Catalytic dental water apparatus

Details Catalytic dental water apparatus Catalytic dental water apparatus

1999-06-16

2001-07-31

Barry, Chester T. (Department: 1724)

Liquid purification or separation

Processes

Utilizing electrical or wave energy directly applied to...

C210S760000, C210S763000, C210S764000, C210S221200, C422S186300, C433S080000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06267895

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to purification of dental water lines, to destroying biofilm that may be present and to preventing biofilm buildup and, more particularly, to having oxygen or ozone enriched water react with a silver catalyst and oxidize organic matter, such as microorganisms and biofilm, that may be present in the water, on surfaces of the dental water lines and on the surfaces of any downstream handpieces, implements or nozzles, to provide uncontaminated water at the point of use.
2. Description of Related Art
Tap water in dental offices is similar to tap water in most homes and offices. While this water is generally considered safe to drink, it is never sterile. Most tap water samples contain fewer than 50 cfu (colony forming units) of bacteria per milliliter (cfu/ml). However, once the water leaves plumbing lines and enters the long plastic tubing that feeds into dental high-speed handpieces and other dental implements, such as air-water syringes and ultrasonic tooth scalers, the environment changes. Here, the flow rate, frequent periods of stagnation and large relative surface area of the small bore plastic lines are ideal for microbial contamination.
Water that stagnates in plastic water lines and/or tubing overnight and even during long periods during the day provide bacteria the opportunity to stick to the wall of the lines/tubing. Water, slowly running through the line, provides a constant flow of bacteria that can adhere to the microbes that are already clinging to the wall. A cooperating population of several different species, which depend on each other for survival or are otherwise symbiotically related, continue to multiply and form a matrix that provides nutrients and mutual protection.
This bacterial population is known as biofilm, a microbial mass that is bathed in liquids. Dental plaque is another example of biofilm. Biofilm can also be found in air conditioning units, artificial implants and many types of equipment, including dental anti-siphon and check valves.
The function of the anti-siphon and check valves is to prevent aspiration of patients' fluids into the dental water lines. Unfortunately, these valves often fail to work properly because of biofilm and other factors.
Microbes can become drawn back into the dental water lines as a result of imperfect hygiene sterilization practices, a transient negative pressure when the drill stops rotating and/or mechanical failure of anti-siphon valves or other mechanisms. Once this happens, pathogens originating from patients' mouths can enter the lines and adhere to existing biofilm and multiply within them.
These microbes, originating both upstream from municipal water supplies and downstream from patients' blood and saliva, are not very numerous initially. Amplification of the microorganisms is nothing less than astounding. Microbial studies of dental water lines reveal bacterial population explosions averaging over 500,000 cfu/ml and often exceeding 1,000,000 cfu/ml.
Thus far, researchers have identified pathogens and opportunists in dental equipment such as Pseudomonas, Legionella, Staphylococci, Streptococci, Nocardia, Serratia, Klebsiella, Moraxella, Bacteroides, Flavobacterium, Escherichia, several species of amoebae known to serve as hosts for
Legionella pneumophila
and even nematodes (worms).
Various solutions to prevent exposure of dental patients to contaminated water have been proposed. Such proposals include flushing the dental water lines with distilled water or chemicals but little evidence exists that such flushing eliminates the biofilm. Sterilization of dental instruments between patients has little effect in preventing the microbes in the dental water from entering the next patient's mouth. Using new disposable sterile water lines between patients does not solve the problem of biofilm upstream of the replaced lines and the costs are significant. Use of containers having sterile or distilled water is effective only if the water conveying lines are replaced after each patient and if the water does not become contaminated prior to disposal of used water lines. Use of check valves to prevent backflow is essentially ineffective one hundred percent (100%) of the time due to contamination of the valve itself. Use of electrical current in combination with antimicrobial agents is impractical due to unavailability of inexpensive ready-to-use equipment. Distilling the water received from a municipal water source only addresses the water and not the contaminants present in the lines conveying the water to the patient. To date, devices using 0.2 micron filters or the like are reasonably effective to prevent transmission therepast of microbes provided that the filters are replaced at least daily and that the process of such replacement does not permit a colony of microbes to be conveyed to a water line downstream of the filter. It is therefore evident that a significant health hazard exists for patients within a dental office and no viable solution is presently commercially available.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the present invention, oxygen, whether from ambient air or a source of oxygen, or ozone from an ozone generator, is introduced to a water source through a sparger or the like to entrain the oxygen or ozone in the water. The water is subsequently conveyed past a silver catalyst cartridge through water lines to each of the various handpieces or water flow dependent implements used by a dentist during the normal course of providing dental services. The oxygen entrained in the water is attracted to the silver in the cartridge and will dissociate from its normal diatomic state to bond with the silver. However, this bond is weak enough that the oxygen will dissociate to oxidize organic matter, including microorganisms in the water. A small amount of the silver will dissolve in the water stream flowing therepast and flow downstream. A portion of this silver will adhere to the surfaces of the water lines, handpieces and implements. The adhered silver is free to react with the oxygen dissolved in the water and any attendant biofilm will be destroyed. Any ozone introduced into the water will destroy any microbial pathogens in the water and help render the water essentially microbe free. Furthermore, the living organisms in any biofilm attendant the walls of the water lines, handpieces and implements will be destroyed upon contact with the ozone. Thus, the water delivered to a patient's oral cavity during the rendering of dental services will be essentially free of any viable microbial activity.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide apparatus for delivering water from dental water lines free of any living microbes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for destroying any biofilms formed on the walls of water lines, handpieces and nozzles in a dental operatory.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus that delivers to a dental patient water free of microbial activity whether such water be from a municipal water system or a water container.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for destroying any microorganisms present in dental water line or the water itself whether the water is flowing through the line or is stagnant.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a silver catalyst to enhance oxidization of microorganisms and biofilm attendant dental handpieces and other dental implements.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide inexpensive apparatus for ensuring that water delivered to a dental patient is free of living microbes.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a method for inexpensively and effectively destroying any biofilm and preventing biofilm buildup attendant dental water lines, dental handpieces and related implements.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description the

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