US 4,580,978 A · Dental high volume evacuation system

Abstract

A vacuum operated dental high volume evacuation system is provided wherein an extraction instrument is connected to a debris collector for solids which in turn is connected to a separator unit wherein the liquid in the evacuated material is separated from the vacuum air and the dry vacuum air is directed to the vacuum source unit which creates the vacuum for the system. The separator unit includes a vacuum chamber positioned above a drainage chamber with a valve disposed therebetween. The drainage chamber is normally maintained at atmospheric pressure and the valve is normally closed due to the pressure differential between the two chambers. A liquid level sensor is provided in the vacuum chamber to sense the rise of liquid therein which upon reaching a certain level trips the sensor which results in an equalization of vacuum pressure between the two chambers and the draining of the liquid in the vacuum chamber into the drainage chamber. Upon the deactivation of the liquid level sensor, the drainage chamber is returned to atmospheric pressure and the valve between the two chambers closed as a result of the pressure differential.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A dental high volume evacuation system for extracting liquid and dental debris by means of vacuum and automatically removing said extracted liquid and dental debris from said system, said system including:

(a) a vacuum source;
(b) an extraction instrument communicating with said vacuum source;
and
(c) a separator unit operatively disposed between said vacuum source and said extraction instrument for separating out the liquid extracted by said instrument from the evacuated air and automatically removing said extracted liquid from the system, said separator unit comprising,
a vacuum chamber operatively disposed between and communicating with said extraction instrument and with said vacuum source,
a drainage chamber disposed below said vacuum chamber for receiving the liquid from said vacuum chamber and draining said liquid from said system,
valve means communicating between said vacuum and drainage chambers, and
means responsive to the liquid level accumulated in said vacuum chamber for causing the opening of said valve means and the draining of the liquid from said vacuum chamber into said drainage chamber without altering the vacuum at said extraction instrument.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Dental high volume evacuation system

Life of this patent

Dental high volume evacuation system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11