초록 ▼

This ozone appliance for the professional dental office and other medical applications introduces dissolved ozone into dental and surgical operatory water lines. This dissolved ozone can not only disinfect water and water lines; it can also reduce gum bleeding, gingivitis, bad breath, teeth stains a

This ozone appliance for the professional dental office and other medical applications introduces dissolved ozone into dental and surgical operatory water lines. This dissolved ozone can not only disinfect water and water lines; it can also reduce gum bleeding, gingivitis, bad breath, teeth stains and oral bacteria. Additionally, it can aid in wound disinfection in surgery and attack microbial contamination of water from dental and surgical operatory water lines and attached hand pieces and dispensing devices by automatically killing waterborne germs and destroying biofilms where germs can hide and grow. It can, therefore, be used to disinfect water lines in dental operations and for other medical applications such as providing liquid containing ozone for cleaning and disinfecting skin prior to surgery (and tissue exposed during surgery). Further, a unit connected to operatory water lines can give an audible or other alarm if the water becomes unsafe.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A device for disinfecting operatory unit water and lines, comprising: a liquid source including a pressurized water line or a reservoir;an ozone generator using a corona discharge to produce an ozone containing gas;a protection system that prevents liquid from the liquid source from entering the

1. A device for disinfecting operatory unit water and lines, comprising: a liquid source including a pressurized water line or a reservoir;an ozone generator using a corona discharge to produce an ozone containing gas;a protection system that prevents liquid from the liquid source from entering the ozone generator;an ozone mixing system, said ozone mixing system mixing and dissolving the ozone containing gas in the liquid and producing a quantity of ozonated liquid that is, when the device is operating, greater than the amount that is demanded by the operatory unit;a continuous circulation system that continuously re-circulates the liquid containing dissolved ozone through a pressurized liquid recirculation passageway connected to and providing liquid containing dissolved ozone to the operatory unit, said circulation system including a back pressure control to maintain pressure sufficient to dispense the ozonated liquid from the recirculation passageway;a separation system that separates undissolved gas from the ozonated liquid prior to pressurizing and circulating the ozonated liquid through the recirculation passageway;a reducing system that prevents ozone in the separated gas from escaping into the atmosphere during operation of the device by passing the gas through an ozone reducing material before venting to atmosphere;a liquid admitting system that inputs liquid from the liquid source into the mixing system to replace liquid output to the operatory unit; anda control system for controlling the device to operate as desired to produce liquid containing dissolved ozone and to recirculate and output liquid containing dissolved ozone, said control system further including an ozone sensor, located in said liquid recirculation passageway, the ozone sensor connected to said control system and said control system further connected to an alarm to indicate whether the device is operating properly. 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said back pressure control is selected from the group consisting of: a pressure regulator, a pressure relief valve, and a flow controller. 3. The device of claim 1 wherein there is at least one connection in the pressurized liquid recirculation passageway for outputting liquid with dissolved ozone. 4. The device of claim 1 wherein said ozone generator is of a capacity sufficient to generate more ozone than can be dissolved in the liquid flow. 5. The device of claim 1 further including a positive pressure pump for further mixing the ozone containing gas with the liquid. 6. The device of claim 1 further including a static mixer for further mixing the ozone containing gas with the liquid. 7. The device of claim 1 further including a gas diffuser for mixing the ozone containing gas with the liquid. 8. The device of claim 1 wherein undissolved ozone containing gas is separated from the liquid by use of a porous hydrophobic material. 9. The device of claim 1 wherein undissolved ozone containing gas is separated from the ozonated liquid at near atmospheric pressure. 10. The device of claim 1 further including a barrier preventing liquid from entering the ozone reducing material. 11. The device of claim 10 wherein said barrier includes a porous hydrophobic barrier. 12. The device of claim 1 wherein the source of the liquid provides pressure to circulate and output the ozonated liquid. 13. The device of claim 1 wherein a pump provides pressure to circulate and output the ozonated liquid. 14. The device of claim 1 further including a waste line, wherein said circulation system circulates the ozonated liquid through the pressurized liquid recirculation passageway and liquid that is not output for use from said pressurized liquid recirculation passageway is directed to the waste line. 15. The device of claim 14 further including a cuspidor draining into the waste line, wherein the ozonated liquid that is directed to a waste line is directed to rinse the cuspidor before entering the waste line. 16. The device of claim 1 wherein a pump for withdrawing liquid containing dissolved ozone from the ozone mixing system recirculates the liquid under pressure through a loop that conducts the liquid back to the ozone mixing system. 17. The device of claim 1 wherein the ozone generator and ozone mixing system are responsive to the ozone sensor. 18. The device of claim 1 wherein a valve controls the rate of output flow of the ozonated liquid. 19. The device of claim 1 wherein a porous hydrophobic barrier is used to prevent liquid from entering the ozone generator. 20. The device of claim 1 wherein the ozone generator uses oxygen to produce an ozone containing gas and where the source of oxygen for the ozone generator is dried air supplied to the operatory unit. 21. The device of claim 1 further including a desiccant, and valves on opposite ends of a cartridge containing said desiccant wherein air is dried by the desiccant, and said desiccant is protected from exposure to moist air by said valves that are closed when the device is not being operated. 22. The device of claim 1 wherein said control system is also responsive to a lack of supply water, for controlling at least the ozone generator and circulation system. 23. The device of claim 1 wherein a filter is installed in the liquid passageway. 24. The device of claim 1 further including a valved dispensing means wherein liquid containing dissolved ozone is recirculated through the valved dispensing means. 25. The device of claim 24 wherein the valved dispensing means is located as near as possible to the point of use and is responsive to air pressure. 26. The device of claim 25 further including a source of the air pressure, said source is connected to drive a turbine in a hand piece. 27. The device of claim 1 wherein the control system, in response to sensing the system has not put out any liquid for a predetermined period of time, shuts the device off. 28. The device of claim 1 further including an ozone sensor in said liquid circulation passageway, located in a return loop of said liquid recirculation passageway after the operatory unit, the ozone sensor connected to said control system and an alarm to indicate whether the device is operating properly. 29. The device of claim 28 wherein the ozone generator and ozone mixing system are responsive to the ozone sensor in the continuous circulation system. 30. A device for disinfecting operatory unit water and lines, comprising: a liquid source;an ozone generator using a corona discharge to produce an ozone containing gas;a protection system that prevents liquid from the liquid source from entering the ozone generator;an ozone mixing system, said ozone mixing system mixing and dissolving the ozone containing gas in the liquid and producing a quantity of ozonated liquid that is, when the device is operating, greater than the amount that is demanded by the operatory unit;a re-circulation system, including a pressurized liquid circulation loop connected to the operatory unit, that circulates the liquid containing dissolved ozone through said pressurized liquid circulation loop and to the operatory unit, said circulation loop including a back pressure control to maintain pressure sufficient to dispense the ozonated liquid from the circulation loop at the operatory unit;a separation system that separates undissolved gas from the ozonated liquid prior to pressurizing and circulating the ozonated liquid through the circulation passageway;a reducing system that prevents ozone in the separated gas from escaping into the atmosphere by passing the gas through an ozone reducing material before venting;a liquid admitting system that inputs liquid from the liquid source into the mixing system to replace liquid output to the operatory unit; anda control system, controlling operation of the device and a sensor in communication with the control system, wherein liquid level in a treatment chamber is monitored by the sensor.