3D printed composites from a single resin by patterned light exposures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11434316-B2
Application number	US-202017034869-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2020
Priority date	Jun 30, 2017
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

Provided herein are processes for the generation of composite polymer materials utilizing a single resin. The processes utilize diffusion between a region undergoing a polymerization reaction preferentially polymerizing one monomer component and an unreactive region. Diffusion and subsequent/concurrent polymerization results in a higher concentration of the more reactive monomer component in the reacting region and a higher concentration of the less reactive monomer components in the unreactive region. The unreactive region may be later polymerized. In embodiments, photopolymerization is used and the regions are generated by a mask or other mechanism to pattern the light.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An orthodontic appliance for repositioning a patient's teeth, the orthodontic appliance comprising:
a composite material derived from a single resin, the composite material comprising:
a first polymerized region having a first ratio of a first polymerizable component to a second polymerizable component; and
a second polymerized region having a second ratio of the first polymerizable component to the second polymerizable component,

wherein:
the single resin is characterized by a resin ratio of the first polymerizable component to the second polymerizable component; and
the resin ratio, the first ratio, and the second ratio are different.

2. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first polymerizable component is monofunctional, polyfunctional, or a combination thereof.

3. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the second polymerizable component is monofunctional, polyfunctional, or a combination thereof.

4. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first polymerizable component comprises one or more of a methacrylate monomer, an acrylate monomer, a thiol monomer, a vinyl acetate monomer, a styrene monomer, a vinyl ether monomer, a derivative thereof, or a combination thereof.

5. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the second polymerizable component comprises one or more of an acrylate monomer, a thiol monomer, an allyl ether monomer, a vinyl acetate monomer, a vinyl chloride monomer, an acrylonitrile monomer, a vinyl ether monomer, a vinyl silane (or siloxane) monomer, a butadiene monomer, a norbornene, a maleate monomer, a fumarate monomer, an epoxide monomer, an anhydride monomer, a hydroxyl monomer, a derivative thereof, or a combination thereof.

6. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the single resin further comprises an additive selected from the group consisting of a polymerizable component, a photoinitiator, a thermal initiator, a polymerization catalyst, a surfactant, a dispersant, a viscosity modifier, an optical absorber, a pigment, a dye, a surface active compound, a filler, a particle, a binder, or any combination thereof.

7. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first polymerizable component and second polymerizable component are miscible with each other.

8. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the second polymerizable component is immiscible in the first polymerized region.

9. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first polymerizable component is immiscible in the first polymerized region.

10. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the single resin consists of 10 to 90 wt % of the first polymerizable component.

11. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the single resin consists of 10 to 90 wt % of the second polymerizable component.

12. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first polymerizable component and the second polymerizable component are characterized by a reactivity ratio of the first polymerizable component to the second polymerizable component greater than or equal to 1.

13. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first polymerizable component is from 1-fold to 10-fold more reactive than the second polymerizable component.

14. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the single resin is homogenous.

15. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first polymerizable component can freely diffuse through the resin.

16. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the second polymerizable component can freely diffuse through the resin.

17. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first ratio is greater than the resin ratio, and the resin ratio is greater than the second ratio.

18. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first ratio is greater than the second ratio, and the second ratio is greater than the resin ratio.

19. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the second ratio is greater than the resin ratio, and the liquid ratio is greater than the first ratio.

20. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the second ratio is greater than the first ratio, and the first ratio is greater than the resin ratio.

Assignees

• Align Technology Inc

Inventors

• Cole Michael Christopher

Classifications

• C08F220/1811 Primary

  C10or C11-(Meth)acrylate, e.g. isodecyl (meth)acrylate, isobornyl (meth)acrylate or 2-naphthyl (meth)acrylate · CPC title

• C08F220/1804 Primary

  C4-(meth)acrylate, e.g. butyl (meth)acrylate, isobutyl (meth)acrylate or tert-butyl (meth)acrylate · CPC title

• C08F220/10

  Esters · CPC title

• C08F218/10

  of monocarboxylic acids containing three or more carbon atoms · CPC title

• C08F2/48

  by ultraviolet or visible light · CPC title