Michael C Sharp

US Patent:

6485303, Nov 26, 2002

Filed:

Aug 4, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/632991

Inventors:

Richard Goldman - New York NY
Michael C. Sharp - Centerport NY
Stuart A. Mitchell - Harwinton CT

Assignee:

Parkell, Inc. - Farmingdale NY

International Classification:

A61C 302

US Classification:

433 88, 604248

Abstract:

A hand-held dental instrument for intraoral abrading of teeth includes a light-weight body made from a high temperature material and having internal bores or passageways for permitting fluid flow through the body. A rotatable nozzle assembly having internal fluid conduits therein is coupled to a distal end of the body such that a chamber is formed between the nozzle and the body. The chamber maintains fluid communication between an internal bore which is radially offset from a central axis bore of the body and an internal conduit of the nozzle assembly such that the nozzle can be rotated a full 360 degrees with respect to the body. The nozzle assembly includes a primary discharge port for directing flow of the air/abrasive material mixture and a secondary discharge port for directing a stream of liquid to a surface to be abraded. The primary discharge port of the nozzle head is preferably larger in diameter than the secondary discharge port and is disposed at an angle with respect to the secondary discharge port to meet at a point forward of the nozzle head. The handpiece is also provided with its own self-contained abrasive material supply which may be connected to the body or may be contained within the body.