Apparatus and method for curing materials with radiation

• US 8,568,140 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kerr Corporation (Envista Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kerr Corporation (Envista Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kovac, Jozef, Knox, Raymond L.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, RALPH A
• Application Number:
  US11/690,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20070231769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,412 Days
• Field of Search: 433/29, 433/215, 606/1, 606/13, 606/16, 607/88, 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: A61C 2204/002 using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0833 using actinic light
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/08 by wave energy or particle radiation B29C64/00, B29C71/04 take precedence
• 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

A hand held dental instrument for curing light-curable compounds comprises a housing and an array of solid state, light emitting junctions or dies for generating light having wavelengths within a narrow band of wavelengths (e.g. 400-500 nm). Preferably, a peak wavelength of 470 nm is generated. The device further comprises an optical fiber light pipe for capturing the light and transmitting a beam of the light to a work surface containing a light-curable compound. An optical lens or lenses may be used for focusing the light into the light pipe.

Claims

1. A hand held dental instrument for curing light-curable compounds curable in the mouth of a patient comprising:

a housing having a handle portion for being held by a user and a barrel portion, the barrel portion configured for being manipulated to position a tip end of the barrel portion proximate to a curing site for curing a light curable compound;

a plurality of solid state, light-emitting dies mounted in a collective array on a substrate in the housing, each die including at least one generally bare semiconductor junction, the array of dies operable for collectively emitting light having wavelengths within a narrow band of wavelengths and at a power to cure a dental compound;

the substrate and array of dies being positioned proximate to the tip end of the housing barrel portion so the emitted light from the array is presented to directly illuminate a curing site;

a clear lens layer positioned over the substrate and encapsulating the array of dies for directing light generated by the array.

2. The hand held dental instrument of claim 1 wherein said narrow wavelength band includes a blue light wavelength.

3. The hand held dental instrument of claim 2 wherein said narrow wavelength band includes a wavelength of approximately 470 nanometers.

4. The hand held dental instrument of claim 1 wherein the clear lens layer encapsulates an area of the substrate around at least one of the dies.

5. The hand held dental instrument of claim 1 wherein the clear lens layer forms a curved microlens over at least one of the dies.

6. The hand held dental instrument of claim 1 wherein the clear lens layer is a continuous layer over the array.

7. The hand held dental instrument of claim 1 wherein the clear lens layer includes multiple individual layers to form the clear lens layer.

8. The hand held dental instrument of claim 1 further comprising a cooling element positioned rearwardly of the tip end and array for cooling the substrate and array.

9. The hand held dental instrument of claim 8 wherein the cooling element includes a fan unit.