Patent ID: 7448867

Claim:
An apparatus for dispensing a material during a dental or endodontic procedure, comprising: a housing including a motor with an output, said housing further including a proximal end and a distal end extending along a longitudinal axis, a needle heating member including a chamber extending around the longitudinal axis proximate the distal end, an opening in said housing at the distal end extending around the longitudinal axis, said opening communicating with said chamber and configured to receive a disposable needle prefilled with the material, a plunger coupled with said motor and configured to expel the material from the needle during activation of said motor, a heating element thermally coupled with said needle heating member and at least substantially surrounding said chamber for heating the material in the needle, and a removable, autoclavable sheath surrounding at least a portion of said housing, said sheath comprising a first, rigid member and a second, resilient member at least partially overlying said first, rigid member and adapted to be gripped by a user while dispensing the material, said second, resilient member including an orifice configured to accommodate the disposable needle and a flexible seal portion configured to provide a seal around said orifice.