Method and apparatus for disinfecting and sterilizing the spray circuits of power driven instruments used in desintry

Claim 2

1) Method for disinfecting and sterilizing the spray circuits of power driven instruments used in dentistry, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: -breaking the conventional circuit by which power is supplied to the control medium (1) of an instrument (2) to be disinfected or sterilized; -activation of a first auxiliary circuit (3) from which a given preset quantity of disinfectant is supplied to the spray circuit (23) of the power driven instrument (2); -activation of a second auxiliary circuit (4) from which a given preset quantity of rinsing liquid is supplied to the spray circuit (23) of the power driven instrument (2); -remaking the conventional circuit by which power is supplied to the control medium (1) of a disinfected or sterilized instrument (2), to enable subsequent operation thereof.

Claim 3

2) Method as in claim 1, wherein the circuit by which power is supplied to the control medium (1) of the disinfected or sterilized instrument (2) is remade only on completion of the rinsing step.

Claim 4

3) Method as in claim 1, wherein the first and second circuits (3, 4) supplying disinfectant and rinse liquid are operated for a given length of time (Tx, Ty) in each instance, the duration of which is programmed according to the capacity of the spray circuit (23) of the power driven instrument (2).

Claim 5

4) Method as in claim 3, wherein the second auxiliary circuit (4) is activated following deactivation of the first auxiliary circuit (3) which supplies the fluid disinfectant, thus allowing the disinfectant to remain in the spray circuit (23) of the power driven instrument (2) for a given duration.

Claim 6

5) Method as in claim 1, wherein the length of time spent by the fluid disinfectant in the spray circuit (23) of the power driven instrument (2) is dependent upon the type of operation, namely disinfection or full sterilization, to which the instrument must be subjected.

Claim 7

6) Method as in claim 1, wherein the steps of breaking the conventional circuit by which power is supplied to the control medium (1) of the instrument (2) and activating the first auxiliary circuit (3) to supply fluid disinfectant are implemented simultaneously.

Claim 8

7) Apparatus for disinfecting and sterilizing the spray circuits of power driven instruments used in dentistry, characterized in that it can be readily integrated into standard dental surgery equipment, and in that it comprises: -a first auxiliary circuit (3), from which fluid disinfectant is supplied to the spray circuit (23) of an instrument (2) to be disinfected/sterilized, served by a first solenoid valve (5) interlocked to a first solenoid operated switch (6) the excitation of which, produced by the operation of an overall control medium (8), breaks the circuit by which power is supplied to the control medium (1) of the instrument (2); -a second auxiliary circuit (4), from which rinsing liquid is supplied to the spray circuit (23) of the instrument (2), which is served by a second solenoid valve (9) interlocked to a second solenoid operated switch (10).

Claim 9

7) Apparatus for disinfecting and sterilizing the spray circuits of power driven instruments used in dentistry, characterized in that it can be readily integrated into standard dental surgery equipment, and in that it comprises: -a first auxiliary circuit (3), from which fluid disinfectant is supplied to the spray circuit (23) of an instrument (2) to be disinfected/sterilized, served by a first solenoid valve (5) interlocked to a first solenoid operated switch (6) the excitation of which, produced by the operation of an overall control medium (8), breaks the circuit by which power is supplied to the control medium (1) of the instrument (2); -a second auxiliary circuit (4), from which rinsing liquid is supplied to the spray circuit (23) of the instrument (2), which is served by a second solenoid valve (9) interlocked to a second solenoid operated switch (10).

Claim 10

8) Apparatus as in claim 7, wherein energization of the first and second solenoid valves (5, 9) is triggered by the first and second solenoid operated switches (6, 10) in conjunction with programmable first and second timers (12, 14) operated by relative control media (13, 15), and excitation of the first solenoid switch (6) enables the control medium (15) of the second timer (14), which in turn is wired into the energizing circuit of the second solenoid operated switch (10).

Claim 11

9) Apparatus as in claim 7, wherein excitation of the first solenoid operated switch (6) is produced by the overall control medium (8) in conjunction with a solenoid operated bistable switch (7) capable of breaking that branch of its own energizing circuit into which the overall control medium (8) is wired, and wherein the second solenoid operated switch (10) is designed, when excited, to produce a further break in the circuit by which power is supplied to the control medium (1) of the instrument (2), and when disexcited, to occasion excitation of the bistable switch (7) by-passing the overall control medium (8).

Claim 12

10) Apparatus as in claim 7, wherein energization of the first solenoid valve (5) is triggered by the first solenoid operated switch (6) in conjunction with a programmable timer (12) operated by a respective control medium (13), and energization of the second solenoid valve (9) is triggered by the second solenoid switch (10) in conjunction with a second programmable timer (14) wired into the energizing circuit of the second solenoid operated switch (10) and operated by the first timer (12), on completion of its programmed time lapse, through the agency of a third timer that is programmed according to the length of time the fluid disinfectant is required to remain in the spray circuit (23) of the power driven instrument (2).

Claim 13

11) Apparatus as in claim 7, wherein the first solenoid valve (5) provides on/off control for a supply of pressurized gas entering the apparatus through a pipeline (16) and directed into a tank (11) that contains the fluid disinfectant and is connected with the spray circuit (23) of the power driven instrument (2) by way of the second solenoid valve (9) which, connected in turn with a supply of rinse liquid entering through a further pipeline (17), and with the inlet of a check valve (18) affording access to the spray circuit (23), functions as a logic element by way of which the spray circuit can be supplied either with disinfectant or with rinse liquid.

Claim 14

12) Apparatus as in claim 7, applicable to standard dental surgery equipment having a plurality of power driven instruments (2) connected up to a circuit enabling their selection, wherein the circuitry of the apparatus controlling supply, first, of fluid disinfectant, and thereafter, of rinsing liquid to the spray circuit (23) of a given instrument (2), is interlocked to the circuit enabling selection of the instruments.