Multipurpose dental lamp apparatus
First Claim
1. A lamp apparatus includinga handpiece having a tip,a light bulb positioned within a reflector which focuses light from the bulb at a predetermined point along an optical path,a filter along said optical path in advance of said predetermined point through which a predetermined wavelength of light in the visible range passes, anda flexible light guide between the handpiece and said predetermined point which transmits the light of said predetermined wavelength to the tip from which said light emanates,said bulb, when energized, emitting light of sufficient intensity so that the light emanating from the tip has a power density of at least 800 milliwatts per square centimeter, and, after filtering, having a wavelength of from 400 to 550 nanometers.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a lamp apparatus designed for both bleaching teeth and curing dental restorative materials. Both bleaching and curing modes of operation may be used in at least three different power levels designated as boost, ramp, and normal. The lamp apparatus contains a incandescent xenon-halogen bulb and a dichroic reflector which focuses filtered visible light on the end of a flexible light guide which is part a handpiece for directing the transmitted light by the light guide to a tooth being treated. The lamp apparatus employs a slave microprocessor in a control panel mountable at different positions on a housing for the xenon-halogen bulb and a master microprocessor within the housing which is detachably connected to the slave microprocessor.
-
Citations
47 Claims
-
1. A lamp apparatus including
a handpiece having a tip, a light bulb positioned within a reflector which focuses light from the bulb at a predetermined point along an optical path, a filter along said optical path in advance of said predetermined point through which a predetermined wavelength of light in the visible range passes, and a flexible light guide between the handpiece and said predetermined point which transmits the light of said predetermined wavelength to the tip from which said light emanates, said bulb, when energized, emitting light of sufficient intensity so that the light emanating from the tip has a power density of at least 800 milliwatts per square centimeter, and, after filtering, having a wavelength of from 400 to 550 nanometers.
-
11. A lamp apparatus including
a handpiece having a tip, a light bulb positioned within a reflector which focuses light from the bulb at a predetermined point along an optical path, a filter along said optical path in advance of said predetermined point through which a predetermined wavelength of light in the visible range passes, a first mode of operation for bleaching of teeth and a second mode of operation for curing of light activated dental restorative material, a flexible light guide between the handpiece and said predetermined point which transmits the light of said predetermined wavelength to the tip from which said light emanates, said bulb, when energized, emitting light of sufficient intensity so that the light emanating from the tip has a power density of at least 800 milliwatts per square centimeter.
-
19. A lamp apparatus including
a handpiece having a tip, a light bulb positioned within a reflector which focuses light from the bulb at a predetermined point along an optical path, a filter along said optical path in advance of said predetermined point through which a predetermined wavelength of light in the visible range passes, and a flexible light guide between the handpiece and said predetermined point which transmits the light of said predetermined wavelength to the tip from which said light emanates, said bulb, when energized, emitting light of sufficient intensity so that the light emanating from the tip has a power density of at least 800 milliwatts per square centimeter, a detector which monitors voltage applied to the bulb and a microprocessor electrically coupled to the detector and responsive thereto to adjust the voltage to maintain the desired power density of light emanating from said tip.
-
22. A lamp apparatus including
a handpiece having a tip, a light bulb positioned within a reflector which focuses light from the bulb at a predetermined point along an optical path, a filter along said optical path in advance of said predetermined point through which a predetermined wavelength of light in the visible range passes, a flexible light guide between the handpiece and said predetermined point which transmits the light of said predetermined wavelength of the tip from which said light emanates, said bulb, when energized, emitting light of sufficient intensity so that the light emanating from the tip has a power density of at least 800 milliwatts per square centimeter, a housing to which is selectively attached a control panel at one or the other of two predetermined different locations on the housing.
-
26. A lamp apparatus including
a handpiece having a tip, a light bulb positioned within a reflector which focuses light from the bulb at a predetermined point along an optical path, a filter along said optical path in advance of said predetermined point through which a predetermined wavelength of light in the visible range passes, and flexible light guide between the handpiece and said predetermined point which transmits the light of said predetermined wavelength to the tip from which said light emanates, said bulb, when energized, emitting light of sufficient intensity so that the light emanating from the tip has a power density of at least 800 milliwatts per square centimeter, a radiometer for reading the power density of the light emanating from the tip.
