# US 7,607,972 B2 · Self-contained disposable micro-abrasive blasting tip for dental applications

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- Number: US 7,607,972 B2
- Document ID: US7607972B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/452,067
- Filed: 2006-06-13
- Published: 2007-12-13
- Granted: 2009-10-27
- Earliest claimed: 2006-06-13
- Inventors: Boaz Barry Groman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7607972B2

## CPC

- A61C 3/025: Instruments acting like a sandblast machine, e.g. for cleaning, polishing or cutting teeth
- B24C 7/0053: {with control of feed parameters, e.g. feed rate of abrasive material or carrier}
- B24C 7/0069: {with means for preventing clogging of the equipment or for preventing abrasive entering the airway}
- A61B 17/545: {using a stream or spray of abrasive particles}
- Y10T 29/49826: Assembling or joining
- Y10T 29/49837: of first part
- A61C: DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE (non-driven toothbrushes A46B; {tongue scrapers A61B17/24;} preparations for dentistry A61K6/00; preparations for cleaning the teeth or mouth A61K8/00, A61Q11/00)
- B24C: ABRASIVE OR RELATED BLASTING WITH PARTICULATE MATERIAL
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

The present invention is a micro-abrasive blasting device (75) constructed from a disposable pipette structure (80) comprising a delivery conduit (30) extending from a delivery conduit inlet (35) through a tapered section (33) to form a delivery conduit outlet (37) and a inlet port (27); contiguous pipette structure (80) expands from inlet port (27) to form a hollow bulb mixing chamber (23) and then narrows to form a discharge port (29) section; a discharge conduit (10) is in fluid communications with discharge port (29) and extends from a discharge conduit inlet (12) internal to mixing chamber (23) to a discharge conduit outlet (14) external to mixing chamber (23); a particulate matter (50) is disposed within mixing chamber wall (25); discharge conduit inlet (12) abuts inlet port (27) preventing particulate matter (50) from exiting mixing chamber 23. A separation gap (45) between the delivery conduit outlet (37) and discharge conduit inlet (12) is created as discharge conduit (10) is displaced so discharge conduit inlet (12) no longer abuts inlet port (27); As pressurized-gas is supplied to micro-abrasive blasting device (75) through the delivery conduit inlet (35), the pressurized-gas flows through the delivery conduit (30) and out of the inlet port (27), into mixing chamber (23). As flow is initiated, particulate matter (50) instantaneously mixes with the gas-steam within hollow resilient bulb mixing chamber (23) and the powder-gas mixture flows through discharge conduit (10) to strike target surface (40).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A micro-abrasive blasting device, comprising:
a chamber having a chamber wall and a hollow interior;
an inlet port in said chamber wall;
a discharge port in the chamber wall;
a tubular delivery conduit section contiguous with said chamber wall elongated from a delivery conduit inlet external to said chamber to a delivery conduit outlet terminating at said inlet port;
a tubular discharge section contiguous with said chamber wall elongates from said discharge port external to said chamber;
a discharge conduit elongated from a discharge conduit inlet internal to the chamber to a discharge conduit outlet external to the chamber and extending through said tubular discharge section and in fluid communications with said tubular discharge section;
a quantity of particulate matter disposed within said chamber;
wherein a handheld pressurized-gas supply connector mounts to said tubular delivery conduit section external to the chamber;
wherein:
said discharge conduit inlet abuts delivery conduit outlet to seal said particulate matter within said chamber.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein:
pressurized-gas supplied to said tubular delivery conduit section passes through the delivery conduit outlet into the chamber to generate an abrasive laden gas stream out of said discharge conduit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein:
pressurized-gas supplied to delivery conduit inlet passes through the delivery conduit and discharge conduit without entering the chamber.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein:
the displacement of said discharge conduit inlet away from delivery conduit outlet unseals the chamber to allow pressurized-gas flow through the chamber to generate an abrasive laden gas stream.

### Claim 5

The apparatus, according to 1, wherein:
said chamber is spherical.

### Claim 6

A micro-abrasive blasting device, comprising:
a chamber having a chamber wall and a hollow interior;
an inlet port in said chamber wall;
a discharge port in the chamber wall;
a tubular delivery conduit section contiguous with said chamber wall elongated from a delivery conduit inlet external to said chamber to a delivery conduit outlet terminating at said inlet port;
a tubular discharge section contiguous with said chamber wall elongates from said discharge port external to said chamber;
a discharge conduit elongated from a discharge conduit inlet internal to the chamber to a discharge conduit outlet external to the chamber and extending through said tubular discharge section and in fluid communications with said tubular discharge section;
a quantity of particulate matter disposed within said chamber;
wherein a handheld pressurized-gas supply connector mounts to said tubular delivery conduit section external to the chamber;
wherein:
a discharge conduit stop mounted to said discharge conduit is disposed within the mixing chamber to prevent the extraction of the discharge conduit out of the tubular delivery conduit section and tubular discharge section.

