A device for disinfecting dental chair tubing

Abstract

The application provides a device for disinfecting dental chair pipelines, and relates to the field of oral medical equipment. The device for disinfecting dental chair pipelines comprises a control part and a water-gas structure. The water-gas structure comprises a gas source, a water source, a pure water bottle, a reversing valve, a two-position three-way electromagnetic valve 2, a disinfectant water bottle, a two-position three-way electromagnetic valve 1, a two-position three-way electromagnetic valve 4, a control valve, a two-position three-way electromagnetic valve 3, an instrument tray handset control valve group, an instrument tray handset three-purpose gun, a position selection valve, a strong suction, a weak suction, a heater, an assistant position three-purpose gun, an electromagnetic valve 5 and a mouthwash pipe. The gas source is in communication with the gas inlet ends of the two-position three-way electromagnetic valve 1, the two-position three-way electromagnetic valve 3, the two-position three-way electromagnetic valve 4 and the control valve, respectively. In the application, the problems of disinfection dead angles existing in the prior art are fundamentally eliminated, and the risk of cross infection is effectively reduced through a double-independent water bottle structure, a full-pipeline switching module and a seven-step automatic disinfection process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of dental medical devices, specifically a device for disinfecting dental chair tubing. Background Technology

[0002] Dental chairs are indispensable core equipment in clinical dental treatment. Their water system (dental chair tubing) is responsible for key functions such as water delivery, oral irrigation, and waste removal. This system includes multiple branch lines such as handpiece water supply lines, mouthwash lines, assistant's three-way nozzle lines, strong suction lines, weak suction lines, and heater lines. The overall structure is complex, with long, thin pipes and numerous bends. During clinical use, the water flow within these lines is often intermittent, frequently resulting in stagnant water. Microorganisms in the water and pathogens from the patient's mouth can easily adhere to the inner walls of the lines, multiplying and forming a biofilm. This biofilm continuously releases bacteria, fungi, and other harmful microorganisms into the water system, causing microbial contamination of the treatment water. This can lead to cross-infection between patients and medical staff, seriously threatening the safety of dental treatment. Therefore, regular, comprehensive, and thorough disinfection of the dental chair water system is crucial for preventing hospital-acquired infections and ensuring the safety of dental treatment.

[0003] Currently, the water system disinfection technology used in dental clinics and with existing dental equipment mainly falls into two categories: manual disinfection and automated, phased disinfection. Manual disinfection involves healthcare professionals manually injecting disinfectant into the water system, relying on the natural flow of the disinfectant through certain sections of the tubing for disinfection. Automated, phased disinfection, on the other hand, uses pre-programmed procedures to disinfect specific sections of the water system at set intervals. While these two existing disinfection methods can achieve localized disinfection of the water system to some extent and meet basic disinfection needs, they suffer from several insurmountable technical drawbacks in practical applications, as detailed below: Firstly, the disinfection coverage is limited, failing to achieve full pipeline disinfection. Current disinfection technology can only disinfect the main water supply lines, such as those for dental handpieces, and cannot cover all branch lines prone to bacterial growth and biofilm formation, including mouthwash lines, assistant station three-way gun lines, strong suction lines, and weak suction lines. This results in numerous disinfection blind spots. The biofilm within these blind spots continues to breed microorganisms, still causing overall water system contamination and failing to fundamentally address the risk of microbial infection in the dental treatment unit's water system, significantly reducing the effectiveness of disinfection.

[0004] Secondly, the problem of disinfectant residue is prominent, posing risks of equipment corrosion and medical safety. Current disinfection procedures are mostly carried out after each day's treatment. After disinfection, the pipelines cannot be automatically and thoroughly flushed, leaving a large amount of disinfectant residue inside the pipelines, valves, and heaters. The heaters, in particular, have complex internal structures, resulting in large amounts of residual disinfectant that is difficult to drain naturally. Long-term residual disinfectant will continuously corrode the inner walls of the pipelines, various control valves, and heater components, accelerating equipment aging, significantly increasing the equipment failure rate, and raising maintenance costs. Furthermore, if residual disinfectant is not completely removed, it will enter the patient's mouth with the water flow during the next day's treatment, irritating the oral mucosa and even causing chemical damage, seriously endangering the patient's health.

[0005] Third, the removal of residual disinfectant is cumbersome and labor-intensive. Current technology cannot automatically remove residual disinfectant; medical staff must manually turn on the water supply and flush each pipe individually to remove the residue. This process is complex, time-consuming, and labor-intensive, significantly increasing the workload of medical staff, reducing the overall efficiency of oral care, and failing to meet the needs of efficient clinical treatment.

