Patent ID: 7309472

Claim:
An apparatus for sterilizing dental or orthodontic tools, which comprises: a rigid non-folding transport rack having a pair of opposing side walls, a bottom and a back wall, all interconnected and forming a generally rectangular box of a pre-selected dimension which is open to the front and the top; each of said opposing side walls having a top edge; said opposing side walls, back walls and bottom each having a plurality of holes through which fluid and debris may pass; a pair of horizontally disposed, horizontally extending, basically flat side flanges, each of said side flanges being attached at said top edge of one of said opposing side walls, each of said opposing flanges having at least one hole therein, each of said holes defining a basically-planar open area where said basically-planar open area is basically parallel to said bottom, each of said side flanges being basically parallel to said bottom, said side flanges being basically perpendicular to said opposing side walls and basically perpendicular to said back wall; at least one shelf which is horizontally disposed and permanently attached to at least the opposing side walls and said back wall; and a plurality of cassettes adapted for placement upon said shelf and said bottom, each of said cassettes having a hinged top, and configured in size and shape to receive and hold dental or orthodontic tools.