Hydrocolloid processing module

Details Hydrocolloid processing module Hydrocolloid processing module

1999-10-22

2001-10-23

Pelham, Joseph (Department: 3742)

Electric heating

Heating devices

Combined with container, enclosure, or support for material...

C219S521000, C219S432000, C219S385000, C219S530000, C219S535000, C219S537000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06307186

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a module for the preparation and processing of hydrocolloids.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hydrocolloids enable the preparation of precision casts, primarily in the field of dentistry. In order to use hydrocolloids, the material must be heated at 100° C. for approximately 10 minutes in order to transform the gel into a sol, and then tempered at 60° C. to maintain its liquid state. It can then be injected into the buccal cavity, around the teeth and preparations, without the risk of burning the patient.
It is generally covered by another irreversible hydrocolloid called an alginate. The ambient temperature of this alginate cools down the hydrocolloid previously injected around the zones that are difficult to reproduce. This hydrocolloid is much more precise than the alginate but much more expensive, for which reasons it is no longer used exclusively in casts with the water-cooled system integrated in special cast carriers.
At present there are two types of devices for processing hydrocolloids:
water-filled tanks thermostated at 100 and 60° C.;
systems designed exclusively for heating cartridges. These systems handle several cartridges at a time. The cartridges are introduced into a metal (aluminum) unit. A heating element set in the unit provides for its heating; the entire unit is controlled by a microprocessor. The thermal inertia of such systems is high and it is not possible to handle each cartridge separately.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The goal of the invention is resolve these drawbacks by proposing a device that can be conceived of independently or can be integrated with an alginate malaxator.
For this purpose, the invention comprises a device for the preparation of hydrocolloids that has means for heating a receptacle containing a hydrocoloid, characterized in that said heating means are constituted by low-power, preferably ceramic, resistors
9
of
FIG. 1
that are insulated on 3 surfaces and only transmit their heat via the top surface in direct contact with a tube
1
of square external section and circular internal section with a diameter that fits the diameter of the hydrocolloid cartridges
5
.
Advantageously, the value of the resistors
2
is between 0.5 and 10 kilo-ohms, preferably between 1 and 4.7 K, with a utilization temperature between −55 and +250° C. These values are set for 220 V and need to be adjusted proportionally for other voltages.
According to a preferred mode of implementation, each resistor
2
is in close contact with a safety thermostat
3
that cuts off the power supply to the resistors
2
when the temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
According to an advantageous variant, the tubes
1
that receive the cartridges
5
are made of an alloy with good thermal conductivity such as aluminum or brass.
According to another variant, the rear part of each tube
1
is dosed and the tube
1
has a window
8
in its top part which allows the curved blade of a micro-contactor
4
to penetrate it, such that contact is made upon insertion of a cartridge and
5
automatically cut when it is removed.
Advantageously, the bottom surface of each resistor
2
has a heat-sensitive resistor
9
emitting a heating control signal.
According to a preferred variant, each cartridge
5
is handled separately such that there can be as many different programs as there are tubes.
According to a preferred mode of implementation, the device in accordance with the invention has a control circuit to perform the following functions:
advance setting for each tube
1
of a maximum temperature and a minimum temperature;
display after introduction of the cartridges
5
of the temperature of the tube;
signaling of the temperature change.
The advantages of the device according to the invention pertain to the following points:
Very compact micro-unit with dimensions of only 8×8×6 cm.
Extremely reduced thermal inertia, allowing an extremely rapid climb in temperature (as well as very rapid cooling down).


REFERENCES:
patent: 2932718 (1960-04-01), Marsters
patent: 3109048 (1963-10-01), Walsh
patent: 3141948 (1964-07-01), Young
patent: 3345497 (1967-10-01), Porteous
patent: 3607134 (1971-09-01), McIntyre
patent: 3801276 (1974-04-01), Wagner et al.
patent: 4489235 (1984-12-01), Porteous
patent: 4950608 (1990-08-01), Kishimoto
patent: 5306896 (1994-04-01), Glater et al.
patent: 5399840 (1995-03-01), Goeddeke
patent: 0 365 144 (1990-04-01), None
patent: 0 603 411 (1994-06-01), None

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