Dental fiber optic illumination system

Claim 2

A dental fiber optic illumination system comprising a receptacle, a variable intensity light source disposed within said receptacle, a control module including a manually operable control means for varying the intensity of said light source, elongated interconnecting means providing electrical connections between said control module and said light source and permitting the placement of said control module at a remote location relative to the placement of said receptacle, said electrical connections effecting desired variations of the intensity of said light source in response to operation of said manually operable control means, a fiber optic assembly comprising a fiber optics cable connected at one end to said receptacle and adapted to convey light from said light source via said one end to the other end of said fiber optic assembly, a dental handpiece having rotary drive means disposed at its work end, remote drive means disposed at a location remote from said dental handpiece and adapted to drive said rotary drive means, a dental handpiece hose comprising conduits connecting said remote drive means to said rotary drive means for driving of said rotary drive means by said remote drive means, a further conduit in which a substantial portion of said fiber optic cable is disposed, said fiber optic cable exiting from said dental handpiece hose substantially adjacent the non-working end of said dental handpiece, said fiber optic cable comprising a light probe at its end which exits adjacent said dental handpiece, and said fiber optic assembly further comprises means for attaching said light probe to said dental handpiece so that any light emanating therefrom will illuminate the work area of said rotary drive means.

Claim 3

A dental fiber optic illumination system comprising a receptacle, a variable intensity light source disposed within said receptacle, a control module including a manually operable control means for varying the intensity of said light source, elongated interconnecting means providing electrical connections between said control module and said light source and perMitting the placement of said control module at a remote location relative to the placement of said receptacle, said electrical connections effecting desired variations of the intensity of said light source in response to operation of said manually operable control means, a fiber optic assembly comprising a fiber optics cable connected at one end to said receptacle and adapted to convey light from said light source via said one end to the other end of said fiber optic assembly, a dental handpiece having rotary drive means disposed at its work end, remote drive means disposed at a location remote from said dental handpiece and adapted to drive said rotary drive means and a dental handpiece hose comprising at least four conduits which include conduits connecting said remote drive means to said rotary drive means for driving of said rotary driving means by said remote drive means, and a further conduit in which at least a substantial portion of said fiber optic cable is disposed, said further conduit being disposed centrally of said other conduits.

Claim 4

A dental fiber optic illumination system comprising a receptacle, a variable intensity light source disposed within said receptacle, a control module including a manually operable control means for varying the intensity of said light source, elongated interconnecting means providing electrical connections between said control module and said light source and perMitting the placement of said control module at a remote location relative to the placement of said receptacle, said electrical connections effecting desired variations of the intensity of said light source in response to operation of said manually operable control means, a fiber optic assembly comprising a fiber optics cable connected at one end to said receptacle and adapted to convey light from said light source via said one end to the other end of said fiber optic assembly, a dental handpiece having rotary drive means disposed at its work end, remote drive means disposed at a location remote from said dental handpiece and adapted to drive said rotary drive means and a dental handpiece hose comprising at least four conduits which include conduits connecting said remote drive means to said rotary drive means for driving of said rotary driving means by said remote drive means, and a further conduit in which at least a substantial portion of said fiber optic cable is disposed, said further conduit being disposed centrally of said other conduits.

Claim 5

A dental fiber optic illumination system comprising a receptacle, a variable intensity light source disposed within said receptacle, a control module including a manually operable control means for varying the intensity of said light source, elongated interconnecting means providing electrical connections between said control module and said light source and permitting the placement of said control module at a remote location relative to the placement of said receptacle, said electrical connections effecting desired variations of the intensity of said light source in response to operation of said manually operable control means, a fiber optic assembly comprising a fiber optics cable connected at one end to said receptacle and adapted to convey light from said light source via said one end to the other end of said fiber optic assembly, a dental handpiece having rotary drive means disposed at its work end, remote drive means disposed at a location remote from said dental handpiece and adapted to drive said rotary drive means, a dental handpiece hose comprising conduits connecting said remote drive means to said rotary drive means for driving of said rotary drive means by said remote drive means, and a further conduit in which at least a substantial portion of said fiber optic cable is disposed, said dental handpiece hose including at least one elongated wall member defining an outer portion of said hose and a wall of said further conduit, and said elongated wall member comprises elongated interlocking means permitting the opening of said elongated wall member for ready access to said further conduit and removal of said fiber optic cable therefrom and the closing of said elongated wall member for retention of said fiber optic cable within said further conduit.

