Light curing appliance, in particular dental light curing appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016287364-A1
Application number	US-201515037819-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 8, 2015
Priority date	May 12, 2014
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a light curing appliance, in particular a dental light curing appliance ( 10 ), with a light source and with a light emission element such as an optical waveguide ( 12 ), of which the light output end is intended in particular to be directed towards a material that is to be polymerized. It is provided with one or more control devices ( 16 ) for switching on the light source during a polymerization cycle, and with one or more sensors ( 20 ) or sensor combinations connected to the control devices ( 16 ). The sensor ( 20 ) is designed as a location sensor and/or as a motion sensor ( 20 ) which detects a movement of the light curing appliance ( 10 ), designed as a hand-held appliance, and sends signals reproducing the motion to the control devices ( 16 ).

First claim

1 . A dental light curing appliance ( 10 ), with a light source and with a light emission element, of which a light output end is intended to be directed towards a material that is to be polymerized, with one or more control devices ( 16 ) for switching on the light source during a polymerization cycle, and with one or more sensors ( 20 ) or sensor combinations connected to the control devices ( 16 ) and passing on the measured values detected by the sensor(s) ( 20 ) in this way to the control device or control devices ( 16 ), characterized in that
the sensor ( 20 ) is designed as a location sensor and/or as a motion sensor ( 20 ) which detects a movement of the dental light curing appliance ( 10 ), designed as a hand-held appliance, and sends signals reproducing the motion to the control devices ( 16 ) and at least one motion sensor ( 20 ), is configured as a relative motion sensor which detects relative motion in terms of a position and/or inclination of the hand-held appliance at the beginning of exposure or at the beginning of the polymerization cycle, in at least two dimensions.

2 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the motion sensor ( 20 ) detects the position of the light emission element relative to the material to be polymerized.

3 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 2 , characterized in that the control device or the control devices ( 16 ) determine(s) an ideal position of the light emission element relative to the material to be polymerized at the beginning of the polymerization cycle by means of the motion sensor ( 20 ) and prolong(s) the polymerization cycle when a deviation from the ideal position occurs during the polymerization cycle based on the signals of the location sensor and/or the motion sensor ( 20 ), fact in particular proportional to the degree of deviation and in particular the duration of the deviation.

4 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 3 , characterized in that the control devices ( 16 ) are connected to a light sensor and/or a camera which are connected to the light curing appliance ( 10 ), designed as a hand-held appliance, and which are directed towards the material to be polymerized or a treatment area, and in that based on the output signals of the light sensor and/or the camera the ideal position of the light curing appliance ( 10 ) for the polymerization cycle can be determined.

5 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 4 , characterized in that at least one location sensor is configured as a gyrometer or angular sensor and detects an angular change of a light beam emitted by the light output end.

6 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 5 , characterized in that the light curing appliance ( 10 ) also comprises a base station which creates a reference field, and in that the location sensor detects a change of the location and/or the motion and/or the acceleration in the reference field, in at least two dimensions.

7 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 6 , characterized in that the at least one sensor ( 20 ) of the hand-held appliance comprises a detection of position by means of GPS satellite triangulation, by means of radio transmitters, by means of electromagnetic fields and/or by means of ultrasound and/or infrared.

8 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 7 , characterized in that the hand-held appliance comprises a location sensor for detecting the distance to the treatment area of the material to be polymerized, which detects the distance by means of the changing brightness of a predetermined reference light beam.

9 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 8 , characterized in that the control device ( 16 ) adjusts and controls the exposure time or the length of the polymerization cycle, depending on the signal of the sensor(s) ( 20 ) and prolongs the exposure time in case of an incorrect position and/or a movement of the handpiece or turns off the light curing appliance upon reaching a cancellation criterion/threshold value.

10 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 9 , characterized in that the control device ( 16 ) increases the exposure rate, temporarily, in case of an incorrect position/motion as from one or more predetermined threshold values, or turns off the light curing appliance upon reaching a cancellation criterion/threshold value.

11 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 10 , characterized in that the control device ( 16 ) signalizes an incorrect position of the light curing appliance ( 10 ) during the polymerization cycle, based on detected signals of the sensor(s) ( 20 ) by means of a suitable reply to the user, by vibration and/or an acoustic/visual signalizing, and/or by turning off the light curing appliance ( 10 ).

12 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 11 , characterized in that in case of an incorrect position detected by the sensor(s) ( 20 ) which incorrect position differs from the starting position as from a predetermined threshold value, the light cone emitted by the light output end is trackable by means of a deflector.

13 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 12 , characterized in that the control device ( 16 ) activates and/or deactivates a predetermined program function responsive to an acceleration with a predetermined course of time.

14 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 13 , characterized in that at least one motion sensor ( 20 ) is configured as an acceleration sensor and in that in case of an acceleration which is above a predetermined value the control device ( 16 ) evaluates and stores this acceleration in order to prove excessive shocks which can lead to damage due to impacts or dropping of the light curing appliance ( 10 ).

15 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 14 characterized in that moving the light curing appliance ( 10 ), which is configured as a hand-held appliance, from a resting position transfers the appliance into an activated condition in which the polymerization cycle can be started immediately.

16 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 15 , characterized in that a combination of acceleration sensor, gyrometer and magnetic field sensor and their individual signals are processed to form an overall signal, and in that the noise or the incorrect information are compensated for and a constant signal is produced.

17 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 15 , characterized in that the focusing of the light output is regulated or increased depending on the motion/incorrect position of the handpiece and that the exposure rate is increased locally.

18 . The dental light curing appliance ( 10 ) as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that
the light emission element comprises an optical waveguide ( 12 ), the at least one motion sensor ( 20 ) comprises an acceleration sensor or gyrometer, and the beginning of exposure or the beginning of the polymerization cycle comprises all three dimensions.

19 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 6 , characterized in that the location sensor comprises a magnetic sensor.

20 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 11 , characterized in that the visual signalizing comprises an illuminated LED in the housing ( 14 ).

21 . The dental light curing appliance as claimed in claim 12 , characterized in that the deflector compr

Assignees

• Ivoclar Vivadent Ag

Inventors

• Pauler Markus
• KÖGEL Alexander

Classifications

• A61B5/742

  using visual displays (displays for heart-related electrical signals, e.g. ECG, A61B5/339) · CPC title

• A61C19/004 Primary

  Hand-held apparatus, e.g. guns · CPC title

• A61B5/062

  using magnetic field · CPC title

• A61B1/24

  for the mouth, i.e. stomatoscopes, e.g. with tongue depressors; Instruments for opening or keeping open the mouth · CPC title

• A61B5/0088

  for oral or dental tissue · CPC title