# US 9,872,739 B2 · Treatment chamber for treating surgical or dental instruments with electrical energy using chamber wall made of thin film or thick film > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,872,739 B2 - Document ID: US9872739B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/291,983 - Filed: 2016-10-12 - Published: 2017-02-02 - Granted: 2018-01-23 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-20 - Assignees: W&H Dentalwerk Bürmoos GmbH - Applicants: W&H Dentalwerk Bürmoos GmbH - Inventors: Stefan Wimmer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9872739B2 ## CPC - A61B 90/70: Cleaning devices specially adapted for surgical instruments - A61B 90/98: using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders - A61C 19/002: {Cleaning devices specially adapted for dental instruments} - A61L 2/07: Steam - A61L 2/16: using chemical substances - A61C 2204/005: using chip tag or any electronic identification mean, e.g. RFID - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - 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) - A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K) ## Abstract A treatment chamber or treatment carrier for use in a device for treating a medical or dental instrument. The device comprises a housing, which at least partially surrounds the instrument. The device also comprises at least one conductor made of an electrically conductive material layer applied to the housing for converting electrical energy into thermal energy, and at least two electrical contacts embedded in the conductor for supplying the at least one conductor with electrical energy. A treatment device having such a treatment chamber and/or such a treatment carrier is also described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A treatment chamber or treatment carrier for use in a device for treating a medical or dental instrument, comprising: a housing which at least partially surrounds the medical or dental instrument, at least one conductor made of an electrically conductive material layer applied to a surface of the housing as a coating for converting electrical energy into thermal energy, and at least two electrical contacts connected to the at least one conductor to supply electrical energy to the at least one conductor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The treatment chamber or treatment carrier according to claim 1, further comprising at least one dielectric layer to electrically insulate the at least one conductor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The treatment chamber or treatment carrier according to claim 2, wherein the at least one dielectric layer comprises at least one of a dielectric carrier layer which carries the at least one conductor and a dielectric cover layer which covers the at least one conductor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The treatment chamber or treatment carrier according to claim 2, wherein the at least one dielectric layer comprises a dielectric coating. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The treatment chamber or treatment carrier according to claim 4, wherein the dielectric coating comprises one of a thick-film dielectric coating or a thin-film dielectric coating. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The treatment chamber or treatment carrier according to claim 2, wherein the at least one dielectric layer is applied directly on a surface of the housing of the treatment chamber or treatment carrier. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The treatment chamber or treatment carrier according to claim 2, wherein the at least one conductor is coated on an inside surface of the housing and the at least one dielectric layer comprises a dielectric cover layer arranged over the at least one conductor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The treatment chamber or treatment carrier according to claim 1, wherein the at least one conductor comprises a plurality of sections, which are coated on the housing at different distances from one another. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The treatment chamber or treatment carrier according to claim 1, wherein the at least one conductor is coated on an inside surface of the housing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The treatment chamber or treatment carrier according to claim 1, wherein the at least one conductor is coated on an outside surface of the housing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The treatment chamber or treatment carrier according to claim 1, wherein the at least one conductor extends along the housing to surround the at least one medical instrument on at least two sides. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The treatment chamber or treatment carrier according to claim 1, wherein the at least one conductor is a first conductor, further comprising at least a second conductor, and wherein the first conductor and the second conductor can be separately supplied with electrical energy. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The treatment chamber or treatment carrier according to claim 1, wherein the coating comprises one of a thick-film coating or a thin-film coating. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The treatment chamber or treatment carrier according to claim 1, wherein the coating is applied directly on a surface of the housing of the treatment chamber or treatment carrier. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The treatment device according claim 14, wherein the treatment chamber or the treatment carrier is designed to be detachable from the treatment device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The treatment device according to claim 14, wherein the control unit comprises a circuit for generating eddy currents in the treatment chamber or in the treatment carrier, and the at least one conductor on a surface of the housing of the treatment chamber or the treatment carrier is formed for generating alternating magnetic fields. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The treatment chamber or treatment carrier according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises at least one first housing part and at least one second housing part, which are connected so that the first and second housing parts can be rotated or displaced relative to one another for introducing and removing the instrument. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The treatment chamber or treatment carrier according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises at least one of a connecting device for receiving the instrument and media feed for introducing at least one operating medium into the treatment chamber or into the treatment carrier. ### Claim 19 A device for treating a medical or dental instrument, comprising: a control unit for controlling and/or regulating a treatment process, a power supply for connecting the treatment device to a power source, at least one media supply having at least one of a media storage device or a connection for an external media source, and a treatment chamber or a treatment carrier for the instrument, the treatment chamber or treatment carrier comprising a housing that at least partially surrounds the instrument and at least one conductor which is formed by a coating on a surface of the housing. ### Claim 20 A treatment chamber or treatment carrier for use in a device for treating a medical or dental instrument, comprising: a housing which at least partially surrounds the medical or dental instrument, at least one conductor made of an electrically conductive material layer applied to a surface of the housing for converting electrical energy into thermal energy, at least two electrical contacts connected to the at least one conductor to supply electrical energy to the at least one conductor, and at least one dielectric layer inside of the housing to electrically insulate the at least one conductor.