Curing light

Dentistry – Apparatus – Having means to emit radiation or facilitate viewing of the...

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

Reexamination Certificate

active

06755648

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The inventions relate to the field of curing lights that may be used to cure light activated composite materials. More particularly, the inventions relate to curing lights of various configurations that use semiconductor light sources to provide light of a wavelength and power level desired to effect curing. In many fields, composite materials, such as monomers and an initiator, are cured into durable polymers by use of a light source of appropriate wavelength to excite the initiator into initiating polymerization, and sufficient power to carry polymerization through to adequate completion.
In the prior art, various light sources have been used for the purpose of curing composite materials. Halogen bulbs, fluorescent bulbs, xenon bulbs, and plasma-arc lights have been used. More recently, there have been some efforts to produce an effective curing light using light emitting diodes (LED's), but those efforts have not met with widespread acceptance in the marketplace.
The prior art described above suffers from several disadvantages. First, many of those prior art lights generate a wide spectrum of light rather than light just of the desired wavelength for composite curing. Consequently, those prior art lights generate unnecessary heat. Second, many of those prior art lights require light transfer systems such as a light guide or fiber, which many embodiments of the present invention omit, providing a smaller and more efficient unit. Third, many of the prior art systems require an elaborate cooling system to handle heat, creating a large, heavy and expensive curing light. Many embodiments of the invention use a unique heat sink structure that avoids the need for complicated, noisy and expensive cooling systems. Many embodiments of the invention use a semiconductor light source and package which provides high power light for use in curing composite materials. Additional points of difference between the inventions and the prior art will become apparent upon reading the text below in conjunction with the appended drawings.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is an object of some embodiments of the invention to provide a curing light system that uses a semiconductor light source to produce light capable of curing composite materials. Curing composite materials will involve polymerizing monomers into durable polymers. Various physical, electrical and semiconductor structures, materials and methods are provided to achieve this object. Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the specification and reviewing the appended drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4149086 (1979-04-01), Nath
patent: 4184196 (1980-01-01), Moret et al.
patent: 4229658 (1980-10-01), Gonser
patent: 4281366 (1981-07-01), Wurster et al.
patent: 4308120 (1981-12-01), Penneweiss et al.
patent: 4698730 (1987-10-01), Sakai et al.
patent: 4839566 (1989-06-01), Herold et al.
patent: 4936776 (1990-06-01), Kwiatkowski
patent: 5139495 (1992-08-01), Daikuzono
patent: 5151520 (1992-09-01), Gottschalk et al.
patent: 5238744 (1993-08-01), Williams et al.
patent: 5348552 (1994-09-01), Nakajima et al.
patent: 5350834 (1994-09-01), Bobsein et al.
patent: 5457611 (1995-10-01), Verderber
patent: 5485317 (1996-01-01), Perissinotto et al.
patent: 5521392 (1996-05-01), Kennedy et al.
patent: 5660461 (1997-08-01), Ignatius et al.
patent: 5711665 (1998-01-01), Adam et al.
patent: 5782553 (1998-07-01), McDermott
patent: 5791898 (1998-08-01), Maissami
patent: 5797740 (1998-08-01), Lundvik
patent: 5908294 (1999-06-01), Schick et al.
patent: 5908295 (1999-06-01), Kawata
patent: 5912470 (1999-06-01), Eibofner et al.
patent: 6008264 (1999-12-01), Ostler et al.
patent: 6089740 (2000-07-01), Forehand et al.
patent: 6099520 (2000-08-01), Shimoji
patent: 6103203 (2000-08-01), Fischer
patent: 6200134 (2001-03-01), Kovac et al.
patent: 6208788 (2001-03-01), Nosov
patent: 6328456 (2001-12-01), Mize
patent: 6331111 (2001-12-01), Cao
patent: 6419483 (2002-07-01), Adam et al.
patent: 6439888 (2002-08-01), Boutoussov et al.
