US5094615A — Dental polishing head and method

Claim 1

Independent Claim 136 words

A dental cleaner for cleaning teeth with soluble abrasive particles in the presence of a liquid, said cleaner comprising a handle, a head on said handle, a nozzle extending from said head, and a pair of tubes supplying an abrasive laden gas and a liquid to said head, wherein, said liquid and said abrasive laden gas are under pressure; said liquid supply tube opens into an accumulator within said head, said liquid filling said accumulator; said abrasive laden gas supply tube having an opening to said accumulator, said liquid being injected into said abrasive laden gas supply tube to form a mist of gas, abrasive particles and liquid in said abrasive laden gas supply tube; said mist exiting said head through said nozzle; and said nozzle being a continuation of said abrasive laden gas supply tube.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 136 words

A dental cleaner for cleaning teeth with soluble abrasive particles in the presence of a liquid, said cleaner comprising a handle, a head on said handle, a nozzle extending from said head, and a pair of tubes supplying an abrasive laden gas and a liquid to said head, wherein, said liquid and said abrasive laden gas are under pressure; said liquid supply tube opens into an accumulator within said head, said liquid filling said accumulator; said abrasive laden gas supply tube having an opening to said accumulator, said liquid being injected into said abrasive laden gas supply tube to form a mist of gas, abrasive particles and liquid in said abrasive laden gas supply tube; said mist exiting said head through said nozzle; and said nozzle being a continuation of said abrasive laden gas supply tube.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 26 words

The cleaner of claim 1, wherein said abrasive laden gas supply tube opening is rearward of the opening of said liquid supply tube to said accumulator.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 28 words

The cleaner of claim 2, wherein the liquid pressure in said liquid supply tube and in said accumulator injects said liquid into said abrasive laden gas supply tube.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 41 words

The cleaner of claim 1, wherein said nozzle has a blow-by tip on the end thereof, said tip including aperture means for preventing the backup of liquid into said abrasive laden gas stream when the nozzle is pressed against a tooth.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 21 words

The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the liquid supply tube has a smaller diameter than the abrasive laden gas supply tube.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 43 words

The cleaner of claim 5 wherein the liquid supply tube has an inner diameter of less than 0.7 times the diameter of the abrasive laden gas supply tube, the abrasive laden gas supply tube having an inner diameter of from 0.03" to 0.04".

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 39 words

The cleaner of claim 5, wherein the opening in the abrasive laden gas supply tube is a hole in the wall of the abrasive laden gas supply tube, the hole having an area of less than 0.0003 square inches.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 17 words

The cleaner of claim 7, wherein said hole is round and is 0.016" to 0.018" in diameter.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 37 words

The cleaner of claim 1, including a source of bleed air running through the abrasive laden gas supply tube whenever the cleaner is activated to prevent liquid from backing up into the abrasive laden gas supply tube.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 97 words

In a dental cleaner which cleans by impinging soluble abrasive particles on a tooth in the presence of a liquid, the cleaner comprising a handle, a head on the handle, abrasive carrying means for carrying abrasive to the head, liquid carrying means for carrying liquid to the head, and nozzle means on the head, said nozzle means having an outlet, the improvement comprising blow-by means on said nozzle means for relieving pressure in said nozzle means when said outlet of said nozzle means is held against a surface, said blow-by means being spaced upstream from said outlet.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 97 words

In a dental cleaner which cleans by impinging soluble abrasive particles on a tooth in the presence of a liquid, the cleaner comprising a handle, a head on the handle, abrasive carrying means for carrying abrasive to the head, liquid carrying means for carrying liquid to the head, and nozzle means on the head, said nozzle means having an outlet, the improvement comprising blow-by means on said nozzle means for relieving pressure in said nozzle means when said outlet of said nozzle means is held against a surface, said blow-by means being spaced upstream from said outlet.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 37 words

The improvement of claim 10 wherein both liquid and abrasive are carried to said nozzle outlet, and wherein said blow-by means prevents liquid from backing up into said abrasive carrying means and consequent clogging of said head.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 21 words

The improvement of claim 11, wherein said blow-by means comprises a sleeve which cooperates with the end of said nozzle means.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 33 words

The improvement of claim 12, wherein said sleeve includes at least one bore through the side thereof providing an exit for said abrasive and liquid when said outlet is placed against said surface.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 24 words

The improvement of claim 10, wherein said outlet has a smooth, unbroken periphery, and said blow-by means comprises aperture means closely adjacent said outlet.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 107 words

A method for effecting abrasion of a tooth surface comprising directing a stream of air and soluble abrasive particles toward the surface through a nozzle; filling a reservoir with liquid, said liquid entering said reservoir from a liquid tube; and metering said liquid through a metering opening into the stream before the stream exits the nozzle whereby the stream of air and soluble abrasive is dominant over the liquid, the metering opening having an effective area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the liquid tube; the liquid particles wetting substantially all of the abrasive particles and increasing their mass several-fold before they are ejected from the nozzle.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 107 words

