The accompanying picture may make you cringe. But on the bright side, pneumatics has been an integral part of dentistry for generations. Gone are the days when a series of round belts and sheaves transmitted rotational power to a handheld drill. High-speed pneumatic drills have been widely for more than 50 years. Furthermore, pneumatics is also used for other important functions, such as suction and blowoff. And as with most medical applications the quality of the compressed air delivered to dental tools must be extremely clean, with precisely controlled pressure and humidity.
Dental manifold assemblies are generally specified to reduce dental delivery system complexity and dramatically reduce engineering time for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). ASCO 252 Series dental manifold assemblies, from Emerson, Florham Park, N.J., come in three possible configurations, each combining the functions for liquid, gas, and proportional pneumatic control.
Dental manifold assemblies from the ASCO division of Emerson Electric manage compressed air and other functions in a simple, compact unit that helps reduce design time for dental equipment manufacturers.
The three variations of the ASCO dental manifold assemblies combine different functions to make the design and integration easier. One module handles all three dental tasks—water irrigation, air drying, and an air-operated turbine for variable speed hand tools. Another controls two different air flows and a water channel. The third module controls water irrigation and has two open channels to control syringe and scaler hand tools.
Furthermore, the manifold assemblies are expandable, enabling up to four manifold blocks to be joined together. This provides the delivery system console with the capability to accommodate up to 12 unique configurations. Each module is equipped with a manual-turn flow controller for added flexibility.
Dental offices require machines with a small footprint, making small size important. The compact manifold assemblies enable OEMs to provide a significant range of options that accommodate the diversity of tools required by dentists. These include:
- Pneumatic rotating tools with interchangeable tool heads for brushing, polishing, and cutting
- Water spray tools for wetting and cleaning teeth
- Air spray tools for drying the teeth and blowing away debris
- Vacuum suction tools to remove debris and liquid waste
For more information, contact the company via e-mail, call (800) 972-2726, or visit its website.