Curing light instrument

• US 20040029069A1
• Filed: 08/08/2002
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kerr Corporation (Envista Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kerr Corporation (Envista Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Klinger, John, Gill, Owen, Lippay, Alex
• Granted Patent: US 7,182,597 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/004 Hand-held apparatus, e.g. guns
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0006 Coupling light into the fibre in general G02B6/4298
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/102 for infrared and ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4298 coupling with non-coherent light sources and/or radiation detectors, e.g. lamps, incandescent bulbs, scintillation chambers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

The present invention provides a handheld portable, efficient instrument for curing light-curable compounds. The instrument comprises a housing, a light emitted structure supported in the housing, and a reflector configured to interface with the light emitting structure such that light emitted is captured and directed by the reflector onto a light-curable compound. The reflector maximizes the amount of light transferred and contacting the light-curable compound thereby reducing the instrument'"'"'s power requirements and improving efficiency. The light emitting structure comprises state of the art, energy efficient, light generating dies. The curing light instrument may also have a self-contained power supply lending portability and convenient of use.

Claims

1. An instrument for curing light-curable compounds comprising:

a housing;

a light emitting structure positioned in the housing and including at least one light emitting die;

a reflector configured for being positioned with the light emitting structure and configured to capture light emitted from the die and direct the light onto a light-curable compound.

2. The instrument of claim 1 wherein the light emitting structure comprises a plurality of dies to form an array.

3. The instrument of claim 1 wherein the light emitting structure further includes a first substrate, the light emitting dies formed on the first substrate.

4. The instrument of claim 3 wherein the first substrate comprises a thermally conductive material.

5. The instrument of claim 1 wherein the reflector is tubular in shape.

6. The instrument of claim 1 wherein the reflector has a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end and distal end being differently dimensioned.

7. The instrument of claim 1 wherein the reflector is configured of at least one of a plastic, metal and glass.

8. The instrument of claim 1 wherein the reflector couples proximate the light emitting structure to surround the die and capture light emitted therefrom.

9. The instrument of claim 1 further comprising a light guide, the light guide being configured for interfacing with an end of the reflector and operable for transmitting light from the light emitting structure.

10. The instrument of claim 1 further comprising a heat sink thermally coupled to the light emitting structure to absorb heat generated therefrom.

11. The instrument of claim 1 further comprising a light shield removably mounted to the housing to prevent reflection of curing light to an operator during use of the instrument.

12. The instrument of claim 1 further comprising a fan positioned in the housing to cool the light emitting structure.

13. The instrument of claim 1 further comprising a portable power supply positioned within the housing for providing power to the light emitting structure.

14. The instrument of claim 3 further comprising a base coupled to the first substrate, the base comprising a thermally conductive material.

15. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a barrel portion, and a handle portion coupled to the barrel portion, wherein an end of the barrel portion is configured to support a light guide for transmitting light out of the barrel portion of the housing and to the light-curable compound.

16. The instrument of claim 9 wherein the light guide comprises a multiplicity of fiber optic strands bundled together to form a solid conductor, the strands being individually tapered to impart a taper to the light guide.

17. The instrument of claim 16 wherein the solid conductor comprises a light receiving end and a light transmitting end, the light receiving end having a diameter of about 13 mm and the light transmitting end having a diameter of about 11 mm.

18. The instrument of claim 16 wherein the fiber optic strands are tapered at an angle less than one-tenth of a degree (<

0.1°

), and the taper angle for said light guide is less than five degrees (5°

).

19. The instrument of claim 14 wherein the thermally conductive material is at least one of aluminum, copper, gold, and silver.

20. The instrument of claim 14 further comprising a second substrate positioned between the base and the first substrate.

21. The instrument of claim 20 wherein the second substrate comprises a thermally conductive material.

22. The instrument of claim 3 further comprising a printed circuit board coupled to the first substrate.

23. The instrument of claim 14 further comprising a printed circuit board coupled to the base.

24. The instrument of claim 23 wherein the printed circuit board comprises aluminum.

25. An instrument for curing light-curable compounds comprising:

a housing;

a light emitting structure comprising a plurality of solid state light emitting dies forming a collective array on a first substrate;

a reflector forming a generally tubular passage, the reflector configured to surround the array of dies to capture and direct light emitted by the array of dies;

a light guide operably coupled to an end of the reflector for transmitting light captured by the reflector onto a light-curable compound.

26. The instrument of claim 25 wherein the reflector is configured of at least one of a plastic, metal and glass.

27. The instrument of claim 25 wherein the reflector couples proximate the light emitting structure to surround the dies and capture light emitted therefrom.

28. The instrument of claim 25 wherein the light guide comprises a multiplicity of fiber optic strands bundled together to form a solid conductor, the strands being individually tapered to impart a taper to the light guide.

29. The instrument of claim 28 wherein the solid conductor comprises a light receiving end and a light transmitting end, the light receiving end having a diameter of about 13 mm and the light transmitting end having a diameter of about 11 mm.

30. The instrument of claim 28 wherein the fiber optic strands are tapered at an angle less than one-tenth of a degree (<

0.1°

), and the taper angle for said light guide is less than five degrees (5°

).

31. The instrument of claim 25 further comprising a printed circuit board formed of a thermally conductive material, the printed circuit board coupled to the first substrate on a side opposing the collective array of dies.

32. The instrument of claim 31 wherein the printed circuit board is formed of aluminum.

33. The instrument of claim 31 further comprising a heat sink thermally coupled to the printed circuit board.

34. The instrument of claim 33 further comprising a forced air device for directing air proximate the heat sink.

35. The instrument of claim 25 further comprising a portable power supply positioned within the housing to provide power to the light emitting structure.

36. The instrument of claim 31 further comprising a second substrate formed of a thermally conductive material positioned between the printed circuit board and the first substrate.

37. The instrument of claim 31 further comprising a base formed of a thermally conductive material positioned between the printed circuit board and the first substrate.

38. The instrument of claim 25 further comprising an adaptor, the adaptor configured to interface with an end of the reflector and an end of the light guide for coupling the light guide and reflector.

39. The instrument of claim 37 wherein the base is formed of one of aluminum, copper, gold and silver.

40. A fiber optic light guide comprising a multiplicity of fiber optic strands bundled together to form a solid conductor having a light receiving end and a light transmitting end, the light receiving end having a diameter of about 13 mm and the light transmitting end having a diameter of about 11 mm.

41. The fiber optic light guide of claim 40 wherein the fiber optic strands are individually tapered to impart a taper to the light guide.

42. A method for curing light-curable compounds, the method comprising:

positioning a curing light instrument in proximity to a light-curable compound on a work surface;

generating light from a light emitting structure having at least one light emitting die housed in the curing light instrument, the light having a power density in the range of about 200 to about 1400 mW/cm²;

capturing the light with a reflector configured to surround the light emitting structure; and

directing the captured light onto a light-curable compound for curing the compound.

43. The method of claim 42 further comprising transmitting the captured light through a light guide onto a light curable compound, the light guide comprising a multiplicity of fiber optic strands bundled together to form a solid conductor, the strands being individually tapered to impart a taper to the light guide.