[0006] In summary, existing dental chair tubing disinfection technologies suffer from numerous drawbacks, including incomplete disinfection, significant disinfectant residue hazards, and inconvenient residue removal procedures. These shortcomings fail to meet the demands of clinical dentistry for safe, efficient, and comprehensive disinfection of water systems, hindering the improvement of infection control in dental treatment. Therefore, developing a dedicated disinfection device adapted to dental equipment, capable of achieving full tubing coverage disinfection and automatically rinsing away residual disinfectant, to address the deficiencies of existing technologies, has become an urgent technical challenge in the field of dental medical equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing dental chair tubing disinfection devices, such as incomplete disinfection coverage, serious disinfectant residue, and cumbersome residue removal procedures, and to provide a dedicated full-tubing disinfection device for dental equipment. This invention, through its dual independent water bottle structure, full-tubing switching module, and seven-step automated disinfection process, fundamentally eliminates the disinfection "dead zones" problem present in existing technologies, effectively reducing the risk of cross-infection.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A device for disinfecting tubing in a dental chair includes a control section and a water-air structure. The water-air structure includes an air source 101, a water source 102, a purified water bottle 103, a reversing valve 104, a two-position three-way solenoid valve 2105, a disinfectant bottle 106, a two-position three-way solenoid valve 1107, a two-position three-way solenoid valve 4109, a control valve 110, a two-position three-way solenoid valve 3111, an instrument tray handpiece control valve group 112, an instrument tray handpiece three-way gun 113, a position selection valve 114, a strong suction 116, a weak suction 117, a heater 118, an assistant position three-way gun 119, a solenoid valve 5120, and a mouthwash tube 121. The air source 101 is connected to the air inlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1107, the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3111, the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4109, and the control valve 110. The air outlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1107 is connected to the top air inlet of the disinfectant bottle 106. The air outlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4109 is connected to the top air inlet of the purified water bottle 103. The water source 102 is connected to the first water inlet of the reversing valve 104. The water outlet of the purified water bottle 103 is connected to the second water inlet of the reversing valve 104. The water outlet of the reversing valve 104 is connected to the first water inlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2105. The water outlet of the disinfectant bottle 106 is connected to the second water inlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2105. The outlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2105 is connected to the inlet of the instrument panel control valve group 112 and the inlet of the heater 118, respectively. The outlet of the instrument panel control valve group 112 is connected to the instrument panel three-way gun 113. The outlet of the heater 118 is connected to the assistant position three-way gun 119 and the inlet of the solenoid valve 5120, respectively. The outlet of the solenoid valve 5120 is connected to the mouthwash tube 121. The outlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3111 is connected to the control air port of the instrument panel control valve group 112. The position selection valve 114 is connected to the strong suction 116 and the weak suction 117, respectively. The control system is configured to perform the following disinfection process: S1, Three-cycle disinfection stage: Repeat the cycle of "disinfectant water rinsing → disinfectant water soaking" three times; during the disinfectant water rinsing stage, the control system controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1, two-position three-way solenoid valve 2, two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 and solenoid valve 5 to be energized; during the disinfectant water soaking stage, the control system controls all solenoid valves to be de-energized. S2, First pure water rinsing stage: The control system energizes the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 and the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4. S3, Second pure water rinsing stage: The control system controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4 and solenoid valve 5 to be energized; S4, First air path purging stage: The control system controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1, the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 and the solenoid valve 5 to be energized. S5, Second air path purging stage: The control system controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1, two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 and two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 to be energized; S6, Pipeline venting stage: The control system energizes two-position three-way solenoid valve 2, two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 and solenoid valve 5.

[0009] Furthermore, the reversing valve is an electromagnetic reversing valve, and its control end is connected to the control output end of the control system. During the disinfection process, the control system controls the reversing valve to cut off the passage between the water source and the two-position three-way electromagnetic valve 2, and to connect the passage between the purified water bottle and the two-position three-way electromagnetic valve 2. The above technical solution uses an electromagnetic reversing valve to automatically switch between the water source and the purified water bottle, eliminating the need for manual operation and avoiding cross-contamination between disinfectant and municipal water supply caused by human error. During disinfection, the municipal water supply is automatically cut off, ensuring that only dedicated disinfectant and purified water are used throughout the process, thus guaranteeing the stability of the disinfection effect. After disinfection, the system automatically switches back to the municipal water supply, without affecting the normal operation of the dental treatment unit the following day, achieving a seamless connection between the disinfection mode and the treatment mode.

[0010] Furthermore, both the disinfectant bottle and the purified water bottle have a sealed and pressure-resistant structure, with an air inlet at the top of the bottle body, a water outlet at the bottom, and a liquid level observation window on the side wall of the bottle body. Through the above technical solutions, the sealed and pressure-resistant structure can withstand the compressed air pressure of 0.4-0.6MPa input from the air source, ensuring that the liquid can be stably extruded and avoiding leakage. The bottom outlet design allows the liquid in the bottle to be completely discharged without any dead corners, preventing long-term residue and deterioration. The side wall liquid level observation window allows medical staff to intuitively view the remaining liquid in the bottle, replenish disinfectant and purified water in a timely manner, avoid interruption of the disinfection process due to insufficient liquid, and ensure the continuity of disinfection work.

[0011] Furthermore, the instrument panel mobile control valve group is a pneumatic control valve group, which opens when compressed air is introduced into the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 to allow water to flow through; and automatically closes when the air supply is cut off. The above technical solution directly utilizes the existing pneumatic control valve group of the dental treatment unit for water circuit control, eliminating the need for large-scale modification of the original equipment's water circuit system, significantly reducing the modification cost and installation difficulty of the device; the pneumatic control valve group has a fast response speed, high reliability, long service life in medical environments, and its automatic shut-off feature in the event of air failure or power outage can automatically cut off the water circuit to prevent liquid leakage and improve the safety of equipment operation.

