to the treatment device. On the basis of an electromagnetic (e.g., inductive) coupling between the tool accommodated in the tool retainer and the measuring coil supplied with the periodic energy, a periodic measurement signal specific to each tool can be generated and assigned by the evaluation device to the tool. The evaluation device determines the phase shift of the electrical voltage and of the electric current of the periodic measurement signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medical or dental treatment device, which can be connected to a plurality of different tools, wherein the medical or dental treatment device comprises:
 a tool retainer for connecting the treatment device to a tool,   at least one measuring coil which is connected to an electrical energy supply device via an electrical line and which can be supplied with a periodic electrical energy supply from the electrical energy supply device, and   an evaluation device electrically connected to the at least one measuring coil for detecting whether a tool is connected to the treatment device or which of a plurality of tools is connected to the treatment device,   wherein due to an inductive coupling between the tool accommodated in the tool retainer and the at least one measuring coil supplied with the periodic electrical energy, a periodic measurement signal specific to the tool is generated and assigned by the evaluation device to the tool, and   wherein the evaluation device determines the phase shift of the electrical voltage and of the electric current of the periodic measurement signal.   
     
     
         2 . The medical or dental treatment device according to  claim 1 , wherein the evaluation device further determines the amplitude of the electrical voltage of the periodic measurement signal. 
     
     
         3 . A medical or dental treatment device according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 at least one tool which can be connected to the treatment device, wherein the at least one tool comprises a tool shaft and a working end connected to the tool shaft for working on a treatment site,   wherein the tool shaft comprises at least one electrically conductive identification element in which, through the inductive coupling between the tool accommodated in the tool retainer and the at least one measuring coil supplied with the periodic energy, an alternating electric current and/or electrical eddy currents can be induced, which feeds back onto the periodic electrical energy flowing in the at least one measuring coil in order to generate the periodic measurement signal which can be assigned to the respective tool.   
     
     
         4 . The medical or dental treatment device according to  claim 3 , wherein the at least one electrically conductive identification element is provided on a base material of the tool shaft, wherein the at least one electrically conductive identification element and the base material comprise different materials. 
     
     
         5 . The medical or dental treatment device according to  claim 3 , wherein the at least one electrically conductive identification element comprises at least one of a wire, a winding, a coil, a coating, a film, a layer or a sleeve. 
     
     
         6 . The medical or dental treatment device according to  claim 3 , wherein the at least one electrically conductive identification element forms a closed electrical circuit surrounding the tool shaft, in which the alternating electric current can flow. 
     
     
         7 . The medical or dental treatment device according to  claim 3 , wherein the at least one electrically conductive identification element comprises two separated ends. 
     
     
         8 . The medical or dental treatment device according to  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of different tools, each of the tools having a tool shaft with at least one electrically conductive identification element wherein, in order to detect or differentiate the tools by the evaluation device, the electrically conductive identification elements of the tools differ in at least one of the following parameters: the axial lengths of the electrically conductive identification element with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tool shaft; the cross-sectional areas of the electrically conductive identification elements; the thicknesses of the electrically conductive identification elements transversely to or radially to a longitudinal axis of the tool shaft; the thicknesses of the layers of the electrically conductive identification elements deposited on the tool shaft; the materials of the electrically conductive identification elements; the number of turns and/or the lengths of the electrically conductive identification elements configured as coils or windings; or the wire diameter of the electrically conductive identification elements configured as coils or windings. 
     
     
         9 . The medical or dental treatment device according to  claim 8 , wherein in order to detect or differentiate the plurality of different tools by the evaluation device, the plurality of tools further differ in at least one of the following parameters: the base material of the tool shaft; the diameter of at least one section of the tool shaft; or the length of the tool shaft. 
     
     
         10 . The medical or dental treatment device according to  claim 3 , wherein the tool shaft of the at least one tool comprises at least two electrically conductive and separated identification elements. 
     
     
         11 . The medical or dental treatment device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of measuring coils which are electrically connected to the evaluation device for detecting whether a tool is connected to the treatment device or which of a plurality of tools is connected to the treatment device. 
     
     
         12 . The medical or dental treatment device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an electrical energy supply device which is configured to provide the at least one measuring coil with periodic electrical energy at different frequencies so that, in order to detect whether a tool is connected to the treatment device or which of a plurality of tools is connected to the treatment device, the at least one measuring coil can be supplied with periodic electrical energy at different frequencies. 
     
     
         13 . The medical or dental treatment device according to  claim 1 , wherein the periodic electrical energy supply is a sinusoidal electrical energy supply. 
     
     
         14 . A method for detecting whether a tool is connected to a treatment device or which of a plurality of tools is connected to said treatment device, comprising:
 supplying at least one measuring coil with periodic electrical energy,   establishing an inductive coupling between a tool accommodated in a tool retainer and the at least one measuring coil supplied with the periodic energy,   generating a periodic measurement signal which is specific to each tool and which can be assigned to the respective tool by an evaluation device, and   detecting whether a tool is connected to the treatment device or which of a plurality of tools is connected to the treatment device with the evaluation device, wherein the evaluation device determines the phase shift of the electrical voltage and of the electric current of the periodic measurement signal.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising determining the amplitude of the electrical voltage of the periodic measurement signal with the evaluation device to detect whether a tool is connected to the treatment device or which of a plurality of tools is connected to the treatment device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein an alternating electric current and/or electrical eddy currents is/are induced in at least one electrically conductive identification element of the at least one tool due to the inductive coupling between said tool accommodated in the tool retainer and the at least one measuring coil supplied with the periodic energy, wherein said alternating electric current and/or electrical eddy currents feeds back onto the periodic electrical energy flowing in the at least one measuring coil in order to generate the periodic measurement signal which can be assigned to the respective tool. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein generating a periodic measurement signal comprises generating a sinusoidal measurement signal. 
     
     
         18 . A medical or dental tool, comprising
 a tool shaft, and   a working end connected to the tool shaft for working on a treatment site, wherein the tool shaft comprises at least one electrically conductive identification element in which due to an inductive coupling between said tool and a measuring coil supplied with periodic electrical energy, an alternating electric current and/or electrical eddy currents can be induced, which feeds back onto the periodic electrical energy flowing in the at least one measuring coil in order to generate a periodic measurement signal which can be assigned to the tool.   
     
     
         19 . A medical or dental treatment device having at least one tool according to  claim 18 . 
     
     
         20 . The medical of dental tool of  claim 18 , wherein the measuring coil is supplied with sinusoidal electrical energy.