Other

The Pelton & Crane Company

Pelton & Crane

Bobby B Childress

Frank Wilhite Leitner

A microprocessor controls a heater which generates steam inside the sealed chamber of a sterilizer. During that portion of the sterilizer cycle wherein sterilizing conditions are trying to be attained, the microprocessor monitors both the temperature and pressure levels inside the chamber by controlling the heater and waits until both variables reach predetermined levels before starting a sterilize timer. Once the timer is started, it is stopped if the level of either one of the temperature or pressure variables drops below a predetermined minimum value which, in the preferred embodiment, air their optimum values. While the sterilize timer is timing, the pressure level rather than the temperature level is used by the microprocessor to control the heater. These features allow a more reliable and accurate control of the generation and maintenance of sterilizing conditions inside the chamber, resulting in greater assurance of complete sterilization while minimizing the expenditure of time and energy.

Automatic sterilizer

A plurality of dental, medical or the like handpiece instruments normally housed in one or more instrument consoles and extensible relative thereto for use are controlled by apparatus which assures safety in use of the handpiece instruments and accommodates control over the functioning of a selected one handpiece instrument from a single common foot operated controller. In a particular environment for this invention, as described more fully hereinafter, flexible hose are respectively attached to a plurality of instrument handpieces and are extensible from a console, which receives the plurality of handpieces, upon selection and removal of corresponding ones of the handpiece instruments. Detectors are provided for sensing the removal of each handpiece instrument from the console, and provision is made for selectively delivering at least one of a plurality of fluids through the flexible hose to each of the plurality of handpieces. In accordance with the present invention, control circuitry operatively connected with and responsive to the detectors and to the foot controller is operatively connected with a handpiece locking arrangement and with the fluid supply for identifying a handpiece which has been selected by an operator and removed from the console for use, for enabling the handpiece lock during a predetermined interval of time after selection and removal of any one handpiece instrument to lock any selected handpiece instrument and the respective hose in an extended position, for distinguishing among varying patterns of actuation of the foot controller indicative of selection of a certain fluid for delivery, for enabling delivery of selected fluid to a selected handpiece instrument only, and for disabling the handpiece lock from locking any other handpiece in extended position after the predetermined time interval following selection and removal of a selected handpiece.

Control arrangement for handpiece instrument

The present invention relates to logically controlled unique temperature systems, and it more particularly relates to methods and apparatus for establishing and controlling thermal systems wherein sensing means may anticipate temperature conditions at other points, such as at the work or loads and wherein the controlled heating means are related to the thermal capacity of the system. This arrangement is particularly compatible with unique logical control wherein the temperature signal(s) is converted to a digital pulse train for logical analysis, in turn capable of controlling the heating means by discrete energy bursts. Also, the computer or logical means are capable of sounding an alarm in the event of abnormal conditions or conditions deviating from predetermined patterns.

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Charlotte, NC, United States of America

Bobby B Childress