[0012] Furthermore, the selection valve remains open throughout the disinfection process, allowing the strong and weak suction to continuously generate suction, drawing the liquid discharged from the instrument tray handpiece three-way gun, the assistant position three-way gun, and the mouthwash tube into the strong and weak suction lines, thus achieving simultaneous disinfection of the strong and weak suction lines. By cleverly utilizing the strong and weak suction systems built into the dental treatment unit, the simultaneous disinfection of the strong and weak suction lines can be achieved without the need for additional waste liquid collection devices and disinfection pipelines. This fundamentally eliminates the blind spots in existing technologies where strong and weak suction lines cannot be disinfected. At the same time, the continuous suction can collect all discharged disinfectant and purified water in a timely manner, preventing waste liquid from spilling and contaminating the treatment environment and maintaining the cleanliness and hygiene of the treatment area.

[0013] Furthermore, the water-gas structure also includes a gas switch, which is connected in series with the main gas outlet pipe of the gas source to control the opening and closing of the entire gas path; Through the above technical solution, the gas switch, as the main gas circuit control switch of the device, can manually cut off the entire gas circuit during equipment maintenance, repair, or long-term shutdown to prevent liquid leakage or gas waste caused by malfunction of the solenoid valve; at the same time, it can quickly cut off the gas circuit in emergency situations, improving the safety of equipment operation and the convenience of maintenance.

[0014] Furthermore, the water-air structure also includes a filter cup, which is connected in series with the strong and weak suction air intake pipes to filter the inhaled liquid and impurities. Through the above technical solution, the filter cup can effectively filter the waste liquid, scale and other solid impurities inhaled during the disinfection process, prevent impurities from entering the vacuum pump with strong suction and weak suction, avoid wear, blockage or damage to the vacuum pump, and extend the service life of the core components of the dental treatment unit; the filter cup adopts a detachable design, which is convenient for regular disassembly, cleaning and replacement of filter elements, and has low maintenance costs.

[0015] Furthermore, the disinfection activation button includes, but is not limited to, physical buttons, touch buttons, and remote control terminals; Through the above technical solutions, multiple control methods can meet the needs of different usage scenarios and user habits: physical buttons are simple to operate and highly reliable, suitable for frequent daily use; touch buttons have a smooth and seamless surface, are easy to clean and disinfect, and meet the hygiene requirements of oral treatment; remote control terminals can realize centralized management and remote monitoring of the disinfection process of multiple dental devices, which is particularly suitable for large dental hospitals and chain clinics, and can greatly improve management efficiency.

[0016] Furthermore, the control system also includes a timing module for precisely controlling the running time of each stage; wherein each disinfectant rinsing stage lasts 10-30 seconds, each disinfectant soaking stage lasts 2-5 minutes, each pure water rinsing stage lasts 20-60 seconds, each air purging stage lasts 15-45 seconds, and the pipeline exhaust stage lasts 10-20 seconds. Through the above technical solution, the timing module can precisely control the running time of each disinfection stage, ensuring the consistency and reliability of the disinfection effect: a 10-30 second rinsing time ensures that the disinfectant fully fills all pipelines; a 2-5 minute soaking time effectively kills bacteria, fungi, and biofilms on the inner walls of the pipelines; a 20-60 second pure water rinsing time thoroughly removes residual disinfectant from the pipelines; a 15-45 second air purging time dries any residual moisture on the inner walls of the pipelines; and a 10-20 second exhaust time removes any remaining gas from the pipelines. Furthermore, the time parameters for each stage can be flexibly adjusted according to different disinfectant types and pipeline contamination levels, enabling the device to adapt to various disinfection needs.

[0017] The present invention discloses a disinfection method for a dental equipment-specific full-pipeline disinfection device, comprising the following steps: Step 1, preparation: add an appropriate amount of disinfectant to the disinfectant bottle, add medical purified water to the purified water bottle, turn on the gas switch, and confirm that the gas source pressure is normal; Step 2: Start disinfection: Press the disinfection start button, and the control system will control the reversing valve to switch to the purified water bottle passage, and start the three-cycle disinfection stage at the same time. Step 3: Three cycles of disinfection: 3.1 First disinfectant rinse: The control system energizes two-position three-way solenoid valves 1, 2, 3, and 5; compressed air enters the disinfectant bottle through two-position three-way solenoid valve 1, pressurizing the disinfectant out and delivering it to the instrument tray handpiece control valve group and heater through two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 respectively; the disinfectant flows sequentially through the instrument tray handpiece three-way gun, the assistant position three-way gun and the mouthwash tube before being discharged, and is drawn in by strong and weak suction. 3.2 First disinfectant soaking: The control system de-energizes all solenoid valves, and disinfectant fills all water-contacting pipes, maintaining the soaking state; 3.3 Repeat steps 3.1 and 3.2 twice to complete three cycles of rinsing and soaking with disinfectant. Step 4: Rinse with purified water in stages: 4.1 First pure water rinse: The control system energizes the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 and the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4; compressed air enters the pure water bottle through the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4, presses out the pure water and delivers it to the instrument tray handpiece control valve group and heater through the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2; the pure water rinses the tubing of the instrument tray handpiece three-way gun and the assistant position three-way gun. 4.2 Second purified water flushing: The control system energizes the two-position three-way solenoid valves 4 and 5; purified water flushes the assistant position three-way gun and mouthwash tubing. Step 5: Staged purge of the gas path: 5.1 First air path purging: The control system energizes two-position three-way solenoid valve 1, two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 and solenoid valve 5; compressed air enters the pipeline through the disinfectant bottle and two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 to purge the assistant position three-way gun, heater and mouthwash pipeline to blow out residual moisture; 5.2 Second air path purging: The control system energizes two-position three-way solenoid valve 1, two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 and two-position three-way solenoid valve 3; compressed air purifies the instrument tray handpiece three-way gun tubing; Step 6, Pipeline venting: The control system energizes two-position three-way solenoid valve 2, two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 and solenoid valve 5; using the compressed air remaining in the pipeline, all residual gas and trace amounts of moisture in the pipeline are completely vented. Step 7: Disinfection complete: The control system de-energizes all solenoid valves, switches the reversing valve back to the water source path, and the equipment returns to normal operating status.

