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A gas driven medical or dental handpiece assembly of the type having a turbine driven dental tool. A sterile coolant supply is usable with the handpiece to provide liquid fluid under pressure to irriagate the patient site and cool the dental tool. The coolant fluid is derived from a cartridge connec

A gas driven medical or dental handpiece assembly of the type having a turbine driven dental tool. A sterile coolant supply is usable with the handpiece to provide liquid fluid under pressure to irriagate the patient site and cool the dental tool. The coolant fluid is derived from a cartridge connected to the handpiece. The cartridge is replaced for each patient. The cartridge is divided by a flexible diaphragm into a propellant chamber and a liquid chamber. Initially the liquid chamber is full and the propellant chamber is empty with virtually a volume of zero. A propellant gas under pressure is introduced into the propellant chamber of the cartridge to displace the diaphragm and move the liquid through a fluid conduit to the tip of the handpiece. The propellant is derived from a portion of the compressed gas used to drive the turbine. Another portion of the compressed gas is diverted to a chip air conduit of the handpiece. The handpiece assembly eliminates the use of the conventional common water supply as irrigant or coolant fluid. Use of the removeable fluid cartridge allows sterilization of the entire handpiece eliminating much of the risk of cross contamination between patients.

대표청구항 ▼

A medical gas powered handpiece assembly releasably connectable to a supply of gas under pressure, comprising: an elongate tubular handpiece having a downstream discharge end carrying a rotatable working tool and a pressurized gas drive means for rotation of the working tool, and an upstream inlet e

A medical gas powered handpiece assembly releasably connectable to a supply of gas under pressure, comprising: an elongate tubular handpiece having a downstream discharge end carrying a rotatable working tool and a pressurized gas drive means for rotation of the working tool, and an upstream inlet end; a drive air conduit extending from the upstream end of the handpiece to the downstream discharge end for carrying pressurized gas to the drive means, and means on the upstream end of the drive air conduit releasably connectable to said supply of gas under pressure; a discharge drive air conduit extending from the downstream end of the handpiece to a remote location for discharge of gas under pressure from the drive means; a fluid delivery conduit in the handpiece having an outlet end at the discharge end of the handpiece positioned for discharge of liquid under pressure proximate an intended working site of the working tool, and an inlet terminal on the handpiece; a disposable fluid cartridge comprised as a housing having an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber and including movable pressure communicating means separating the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber in fluid tight relationship and movable with respect to the housing to vary the volumes of the chambers in reciprocal fashion; inlet means to the inlet chamber of the cartridge; outlet means to the outlet chamber of the cartridge; a first port intersecting the drive air conduit; a first fluid passage means connected to the first port and to the inlet means of the cartridge to supply gas under pressure diverted from the drive air conduit to the inlet chamber of the cartridge for purposes of displacing the movable pressure communicating means; a second fluid passage means connecting the inlet means of the fluid delivery conduit and releasably connecting the outlet means of the cartridge; said outlet chamber of the cartridge carrying an initial supply of liquid intended to be displaced and discharged through the second fluid passage and the fluid delivery conduit upon introduction of gas under pressure in the inlet chamber of the cartridge, and means to control supply of compressed gas through the drive air conduit.