APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CURING MATERIALS WITH RADIATION

• US 20070231769A1
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 8,568,140 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: 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;

a plurality of solid state, light-emitting dies mounted in a collective array in the housing, 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;

a clear lens layer encapsulating the array of dies for directing light generated by the array; and

a light-transmitting device for capturing said light from the array of dies and encapsulating lens layer, and transmitting a beam of the light out of the housing to a work surface.

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 1 wherein said narrow wavelength band includes a wavelength of approximately 470 nanometers.

4. The hand held dental instrument of claim 1 wherein said light-transmitting device comprises at least one fiber optic element.

5. The hand held dental instrument of claim 1 wherein said light-transmitting device comprises a plurality of fiber optic elements operably coupled together for directing said beam.

6. The hand held dental instrument of claim 1 wherein said light-transmitting device has a receiving end and a transmission end, the transmission end being dimensioned smaller than said receiving end for narrowing the light beam captured by said light-transmitting device.

7. The hand held dental instrument of claim 1 further comprising a heat sink

coupled to said array for directing heat away from the array.

8. A hand held dental instrument for curing light-curable compounds curable

in the mouth of a patient comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of solid state, light-emitting dies mounted in a collective array in the housing, 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;

a clear lens layer encapsulating the array of dies for directing light generated by the array; and

the housing including a distal end and the array of light-emitting dies being positioned proximate the distal end for transmitting light directly from the array to a compound to be cured.