[0018] This invention provides a device for sterilizing dental chair tubing. It has the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention provides a device for disinfecting tubing in dental chairs. It employs a dual independent water bottle structure to separate and independently supply disinfectant and purified water, preventing cross-contamination between disinfectant and working water from the source; it provides full-line disinfection coverage. A tubing switching module delivers disinfectant to all water-contacting tubing in the dental treatment unit, including the handpiece tubing, three-way gun tubing, assistant's three-way gun tubing, mouthwash tubing, spittoon irrigation tubing, strong suction tubing, and weak suction tubing, fundamentally eliminating the disinfection "dead zones" problem existing in current technologies and effectively reducing the risk of cross-infection.

[0019] 2. This invention provides a device for disinfecting dental chair tubing, which adds an air rinsing and drying process. After water rinsing, a high-pressure / clean airflow is introduced to blow through the entire water circuit. The airflow disturbance and flushing action physically removes trace residues that are difficult to remove by water rinsing in dead corners, narrow-diameter pipes, and bends. At the same time, it quickly dries the residual moisture on the inner wall of the tubing, keeping the water circuit in a dry environment. This fundamentally inhibits bacterial growth, biofilm formation, and mold reproduction caused by a humid environment, improving the long-term hygiene and reliability of the water circuit.

[0020] 3. This invention provides a device for disinfecting dental chair tubing, expanding the disinfection coverage and achieving disinfection of all water nodes without dead angles. All water-contacting structures, including pipes, valves, pumps, nozzles, joints, and end-effectors, are included in the disinfection path, overcoming the shortcomings of traditional devices that only disinfect locally and have blind spots, thus improving the integrity and thoroughness of disinfection.

[0021] 4. This invention provides a device for disinfecting tubing in dental chairs. The entire disinfection process is highly integrated and automated. Through control logic, the device automatically executes the following sequence: disinfectant supply → soaking / circulation disinfection → rinsing with clean water → air drying. The entire process can be completed with a single button trigger, reducing manual intervention, operational errors, and the risk of cross-infection. It simplifies the operation structure and improves the ease of use and operational stability of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the appearance of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the control section of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the water vapor structure of the present invention.

[0023] In the picture: 101. Gas source; 102. Water source; 103. Purified water bottle; 104. Reversing valve; 105. Two-position three-way solenoid valve 2; 106. Disinfectant bottle; 107. Two-position three-way solenoid valve 1; 108. Gas switch; 109. Two-position three-way solenoid valve 4; 110. Control valve; 111. Two-position three-way solenoid valve 3; 112. Instrument tray handpiece control valve assembly; 113. Instrument tray handpiece three-way gun; 114. Position selection valve; 115. Filter cup; 116. Strong suction; 117. Weak suction; 118. Heater; 119. Assistant position three-way gun; 120. Solenoid valve 5; 121. Mouthwash tube; 122. Control system; 123. Disinfection start button. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] Example:

[0026] like Figure 1-3 As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides a device for disinfecting dental chair tubing, which includes a control section and a water / air structure. The water-air structure includes an air source 101, a water source 102, a purified water bottle 103, a reversing valve 104, a two-position three-way solenoid valve 2105, a disinfectant bottle 106, a two-position three-way solenoid valve 1107, an air switch 108, a two-position three-way solenoid valve 4109, a control valve 110, a two-position three-way solenoid valve 3111, an instrument tray handpiece control valve group 112, an instrument tray handpiece three-way gun 113, a position selection valve 114, a filter cup 115, a strong suction 116, a weak suction 117, a heater 118, an assistant position three-way gun 119, a solenoid valve 5120, and a mouthwash tube 121.

[0027] Air source 101 is a compressed air source integrated into the dental treatment unit, with a pressure of 0.4-0.6 MPa. Air switch 108 is connected in series with the main air outlet pipe of air source 101 to control the on / off state of the entire air circuit, shutting off the air circuit when the equipment is under maintenance or not in use for an extended period. Air source 101, after passing through air switch 108, is connected to the air inlet of two-position three-way solenoid valves 1107, 3111, 4109, and control valve 110. Control valve 110 is the original air circuit control valve of the dental treatment unit, used to control the on / off state of the air circuit during treatment.

