Dental equipment cleaning apparatus and method
This application is a continuation of our prior application Ser. No. 205,735 filed Jun. 13, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,399. 
    
    
     Modern dental offices are equipped with a variety of instruments for cleaning, drilling and performing other tasks relating to the teeth and gums of patients. 
     Typically, air under pressure is used to drive the &#34;turbines&#34; of drills and similar devices. Additionally, water is injected under pressure into the mouth to clean debris and the debris and water are removed via suction tubes. Also, cuspidors are employed whereby the patient periodically spits out accumulated water and debris. 
     A significant problem with all of these systems is that the debris, which includes metal fragments, amalgam and other hard matter quickly clog up the tubes and holes and slits of the devices employed. 
     At present, the only solution for removing clogging of drill handpieces is to send them back to the manufacturer who disassembles and cleans them. In this regard, it might be noted that drills, jets for emitting abrasives (such as those sold as &#34;Prophy Jet&#34; by Dentsply International, Inc.) etc., are often sold with thin wires, but these are generally ineffective to remove clogs, especially those which are far into the device and inaccessible to such wires. Even when cleaning of such equipment can be done in the office, a service technician is employed. 
     The failure of dental equipment occurs at various intervals and depends on the specific instrument and degree of use. However, clogging occurs with many devices quite often. When the clogged equipment is essential to the ability of the operatory to function, e.g., the cuspidors or suction lines, the dentist must shut down his/her entire system until the units are cleaned, which downtime is tremendously expensive for the dentist. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention provides methods and apparatus for cleaning dental equipment in the dentist&#39;s office by the dentist or his/her employees. 
     Moreover, this cleaning system can be accomplished quickly, usually in a matter of minutes, so that the equipment can be restored to use without undue delay, thereby avoiding costly downtime. 
     In one aspect, the invention provides a novel insert which is contained in a fitment, which insert has holes for communicating with the water and spray holes of a handpiece or similar device, but which closes off the channels normally used to pass the turbine drive air and exhaust air for the drill, etc. This insert is fitted to an air pressure hose which, in turn, is connected to the pressurized air supply of the office. 
     In another embodiment, the invention provides methods and apparatus for cleaning suction tubes. The suction tubes used to remove water and debris from the patient&#39;s mouth become clogged very often. This is a serious problem for the dentist, since he/she must hire a service person to blow out the debris, etc. clogging the lines. Since it is usually not possible to know where the clogging is, the debris is often blown throughout the dentist&#39;s patient treatment room, which, among other things, is unsanitary and thus highly undesirable. 
     Another embodiment is a method for cleaning cuspidors which become clogged with debris which is spit into them by the patient. Such cuspidors use gravity drain lines and this invention employs a special sealing member with an opening concentric with the discharge opening in the cuspidor and a fitment on the end of the pressurized air gun which fits snugly into the hole of the member, whereby pressurized air is used to blow out the clogging materials. 
     The foregoing summarizes not only the primary various embodiments of the invention, but also serves to convey the objects of the invention which are, as indicated, to provide method and apparatus for cleaning a variety of dental equipment in the dentist&#39;s office without undue delay and very inexpensively compared to existing techniques. 
    
    
     THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of various types of drill handpieces. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cuspidor unit. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an air/water syringe typically found in a modern dentist&#39;s office. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the syringe tip shown in FIG. 3, but from another angle. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an air pressure hose connected to a connector for a drill, etc. 
     FIG. 6A is an exploded view in perspective of the coupling of FIG. 5, shown on the left, and an insert for air and water which fits into the coupling, shown on the right. 
     FIG. 6B is a frontal view of one type of conventional insert of the kind generally shown in FIG. 6A. 
     FIG. 6C is a frontal view of another standard insert of the kind generally shown in FIG. 6B. 
     FIG. 7 is an perspective view of the various components of the present invention unconnected to each other. 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a conical cleaning tip of this invention attached to a quick release connector. 
     FIG. 9 is a top view of the cuspidor adaptor of this invention shown in FIG. 7 placed over the cuspidor shown in FIG. 2. 
     FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along lines 10--10 of FIG. 6B of a conventional insert. 
     FIG. 10A is a sectional view taken along the lines 10A--10A of the right hand insert shown in FIG. 7 showing one embodiment of the insert of this invention. 
     FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the lines 11--11 of FIG. 6C of a conventional insert. 
     FIG. 11A is a sectional view taken along the lines 11A--11A of FIG. 7 showing another insert of this invention. 
     FIG. 12 is a view in perspective of a drill handpiece of the type shown in FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 13 is a side elevation of a drill hand piece partially in section to illustrate insert position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The assembly is generally designated as 10 and includes an air pressure unit (not shown) controlled by a foot control 12 and connected by hose 13 to an equipment unit 14. 
