FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to dental anesthetic carpules, and more particularly, to adapting a dental anesthetic carpule to include a pre-measured buffering agent cartridge.

BACKGROUND

Dental anesthetic solutions must typically be buffered prior to administration. Buffering is conventionally performed by mixing a buffering agent with anesthetic fluid. Dental personnel typically draw anesthetic solution and separately, a fluid buffering agent into a syringe and mix the two prior to administration. In dental situations, buffered anesthetic has a limited useful life, on the order of thirty seconds, during which it must be used.

This procedure introduces a number of variables into administration of dental solutions, and consequently threatening appropriately metered mixtures.

SUMMARY

The disclosed concepts address the above stated situation by providing apparatus enabling a pre-metered amount of buffering solution to be added automatically to a dental solution. Also, mixing of the buffering solution and injection of the dental solution are performed in one operation. These results are achieved by providing a cartridge containing the pre-metered amount of buffering solution as part of a carpule for an injection syringe. The syringe may be utilized in conventional fashion, with a plunger being depressed by hand Using the novel apparatus, the plunger propels a slideable closure that leads to the rupturing of a frangible barrier to release the buffering solution. The buffering solution is then propelled into the anesthetic solution. Continued pressure on the plunger then injects the mixed dental solution and buffering solution into tissue of a patient. Time required to properly prepare and administer dental anesthetic is minimized. A desired amount of buffering solution may be selected from a prepared cartridge, so that medical personnel need not prepare a required quantity of buffering solution under time pressure.

Use of dye in the buffering solution allows the medical personnel to assure that proper mixing of buffering agent has occurred, and also, to assure that a limited time window during which newly mixed solution must be used has not expired.

It is an object to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof by apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable, and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

These and other objects will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