[0028] The outlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1107 is connected to the air inlet at the top of the disinfectant bottle 106; the outlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4109 is connected to the air inlet at the top of the purified water bottle 103. Both the disinfectant bottle 106 and the purified water bottle 103 are sealed and pressure-resistant, made of food-grade PP material, with a capacity of 1-2L, which can meet the needs of a single full-process disinfection. The top of the bottle has an air inlet and a liquid filling port, with the liquid filling port equipped with a sealing cap; the bottom has a water outlet for easy complete liquid drainage; and a transparent liquid level observation window is provided on the side wall of the bottle for easy observation of the remaining liquid level.

[0029] Water source 102 is either municipal water or purified water supplied by the dental treatment unit. Water source 102 is connected to the first inlet of reversing valve 104, the outlet of purified water bottle 103 is connected to the second inlet of reversing valve 104, and the outlet of reversing valve 104 is connected to the first inlet of two-position three-way solenoid valve 2105. Reversing valve 104 is a solenoid reversing valve, and its control terminal is connected to the control output terminal of control system 122. During disinfection, control system 122 controls reversing valve 104 to cut off the passage between water source 102 and two-position three-way solenoid valve 2105, and to connect the passage between purified water bottle 103 and two-position three-way solenoid valve 2105; after disinfection, reversing valve 104 automatically switches back to the water source 102 passage, without affecting the normal use of the dental treatment unit.

[0030] The outlet of the disinfectant bottle 106 is connected to the second inlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2105. The outlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2105 is connected to the inlet of the instrument tray handpiece control valve assembly 112 and the inlet of the heater 118, respectively. The instrument tray handpiece control valve assembly 112 is the original pneumatic control valve assembly of the dental treatment unit. It opens when compressed air is introduced into the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3111, allowing water to flow through; it automatically closes when the air supply is cut off. The outlet of the instrument tray handpiece control valve assembly 112 is connected to the instrument tray handpiece three-way gun 113, which includes a dental handpiece and a three-way gun.

[0031] Heater 118 is the original water heater of the dental treatment unit, used to heat the water used for treatment. The water outlet of heater 118 is connected to the three-way gun 119 in the assistant position and the water inlet of solenoid valve 5120; the water outlet of solenoid valve 5120 is connected to mouthwash tube 121.

[0032] The outlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3111 is connected to the control air port of the instrument panel control valve group 112, and is used to control the opening and closing of the instrument panel control valve group 112.

[0033] The selection valve 114 is the original selection valve of the dental treatment unit, connected to both the strong suction 116 and the weak suction 117. A filter cup 115 is connected in series in the air intake pipes of the strong suction 116 and the weak suction 117 to filter the inhaled liquid and impurities, protecting the vacuum pumps of the strong suction 116 and the weak suction 117. Throughout the sterilization process, the selection valve 114 remains open, allowing the strong suction 116 and the weak suction 117 to continuously generate suction, drawing the liquid discharged from the instrument tray handpiece 113, the assistant's three-way handpiece 119, and the mouthwash tube 121 into the strong suction 116 and weak suction 117 lines, achieving simultaneous sterilization of the strong suction 116 and weak suction 117 lines.

[0034] The control unit includes a control system 122 and a disinfection start button 123. The control system 122 uses a PLC controller or a microcontroller, integrating a timing module and a storage module, enabling precise control of the running time at each stage and storage of multiple disinfection programs. The disinfection start button 123 is a waterproof touch button, installed on the control panel of the dental treatment unit for convenient operation by medical staff. The signal output terminal of the disinfection start button 123 is connected to the signal input terminal of the control system 122; the control output terminals of the control system 122 are respectively connected to the control terminals of the reversing valve 104, the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1107, the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2105, the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3111, the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4109, and the solenoid valve 5120.

[0035] like Figure 3 As shown, the control system 122 is configured to perform the following disinfection process: S1. Three-cycle disinfection phase: Repeat the "disinfectant rinsing → disinfectant soaking" cycle three times; each disinfectant rinsing phase lasts 20 seconds, and each disinfectant soaking phase lasts 3 minutes. During the disinfectant rinsing phase, control system 122 energizes two-position three-way solenoid valves 1107, 2105, 3111, and 5120; during the disinfectant soaking phase, control system 122 de-energizes all solenoid valves.

[0036] S2, First pure water rinsing stage: The time is 40 seconds. The control system 122 controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3111 and the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4109 to be energized.

[0037] S3, Second pure water rinsing stage: The time is 40 seconds. The control system 122 controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4109 and solenoid valve 5120 to be energized.

[0038] S4, First air path purging stage: The time is 30 seconds. The control system 122 controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1107, the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2105 and the solenoid valve 5120 to be energized.

[0039] S5, Second air path purging stage: The time is 30 seconds. The control system 122 controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1107, two-position three-way solenoid valve 2105 and two-position three-way solenoid valve 3111 to be energized.

[0040] S6. Pipeline venting stage: The time is 15 seconds. The control system 122 controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2105, the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3111 and the solenoid valve 5120 to be energized.

[0041] This embodiment describes a disinfection method for a dental equipment-specific full-pipe disinfection device, comprising the following steps: Step 1: Preparation: Open the sealing cap of the filling port of disinfectant bottle 106, add 1L of chlorine-containing disinfectant solution with a concentration of 500mg / L, and tighten the sealing cap; open the sealing cap of the filling port of purified water bottle 103, add 1.5L of medical purified water, and tighten the sealing cap; turn on the gas switch 108 and confirm that the pressure of the gas source 101 is within the range of 0.4-0.6MPa.

