Abstract: A pneumatically powered surgical handpiece suitable for a pencil-type handpiece configuration in which the pressurized fluid inlet is axially directed relative to the handpiece body. Fluid is directed through a dispersing section from an axial direction to a radially outward direction against the interior of a hollow cylindrical turbine body provided with a plurality of circumferentially arranged and longitudinally extending semi-circular channels adapted to receive the fluid flow and redirect it proximally through an annular exhaust channel situated annularly about the fluid inflow conduit. An output shaft is integrally formed with the turbine body and extending distally therefrom and a surgical instrument may be attached to or integrally formed within this output shaft. The invention also resides in a method for fluidically driving a surgical handpiece and lends itself to a method of producing a disposable fluidically driven surgical instrument.

Abstract: Air driven dental handpiece motors include a tubular housing and a rotor rotatably supported within the housing. One motor is geared down by the provision of a plurality of idler gears rotatably supported on a hub which rotates between a sun gear on the output end of the rotor and a ring gear fixed within the housing. A drive shaft connects an exposed drive gear with the hub. A bearing is provided between the drive shaft and the inner bore of skirt extending from the ring gear to reduce a number of tolerances built up between the drive shaft and the bearing. The motor further includes a valve member rotatable through about 140.degree. of arc to vary maximum motor speed and motor rotation direction. The valve member abuts a valve plate having a circular air inlet opening and a semicircular air outlet or exhaust opening. The valve member has an air supply opening which is an elongated arcuate slot having radiused circumferential ends.

Abstract: In a medical, in particular dental turbine handpiece, having a supply line (8) and a discharge line (9) for the turbine compressed air, whereby a valve (12) is arranged in one line, which valve is controllable by a pneumatic parameter in the other line, the valve (12) is arranged in the discharge line (9) and is so controllable that it closes when a limit value of the parameter in the supply line (8) falls below a minimum value.

Abstract: A pneumatic surgical tool for cutting bone during surgical procedures includes a pneumatic motor having a rotary shaft, a resecting tool having a cutting element rotated by the motor, a sleeve to surround and support the resecting tool, anti-friction bearings for further rotatably supporting the resecting tool, and a chuck for connecting the resecting tool to a spindle of the rotary shaft. The motor housing, rotor, spindle, and chuck are created from titanium. The bore of the housing and the cutting tip of the resecting tool have thin hard metal cases, such as titanium nitride, titanium aluminum nitride, or titanium carbon nitride.

Abstract: A disposable dental prophylaxis handpiece 10 is provided having a rotor 90 with vanes 92 pivotably connected thereto. The handpiece 10 includes an entrance 30 for elevated pressure fluid and an outlet 40 for discharge of the fluid after contacting the rotor 90. The elevated pressure fluid passes from the entrance 30, into a high pressure chamber 80. The high pressure chamber 80 is in contact with inlet ports 74 accessing a cylinder 72 within the handpiece 10. The cylinder 72 supports the rotor 90 with a rotational axis M of the rotor 90 off center with respect to a central axis N of the cylinder 72. The elevated pressure fluid causes the rotor 90 and an attached output shaft 97 to rotate. This in turn pauses a prophylaxis cup 160, coupled to the output shaft 97, to rotate. The rotor 90 includes a trunk 24 with a plurality of posts 93 extending therefrom and with vanes 92 connected to the posts 93 through hinges 94.

Abstract: A dental turbine drive contains a rotor disk which is mounted for rotation in a rotor chamber in a head housing of a dental handpiece and is driven by compressed air from a nozzle in the known way. A control element for regulating the speed is arranged in the flow path of the exhaust air and is constructed to change shape or position upon rotation of the rotary disk as a consequence of centrifugal force so that the effective cross section of the exhaust path decreases with increasing speeds and will increase with decreasing speeds. In addition, an additional or second element is provided and includes a pressure chamber connected by channels to the rotor chamber so that the additional element will respond to changes in the pressure in the rotor chamber to support the effect of the control element. The second element can be a diaphragm valve having a valve member extending into either an exhaust channel or a delivery channel.

