Abstract: A dental hand piece with replaceable tips at either end of a tubular handle, each of the replaceable tips including a tip assembly having an instrument working tip end at a distal end of a main tip body and a shank extending from the instrument working tip end to a proximal end of the main tip body. The tip assembly may be provided with a flat-blade extension end at the proximal end of the main tip body. The flat-blade extension end passes through a keyway-shaped slot provided in a locking component, and engages locking structure provided on a cylindrical barrel member. Replaceable tips at the ends of the tubular handle may be secured in 180° orientation to one another. A spring arm member may additionally or alternatively engage notches along an interior wall of the cylindrical barrel member.

Abstract: A magneto strictive sterilizable handpiece (14) with an electric connector (44) selectively engageable with a power cable includes a non-conducting inner core (30) having an outer surface, a conducting wire deposited on the outer surface of the inner core in a helical manner to form a coil (42) with a first end functioning as a first electrical contact and a second end functioning as second electrical contact, and an over-mold layer (50) deposited over the conducing wire to substantially completely seal the coil, so that the over-mold layer prevents a fluid from contacting any section of the conducting wire except for the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact during sterilization of the handpiece using the fluid.

Abstract: Embodiments of a magnetostrictive device, a dental lighting system, a method of illuminating a lighting apparatus and a lighting apparatus are disclosed. The embodiments may include a lighting apparatus with a light source, an electrical power storage device and a switch. When the switch detects a magnetic field, the switch may complete an electrical connection between the electrical power storage device and the switch, thus illuminating the light source. The magnetic field may be magnetostrictively or non-magnetostrictively generated, and maybe be produced by a receptacle, a hand-piece or the lighting apparatus itself. A user may switch the light source on and off. In a magnetostrictive device, the light may be illuminated even when a tip is not activated, and the electrical power storage device may be inductively re-charged. The lighting apparatus may be included in an insert of a magnetostrictive device, such as a magnetostrictive ultrasonic hand-held dental device.

Abstract: Embodiments of an adaptor for a lighted magnetostrictive device, a lighting system for a hand-held dental delivery device including an adaptor, and a method of providing light at a magnetostrictive hand-held device using an adaptor are disclosed. The adaptor may securely connect to a hand-piece of the device, and may include a self-contained electric power storage device to power a light source, an adaptor light channel for delivering light from a light source to the insert, or both. The light source may be disposed within the hand-piece, the adaptor or the insert. A user may switch the light source on and off, and/or may dim or brighten an intensity of the light. The light source may provide illumination even when a tip of the device is not activated, and the electric power storage device may be inductively re-charged.

Abstract: A single use cartridge 10 is disclosed for dispensing a medicament or other substance for dental, medical, or veterinarian applications. A motive fluid can contact the medicament to mix and dispense from reservoir 12, or the motive fluid can act on a plunger 21 to dispense the medicament. A handpiece 15 can sealably connect the cartridge 10 to a source of the motive fluid. The cartridge 10 can be easily replaced to facilitate the use of multiple cartridges with a single handpiece 15. An ultrasonic cleaning element 30 with a channel for fluid flow can be used in a handpiece 25 with a single use medicament cartridge 28 to dispense medicament during ultrasonic dental procedures. A cartridge 72 can contain a mixing element 70 to mix the motive fluid and abrasive particles for tooth surface polishing.

Abstract: A single use cartridge 10 is disclosed for dispensing a medicament or other substance for dental, medical, or veterinarian applications. A motive fluid can contact the medicament to mix and dispense from reservoir 12, or the motive fluid can act on a plunger 21 to dispense the medicament. A handpiece 15 can sealably connect the cartridge 10 to a source of the motive fluid. The cartridge 10 can be easily replaced to facilitate the use of multiple cartridges with a single handpiece 15. An ultrasonic cleaning element 30 with a channel for fluid flow can be used in a handpiece 25 with a single use medicament cartridge 28 to dispense medicament during ultrasonic dental procedures. A cartridge 72 can contain a mixing element 70 to mix the motive fluid and abrasive particles for tooth surface polishing.

Abstract: A flush cutter of wires located on a patient's teeth has at least one pivotably carried cutting edge. An outer surface of the edge can be positioned adjacent to a surface from which the wire protrudes. An elastic insert or clamp, for griping cut wire ends, is carried adjacent to the edge. The insert has first and second spaced apart ends. A rigid surface is located to pivot toward the edge. The elastic clamp extends, in part, to the inner surface of the edge. As the cutting edge moves toward the rigid surface to cut the wire, the elastic clamp grips the cutoff wire end for removal. The rigid surface can be formed as a second cutting edge that moves toward the one cutting edge.