[0042] Step 2: Start disinfection: After the daily treatment is completed, press the disinfection start button 123. After the control system 122 receives the start signal, it first controls the reversing valve 104 to switch to the pure water bottle 103 passage, cuts off the water source 102, and starts the three-cycle disinfection stage.

[0043] Step 3: Three cycles of disinfection: 3.1 First Disinfectant Rinse: The control system 122 energizes two-position three-way solenoid valves 1107, 2105, 3111, and 5120. Compressed air enters the disinfectant bottle 106 through the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1107, creating positive pressure inside the bottle. This pressure forces the disinfectant out and delivers it through the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2105 to the instrument tray handpiece control valve group 112 and the heater 118, respectively. After the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3111 is energized, compressed air enters the control air port of the instrument tray handpiece control valve group 112, opening the control valve group. The disinfectant then enters the instrument tray handpiece three-way gun 113 through the instrument tray handpiece control valve group 112 and is discharged. Simultaneously, the disinfectant passes through the heater 118 to the assistant position three-way gun 119 and the solenoid valve 5120. After the solenoid valve 5120 is energized, the disinfectant is discharged through the mouthwash tube 121. All discharged disinfectant water is drawn in by the continuously operating strong suction 116 and weak suction 117 pipes, and discharged after flowing through the strong suction 116 and weak suction 117 pipes.

[0044] 3.2 First disinfectant soaking: After 20 seconds, the control system 122 de-energizes all solenoid valves. At this time, the disinfectant fills the instrument tray handpiece three-way gun 113 tubing, the assistant position three-way gun 119 tubing, the mouthwash tubing 121 tubing, the heater 118 tubing, the strong suction 116 tubing, and the weak suction 117 tubing. Maintain the soaking state for 3 minutes to fully kill microorganisms and biofilms on the inner walls of the tubing.

[0045] 3.3 Repeat steps 3.1 and 3.2 twice to complete three cycles of rinsing and soaking with disinfectant to ensure thorough disinfection.

[0046] Step 4: Rinse with purified water in stages: 4.1 First Pure Water Rinse: After three cycles of disinfection, the control system 122 energizes the two-position three-way solenoid valves 3111 and 4109. Compressed air enters the pure water bottle 103 through the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4109, pressurizing the pure water and delivering it through the reversing valve 104 and the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2105 to the instrument tray handpiece control valve group 112 and the heater 118. The energization of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3111 opens the instrument tray handpiece control valve group 112, allowing pure water to rinse the tubing of the instrument tray handpiece three-way gun 113; simultaneously, pure water rinses the tubing of the assistant position three-way gun 119, and the rinsed wastewater is sucked in and discharged by the strong suction 116 and weak suction 117.

[0047] 4.2 Second Purified Water Rinse: After 40 seconds, the control system 122 de-energizes the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3111 and simultaneously energizes the solenoid valve 5120. At this time, the instrument tray handpiece control valve group 112 closes, and purified water no longer flows to the instrument tray handpiece three-way gun 113; purified water continues to rinse the tubing of the assistant position three-way gun 119, and simultaneously rinses the mouthwash tubing 121 through the solenoid valve 5120, thoroughly removing any residual disinfectant from the tubing.

[0048] Step 5: Staged purge of the gas path: 5.1 First Air Path Purging: After 40 seconds, the control system 122 de-energizes the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4109 and simultaneously energizes the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1107. At this time, the purified water bottle 103 stops supplying water, and compressed air enters the disinfectant bottle 106 through the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1107. The disinfectant solution in the disinfectant bottle 106 is now almost depleted, and then enters the pipeline through the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2105. The compressed air powerfully purifies the assistant position three-way gun 119, heater 118, and mouthwash pipe 121, blowing out any remaining purified water from the pipeline.

[0049] 5.2 Second air path purging: After 30 seconds, the control system 122 de-energizes the solenoid valve 5120 and simultaneously energizes the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3111. At this time, compressed air no longer flows to the mouthwash tube 121, and the energization of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3111 opens the instrument tray handpiece control valve group 112, allowing compressed air to purge the tubing of the instrument tray handpiece three-way gun 113, blowing out any residual purified water in the tubing.

[0050] Step Six: Pipeline Air Purging: After 30 seconds, the control system 122 de-energizes the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1107, stopping the supply of new compressed air into the pipeline. At this time, the remaining compressed air in the pipeline is used to completely expel all residual gas and trace amounts of moisture, ensuring that the inside of the pipeline is dry.

[0051] Step 7, Disinfection complete: After 15 seconds, the control system 122 controls all solenoid valves to de-energize, the reversing valve 104 automatically switches back to the water source 102 path, and the equipment returns to normal diagnostic and treatment status, ready for use the next day.

