Lubricating system for a dental handpiece

Claim 2

A clean dental lubricant delivery system for a dental handpiece having moving parts therein which must be lubricated periodically to maintain the efficiency thereof, said dental handpiece having an air inlet tube having a predetermined internal shape in the vicinity of an open end portion thereof, said open end portion being contaminable by bacteria and viral matter by unintended contact therewith, said dental lubricant delivery system comprising a plurality of separate, unconnected, squeezable sealed capsules housed in a sealed closed container and removable one-by-one from said sealed closed container after opening of said container, each said capsule including: a main body portion and a necked down portion extending from said body portion; said necked down portion being smaller than said predetermined internal shape of said air inlet tube and being insertable into said open end of said air inlet tube; said necked down portion having a tip end portion; a passage formed in said necked down portion, said passage extending from said body portion to said tip end portion; a dental lubricant filling at least a part of said body portion of said capsule; and means for opening said passage at said tip end portion of said capsule to permit said dental lubricant to flow out of said body portion of said capsule, via said necked down portion, and into said air inlet tube of said dental handpiece after said passage has been opened and said necked down portion of said capsule has been inserted into said open end portion of said air inlet tube.

Claim 3

The lubricant delivery system of claim 1, wherein said means for opening said passage comprises an enlarged portion formed at the tip end portion said necked down portion, said enlarged portion being separable from said necked down portion to open said channel upon twisting of said enlarged portion relative to said capsule.

Claim 4

The lubricant delivery system of claim 1, wherein said means for opening said passage comprises piercing means.

Claim 5

The lubricant delivery system of claim 3, wherein said piercing means comprises a holder; a sterile needle mounted on said holder and a sheathing mounted over said needle for maintaining the sterility of said needle; said sheathing being removable by twisting relative to said holder to separate said sheathing from said holder to expose said sterile needle.

Claim 6

The lubricant delivery system of claim 3, wherein said piercing means comprises a needle mounted in said air inlet tube to pierce said necked down portion of said capsule as said necked down portion of said capsule is inserted into said air inlet tube, said needle being mounted to be entirely below said open end portion of said air inlet tube.

Claim 7

The lubricant delivery system of claim 1, wherein said capsule is formed of a gelatin which is degradable after said lubricant has been squeezed out.

Claim 8

The lubricant delivery system of claim 6, wherein said gelatin material is about 0.2 mm thick.

Claim 9

The lubricant delivery system of claim 1, wherein said capsule is formed of a PVC material.

Claim 10

The lubricant delivery system of claim 7, wherein said PVC material is about 0.2 mm thick.

Claim 11

The lubricant delivery system of claim 1 wherein said means for opening said passage comprises cutting means for cutting off said tip portion of said capsule.

Claim 12

The lubricant delivery system of claim 1, wherein said container includes dispensing means for dispensing said plurality of capsules one at a time therefrom.

Claim 13

The lubricant delivery system of claim 11, wherein said dispensing means includes an opening at a lower end of said container through which said capsules are dispensed one at a time.

Claim 14

The lubricant delivery system according to claim 11, wherein said dispensing means further comprises a stop member adjacent said opening and spaced from said opening for contacting a dispensed capsule, and for preventing a plurality of dispensed capsules from being dispensed at the same time.

Claim 17

The method according to claim 14, wherein said opening step comprises cutting off a tip end portion of said necked down portion to open said passage.

Claim 18

The method according to claim 14, wherein said opening step comprises piercing said tip end portion of said necked down portion with a sharp object.

Claim 19

The method according to claim 16 further comprising providing a needle for piercing said tip end portion of said capsule and enclosing said needle and said capsule in a sealed envelope.

Claim 20

The method according to claim 14 further comprising: positioning a needle in said air inlet tube such that upon insertion of said necked down portion of said capsule into said tube, said needle will pierce said tip end portion of said necked down portion to open said passage.

Claim 21

The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of enclosing said capsule in a sealed envelope.

Claim 22

The method according to claim 14, wherein said opening step comprises breaking off a tip end portion of said necked down portion to open said passage.

Claim 23

The method according to claim 14, comprising providing a container containing a plurality of said capsules packaged in said container, said container being sealed after receiving said plurality of capsules therein; and removing said capsules one-by-one from said container.

Claim 26

The method of claim 22, further comprising positioning a needle in said air inlet tube which upon insertion of said necked down portion of said capsule into said open end portion of said tube will pierce said tip end portion of said necked down portion to open said passage.

Claim 27

The method of claim 22, further comprising packaging said capsule in a sealed package.

Claim 30

A clean dental lubricant delivery system for a dental handpiece having moving parts therein which must be lubricated periodically to maintain the efficiency thereof, said dental handpiece having an air inlet tube having a predetermined internal shape in the vicinity of an open end portion thereof, said open end portion being contaminable by bacteria and viral matter by unintended contact therewith, said dental lubricant delivery system comprising a squeezable sealed capsule including: a main body portion and a necked down portion extending from said body portion; said necked down portion being smaller than said predetermined internal shape of said air inlet tube and being insertable into said open end of said air inlet tube; said necked down portion having a tip end portion; a passage formed in said necked down portion, said passage extending from said body portion to said tip end portion; a dental lubricant filling at least a part of said body portion of said capsule; and means for opening said passage at said tip end portion of said capsule to permit said dental lubricant to flow out of said body portion of said capsule, via said necked down portion, and into said air inlet tube of said dental handpiece after said passage has been opened and said necked down portion of said capsule has been inserted into said open end portion of said air inlet tube; and wherein said means for opening said passage comprises piercing means, and said piercing means comprising a piercing member mounted in said air inlet tube to pierce said necked down portion of said capsule as said necked down portion of said capsule is inserted into said air inlet tube, said piercing member being mounted to be entirely below said open end portion of said air inlet tube.

Claim 31

A clean dental lubricant delivery system for a dental handpiece having moving parts therein which must be lubricated periodically to maintain the efficiency thereof, said dental handpiece having an air inlet tube having a predetermined internal shape in the vicinity of an open end portion thereof, said open end portion being contaminable by bacteria and viral matter by unintended contact therewith, said dental lubricant delivery system comprising a squeezable sealed capsule including: a main body portion and a necked down portion extending from said body portion; said necked down portion being smaller than said predetermined internal shape of said air inlet tube and being insertable into said open end of said air inlet tube; said necked down portion having a tip end portion; a passage formed in said necked down portion, said passage extending from said body portion to said tip end portion; a dental lubricant filling at least a part of said body portion of said capsule; and means for opening said passage at said tip end portion of said capsule to permit said dental lubricant to flow out of said body portion of said capsule, via said necked down portion, and into said air inlet tube of said dental handpiece after said passage has been opened and said necked down portion of said capsule has been inserted into said open end portion of said air inlet tube; and wherein said means for opening said passage comprises piercing means, and said piercing means comprising a piercing member mounted in said air inlet tube to pierce said necked down portion of said capsule as said necked down portion of said capsule is inserted into said air inlet tube, said piercing member being mounted to be entirely below said open end portion of said air inlet tube.