Claim 6

A dental fiber optic illumination system comprising a receptacle, a variable intensity light source disposed within said receptacle, a control module including a manually operable control means for varying the intensity of said light source, elongated interconnecting means providing electrical connections between said control module and said light source and permitting the placement of said control module at a remote location relative to the placement of said receptacle, said electrical connections effecting desired variations of the intensity of said light source in response to operation of said manually operable control means, a fiber optic assembly comprising a fiber optics cable connected at one end to said receptacle and adapted to convey light from said light source via said one end to the other end of said fiber optic assembly, a dental handpiece having rotary drive means disposed at its work end, remote drive means disposed at a location remote from said dental handpiece and adapted to drive said rotary drive means, a dental handpiece hose comprising conduits connecting said remote drive means to said rotary drive means for driving of said rotary drive means by said remote drive means, and a further conduit in which at least a substantial portion of said fiber optic cable is disposed, said dental handpiece hose including at least one elongated wall member defining an outer portion of said hose and a wall of said further conduit, and said elongated wall member comprises elongated interlocking means permitting the opening of said elongated wall member for ready access to said further conduit and removal of said fiber optic cable therefrom and the closing of said elongated wall member for retention of said fiber optic cable within said further conduit.

Claim 7

A dental handpiece hose comprising an elongated hose having at least four elongated conduits extending axially thereof, one of said elongated conduits being adapted to receive an elongated member and is disposed centrally of said other conduits.

Claim 8

A dental handpiece hose comprising an elongated hose having at least four elongated conduits extending axially thereof, one of said elongated conduits being adapted to receive an elongated member and is disposed centrally of said other conduits.

Claim 9

A dental handpiece hose according to claim 4, wherein one of said conduits is defined by at least one wall member which also defines an outer wall of said hose, and said wall member comprises elongated interlocking means permitting the opening of said wall member for ready access to said one conduit and removal of said elongated member therefrom and the closing of said wall member for retention of said elongated member within said one conduit.

Claim 10

A dental handpiece hose according to claim 4, further comprising a dental handpiece adaptor member connected at one end of said hose for connecting said end to a dental handpiece, and a stress relief cord disposed within at least one of said conduits and attached at one end to said adaptor and extending at its other end out of the opposite end of said conduit.

Claim 11

A system according to claim 1, wherein said fiber optic assembly comprises a first fiber optic cable connected aT one end to said control module, the other end of said first fiber optic cable being the other end of said fiber optic assembly, the other end of said first fiber optic cable terminating in a light probe, a second fiber optic cable disposed within said elongated interconnecting means and providing light communication between said light source and said control module, the end of said second fiber optic cable communicating with said light source being the said one end of said fiber optic assembly, and means interconnecting said first and second cables within said control module for light communication between said first and second fiber optic cables.

Claim 12

A system according to claim 7, wherein said control module includes a forked holding member for releaseably holding said light probe.

Claim 13

A system according to claim 1, wherein said control module includes mounting means for mounting of said control module on a dental tray.

Claim 14

A system according to claim 2, wherein said dental handpiece hose comprises at least three wall members which at least partially define said further conduit, and each said wall member connects one of the other conduits to another of the other conduits.

Claim 15

A system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of said wall members defines an outer wall of said dental handpiece hose, and said one wall comprises elongated interlocking means permitting the opening of said one wall for ready access to said further conduit and removal of said fiber optic cable therefrom and the closing of said one wall for retention of said fiber optic cable within said further conduit.

Claim 16

A system according to claim 2, further comprising a stress relief cord disposed within said further conduit and attached at one end to said hose substantially adjacent the end thereof and adapted to be connected to said dental handpiece, the other end of said cord extending out of the opposite end of said further conduit.