The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued patent No. 7,677,890 to ProDrive Systems for its nonround dental bur and locking turbine. When engaged, the patented system prevents rotation of the bur inside the turbine, according to the company.
For the last 50 years, dentistry has relied on a round-on-round friction grip drill mechanism for high-speed handpieces, ProDrive noted. "ProDrive's high-precision, locking turbine and bur design firmly grips the bur for faster and smoother cutting and superior cut accuracy with reduced bur vibration and heat generated on the tooth," the company stated in a press release.
The ProDrive system is a turbine upgrade compatible with many leading brand handpieces, including KaVo, Midwest, Sirona, Star Dental, and W&H. In addition to the drive shank, double grooves along the bur enable safe bur lengthening by 3 mm. The locking mechanism ensures bur retention and high performance in both positions, the company said.
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