Patent ID: 7568554

Claim:
An oil cartridge for use with a surgical tool oiler assembly, said oil cartridge including: a housing having a void space and opposed first and second ends, said housing dimensioned to seat in an oiler assembly that supplies gas to a pneumatically driven surgical handpiece; first and second caps, said first cap being disposed over the first end of said housing and having a feature for opening a valve integral with the oiler assembly, said second cap being disposed over the second end of said housing, said caps having coaxial openings through which gas is flowed to the surgical handpiece; a stem that extends from the opening in the second cap, through the housing void space towards the first cap and that terminates in said housing at a position spaced from said first cap so as define in said housing a gap between said first cap and said stem, said stem having a through bore; a plate disposed in the housing void space that is spaced from said first cap so as to divide the void space into a wick chamber located adjacent said first cap and a oil reservoir spaced from said first cap, said plate having a first opening in which said stem is at least partially seated and a second opening that extends between the wick chamber and the oil reservoir; a porous member disposed in said oil reservoir, said porous member holding lubricant for lubricating the surgical handpiece; a structural member disposed in said housing for holding said porous member away from said second cap so as to define in said housing a gas reservoir between said second cap and said porous member, said gas reservoir being in fluid communication with the oil reservoir; and a wick formed from porous material disposed in the wick chamber, said wick having an exposed surface adjacent the gap between said first cap and said stem.