Sterilizing and sterility maintaining apparatus for dental and surgical tools and the like

Sterilizing and sterility-maintaining apparatus for dental and surgical tools and the like, including in combination

• a main metal container having a bottom wall and side walls,
• a cover for said main container,
• means for heating said main container to sterilizing temperatures,
• a plurality of removable trays in said container normally but removably resting on said bottom wall and having a tray bottom and tray sides,
• a capsule-supporting basket removably mounted in each said tray,
• a plurality of imperforate capsules removably mounted in each said basket, said capsules having removably and hermetically sealable closures and being shorter than said tray sides,
• tool support means in said capsules for supporting the tools to be sterilized, and
• a normally solid petroleum product that is liquid at sterilizing temperatures retained in said capsules and surrounding and covering at least the operative portions of the tools in said capsules and serving when solidified to aid in retaining the sterility of each said tool after completion of sterilization and after said capsule is opened each said tool support means comprising
• a disc covered by said petroleum product having an opening therethrough for each tool to be supported,
• a perforate tube for housing each said tool, located below each said opening and supported by said disc,
• spring means secured to said disc for engaging the walls of said capsule and retaining the disc at a desired position in said capsule, and
• upstanding post means secured to said disc and having support means extending out therefrom for supporting the upper end of a said tool and defining a support ring-like structure overlying each said opening.

A holder for dental and surgical tools and the like, in which the tools may be sterilized and retained in sterile condition, including in combination

• an imperforate capsule having a removably and hermetically sealable closure, and
• tool support means in said capsule for supporting each tool in said capsule, said tool support means comprising
• a perforate disc having a hole for each tool to be supported thereby,
• a depending perforate cylinder beneath each said hole for each tool to be supported thereby depending from said disc,
• spring retention means depending from said disc for engaging the walls of said capsule, and
• an upstanding post means secured to said disc and having support means extending out therefrom and defining a support ring-like structure overlying each said hole to enable locating and retrieving each supported tool.