WO1999065533B1

WO1999065533B1 - Catalytic dental water apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO1999065533B1
Application number: PCT/US1999/013591
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rolf Engelhard; Stephen P Kasten
Original assignee: Germiphene Corp; Rolf Engelhard; Stephen P Kasten
Priority date: 1998-06-17
Filing date: 1999-06-16
Publication date: 2000-03-02
Also published as: AU4571799A; WO1999065533A9; CA2298496A1; WO1999065533A1

Abstract

The supply of water used in dental operations and other applications in a dental office, or other medical facility, wherein non-contaminated water is necessary to avoid transmission of microorganisms, is enriched with oxygen, whether from ambient air or a source of oxygen. The oxygenated water is passed through a silver containing catalyst cartridge (204). The water borne oxygen is attracted to the silver and forms a weak bond sufficient to permit dissociation to oxidize organic matter, including microorganisms. A small amount of silver dissolves in the water and flows downstream through the attendant conduits (68, 69, 82) to and through dental handpieces and dental implements. A portion of the silver will adhere to the walls of the conduits, handpieces, and implements where it is free to react with the oxygen dissolved in the water flowing therepast. To enhance oxidizing of the organic matter, an ozone generator (48) may be employed to introduce ozone into the water upstream of the silver catalyst cartridge (204).

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS

[received by the International Bureau on 23 December 1999 (23.12.99); new claims 9-21 added; remaining claims unchanged (8 pages)]

(a) an ozone generator, said ozone generator including:

(i) a UV opaque member capable of withstanding an internal pressure of at least two (2) atmospheres;

(ii) a source of UV radiation disposed within said member for transforming at least some oxygen molecules contained in a gas within said member into ozone to produce an ozone enriched gas;

(b) a source for the oxygen containing gas under greater than ambient pressure in fluid communication with said ozone generator, said gas source being adapted to convey the gas under pressure to said ozone generator and to maintain the gas within said member at a pressure above ambient pressure;

(c) a container in fluid communication with the source of water and adapted to receive and maintain the water under a pressure greater than ambient pressure for delivery of the water to the manifold, said container including:

(i) said ozone generator located there within; and (ii) a sparger in fluid communication with said ozone generator for entraining the ozone containing gas from within said ozone generator into the water within said container to produce the ozonated water;

(d) a silver catalyst cartridge in fluid communication with the water in said container through a conduit downstream of said container for catalyzing oxidation of organic matter and microorganisms present in the water flowing into said cartridge and for releasing silver to adhere to the interior walls of the manifold, the interconnecting conduits and the dental implements and cause oxidation of any biofilm upon such walls; 32

9. The method as set forth in Claim 1 wherein said step of conveying and entraining are performed within the container.

10. The method as set forth in Claim 1 wherein said step of generating comprises the step of urging flow of the oxygen containing gas past a source of ultraviolet radiation.

11. The method as set forth in Claim 10 wherein the container includes a cap for sealing the container and including the step of supporting the ozone generator from the cap.

12. The apparatus as set forth in Claim 4 including a return line in fluid communication with said port and said container for returning all or part of the ozonated fluid downstream of said port to said container.

13. The apparatus as set forth in Claim 4 wherein the pressure within said container is from about 30 PSIG to about 40 PSIG.

14. Apparatus for treating water to destroy microbes present in a source of water supplying water to a manifold attendant a dental chair in a dental office, which manifold is in fluid communication with dental implements that normally discharge water as part of their operation and to destroy microbes present in the dental implements and in biofϊlm attendant the channels in the dental implements and in the conduits extending upstream from the dental implements by ozonating the water to subject the microbes and biofilm to ozone upon flow of the ozonated water therepast and by ozidizing any biofilm that may be present, said apparatus comprising in combination: 33

(e) a further conduit in fluid communication with said silver catalyst cartridge and the manifold for discharging the ozonated water from said silver catalyst cartridge to said manifold to subject and kill any microbes and destroy any biofilm present in the manifold, the dental implements and the conduits upstream of the dental implements;

(f) a gas separator in fluid communication with said container for removing from said container any gas not entrained in the water within said container, said gas separator being adapted to maintain a pressure within said container at an above ambient pressure;

(g) means for draining water on command from said further conduit; and

(h) means for destroying the ozone present in any gas removed by said gas separator.

15. The apparatus set forth in Claim 14 including means for returning ozonated water from said further conduit to said container.

16. The apparatus set forth in Claim 14 wherein said source of gas includes a compressor for creating an above ambient pressure within said member.

