Orthodontic band sterilization cassette

A sterilization cassette comprising:

• generally parallel and vertical sidewalls and a pair of generally vertical endwalls attached by a horizontal base, each of said sidewalls having an inner groove in close proximity to an upper longitudinal edge thereof, said sidewalls, endwalls and base defining a generally rectangular container;
• a plurality of dividing wall members, each of said plurality of dividing wall members having end, top and bottom edges, and being supported in the container, thereby defining a plurality of discrete compartments within said generally rectangular container;
• a generally flat lid portion engaging said inner groove in each of said sidewalls and being reciprocally moveable in said grooves;
• multiple indicia disposed on said rectangular container identifying each compartment with respect to an orthodontic band associated with a tooth located in a particular section of a patient's mouth;
• a plurality of openings in the container or lid for admitting a sterilization liquid to each compartment for sterilizing orthodontic bands placed therein;
• each of said edges closely abutting its associated adjacent inner surface of said base, wall and lid, respectively and being sufficiently flat to prevent passage therebetween of an orthodontic band identified for one compartment to an adjacent compartment;
• and
• the lid being reciprocable without interference with the top edges of the dividing wall members or contents of the compartments.

A sterilization cassette comprising:

• two generally parallel and vertical sidewalls attached by a pair of generally vertical endwalls forming the side and end walls of a container with openings at the top and bottom thereof;
• a plurality of vertical dividing wall members generally parallel to the end wall members and generally perpendicularly intersecting with a horizontal longitudinal dividing wall member which is generally perpendicular to the sidewall and endwall members, thereby defining a plurality of discrete interior compartments in the container;
• the vertical dividing wall members having top, bottom and side edges and the longitudinal dividing wall member having end and side edges;
• at least one flat lid member releaseably attached to the container and enclosing each of said openings;
• a first indicia disposed on each of said compartments identifying a jaw of a patient's mouth;
• a second indicia disposed on each of said compartments identifying a quadrant of a patient's mouth;
• a third indicia disposed on said container or one or more lids identifying each of said discrete compartments with an associated orthodontic band for a tooth;
• a plurality of openings in the container or lids for admitting a sterilization liquid to each compartment for sterilizing orthodontic bands placed therein;
• and
• each of said edges closely abutting its associated adjacent inner surface of said wall and lid member, respectively, and being sufficiently flat to prevent passage therebetween of an orthodontic band identified for one compartment to an adjacent compartment.

A sterilization cassette for orthodontic bands for teeth in a patient's mouth comprising:

• a rectangular-shaped container having a base attached to a pair of flat, generally parallel, transverse, upstanding closure members and a pair of flat, generally parallel, longitudinal, upstanding closure members and at least one open side;
• a plurality of dividers generally parallel to the transverse closure members and generally perpendicularly intersecting with at least one longitudinal divider generally parallel to the longitudinal closure members and supported in the container whereby the container is divided into a plurality of discrete compartments adapted for housing in each compartment a plurality of sizes of orthodontic bands for one tooth from among a plurality of orthodontic bands of different sizes of different teeth;
• first indicia on each compartment identifying the patient's jaw to which the bands for that compartment relate;
• second indicia on each compartment identifying the patient's mouth quadrant to which the bands for that compartment relate;
• at least one lid having a flat surface portion, being releaseably attached to the container and closing the at least one open side of the container;
• third indicia on the container or lid identifying each of the compartments of the container that relate to a type of tooth;
• and
• a plurality of perforations in the container or lid smaller than the smallest band for admitting a sterilization fluid into each of the discrete compartments;
• whereby all compartments may be accessed through the at least one open face of the container and non-sterile bands placed and retained therein for sterilization without loss or intermixing of bands among compartments.