### Claim 7

A pre-filled disposable pipette structure for micro-abrasive blasting device, comprising:
a hollow tubular pipette structure;
said pipette structure having a hollow bulb section forming a mixing chamber;
said pipette structure further having a open ended hollow tubular delivery section smaller in diameter and contiguous with the bulb section, for delivery of pressurized-gas;
said pipette structure also having a hollow tubular discharge section smaller in diameter and contiguous with the bulb section, for discharging abrasive laden gas stream;
a quantity of particulate matter disposed within said mixing chamber;
a discharge conduit elongated from a discharge conduit inlet to a discharge conduit outlet;
wherein said discharge conduit is positioned within said tubular discharge section of said pipette structure and in fluid communications with said tubular discharge section of said pipette structure so said discharge conduit inlet is internal to the mixing chamber and discharge conduit outlet is external to the mixing chamber.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The pre-filled disposable pipette structure, according to claim 7, wherein:
a pressurized-gas connector mounts to said delivery section.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus, according to claim 8, wherein:
pressurized-gas supplied to delivery section passes through the delivery conduit outlet into the chamber to generate an abrasive laden gas stream out of said discharge conduit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The pre-filled disposable pipette structure, according to claim 7, wherein:
said discharge conduit inlet abuts delivery section to seal said particulate matter within said mixing chamber.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The apparatus, according to claim 10, wherein:
pressurized-gas delivered to delivery section passes through the delivery section and discharge conduit without entering the mixing chamber.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The apparatus, according to claim 10, wherein:
the displacement of said discharge conduit inlet away from delivery section unseals the mixing chamber to allow pressurized-gas flow through the mixing chamber to generate an abrasive laden gas stream.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The pre-filled disposable pipette structure, according to claim 7, wherein:
said pipette structure is constructed of a thermoplastic material selected from a group consisting of: polycarbonate, polyethylene, polyester, polystyrene, polypropylene, polysulfone, polyurethane, or ethylene-vinyl-acetate.

### Claim 14 (depends on 7)

The pre-filled disposable pipette structure, according to claim 7, wherein:
the pipette structure is formed by extrusion blow molding in a two-piece mold.

### Claim 15 (depends on 7)

The pre-filled disposable pipette structure, according to claim 7, wherein:
the pipette structure is formed by thermoforming a plastic tube.

### Claim 16 (depends on 7)

The pre-filled disposable pipette structure, according to claim 7, wherein:
said mixing chamber is spherical.

### Claim 17 (depends on 7)

The pre-filled disposable pipette structure, according to claim 7, wherein:
said pipette's hollow structure is configured in cross section as selected from a group consisting of round, oval, square, rectangular and polygonal shapes.

### Claim 18 (depends on 7)

The pre-filled disposable pipette structure, according to claim 7, wherein:
said pipette's bulb section has a cylindrical configuration with each end having a cone-shaped taper interfacing on one end with the delivery tube section, and on the other end with the discharge tubular section.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein:
said chamber is configured in cross section as selected from a group consisting of round, oval, square, rectangular and polygonal shapes.

### Claim 20 (depends on 7)

The pre-filled disposable pipette structure, according to claim 7, wherein:
a discharge conduit stop mounted to said discharge conduit is disposed within the mixing chamber to restrict the movement range of the discharge conduit.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein:
said delivery conduit outlet terminates at the inlet port of said chamber.

### Claim 22 (depends on 6)

The apparatus, according to claim 6, wherein:
pressurized-gas supplied to said tubular delivery conduit section passes through the delivery conduit outlet into the chamber to generate an abrasive laden gas stream out of said discharge conduit.

### Claim 23 (depends on 6)

The apparatus, according to claim 6, wherein:
pressurized-gas supplied to delivery conduit inlet passes through the delivery conduit and discharge conduit without entering the chamber.

### Claim 24 (depends on 6)

The apparatus, according to claim 6, wherein:
the displacement of said discharge conduit inlet away from delivery conduit outlet unseals the chamber to allow pressurized-gas flow through the chamber to generate an abrasive laden gas stream.

### Claim 25 (depends on 6)

The apparatus, according to claim 6, wherein:
said delivery conduit outlet terminates at the inlet port of said chamber.

### Claim 26 (depends on 6)

The apparatus, according to claim 6, wherein:
said chamber is spherical.

### Claim 27 (depends on 6)

The apparatus, according to claim 6, wherein:
said chamber is configured in cross section as selected from a group consisting of round, oval, square, rectangular and polygonal shapes.