17. The apparatus set forth in Claim 16 wherein the pressure within said member is in the range of about 30 PSIG to about 40 PSIG. 34

18. A method for destroying microorganisms and biofilm within conduits conveying water from a container to dental handpieces and water discharging implements and within any of the channels of the handpieces and of the implements by oxidizing any microorganisms and biofilm present, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a source of oxygen containing gas under pressure in the range of about 30 PSIG to about 40 PSIG;

(b) generating ozone from the gas under pressure within a UV opaque member to produce ozone enriched gas, said step of generating being performed within the container;

(c) conveying the ozone enriched gas into the water within the container, which water is to be directed to the handpieces and implements and to pressurize the water at a pressure above ambient pressure;

(d) entraining the ozone enriched gas in the water in the container to produce ozone enriched water;

(e) further conveying the ozone enriched water through the conduits to a silver catalyst cartridge to attract the oxygen to the silver and cause the oxygen to dissociate from its normal diatomic state to bond with the silver;

(f) oxidizing the microorganisms with oxygen dissociated from the silver; and 35

(g) dissolving silver into the water flowing downstream of the silver catalyst cartridge through the conduits to permit adherence of the silver to the water conveying surfaces of the conduits, handpieces and implements and subsequent reaction with oxygen in the water to oxidize any attendant microorganisms and biofilm.

19. Apparatus for entraining ozone in a fluid to be delivered to a water manifold and associated conduits in fluid communication with dental implements to oxidize organic matter and microorganisms that may be present in the fluid, and to destroy biofilm present on the surfaces of the conduits and on the water conveying surfaces of the dental implements, said apparatus comprising in combination:

(a) an ozone generator for generating ozone comprising a source of UV radiation, a member for housing said UV radiation source, said member being opaque to UV radiation and able to withstand at least twice atmospheric pressure;

(b) a source in fluid communication with said member for conveying an oxygen containing gas under pressure of at least two atmospheres into said member to accommodate ozone generation under pressure in said ozone generator;

(c) a pressurizable container of the fluid to be ozonated to provide a source of ozonated fluid through a port to the manifold, the conduits and the dental implements, said ozone generator being disposed within said container; 36

(d) a device disposed in said container and in fluid communication with said ozone generator for entraining the ozone and the gas from said ozone generator under pressure in the fluid within said container to enhance the level of ozone concentration in the fluid and to provide the source of ozonated fluid;

(e) a silver catalyst cartridge in fluid communication with said container for receiving the ozonated fluid to weakly bond oxygen radicals with the silver and result in subsequent dissociation of the oxygen radicals from the silver to oxidize organic matter and microorganisms in contact therewith and for dissolving silver into the ozonated water to permit adherence of the silver to the interior surfaces of the manifold, the conduits and the dental implements to react with oxygen in the water and further oxidize organic matter and microorganisms; and

(f) an outlet of said silver catalyst cartridge in fluid communication with the manifold, the conduits and the dental implements to interconnect said outlet with the manifold, the conduits and the dental implements to convey the ozonated fluid and silver to the manifold, the conduits and the dental implements.

20. Apparatus for destroying microorganisms present in a source of water supplying water to a manifold attendant each dental chair of a dental office, which manifold is in fluid communication through conduits with dental implements that normally discharge water as part of their operation and for destroying biofilm on the surfaces of the manifold, the surfaces of the conduits interconnecting the manifold with the dental implements and on the surfaces of the dental implements, said apparatus comprising in combination: 37

(a) a pressurizable container for housing water under pressure to be delivered to the dental implements;

(b) a source of oxygen containing gas under pressure for providing oxygen containing gas under pressure to the water in said container;

(c) a sparger for introducing the oxygen containing gas into the water in said container;

(d) a conduit for conveying the oxygen containing gas from said source to said sparger;

(e) a silver catalyst cartridge in fluid communication with the water in said container through a conduit downstream of said container for catalyzing oxidation of organic matter and microorganisms present in the water flowing into said cartridge and for releasing silver to adhere to the interior walls of the manifold, the interconnecting conduits and the dental implements and cause oxidation of any biofilm upon such walls; and

(f) a gas separator for removing from said container gas not entrained within the water in said container.

21. Apparatus for destroying microorganisms present in water channeled to dental handpieces and implements and for destroying biofilm attendant the handpieces and implements and the conduits extending upstream from the handpieces and implements, said apparatus comprising in combination: 38

(a) a pressurizable container for containing a source of water;

(b) a source of oxygen containing gas under pressure;

(c) a regulator for maintaining the gas at a pressure above ambient pressure;

(d) a pipe for conveying the oxygen containing gas from said source to a sparger disposed within the water in said container to entrain the oxygen containing gas in the water and for increasing the pressure within said container upon conveyance of the gas under pressure thereinto;

(e) a silver catalyst cartridge in fluid communication with said container for receiving the oxygen containing gas entrained water and for catalyzing oxidation of microorganisms coming in contact with oxygen radicals bonded to silver in said cartridge during flow through said cartridge and for releasing silver; and

(f) a conduit for conveying the oxygen containing gas entrained water from said cartridge to the dental handpieces and implements to deposit silver released from said cartridge on the interior surfaces of the conduits and of the dental handpieces and implements and destroy by oxidization any biofilm present on the interior surfaces of the conduits, the dental handpieces and the implements.

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