Light curing dental system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11844663-B2
Application number	US-202117476559-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2021
Priority date	Jan 25, 2017
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

A light curing dental system comprising a light emitting tray that precisely distributes an optimal amount of curing light energy to internal, external and extra oral portions of the dental arch to cure a dental material. The light curing dental system generally includes a light source, a light emitting dental tray, an activation module and a photocurable dental material.

First claim

We claim:

1. A dental tray system comprising:
a dental tray having a body having a channel for receiving a quantity of photocurable dental material, a light conductor, and a connector portion, and
a light engine having at least one battery or an attachment to an external power source, at least one light source, an integrated circuit, and a connector portion, and
a charging station,
wherein the connector portion of the dental tray directly contacts the connector portion of the light engine such that the at least one light source is directly coupled with the light conductor such that the light conductor emits light throughout the dental tray thereby curing the photocurable dental material,
wherein upon contact between a first contact portion of the dental tray and a second contact portion of the light engine an electrical connection is made such that the integrated circuit identifies a type of dental tray or the changing station,
wherein upon identification of the type of dental tray, the integrated circuit activates the appropriate light source dependent on dental tray type, and
wherein upon identification of the charging station, the integrated circuit applies the correct charging sequence.

2. The dental tray system according to claim 1 , wherein the light engine has more than one light source.

3. The dental tray system according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical connection is made by an electrical device on the dental tray that directly and intimately contacts another electrical device on the light engine.

4. The dental tray system according to claim 3 , wherein the electrical device on the dental tray and the electrical device on the light engine are the same or different.

5. The dental tray system according to claim 1 , wherein the type of dental tray is a single arch tray or a double arch tray.

6. The dental tray system according to claim 5 , wherein the type of dental tray has a different number of electrical devices present if the type of dental tray is the single arch tray and the double arch tray have.

7. The dental tray system according to claim 6 , wherein the integrated circuit of the light engine is capable of identifying the tray type of tray based upon the number or location or orientation of electrical devices that are contacted by the light engine.

8. The dental tray system according to claim 7 , wherein the type of tray can be identified regardless of positioning.

9. The dental tray system according to claim 5 , wherein the type of dental tray has a different number of optical ends of the light conductor exposed in the connector portion of the dental tray when the type of dental tray is the single arch tray or the dual arch tray.

10. The dental tray system according to claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit of the light engine is capable of identifying the charging station based upon the number or location or orientation of electrical devices that are contacted by the light engine.

11. The dental tray system according to claim 10 , wherein the charging base can be identified regardless of positioning.

12. The dental tray system according to claim 1 , wherein the cross sectional shape of the light conductor is substantially similar to the geometric shape of the at least one light source.

13. The dental tray system according to claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit of the light engine is capable of detecting at least one parameter of temperature, suitability of mechanical connection, suitability of optical connection, battery level, degradation of the light source, or combinations thereof.

14. The dental tray system according to claim 13 , wherein if one parameter does not meet predetermined requirements, the light engine is capable of notifying a user that at least one parameter has not been met.

15. The dental tray system according to claim 1 , wherein the dental tray is configured to place and bond preformed orthodontic wire and bracket assemblies onto teeth.

16. The dental tray system according to claim 1 , wherein the dental tray is configured to place a photoactivated solution only a patient's teeth and then apply the appropriate wavelength to a location where the solution was placed.

17. The dental tray system according to claim 1 , an external light source is tethered to the dental tray by a fiber optic cable.

18. The dental tray system according to claim 1 , wherein an external battery source is tethered to the light source by an electrical cable.

19. A dental tray system comprising:
a dental tray having a body having a channel for receiving a quantity of photocurable dental material, a light conductor, and a connector portion, and
a light engine having at least one battery or an attachment to an external power source, at least one light source, an integrated circuit, and a connector portion, and
a charging station,
wherein the connector portion of the dental tray directly contacts the connector portion of the light engine such that the at least one light source is directly coupled with the light conductor such that the light conductor emits light throughout the dental tray thereby curing the photocurable dental material,
wherein the integrated circuit of the light engine is capable of detecting at least one parameter of temperature, suitability of mechanical connection, type of tray or charging station suitability of optical connection, battery level, degradation of the light source, or combinations thereof, and
wherein if at least one parameter does not meet predetermined requirement then the light engine is capable of notifying a user that such predetermined requirement was not met.

Assignees

• Dentsply Sirona Inc

Inventors

• Ruth Thomas
• Kane William
• Gordon Joseph
• Hagan Luke
• Copeland David
• Burke Andrew
• Gaidos Dustin
• Angeletakis Christos

Classifications

• A61C9/0006 Primary

  Impression trays · CPC title

• A61C7/023

  for debonding or removing orthodontic devices · CPC title

• A61C7/146 Primary

  Positioning or placement of brackets; Tools therefor · CPC title

• A61C9/0013

  Inflatable trays · CPC title

• A61C19/003

  Apparatus for curing resins by radiation · CPC title