Patent ID: 8454360

Claim:
A hand-held fluid droplet interproximal dental cleaning apparatus, comprising: a container source of compressed gas ( 12 ) containing gas in a liquid state ( 14 ) and gas in a gaseous state ( 16 ); a siphon tube ( 20 ) extending down into the container source of compressed gas far enough that an open end of the siphon tube will be in a region of the container containing gas in a liquid state when the apparatus is in an upright position; a metering valve ( 18 ) adapted to receive a selected volume of compressed gas from the container source, wherein the metering valve is limited in size to a single use of gas in a liquid state, approximately 0.01 ml, which results in an output stream of expanding decompressed gas for a single use of operation of the cleaning apparatus; a gas chamber ( 26 ) into which the decompressed gas from the metering valve is directed, wherein the decompressed gas allowed into the gas chamber is limited to said decompressed gas from the metering valve; a reservoir source of liquid ( 34 ); a system ( 38 , 40 ) for moving liquid in the liquid reservoir in one direction into a liquid chamber ( 42 ) which is separate from the reservoir and adapted to contain a single use of liquid, approximately 0.1 ml; a one-way valve ( 44 ) connecting the gas chamber to the liquid chamber, wherein in operation pressure in the gas chamber produced by the decompressed gas opens the one-way valve so that an amount of the decompressed gas moves into the liquid chamber, accelerating the liquid therein through a fluid connecting line ( 46 ) to contact the stream of decompressed gas; and a gas stream line ( 28 ) extending from the gas chamber, wherein interaction of the liquid from the liquid chamber and the stream of decompressed gas in the gas stream line produces fluid droplets ( 31 ) which are directed out of the apparatus to a desired dental surface.