Importance

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Abstract

A mechanical support for holding a dental medical instrument includes multiple segments which are mounted to one another to provide six degrees of freedom of motion for an instrument supported at one end of the support arm. At each juncture or joint between segments, a positioning encoder provides an electrical signal which indicates the motion of one of the segments relative to the adjacent segment. The combined encoder outputs provides information concerning all six degrees of freedom of motion and thus provides a signal which tracks with the motion of the operating instrument. A slave probe coupled to the operating end of the instrument provides a technique of either commanding the positioning of the instrument or, alternatively, tracking with the position of the instrument. The slave probe thus executes a three dimensional contour that is the same as the three dimensional surface traced by the instrument.

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First Claim