-
27. A lamp apparatus including:
-
a handpiece having a tip, a light bulb positioned within a reflector which focuses light from the bulb at a predetermined point along an optical path, a filter along said optical path in advance of said predetermined point through which a predetermined wavelength of light, in the visible range passes, and a flexible light guide between the handpiece and said predetermined point which transmits the light of said predetermined wavelength to the tip from which said light emanates, said bulb, when energized, emitting light of sufficient intensity so that the light emanating from the tip has a power density of at least 800 milliwatts per square centimeter, a display for error messages and a microprocessor programmed to include a routine for handing errors and providing messages for said display. - View Dependent Claims (30)
-
-
31. A lamp apparatus including
a handpiece having a tip, a visible light source comprising a xenon-halogen bulb positioned within an ellipsoidal, dichroic reflector which reflects visible light and focuses said reflected light along an optical path, a light guide connected to the handpiece which transmits the focused light to said tip, and a plurality of filters which are selectively moved into the optical path to vary the wavelength of light being transmitted to the tip of the handpiece, one filter providing light of a first predetermined wavelength that cures light activated dental material, and another filter providing light of a second predetermined wavelength that bleaches teeth.
-
32. A lamp apparatus including
an optical system having a bulb which emits light of a high power density, said power density remaining essentially constant at a preset level over the useful life of the bulb, said light being focused at a predetermined position along an optical path and filtered to provide light having a spectrum in the visible range, a bleaching mode where said filtered light has a wavelength particularly suited for bleaching teeth, a curing mode where said filtered light has a wavelength particularly suited to activate light activated restorative dental material, and a flexible light transmitting member which collects the focused visible light and transmits this collected light to an outlet in said member having a diameter of from 2 to 14 millimeters.
-
36. A lamp apparatus including
a handpiece having a tip, a housing enclosing a visible light source, focusing optics including a flexible light guide connected to the handpiece which transmits focused light from said light source to said tip from which said light emanates, a detachable control panel on the housing which may be detached and attached to different locations, a master microprocessor within the housing for controlling the operations of the lamp apparatus, and a slave microprocessor within the control panel that is connected to the master microprocessor.
-
40. A lamp apparatus including
a handpiece through which light is transmitted to a tip of the handpiece, a xenon-halogen bulb positioned within an ellipsoidal, dichroic reflector which focuses the light at a predetermined point along an optical path, a plurality of filters along said optical path in advance of said predetermined point, each different filter passing a different spectrum of visible light, said filters selectively moved into the optical path to vary the wavelength of light being transmitted to the tip of the handpiece to selectively provide a first mode of operation for bleaching of teeth and a second mode of operation for caring of light activated dental restrictive material, a flexible, liquid light guide between the handpiece and said predetermined point which transmits said light from the filters to said tip from which said light emanates, said bulb, when energized, providing light of sufficient power density so that the light emanating from the tip has a power density from 1000 to 2000 milliwatts per square centimeter.
-
42. A lamp apparatus including
a handpiece having a tip, a light bulb positioned within a reflector which focuses light from the bulb at a predetermined point along an optical path, and a flexible light guide between the handpiece and said predetermined point which transmits the light of said predetermined wavelength to the tip from which said light emanates, and a radiometer having a first operational mode for reading the power density of the light emanating from the tip, and a second operational mode for calibrating the bulb.
-
46. A reconfigurable lamp apparatus for use in dental operatory including:
-
a handpiece having a tip; a light bulb positioned within a reflector which focuses light from the bulb at a predetermined point along an optical path; a flexible light guide connected to the handpiece that transmits light from the bulb to the tip; a box-like housing having a top, a bottom, a front and a rear; a control panel that is either attached to the top of the housing by a user when the lamp apparatus is configured into a horizontal position or is attached to the rear of the housing by a user when the lamp apparatus is configured into a vertical position; and an interlock switch mounted to the housing and positioned to detect when the control panel is attached to the top or attached to the rear of the lamp apparatus.
-
Specification