A method for effecting abrasion of a tooth surface comprising directing a stream of air and soluble abrasive particles toward the surface through a nozzle; filling a reservoir with liquid, said liquid entering said reservoir from a liquid tube; and metering said liquid through a metering opening into the stream before the stream exits the nozzle whereby the stream of air and soluble abrasive is dominant over the liquid, the metering opening having an effective area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the liquid tube; the liquid particles wetting substantially all of the abrasive particles and increasing their mass several-fold before they are ejected from the nozzle.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 46 words

The method of claim 15 wherein the nozzle is a tube, and including a step, after injecting the mist of liquid into the stream, of conducting the mist of liquid and particles through the tube a distance at least twenty times the diameter of the tube.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 72 words

A dental handpiece comprising a first tube carrying a finely divided soluble abrasive in a gas and a second tube carrying water, the first tube and second tube being parallel, the first tube extending through the handpiece and forward thereof, the second tube ending within the handpiece, and aperture means in the first tube for injection of water from the second tube into the first tube in the form of a mist.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 72 words

A dental handpiece comprising a first tube carrying a finely divided soluble abrasive in a gas and a second tube carrying water, the first tube and second tube being parallel, the first tube extending through the handpiece and forward thereof, the second tube ending within the handpiece, and aperture means in the first tube for injection of water from the second tube into the first tube in the form of a mist.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 18 words

The handpiece of claim 17 wherein the aperture means has an area of less than 0.0003 square inches.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 90 words

A dental cleaner for cleaning teeth with soluble abrasive particles in the presence of a liquid, said cleaner comprising a handle; a head on said handle; a nozzle extending from said head; a tube supplying an abrasive laden gas to said nozzle; a liquid supplying tube; a reservoir in communication with said liquid supplying tube so that said liquid supplying tube feeds into said reservoir, said reservoir being in fluid communication with said abrasive laden gas supplying tube; and means for maintaining the abrasive laden gas dominant over the liquid.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 90 words

A dental cleaner for cleaning teeth with soluble abrasive particles in the presence of a liquid, said cleaner comprising a handle; a head on said handle; a nozzle extending from said head; a tube supplying an abrasive laden gas to said nozzle; a liquid supplying tube; a reservoir in communication with said liquid supplying tube so that said liquid supplying tube feeds into said reservoir, said reservoir being in fluid communication with said abrasive laden gas supplying tube; and means for maintaining the abrasive laden gas dominant over the liquid.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 34 words

The dental cleaner of claim 19 wherein said maintaining means comprises a metering opening in said reservoir defining an exit from said reservoir to said abrasive laden gas supply tube upstream of said nozzle.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 22 words

The dental cleaner of claim 20 wherein said liquid supplying tube has a diameter substantially smaller than said abrasive laden gas tube.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 138 words

A dental cleaner for cleaning teeth with soluble abrasive particles, air and water, said cleaner comprising a source of a stream of air and soluble abrasive particles; a source of water; a handle; a head on said handle; a nozzle tube extending from said head; a first tube connecting said source of air and abrasive particles to said head; a second tube connecting said source of water to said head; aperture means in said head for introducing said water into said stream of air and soluble abrasive particles in the form of droplets which wet the soluble abrasive particles without dissolving the particles; and a nozzle tube having a substantially uniform diameter, said nozzle tube extending from said aperture means to an outlet a distance of at least about twenty times the inner diameter of the nozzle tube.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 138 words

A dental cleaner for cleaning teeth with soluble abrasive particles, air and water, said cleaner comprising a source of a stream of air and soluble abrasive particles; a source of water; a handle; a head on said handle; a nozzle tube extending from said head; a first tube connecting said source of air and abrasive particles to said head; a second tube connecting said source of water to said head; aperture means in said head for introducing said water into said stream of air and soluble abrasive particles in the form of droplets which wet the soluble abrasive particles without dissolving the particles; and a nozzle tube having a substantially uniform diameter, said nozzle tube extending from said aperture means to an outlet a distance of at least about twenty times the inner diameter of the nozzle tube.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 37 words

The cleaner of claim 22 wherein the nozzle tube has an outer diameter less than 0.06" and extends from the head over 0.5", to provide an easily maneuverable instrument for reaching difficult spots in a patient's mouth.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 35 words

The cleaner of claim 22 comprising an air/abrasive tube within said head, said air/abrasive tube connecting said first tube and said nozzle tube, said air/abrasive tube having the same inner diameter as said nozzle tube.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 15 words

The cleaner of claim 24 wherein said air/abrasive tube is integral with said nozzle tube.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1995-03-10	1995-09-09	1996-03-10	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1999-03-10	1999-09-09	2000-03-10	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2003-03-10	2003-09-09	2004-03-10	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Dental polishing head and method

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