Curing light

• US 6,974,319 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2002
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CAO Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: CAO Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Cao, Densen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Ralph A.
• Application Number:
  US10/072,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20020182561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 433/29, 433/215, 606/1, 606/13, 606/16, 362/119, 362/800, 362/804
• US Class Current: 433/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/004 Hand-held apparatus, e.g. guns
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0096 Portable laser equipment, e.g. hand-held laser apparatus surgical laser instruments A61B18/20, Dental Lasers A61C1/0046, Hand-held laser dental apparatus for curing resins A61C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0608 in the same heat affected zone [HAZ] B23K26/0613, B23K26/0619 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/064 by means of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors or prisms
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0643 comprising mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/703 Cooling arrangements by using a fluid stream B23K26/14

Abstract

A curing light system useful for curing light activated composite materials is disclosed. Various configurations of light emitting semiconductor chips and heat sinks are disclosed, as well as various structures and methods for driving, controlling and using them.

Claims

1. A curing light comprising:

a wand adapted to be grasped by a human hand for use in positioning and manipulating the curing light,

a power supply,

electronic control circuitry for controlling the curing light,

a light module,

said light module including an elongate secondary heat sink, said secondary heat sink being configured to assist in heat dissipation,

said secondary heat sink having a longitudinal axis,

a primary heat sink affixed to said secondary heat sink,

at least one light emitting semiconductor chip mounted on said primary heat sink, and

means for providing pulsed current input to said chip in a square wave pattern that consists of periods of current input at a level I followed by periods of rest with no current input in order to provide light output at an average light output power level that is greater than the light output power level that would result from providing continuous wave current input to said chip at current input level I;

light emitted directly forward from said light emitting semiconductor chip travels away from said chip at an angle of from about 45 degrees to about 135 degrees with said longitudinal axis.

2. A curing light as recited in claim 1 wherein I is from about 25 milliamps to about 2 amps.

3. A curing light as recited in claim 1 wherein I is from about 350 milliamps to about 1.2 amps of current.

4. A curing light as recited in claim 1 wherein I is more than about 100 milliamps of current.

5. A curing light comprising:

a wand adapted to be grasped by a human hand for use in positioning and manipulating the curing light,

a heat sink, said heat sink being configured to assist in heat dissipation,

said heat sink having a longitudinal axis,

at least one light emitting semiconductor chip mounted on said heat sink,

said chip being selected from the group consisting of light emitting diode chips, laser chips, light emitting diode chip array, diode laser chips, diode laser chip arrays, surface emitting laser chips, edge emitting laser chips, and VCSEL chips, and

electronic control circuitry for providing pulsed current input to said chip in a square wave pattern that consists of periods of current input at a level I followed by periods of rest with no current input in order to provide light output at an average light output power level that is greater than the light output power level that would result from providing continuous wave current input to said chip at current input level I;

light emitted directly forward from said light emitting semiconductor chip travels at an angle of from about 45 degrees to about 135 degrees with said longitudinal axis.

6. A curing light as recited in claim 5 wherein I is from about 25 milliamps to about 2 amps.

7. A curing light as recited in claim 5 wherein I is from about 350 milliamps to about 1.2 amps of current.

8. A curing light as recited in claim 5 wherein I is more than about 100 milliamps of current.

9. A curing light comprising:

a wand adapted to be grasped by a human hand for use in positioning and manipulating the curing light,

an elongate heat sink, said heat sink being configured to assist in heat dissipation,

said heat sink having a longitudinal axis,

at least one light emitting semiconductor chip module mounted on said heat sink,

said light emitting semiconductor chip module including a primary heat sink, a well in said primary heat sink, a light emitting semiconductor chip mounted in said well, and a cover over said well,

said chip having a plurality of epitaxial layers,

at least one of said epitaxial layers being an active layer which when bombarded with electrons releases photons, and

electronic control circuitry for providing pulsed current input to said chip in a square wave pattern that consists of periods of current input at a level I followed by periods of rest with no current input in order to provide light output at an average light output power level that is greater than the light output power level that would result from providing continuous wave current input to said chip at current input level I;

wherein light emitted directly forward from said light emitting semiconductor chip travels at an angle of from about 45 degrees to about 135 degrees with said longitudinal axis.

10. A curing light as recited in claim 9 wherein said chip is selected from the group consisting of light emitting diode chips, laser chips, light emitting diode chip array, diode laser chips, diode laser chip arrays, surface emitting laser chips, edge emitting laser chips, and VCSEL chips.

11. A curing light as recited in claim 9 wherein I is from about 25 milliamps to about 2 amps.

12. A curing light as recited in claim 9 wherein I is from about 350 milliamps to about 1.2 amps of current.

13. A curing light as recited in claim 9 wherein I is more than about 100 milliamps of current.

14. A curing light comprising:

a wand adapted to be grasped by a human hand for use in positioning and manipulating the curing light,

a heat sink, said heat sink being configured to assist in heat dissipation,

said heat sink being elongate and having a longitudinal axis,

an array of light emitting semiconductor chips mounted on said heat sink,

at least one of said chips having a plurality of epitaxial layers,

at least one of said epitaxial layers being an active layer which when bombarded with electrons releases photons,

and

electronic control circuitry for providing pulsed current input to said chips in a square wave pattern that consists of periods of current input at a level I followed by periods of rest with no current input in order to provide light output at an average light output power level that is greater than the light output power level that would result from providing continuous wave current input to said chips at current input level I;

wherein light emitted directly forward from said light emitting semiconductor chips travels at an angle of from about 45 degrees to about 135 degrees with said longitudinal axis.

15. A curing light as recited in claim 14 wherein said chips are selected from the group consisting of light emitting diode chips, laser chips, light emitting diode chip array, diode laser chips, diode laser chip arrays, surface emitting laser chips, edge emitting laser chips, and VCSEL chips.

16. A curing light as recited in claim 15 wherein I is from about 25 milliamps to about 2 amps.

17. A curing light as recited in claim 15 wherein I is from about 350 milliamps to about 1.2 amps of current.

18. A curing light as recited in claim 15 wherein I is more than about 100 milliamps of current.