Patent ID: 8529256
Filing Date: 2013-09-10
Classification: A61C

Abstract:
1. An air water vacuum dental instrument, comprising: a handle; a head; an air control carried by at least one of the handle and the head; a water control carried by at least one of the handle and the head; a vacuum control carried by at least one of the handle and the head, the vacuum control including a vacuum control valve carried by the head and a lever to control the valve; an air water vacuum tip coupled to the head and configured to provide at least air, water, and vacuum in a mouth of a dental patient at the air water vacuum tip; the head having a first communication passage which communicates with the air water vacuum tip and a second communication passage which is configured to communicate with a vacuum source; the vacuum control valve being located between the first and second communication passages and including a periphery with a pair of high flow rate evacuator ports and a single, low flow rate saliva ejector port in communication with the pair of high flow rate evacuator ports; wherein the vacuum control valve is configured for rotation between a high-flow vacuum condition in which the pair of high flow rate evacuator ports communicate with the first and second communication passages, a low-flow vacuum condition in which one of the high flow rate evacuator ports is in partial communication with one of the communication passages and the low flow rate saliva ejector port is in communication with the other communication passage, and a no-flow vacuum condition in which the pair of high flow rate evacuator ports and low flow rate saliva ejector port are blocked from communication with the first and second communication passages.