APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CURING MATERIALS WITH RADIATION

• Main Authors: LOGAN JOSEPH N, KNOX RAYMOND L
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 06.02.2014
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE; DENTISTRY; ELECTROTHERAPY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MAGNETOTHERAPY; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; RADIATION THERAPY; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRANSPORTING; ULTRASOUND THERAPY; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

An instrument for curing light-curable compounds curable in the mouth of a patient, including a housing including a handle portion and a barrel portion removably secured with respect to the handle portion. A plurality of solid state, light-emitting semiconductor junction elements form an array on a substrate, and collectively emit light having wavelengths within a narrow band of wavelengths suitable for curing a compound. The array of light-emitting elements are positioned proximate to the distal end of the barrel portion, and an elongated heat-conducting element extends from the distal end of the barrel portion toward the proximal end for conducting heat away from the array. A generally clear layer extends on the substrate and over the plurality of light-emitting semiconductor junction elements, and a non-imaging optical focusing device is positioned at the distal end of the barrel portion to collimate the emitted light.