Patent ID: 8840596

Claim:
A surgical handpiece, comprising: a housing with a cylindrical bore for attachment to a surgical instrument; a first suction passageway located within the cylindrical bore and leading from the surgical instrument when the surgical instrument is attached; a second suction passageway leading from the handpiece; and a removable valve assembly for connecting or disconnecting the first suction passageway to the second suction passageway, the removeable valve assembly being placed within a cavity of the housing of the surgical handpiece to allow the removable valve assembly to be removably attached to and disengaged from the housing of the surgical handpiece, the removable valve assembly including a handle, a body attached to the handle, and a valve attached to the body so that, when the handle is moved, the handle rotates the valve, wherein when the removable valve assembly is placed within the cavity of the housing, the handle opens and closes a barrel to allow or prevent flow through the second suction passageway, the removable valve assembly further comprising a first opening for communicating with the first suction passageway located within the cylindrical bore, and a second opening for communicating with the second suction passageway leading from the handpiece, the removable valve assembly further including a protrusion that engages the handpiece to secure the removable valve assembly to the handpiece, the protrusion being configured to be extended and retracted for engaging the handpiece to secure the removable valve assembly to the cavity of the housing of the handpiece and for disengaging the handpiece from the removable valve assembly to provide access to the first and second suction passageways for cleaning purposes, the protrusion disengaging the removable valve assembly from the handpiece by retracting away from the handpiece, the protrusion retracting away from the handpiece and entering the removable valve assembly when a pin knob, provided in the removable valve assembly, is depressed, the removable valve assembly being configured to be removably attached to, and disengaged from, the handpiece in one piece.