Abstract: A small handpiece with a fluid driven turbine is composed of a head portion and a neck portion connected continuously to the head portion. The head portion has a head defining a chamber therein, turbine blades mounted on a turbine rotor shaft and arranged within the chamber and the turbine rotor shaft rotatably supported in the head via bearing portions. The neck portion has a main body, a supply channel arranged in the main body to supply compressed fluid to the turbine blades within the chamber and an exhaust channel arranged in the main body to discharge the compressed fluid from the chamber. The supply channel has a single supply port. A positional relationship between the single supply port and an exhaust port of the exhaust channel is set so that the exhaust port is arranged at a position proximal to the supply port.

Abstract: A turbine device and a method of driving the turbine device are disclosed. The turbine device includes an admission channel, a turbine, and an injection channel. The turbine device may also include a regulator. The turbine is driven by injecting a primary fluid into the admission channel at a given velocity and simultaneously causing a secondary fluid to flow into the admission channel at a lower velocity. The primary fluid and the secondary fluid form a mixture in the admission channel, which flows toward the turbine. The velocity of the mixture is less than that of the primary fluid, while the mass flow of the mixture is approximately equal to the sum of the mass flows of the primary and secondary fluids. The regulator compares the rotational speed of the turbine to a target speed and regulates parameters associated with the turbine device if the rotational speed of the turbine and the target speed differ by more than a predetermined amount.

Abstract: Disclosed is an air motor having an engine pack (with a rotor provided with front and rear retainers, a stator, and vanes) which can be assembled and replaced even by an unskilled person. An air supply joint is engaged with guide projections formed on the inner peripheral surface of a housing, with its forward end portion held in contact with the rear retainer; the forward end portion being fastened by a nut member which is threadedly engaged with the housing. On the rear face of the forward end portion are formed a plurality of first projections produced of a rigid synthetic resin, and on the front face of the nut member corresponding to the first projection are formed a plurality of second projections, so that a firm relation of engagement is established by an elastic force of restoration of the first projection; that is, the nut member will not accidentally become loose owing to the locking effect of the first and second projections.

Abstract: A regulatable dental turbine includes an actuator arrangement which is provided for regulating the speed by varying the amount of an essentially constant volume stream of drive fluid striking a turbine wheel of the dental turbine. The change of the direction based on the actuator arrangement may bypass a portion of the volume hitting the blades of the dental turbine or may create a portion of the stream as a deceleration force acting on the turbine wheel. The actuator arrangement can operate in a speed-dependent fashion based on the flow deflected by the blades of the wheel on an impact surface or can act with a speed sensor determining the rate of rotation of the turbine wheel.

Abstract: A dental turbine drive which is provided with an arrangement to prevent suctioning of particles after deactivation of the drive air into the return air line. To accomplish this, the turbine space is closed during a run-out phase of the rotor except for an outflow channel that is arranged close to the axis of the rotor shaft adjacent the tool side and is connected to a return air channel. The return air channel can discharge directly into the outflow channel at a point spaced from the main portion of the rotor and a valve arrangement may be presented for closing the air opening once the input air has been interrupted.

Abstract: A controllable turbine drive for a dental handpiece has an adjustment member which rotates with the rotor disc and is deformable due to the centrifugal forces to constrict an exhaust channel extending along the disc to change the effective cross section of the channel so that with an increased speed of rotation, the effective cross section decreases and with a decreased speed, the effective cross section is increased. The member may be an elastic ring which is restrained by a rim formed by a recess on one side of the rotor disc or it may be an elastic spring washer, which has an upturned peripheral flange and which is bent or elastically deformed.

