Dental handpiece having internal filter unit
OwnerAlan Seltzer, Mark Friedmaninventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dental handpiece having a filter unit containing a filter that minimizes the exposure of patients to pathogens found in the dental unit water lines (DUWL) while promoting frequent replacement of DUWL filters, by providing a disposable microfiltration filter that is easily replaced at low cost. A disk or membrane type filter is placed in a disconnectable autoclavable filter unit in the handle of an existing design dental instrument such that the form and function of the dental instrument are not adversely affected. The components of the handpiece, including the filter unit, are autoclavable, making the handpiece with its filter unit both economical to produce and ideal for its intended use.
Claims15
A dental instrument comprising:
- a) an operating part;
- b) a fluid connector for supply of a plurality of fluids to the operating part of the dental instrument, at least one of which fluids is to be filtered and at least one other of said fluids is not to be filtered, said connector being adapted to mate with a fluid connector on a fluid supply line;
- c) a removable housing, removably connecting the operating part of the dental instrument to the fluid connector and forming a hand grip for the dental instrument when connected;
- d) at least one filter housing having a body with a central filter chamber, the body being separable into a first section and a second section at the filter chamber, such that a filter may be inserted into the filter chamber;
- the first section and the second section having fluid connections adapted to mate with tubing and passages for fluid connecting the fluid connections to the central filter chamber, such that fluid entering a fluid connection on the first section passes into the central filter chamber and exits from the fluid connection on the second section;
- e) at least one length of flexible tubing, connecting a fluid connection on a waterline connector to a fluid connection on the first section of the filter housing;
- f) at least one length of flexible tubing, connecting a fluid connection on the second section of the filter housing to the operating part of the dental instrument;
- and
- g) at least one length of flexible tubing connecting a fluid connection on the waterline connector to the operating part of the dental instrument;
- such that for each fluid to be filtered, fluid from the fluid supply line passes through the waterline connector into a length of flexible tubing, through the filter housing, and through a length of flexible tubing to the operating part of the dental instrument;
- and for each fluid which is not filtered, fluid from the fluid supply line passes through the waterline connector into a length of flexible tubing to the operating part of the dental instrument.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.