[0052] Working principle: After pressing the disinfection start button, the control system 122 first controls the solenoid reversing valve 104 to cut off the municipal water supply 102 and connect the purified water bottle 103. Then, it controls the on / off of each solenoid valve according to the preset sequence, using the compressed air provided by the dental treatment unit's own air source 101 as the sole power to complete the entire disinfection process: First, the two-position three-way solenoid valves 1107, 2105, 3111, and 5120 are energized. Compressed air enters the disinfection water bottle 106 through the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1107, pressurizing the disinfectant water out. At the same time, the water flows through the two-position three-way solenoid valve 104 to the sterilization water bottle 106. 111. Open the instrument tray handpiece control valve assembly 112. Disinfectant flows through the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2105 to the instrument tray handpiece control valve assembly 112 and the heater 118, thereby rinsing the instrument tray handpiece three-way gun 113, the assistant position three-way gun 119, and the mouthwash tube 121. Then, all solenoid valves are de-energized, and disinfectant fills all water-contacting pipes to achieve immersion disinfection. The above two processes are repeated three times to ensure sterilization effect. Then, the two-position three-way solenoid valves 3111 and 4109 are energized, and compressed air is pressurized through the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4109 to pressurize the purified water in the purified water bottle 103. The instrument tray handpiece three-way gun 113 and assistant position three-way gun 119 tubing are flushed. Then, two-position three-way solenoid valves 4109 and 5120 are energized, closing the instrument tray handpiece control valve group 112. Purified water flushes the assistant position three-way gun 119 and mouthwash tubing 121 tubing. Subsequently, two-position three-way solenoid valves 1107, 2105, and 5120 are energized, allowing compressed air to enter the tubing through the emptied disinfectant bottle 106, purging and draining the assistant position three-way gun 119, heater 118, and mouthwash tubing 121. Next, two-position three-way solenoid valve 1107… Two-position three-way solenoid valves 2105 and 3111 are energized, and compressed air is used to purge and drain the tubing of the instrument tray, handpiece, and three-way gun 113. Finally, two-position three-way solenoid valve 1107 is de-energized, and the residual compressed air in the tubing is used to exhaust all the tubing. Throughout the disinfection process, the selection valve 114 remains open, and the strong suction 116 and weak suction 117 continuously generate suction to draw all the disinfectant water and purified water discharged from each end into their respective tubing, thus simultaneously completing the disinfection and cleaning of the strong suction and weak suction tubing. After disinfection, the electromagnetic reversing valve 104 automatically resets and connects to the municipal water supply, and the equipment returns to normal diagnostic and treatment status.

[0053] The following points should be noted in this article: 1. The accompanying drawings of the embodiments disclosed herein only relate to the structures involved in the embodiments disclosed herein; other structures can be referred to in a general design.

[0054] 2. Where there is no conflict, the embodiments of this disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other to obtain new embodiments.

[0055] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for disinfecting dental chair tubing, comprising a control unit and a water / air structure, characterized in that: The water-air structure includes an air source (101), a water source (102), a purified water bottle (103), a reversing valve (104), a two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 (105), a disinfectant bottle (106), a two-position three-way solenoid valve 1 (107), a two-position three-way solenoid valve 4 (109), a control valve (110), a two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 (111), an instrument tray handpiece control valve group (112), an instrument tray handpiece three-way gun (113), a position selection valve (114), a strong suction (116), a weak suction (117), a heater (118), an assistant position three-way gun (119), a solenoid valve 5 (120), and a mouthwash tube (121). The gas source (101) is connected to the air inlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1 (107), the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 (111), the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4 (109) and the control valve (110). The air outlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1 (107) is connected to the top air inlet of the disinfectant bottle (106). The air outlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4 (109) is connected to the top air inlet of the purified water bottle (103). The water source (102) is connected to the first water inlet of the reversing valve (104). The water outlet of the purified water bottle (103) is connected to the second water inlet of the reversing valve (104). The water outlet of the reversing valve (104) is connected to the first water inlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 (105). The water outlet of the disinfectant bottle (106) is connected to the second water inlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 (105). The outlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 (105) is connected to the inlet of the instrument panel handpiece control valve group (112) and the inlet of the heater (118), respectively. The outlet of the instrument panel handpiece control valve group (112) is connected to the instrument panel handpiece three-way gun (113). The outlet of the heater (118) is connected to the inlet of the assistant position three-way gun (119) and the solenoid valve 5 (120), respectively. The outlet of the solenoid valve 5 (120) is connected to the mouthwash tube (121). The outlet of the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 (111) is connected to the control air port of the instrument panel handpiece control valve group (112). The position selection valve (114) is connected to the strong suction (116) and the weak suction (117), respectively. The control section includes a control system (122) and a disinfection start button (123), wherein the signal output terminal of the disinfection start button (123) is connected to the signal input terminal of the control system (122); The control output terminal of the control system (122) is connected to the control terminals of two-position three-way solenoid valve 1 (107), two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 (105), two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 (111), two-position three-way solenoid valve 4 (109) and solenoid valve 5 (120), respectively. The control system (122) is configured to perform the following disinfection process: S1, Three-cycle disinfection stage: Repeat the cycle of rinsing with disinfectant water to soaking in disinfectant water three times; During the rinsing stage, the control system (122) controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1 (107), the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 (105), the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 (111) and the solenoid valve 5 (120) to be energized; During the soaking stage, the control system (122) controls all solenoid valves to be de-energized. S2, First pure water rinsing stage: The control system (122) controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 (111) and the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4 (109) to be energized; S3, Second pure water rinsing stage: The control system (122) controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4 (109) and solenoid valve 5 (120) to be energized; S4, First gas path purging stage: The control system (122) controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1 (107), the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 (105) and the solenoid valve 5 (120) to be energized; S5, Second air path purging stage: The control system (122) controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1 (107), the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 (105) and the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 (111) to be energized; S6, Pipeline venting stage: The control system (122) controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 (105), the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 (111) and the solenoid valve 5 (120) to be energized.