     FIG. 2 shows in somewhat larger detail the cuspidor 24. As explained, when the patient ejects water and debris into the cuspidor 24, water from tube 26 carries the same through the discharge hole 27 which is connected to a drain line. The cuspidor opening 27 and the drain line (not shown) frequently become clogged with the debris and, when this occurs, a serviceperson must usually be hired to disassemble the unit at significant cost, loss of the unit--and, consequently, substantial lost income to the Dentist. 
     FIG. 3 depicts a syringe tip 42 for air and water connected to a housing 43a. The latter is connected to a handle 43 which, in turn, is connected to a hose 44 which terminates in a block 45 having fittings 46, 47. This assembly as a whole is referred to as 40. The tip 42 is shown from a different angle in FIG. 4. 
     Handpiece 150, shown in FIG. 12, has a coupling 160 which can be fitted into a connector 49 which is fed by an air pressure tube 48, as shown in FIG. 5. Connector 49 is shown in FIG. 6A at the left. To the right in FIG. 6A is shown a standard insert 50 which is placed inside connector 49. Insert 50 has two ports, 53, 54, one for air and the other for water, which connect with holes 56, 57. Drive air for the drill handpiece turbine is supplied through a port 55, as shown in FIG. 6C. 
     FIG. 6B illustrates another insert 50&#39; with channels 55 designating the turbine drive air and 58 the spray air and 57 the spray water for the drill. 56 is for exhausting the drive air and 59 is for an optical fiber. 
     Inserts 50 and 50&#39; are standard equipment today and it will be understood that each of the channels or holes described communicate through connector 49 to the air pressure unit for the handpieces 150, 151. 
     However, turning to the handpiece 150 shown in FIG. 12, in addition to the chuck 156 for holding the drill bit, there are two slits, 153 for injecting water served by channel 58 and slit 152 for injecting air, served by channel 57, and these two slits frequently become clogged with debris, etc. The handpiece 150 is attached to coupling 49 by means of a connector 160. 
     Thus, when slits 152, 153 become clogged the present invention provides a quick means for unclogging the slits in the office. 
     This is accomplished by attaching an adaptor 80 (for a three hole insert as shown in FIG. 7) or 90 (for a four hole insert shown in FIG. 7). Adaptor 80 contains a novel insert 81 which, as shown in FIG. 11A has the turbine air passage 55 closed at 120. Similarly, insert 91 has air passage 58 closed at 121 and air exhaust passage 56 blocked at 122. 
     Thus, in the case of a three hole handpiece, adapter 80 with insert 81 within it, is connected to an opening 62 of an air gun 61 which has a quick release handle or lever 63. 
     Pressurized air from the pressure air supply in the dentists&#39; office is connected by a female connector (not shown) which connects with male connector 72. Connector 72 has a block 69 at the top which receives an air gauge 68. At the top of gauge regulator assembly 68, there is a screw coupling 67 which receives a threaded coupling 66 which is at the input end of air pressure hose 60. 
     The unit 200 (i.e., the system from member 70 to 62 shown in FIG. 7) is designed to be sold preassembled for ready use by the Dentist and/or his/her technician. It is important that the air pressure be properly set by means of regulator assembly 68. A pressure of 30 psi or less is currently required by OSHA regulations, and this pressure will accomplish the functions of this invention. 
     The Dentist or assistant then attaches one of the handpiece adaptors 80, 90 or 100 to coupling 62. 
     When the pressure is correct, the handle 63 is depressed and the pressurized air flows through the system described and blows the clogged debris, etc., through the handpiece 150 and finally out of the slits 152 and 153. 
     As mentioned, the syringe 40 shown in FIG. 3 frequently becomes clogged. In the case where syringe tip 42 is clogged, syringe tip 42 is removed from housing 43a and conical rubber tip 101 is pressed firmly against either orifice 42a or 42b of tip 42 and the tip 42 is blown free of debris. 
     When cuspidor 24 becomes clogged, conical cleaning tip 101, which is preferably rubber and which has a central channel with an opening at the tip (not shown) and which is preferably pre-fitted to adaptor 72 is fitted to coupling 62 as shown in FIG. 8. Then the adaptor 101, preferably rubber, is placed in the middle of cuspidor 24 so that the hole 111 in the adapter is concentric with the discharge outlet 27 of the cuspidor. 
     Tip 101 is then placed tightly into hole 111 of adaptor 110, handle 63 of air gun 61 is squeezed to allow air to pass under pressure through the orifice of tip 101, and consequently, the high air pressure blows out the debris in the drain system. 
     The foregoing illustrates how many types of equipment in dental offices may be cleaned with the method and apparatus of this invention. Other equipment which can be cleaned as described include operatory sinks, hoses, prophy jets, cavi endo units, cavitrons, water lines, handpiece lines and syringe tips. Indeed, the equipment may be generally classified as any which have a coupling to receive the pressurized air system of this invention.