Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting – deodorizing – preser – Shock or sound wave – Including supersonic or ultrasonic energy generation means
Reexamination Certificate
1995-08-15
2001-06-19
McKane, Elizabeth (Department: 1744)
Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser
Shock or sound wave
Including supersonic or ultrasonic energy generation means
C422S105000, C422S300000, C383S121100, C215S011300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06248296
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to medical and dental procedures and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus usable in the aseptic maintenance of sterilization during medical and dental procedures wherein a single piece of medical equipment may be made operative with many bacteriologically contaminated workpieces.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Presently, doctors and dentist use many processes, such as ultrasonic cleaning, in their offices. For instance, a dental appliance such as an implant or bridge, for example, that needs to be cleaned may be placed in liquid in a beaker. The beaker fits inside a common ultrasonic apparatus.
During the course of the day, many appliances may need to be ultrasonically processed. For the dentist to keep one appliances from bacteriologically contaminating another, either the beaker must be disinfected after each use, or separate beakers must be used.
This becomes a very expensive and time-consuming procedure. Man hours are lost sterilizing each beaker after each use, and many beakers must be purchased in order to run an efficient procedure where many appliances may be processed in a single day. Besides taking too long, a sterilization procedure cannot be used on some dental appliances such as a bridge, for example, due to the plastic materials.
Additionally, because of the direct contact of the bacteriologically contaminated appliances with the inside of each beaker, the possibility of transference of germs from one appliances to another is extremely high. It is very difficult to fully sterilize every beaker after every use, and any beaker which does not get fully sterilized acts as a pathway for germs and bacteria to jump from one appliances or workpiece to another.
It is believed that many medical and dental practitioners try to face these problems by wrapping the implant in plastic and tossing the wrapped implant into a beaker. However, this technique is unsterile, costly, and dangerous.
The plastic bags, which are not made for these purposes, are not bacteriologically impermeable, and begin to break down or melt at higher temperature. The seams and bag openings are not always sealed, and the bags are often open pathways for germs. The beaker is filled with the same fluid throughout the day, and only the wrapped implants are exchanged. This fluid becomes contaminated and acts as a conduit for infection.
Thus, this technique is also unacceptable and may lead to the formation of bad habits such as a failing to sterilize the appliance when such sterilization is essential.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus which is cost effective and speedily allows a single piece of medical equipment to operate on a multitude of different bacteriologically contaminated appliances.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus whereby aseptic sterilization is maintained from one bacteriologically contaminated dental appliances to another, and wherein the medical equipment operative on the many appliances are protected from being itself bacteriologically contaminated.
It is yet a still further object of the invention to provide a cost effective method and apparatus for maintaining aseptic sterilization in medical equipment which is operative upon many different bacteriologically contaminated dental appliances without the need to disinfect any part of the medical equipment after each use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects of the invention are provided for by a method and apparatus which maintains a high level of sterilization during medical procedures operative upon many bacteriologically contaminated dental appliances. A bacteriologically impermeable sheath is placed around the appliance, or between the appliance and the medical equipment environment, for maintaining bacteriological separation between the workpiece and the medical equipment.
In the preferred embodiment, the sheath fits inside of and lines a beaker in which the dental appliances are placed when being cleaned using ultrasound. The sheath extends out of the beakers's top and has an elasticized member for gripping the beaker's outer circumference when in use.
The sheath has a rigid member disposed therewithin to provide form and body, and aid the easy placement of the sheath within the beaker. The sheath may be filled with fluid in which the appliances may be immersed, and is cost effective enough to be disposed of after each use.
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McKane Elizabeth
Price and Gess
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