Abstract: A torque wrench for preventing transmission of torque in excess of a threshold level to avoid damage to replaceable scaler tips and hand pieces of ultrasonic dental instruments. The torque wrench has a housing with a core seated therein, with a cam mechanism or spring engagement between the core and the housing, such that the core may remain stationary when the housing is rotated passed the threshold level of torque. The core has an axial bore to receive a connecting shaft of a scaler tip, such that a working end and a functional shank of the scaler tip are received in a chamber of the housing, with the housing acting as an isolation cage for the scaler tip.

Abstract: An ultrasonic insert carries a rotary bearing adjacent to the transducer. The bearing slidably engages an ultrasonic handpiece. When seated in the handpiece, the insert is substantially decoupled, on a rotary axis, from the handpiece. A rotary force need only be applied to the insert to rotate it in the handpiece. Alternately, an adaptor can be inserted into the handpiece. The adaptor slidably receives a conventional ultrasonic insert. The conventional insert can be easily rotated with a force applied only thereto, relative to the handpiece.

Abstract: A cassette has a top joined with a releasably attached double hinge to a bottom. An interior region can be filled with dental/medical instruments for sterilization and/or storage. The instruments can be supported by pre-arranged supports and retaining members. A practitioner can configure the arrangement in the cassette in accordance with his/her preferences.

Abstract: An ultrasonic insert insertable into a handpiece for carrying out a dental treatment is easily rotatable by a practitioner with only two fingers. The body of the insert is clamped via a torque lock element which carries a plurality of radially extending barbs which lock a handle thereto. The handle is locked to the torque lock element and is not movable relative thereto either axially or rotatably.

Abstract: A dental instrument has an elongated handle, in one embodiment, a molded resin handle which incorporates an elongated metal insert, and in another embodiment, a metal handle. At least one tip carrying cone is slidably received into a hollow end of the respective handle after adhesive has been injected into the respective end of the handle. As the stem of the cone slides into the handle and through the adhesive, the adhesive flows into the stem and around and through torque lock features in the stem. Features include one or more slots in the stem or alternately one or more holes or protrusions in or on the stem. When the adhesive cures a solid mass of adhesive engages the torque lock feature and in combination with the interior periphery in the handle, the instrument exhibits an ability to pass applied torque tests on the order of 400 newton-centimeters without damage or relative motion between the operative tip and the resin handle.

Abstract: An ultrasonic insert carries a rotary bearing adjacent to the transducer. The bearing slidably engages an ultrasonic handpiece. When seated in the handpiece, the insert is substantially decoupled, on a rotary axis, from the handpiece. A rotary force need only be applied to the insert to rotate it in the handpiece. Alternately, an adaptor can be inserted into the handpiece. The adaptor slidably receives a conventional ultrasonic insert. The conventional insert can be easily rotated with a force applied only thereto, relative to the handpiece.

Abstract: A dental instrument includes a plastic molded handle body which is reinforced by a metallic tube through a center of the body. Tool parts are adhesively secured into opposing open ends of the reinforcing tube. During assembly, a quantity of adhesive is pre-positioned into the open ends. The tool parts include respective base parts that provide glue traps for capturing a quantity of the pre-positioned adhesive and ensuring adequate adhesive contact between the tool part and the tool. The molded body has surface contours which are molded by a mold having a single parting plane.

Abstract: A dental apparatus or instrument includes a hollow, tubular metal handle, closing members fastened to opposite open ends of the handle, and tool parts connected to the closing members. The metal handle includes a central substantially smooth region and two surface contoured regions adjacent to the closing members. The surface contoured regions include wide grooves in a criss-crossed pattern superimposed on V-shaped narrow grooves in a criss-crossed helical pattern. The combination of the two type grooves gives a sure grip feel to the two surface contoured regions. The closing members each include an attachment portion which tightly interfits into an open end of the handle and which is brazed into the handle.

Abstract: A dental instrument with a large injection molded plastic handle has an elongated generally cylindrical symmetrical shape with first and second spaced apart ends. Anti-slip peripheral groves or slots are molded into the handle adjacent the first and second ends. Subsequent to the molding process, knurls are applied adjacent the first and second ends to improve the anti-slip characteristics of the handle. At least some of the knurling is positioned between the peripherally located grooves or slots. Stainless steel cones are affixed to the respective ends of the handle, either by ultrasonic welding or by positioning the cones in the molds, as inserts, and directly molding the plastic around retaining ends of the cones. Tips or points are press-fit and/or adhesively bonded into channels in the cones of the instrument. A single ended instrument carries a smooth, closed, cap at one of the ends.