2. The device for disinfecting dental chair tubing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reversing valve (104) is an electromagnetic reversing valve. Its control end is connected to the control output end of the control system (122). During the disinfection process, the control system (122) controls the reversing valve (104) to cut off the passage between the water source (102) and the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 (105), and connect the passage between the purified water bottle (103) and the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 (105).

3. The device for disinfecting dental chair tubing according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the disinfectant bottle (106) and the purified water bottle (103) are sealed and pressure-resistant structures. The top of the bottle is provided with an air inlet, the bottom with a water outlet, and the side wall of the bottle is provided with a liquid level observation window.

4. The device for disinfecting dental chair tubing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The instrument panel mobile control valve group (112) is a pneumatic control valve group. It opens when compressed air is introduced into the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 (111) to allow water to flow through, and automatically closes when the air supply is cut off.

5. The device for disinfecting dental chair tubing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The selection valve (114) remains open throughout the disinfection process, so that the strong suction (116) and weak suction (117) continuously generate suction to draw the liquid discharged from the instrument tray handpiece three-way gun (113), assistant position three-way gun (119) and mouthwash tube (121) into the strong suction (116) and weak suction (117) lines, thereby achieving synchronous disinfection of the strong suction (116) and weak suction (117) lines.

6. The device for disinfecting dental chair tubing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water-gas structure also includes a gas switch (108), which is connected in series with the main gas outlet pipe of the gas source (101) to control the opening and closing of the entire gas path.

7. The device for disinfecting dental chair tubing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water-air structure also includes a filter cup (115), which is connected in series with the air intake pipes of the strong suction (116) and the weak suction (117) to filter the inhaled liquid and impurities.

8. The device for disinfecting dental chair tubing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The disinfection start button (123) includes, but is not limited to, physical buttons, touch buttons and remote control terminals.

9. The device for disinfecting dental chair tubing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control system (122) also includes a timing module for precisely controlling the running time of each stage; wherein each disinfectant rinsing stage lasts 10-30 seconds, each disinfectant soaking stage lasts 2-5 minutes, each pure water rinsing stage lasts 20-60 seconds, each air purging stage lasts 15-45 seconds, and the pipeline exhaust stage lasts 10-20 seconds.

10. A disinfection method for a dental equipment-specific full-pipe disinfection device as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Preparation: Add an appropriate amount of disinfectant to the disinfectant bottle (106), add medical purified water to the purified water bottle (103), turn on the gas switch (108), and confirm that the gas source (101) pressure is normal; Step 2, Start disinfection: Press the disinfection start button (123), the control system (122) controls the reversing valve (104) to switch to the pure water bottle (103) passage, and at the same time start the three-cycle disinfection stage; Step 3: Three cycles of disinfection: 3.1 First disinfectant rinse: The control system (122) controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1 (107), two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 (105), two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 (111) and solenoid valve 5 (120) to be energized; compressed air enters the disinfectant bottle (106) through the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1 (107), presses out the disinfectant and delivers it to the instrument tray handpiece control valve group (112) and heater (118) through the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 (105); the disinfectant flows through the instrument tray handpiece three-way gun (113), the assistant position three-way gun (119) and the mouthwash tube (121) in sequence and is discharged, and is sucked in by the strong suction (116) and the weak suction (117); 3.2 First disinfectant soaking: The control system (122) controls all solenoid valves to be de-energized, and disinfectant fills all water-contacting pipelines to maintain the soaking state; 3.3 Repeat steps 3.1 and 3.2 twice to complete three cycles of rinsing and soaking with disinfectant. Step 4: Rinse with purified water in stages: 4.1 First pure water rinse: The control system (122) controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 (111) and the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4 (109) to be energized; compressed air enters the pure water bottle (103) through the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4 (109), presses out the pure water and delivers it to the instrument tray handpiece control valve group (112) and heater (118) through the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 (105); the pure water rinses the pipelines of the instrument tray handpiece three-way gun (113) and the assistant position three-way gun (119); 4.2 Second pure water flushing: The control system (122) controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 4 (109) and solenoid valve 5 (120) to be energized; pure water flushes the assistant position three-way gun (119) and mouthwash pipe (121); Step 5: Staged purge of the gas path: 5.1 First air path purging: The control system (122) controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1 (107), the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 (105) and the solenoid valve 5 (120) to be energized; compressed air enters the pipeline through the disinfectant bottle (106) and the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 (105) to purge the assistant position three-way gun (119), heater (118) and mouthwash pipe (121) pipeline, and blow out the residual moisture; 5.2 Second air path purging: The control system (122) controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 1 (107), the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 (105) and the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 (111) to be energized; compressed air purifies the pipeline of the instrument tray handpiece three-way gun (113); Step 6, Pipeline venting: The control system (122) controls the two-position three-way solenoid valve 2 (105), the two-position three-way solenoid valve 3 (111) and the solenoid valve 5 (120) to be energized; the remaining compressed air in the pipeline is used to completely vent all the remaining gas and trace moisture in the pipeline. Step 7, Disinfection complete: The control system (122) controls all solenoid valves to de-energize, the reversing valve (104) switches back to the water source (102) path, and the equipment returns to normal diagnostic and treatment status.

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