The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 21, 2000
Filed:
Feb. 20, 1998
Annette M Nemetz, Sherwood, OR (US);
Joshua K Hoyt, Portland, OR (US);
Bruno Rudolf Rux, Beaverton, OR (US);
Ora Innovations, Inc., Portland, OR (US);
Abstract
The invented dental apparatus and method for its manufacture involves an integrally molded, polymeric, unitary, hand piece having fluid conduits formed therein during the molding process for conducting fluid, e.g. air, under pressure from a proximal end having an industry standard couple to a distal end including an integrally molded head piece for housing a rotary, preferably canister-type turbine to which a dental bur may be removably secured. Preferably, an integrally molded venturi chamber fluid-interconnects a pressurized one of the conduits and an inlet to the turbine's impeller and an outlet of the turbine's impeller is fluid-connected at an outlet of the canister to an exhaust one of the conduits. Optionally, one or more chip-air source conduits and a light valve may extend within the elongate interior of the hand piece to provide intra-oral, in-process cleaning, cooling and lighting functions. Preferably, the hand piece is injection molded via a lost-material, e.g. a lost-metal, process similar to investment casting. The invented hand piece, in its preferred embodiment, is autoclavable and disposable.