patent: 6511317 (2003-01-01), Melikechi et al.
patent: 6611110 (2003-08-01), Fregoso
patent: 6638063 (2003-10-01), Otsuka
patent: 6692250 (2004-02-01), Decaudin et al.
patent: 6692251 (2004-02-01), Logan et al.
patent: 6695614 (2004-02-01), Plank
patent: 6702576 (2004-03-01), Fischer et al.
patent: 29 27 260 (1980-02-01), None
patent: 25 57 920 (1980-03-01), None
patent: 0 339 841 (1989-02-01), None
patent: 1 090 607 (2001-04-01), None
patent: 1 570 507 (1976-12-01), None
patent: WO 99/16136 (1999-04-01), None
patent: WO 02/23312 (2002-04-01), None
10 Mississippi and you're done! New NRG LED Curing Light brochure from Dentsply Caulk (4 pages).
Exelite advertisement from Toesco (1 page).
Epilar Freelight advertisement from ESPE (1 page).
Centrix The Catalog for the Dental Professional showing Versalux LED curing light (1 page).
Introducing the Apolloe e light wireless curing light advertisement for LED curing light from DMD (1 page).
LumaCure New Technology World's first patented solid state Dental Curing Light (1 page).
Starlight and Starlight p by Mectron Medical Technology (1 page).
ZAP Dual Curing—A curing light that can FAST CURE with SOFT CURE results? From Soft Core Texas, Inc. (1 page).
Polymerisation im Schongang Epilar Hightlight from ESPE (6 pages).
Dentistry Today, Jan. 1998, front page and p. 70 showing Kreativ Inc. Kreativ Kuring Light (2 pages total).
Dental Products Report, Oct. 1997, front page and page showing ESPE Pentamix and Epilar Highlight (2 pages total).
Dental Products Report, Nov. 1997, front page and page showing Kreativ Microdentistry System (2 pages total).
Dental Cadmos 7/93, pp. 62 & 63.
A. Mehl, M. Sobota, R. Hickel, “Softstartpolymerisation von Kompositen in Klasse V Kavitaten”, Dtsch Zahnarztl Z 52 (1997) in German (4 pages).
G. Goracci, L. Casa de Martinis, G. Mori, “Compositi e Polymerizzazione Lenta”, Dental Dadmos 13/92 in Italian (12 pages).
G. Goracci, L. Casa de Martinis, G. Mori, “Polymerizzazione di Materiali Compositi”, Dental Dadmos 7/93 in Italian (14 pages).
J. Reinhardt and J. Vahl Munster, “Unsicherheiten bei der Prufung von Photopolymerisaten”, Dtsch zahnarztl Z. 36, 635-640 (1981) in German.
Letter from John Vickers, III, General Counsel to American Dental Technologies, to Daniel McCarthy dated May 2, 2000.
Letter from Dr. Roland Brem of ESPE Dental AG to Daniel McCarthy dated May 11, 2000.
Letter from Dr. Roland Brem of ESPE Dental AG to Daniel McCarthy dated May 31, 2000.
Letter from Dr. Roland Brem of ESPE Dental AG to Daniel McCarthy dated Jun. 8, 2000.
Facsimile dated Friday, May 29, 1998 from Dr. Frederick M. Parkins of the School of Dentistry, University of Louisville to Bob Dalton of ADT regarding final draft sent to Tony Angelini (6 pages).
A. Mehl, H. Staunau, D. Schreyger, K.H. Kunzelmann, R. Hickel, LMU University Dental School, D-80336 Munich Germany, 1 page abstract, Journal of Dental Research, vol. 74, 1995, special issue p. 462.
Sakaguchi and Berge, “Light Intensity Effects on Degree of Cure Posterior Composite”, #1972, IADR 1997 (4 pages).
Shigero Uno and Erik Asmussen, “Marginal Adaptation of A Restorative Resin Polymerized At A Reduced Rate” (5 pages).
Peter Koran & Ralf Kurschner, Effect of sequential versus continuous irradiation of a light cured resin composite on shrinkage, viscosity, adhesion, and degree of polymerization, CE Article #3-198, Americal Journal of Dentistry, vol 11, No. 1, Feb. 1998 (6 pages).
A. Mehl, R. Hickel, K.H. Kunzelmann, Dental School Munich Germany, “Physical properties and gap formation of light cured composites with and without softstart-polymerization” faxed copy dated May 30, 1996 (27 pages).
K.J. Reinhardt and J. Vahl, “Uncertainties in the Testing of Photopolymers” 11 pages.
A.J. Fellzer, L.H. Dooren, A.J. de Gee, and C.L. Davidson, “Influence of light intensity on polymerization shrinkage and integrity of restoration cavity interface”, Eur J. Oral Sci. 1995; 103: 322-326 (5 pages).
A. Mehl, M. Sobota, R. Hic

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Curing light does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Curing light, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Curing light will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3362464

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.