Equipment and method for delivering an abrasive-laden gas stream
AssigneeCooper LaserSonics, Inc.
InventorBen J. Gallant
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Equipment for abrasive stream cleaning delivers a stream of a gas and particles and a flow of liquid. A nozzle structure provides for entrainment of the liquid by a jet of particle-laden gas.
Claims21
A method for cleaning teeth comprising directing a stream of particle-laden gas toward the surface of a tooth to be cleaned, concurrently directing a stream of liquid toward said surface, the particles comprising a material soluble in said liquid, and the liquid and gas streams being directed to provide for the presence of both liquid and particles within the same target area of the tooth surface to be cleaned.
Equipment for cleaning teeth comprising a source of solid tooth cleaning particles, a source of solvent liquid in which the particles are soluble, means for delivering a stream of gas under pressure, means for delivering the solid particles into suspension in the gas stream, first nozzle means having a gas orifice for directing the particle-laden stream toward the surface of a tooth to be cleaned, second nozzle means arranged annularly about the gas orifice for directing a stream of the solvent liquid toward said surface concurrently with the particle-laden stream and a handpiece on which both of said nozzle means are mounted, the mounting of the two nozzle means on the handpiece providing for substantially separate delivery of the particle-laden and the solvent liquid streams and for directing these streams in substantially non-convergent manner to the tooth surface within the same target area and said nozzle means having a liquid supply orifice of size sufficient to deliver a quantity of liquid at least as great as that required to effect complete dissolution of the particles at the target area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.