Claims for Patent: 5,733,117

Summary for Patent: 5,733,117

Title:	Sterile fluid delivery system and method
Abstract:	A sterile fluid delivery system that incorporates a specialized handpiece adapter placed between a standard dental or other medical handpiece and a conventional tube set. The tap water conduit in the conventional tube set is blocked by the handpiece adapter and instead a tube set connected to the adapter provides a supply of sterile fluid for delivery to a work site. A peristaltic pump delivers fluid from a sterile supply to the handpiece adapter. Motor exhaust air pressure from the adapter is applied to the pump to activate a pressure-sensitive switch. The pump automatically turns on when the medical tool is activated and turns off when the tool is deactivated.
Inventor(s):	Coss; Ronald G. (Newport Beach, CA), McCoy; Jay R. (Trabuco Canyon, CA)
Assignee:	Micro Motors, Inc. (Santa Ana, CA)
Application Number:	08/539,936
Patent Claims:	1. A sterile fluid delivery system, comprising: an adapter for connecting between a medical handpiece and a conventional tube set, said adapter including a sterile fluid inlet, a sterile fluid outlet for connecting to a fluid inlet in the handpiece, an inlet air conduit for ducting pressurized air from the conventional tube set to the handpiece for driving a motor in the handpiece, an exhaust air conduit for ducting air from the motor in the handpiece to the conventional tube set, and a pressure sensing outlet open to one of the air conduits in said adapter; a pump having a fluid inlet for connecting to a sterile fluid supply, a fluid outlet for connecting to said adapter, and a control signal fitting for connecting to said adapter; a sterile fluid supply tube for connecting the sterile fluid inlet of said adapter to the fluid outlet of said pump; a control tube for connecting the pressure sensing outlet of said adapter to the control signal fitting of said pump; and a pressure sensitive switch connected to said control tube and to said control signal fitting of said pump, said switch activating said pump when said control tube is pressurized and deactivating said pump when said control tube is not pressurized. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said pump comprises a peristaltic pump. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein said adapter has no tap water inlet and thus blocks off a tap water conduit in the conventional tube set. 4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a container for sterile fluid and a supply tube connecting said container to the fluid inlet of said pump. 5. The system of claim 1, including said handpiece, which is a dental handpiece. 6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a dental tool operably mounted on said dental handpiece. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein said handpiece is a dental scaler. 8. The system of claim 7, including a scaler tool operably mounted on said scaler handpiece. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein said handpiece is an endodontic handpiece. 10. The sterile water delivery system of claim 9, including an endodontic tool operably mounted on said endodontic handpiece. 11. The system of claim 1, wherein said pressure sensing outlet is open to the air exhaust conduit. 12. The system of claim 1, wherein said adapter includes a blocking wall which aligns with a tap water conduit of a conventional robe set when the adapter is connected to the tube set so that tap water does not enter the adapter. 13. The system of claim 1, including a conventional tube set having a connector at its forward end for connection to the adapter and has the capability to be connected to one or more air supplies and a community water supply, said adapter being constructed to block the community water supply in the tube set. 14. A handpiece adapter for a sterile fluid delivery system, comprising: a body for connecting between a medical handpiece and a conventional tube set; a sterile fluid inlet in said body; a sterile fluid outlet in said body for connecting to a fluid inlet in the medical handpiece; an inlet air conduit in said body for ducting pressurized air from the tube set to the handpiece; an exhaust air conduit in said body for ducting air from the handpiece to the tube set; and a pressure sensing outlet in said body open to an air conduit in said adapter. 15. The handpiece adapter of claim 14, wherein said adapter body is closed in the area that mates with a tap water conduit in the tube set. 16. The adapter of claim 14, wherein said pressure sensing outlet is open to said exhaust air conduit. 17. A filtered water delivery system, comprising: an adapter for connecting between a medical handpiece and a conventional tube set; a tap water inlet in said adapter for receiving tap water from a conventional tube set; a tap water outlet in said adapter containing a tap water tube-out for connecting to a water filter; a filtered water inlet in said adapter containing a filtered water tube-in for connecting to the water filter; and a filtered water outlet in said adapter for connecting to a water inlet in a handpiece. 18. The system of claim 17, including a water filter connected to said tap water outlet and said filtered water inlet for filtering the tap water. 19. The system of claim 17, wherein said adapter has an inlet air conduit for ducting pressurized air from the tube set to the handpiece for driving a motor in the handpiece. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein said adapter has an exhaust air conduit for ducting air from the motor in the handpiece to the tube set. 21. A method for delivering sterile fluid to a medical handpiece, comprising the steps of: supplying sterile fluid to a pump; pumping the sterile fluid to a handpiece adapter; delivering the sterile fluid from the handpiece adapter to the handpiece; ducting pressurized air from a conventional tube set, through an inlet air conduit, and to the handpiece for driving a motor in the handpiece; ducting exhaust air from the motor in the handpiece, through an exhaust air conduit to the conventional tube set; sensing the pressure of the air in one of air conduits; and activating the pump in response to the sensed pressure and deactivating the pump in the absence of pressurized air in said one air conduit. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein said one air conduit is said exhaust air conduit. 23. The method of claim 21, including blocking in the adapter a tap water conduit in the conventional tube set. 24. A method for delivering filtered water to a medical handpiece, comprising the steps of: receiving tap water from a conventional tube set by a handpiece adapter; directing the tap water from the handpiece adapter to an external water filter; filtering the tap water through the water filter; directing the filtered water to the handpiece adapter; and delivering the filtered water from the handpiece adapter to the handpiece. 25. The method of claim 24, including ducting pressurized air from a conventional tube set, through an inlet air conduit in the adapter, and to the handpiece for driving a motor in the handpiece. 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising ducting exhaust air from the motor through an exhaust air conduit in the adapter to the conventional tube set.

Details for Patent 5,733,117

Applicant	Tradename	Biologic Ingredient	Dosage Form	BLA	Approval Date	Patent No.	Expiredate
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.	ZOSTAVAX	zoster vaccine live	For Injection	125123	05/25/2006		2039-09-23