Abstract: A turbine for a dental handpiece. The turbine (10) includes a rotor housing (16) having at least first and second opposite end portions fabricated of a ceramic material, the rotor housing defining a cylindrical rotor chamber (18) therein. At least one inlet port (20) is provided in the rotor housing (16) for placing the rotor chamber in fluid communication with a source of pressurized fluid, and an outlet port (22) is provided for exhausting the pressurized fluid from the rotor chamber (18). The turbine (10) also includes a rotor member (24) mounted in the rotor chamber (18) of the rotor housing, the rotor member also being fabricated of a ceramic material. The rotor member (24) defines a first end portion (28) which is received through an opening (38) provided in the first end portion (28) of the rotor housing (16) for engaging and supporting a dental tool member (14).

Abstract: A dental handpiece contains a sleeve for rotatably accommodating and securing a dental treatment tool therein, bearings for rotatably holding the sleeve with respect to stationary handpiece casing members, a rotatable rotor fixed to the sleeve for rotating the sleeve under action of a compressed fluid, and stationary convexed and concave protective members for sheathing the bearings exposed to an annular spacing defined by the bearings and the rotatable rotor. The rotatable rotor contains rotatable concave and convexed disc portions. The rotatable concave and convexed disc portions are arranged in proximity to the stationary convexed and concave protective members in a mating relation therewith for defining therebetween at least a first gap and a second gap communicating with the first gap and disposed radially outwardly of the first gap.

Abstract: A rotary air motor has a liner disposed within a tool housing and having a cylindrical bore therethrough. A rotor having radially slidable vanes is eccentrically rotatably mounted in the bore by bearings in the plates of the liner, the vanes cooperating with the rotor and the liner to define a plurality of rotating variable volume fluid compartments. A fluid inlet port in one end plate communicates sequentially with the fluid compartments. First and second exhaust ports respectively formed in the end plates also communicate sequentially with the fluid compartments, but the two exhaust ports are angularly offset from each other so that the fluid compartments communicate first with the exhaust port remote from the entry end plate and then with the exhaust port at the entry end plate. The exhaust passage from the remote exhaust port passes along the outside of the liner back to the entry end plate, thereby ensuring cooling of both ends of the motor.

Abstract: A regulatable dental turbine includes an actuator arrangement which is provided for regulating the speed by varying the amount of an essentially constant volume stream of drive fluid striking a turbine wheel of the dental turbine. The change of the direction based on the actuator arrangement bypasses a portion of the volume hitting the blades of the dental turbine. The actuator arrangement operates in a speed-dependent fashion based on the flow deflected by the blades of the wheel on an impact surface.

Abstract: In order to prevent invading of blood, saliva and other impurities inside of an elongated hand piece of a dental instrument for preventing infection, the inside contamination-free elongated hand piece has rectilinear means in the airholes of upper and lower lids of its head housing, thereby assuring that air flowing out from the head housing is rectified to helical stream, thereby causing no Karman's vortex street behind. The rectilinear means may be given in the form of helical ridges or slots formed on the inner surface of each airhole.

Abstract: A high speed dental drill includes a drill head having a housing including a bottom and a cavity, and a turbine assembly mounted in the cavity for supporting a dental tool extending outwardly from the bottom of the housing, the turbine assembly including a rotor shaft and an annular turbine drive mounted thereon. The outer surface of the annular turbine drive has blades with an outer shape of a substantially inverted D-shaped chordal segment cut out therefrom so that rotation of the rotor shaft occurs at high speed when air impinges against the part-circular cut-away surfaces of the blades.

Abstract: A turbine for a dental handpiece. The turbine (10) includes a rotor housing (16) fabricated of a ceramic material, the rotor housing defining a cylindrical rotor chamber (18) therein. An inlet port (20) is provided in the rotor housing (16) for placing the rotor chamber in fluid communication with a source of pressurized fluid, and an outlet port (22) is provided for exhausting the pressurized fluid from the rotor chamber (18). The turbine (10) also includes a rotor member (24) mounted in the rotor chamber (18) of the rotor housing, the rotor member also being fabricated of a ceramic material. The rotor member (24) defines a first end portion (28) which is received through an opening (38) provided in the rotor housing (16) for engaging and supporting a dental tool member (14). The rotor member (24) also includes a rotor disk (32) which carries a plurality of blades (34), and which is selectively rotated by the flow of pressurized fluid within the rotor chamber (18).

