Patent ID: 8303304

Claim:
A system for remotely monitoring the rotational speed of a rotating tip of a pneumatic dental handpiece, comprising: a dental handpiece having a proximal end, a distal end and a drive air passageway from the proximal end to the distal end; a rotating tip located at the distal end of the handpiece in fluid communication with the drive air passageway; an air supply; an air conduit connected to the air supply to provide air to the handpiece to drive the rotating tip; a coupling system positioned between the conduit and the handpiece, the coupling system further comprising: a female assembly having a passageway for drive air to drive the tip comprising a diameter having a predetermined axial location, the female assembly in fluid communication with the drive air passageway in the proximal end of the handpiece; a male assembly having a passageway for drive air to drive the tip further comprising a movable ring, the movable ring having a first retracted position in which the passageway for drive air is in fluid communication with the air conduit and the passageway in the female assembly when the male assembly is assembled to the female passageway, thereby providing fluid communication through an aperture of predetermined size for flow of drive air from the drive air passageway in the male assembly to the drive air passageway in the female assembly as a result of movement of the ring due to contact with the diameter in the female assembly, and a second unretracted position that blocks the drive air passageway when the male assembly is removed from the female assembly; and wherein the coupling system further includes a separate chip air conduit extending through the coupling system to the handpiece; wherein the handpiece generates a periodic mechanical function when the tip is driven; a means for detecting a periodic mechanical function of the handpiece indicative of the rotating tip speed of the tip; a control valve in the air conduit regulate the flow of fluid from the air supply into the coupling system; and a controller in communication with the means for detecting the periodic mechanical function of the handpiece and with the control valve, wherein the controller receives a signal from the means for detecting the periodic mechanical function, calculates the rotational speed of the tip, compares the calculated speed to a preset speed range, and adjusts the control valve to meter drive air to the coupling as required so that the calculated rotating speed of the tip is maintained within the preset speed range.