Abstract: A dental handpiece having a turbine rotatable in reverse contains a main handpiece body, a turbine head mounted at a distal end of the main handpiece body, a plurality of turbine vanes for rotatably driving a dental tool romovably mounted within the turbine head, a first air supply passage for ejecting compressed air to one surface of each of the turbine vanes for rotating the turbine vanes in one direction, a second air supply passage for ejecting compressed air to the other surface of each of the turbine vanes for rotating the turbine vanes in the other direction, and an air discharge passage for discharging the compressed air.

Abstract: In an open state of a valve, when a valve outside sleeve is rotated in the rear portion of a housing, a valve inner sleeve is moved forward to close a fluid channel, thus stopping supply of compressed driving air. Simultaneously, a front end of the valve outside sleeve is moved forward while it abuts against the rear surface of a retainer. Therefore, brake rods biased by compression coil springs are also moved forward, and front surfaces of the brake rods are abutted against a brake disk to effect braking, thereby immediately stopping rotation of a rotor. The urging force applied on the brake disk is the compression force of the compression coil springs.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a turbine type air motor adapted for use in a hand-piece for dental treatment and includes an air motor body supported by both ends of a turbine shaft with axle-bearings. The air motor includes an air charging passage for introducing compressed air from the rear end, an air discharging passage provided therein in parallel with the air charging passage, and a collet adapted to detachably load a cutting tool. Air flow in the air charging passage is directed to cool one axle-bearing and other air flow in the air discharging passage is directed to cool the other axle-bearing for locally cooling frictional heat generated in both axle-bearings by the high frequency of the air turbine rotation. The collet is devised to easily load the cutting tool by pushing a knock tube provided in the rear end of the hand-piece.

Abstract: A rotary spool reversing valve is described which is operated in rotation by two parallel opposed push buttons. The spool is positioned in line with the incoming air passage permitting incoming air to flow axially through the spool directly to forward or reverse motor ports with a minimum of pressure loss. Thumb operation of the push buttons in a pistol grip tool permits convenient one hand operation with simple molded mechanisms providing economy and ease of operation.

Abstract: The air motor of the present invention has an air chamber for taking compressed air in a rotor body fitted to a rotary shaft, forms a jet hole opening in the tangential direction of the rotor on the periphery of the rotor, jets compressed air from the jet hole, and gives torque to the rotor by the reaction of the jetted air. An air reservoir is installed between the air chamber and the jet hole which are connected to the air reservoir. When the load of the air motor increases, the speed of the rotor instantaneously decreases. However, the decreased speed immediately increases because a lot of compressed air stored in the air reservoir continuously jets from the jet hole.

Abstract: An air motor assembly driven by compressed air for using pencil type handy grinder, comprising an outer jacket casing made of a synthetic resin to cover a metal-made cylindrical housing to house an air turbine cylinder having air jetting nozzles into the turbine rotor thereof and air discharging apertures at opposite side of the air jetting nozzles, the compressed air feeding passages provided along the axis to the air turbine cylinder and the discharged air exhausting passages provided in parallel with the air feeding passages, the feeding air control mechanism including an air valve tube with air communicating orifices and a flange shaped valve, an air controlling knob made of a synthetic resin having double cylindrical structure consisting of an inner cylindrical body and an outer cylindrical body which is to be inserted into the enlarged portion of the outer jacket casing to form the discharged air exhausting passage between the inner and outer cylindrical bodies, and a noise silencing baffler made of a f

Abstract: A handpiece particularly suited for medical/dental applications in which a rotary tool is used upon and in proximity with anatomical structures. The handpiece has an anti-friction bearing assembly which mounts the rotary tool. At least the rolling elements of the bearing assembly are formed of ceramic material. The instrument may be sterilized repeatedly without requiring lubrication either in use or between sterilization cycles.