To provide a dental lithium silicate glass composition capable of providing a dental lithium silicate glass ceramic capable of efficiently precipitating the main crystals (lithium disilicate and/or lithium metasilicate) even after heat treatment. To provide a Al.sub.2O.sub.3-free dental lithium silicate glass composition including the following components: SiO.sub.2: 60.0 to 80.0% by weight, Li.sub.2O: 10.0 to 17.0% by weight, K.sub.2O: 0.5 to 10.0% by weight, ZrO.sub.2: 0.0 to 5.0% by weight, a nucleating agent: 1.0 to 6.0% by weight, a glass stabilizer: 0.0 to 8.0% by weight and a colorant: 0.0 to 10.0% by weight.

Lithium silicate glass ceramics and glasses containing specific oxides of divalent elements are described which crystallize at low temperatures and are suitable in particular as dental materials.

A spinal interbody device fabricated of fully resorbable bioactive glass materials is used to maintain the intervertebral spacing in a fusion of adjacent vertebrae. The spinal interbody device can include regions of porous material having various levels of bioactivity so that fusion through ingrowth of bone tissue can be provided while regions of the spinal interbody device can continue to maintain the intervertebral space.

Compounds, compositions, articles, devices, and methods for the manufacture of light guide plates and back light units including such light guide plates made from glass. In some embodiments, light guide plates (LGPs) are provided that have similar or superior optical properties to light guide plates made from PMMA and that have exceptional mechanical properties such as rigidity, CTE and dimensional stability in high moisture conditions as compared to PMMA light guide plates.

A solid state method of producing inorganic nanoparticles using glass is disclosed. The nanoparticles may not be formed until the glass is reacted with or degraded by contact with a fluid in vivo or in vitro.

The present invention relates to a method of fabricating an improved lithium silicate glass ceramic and to that material for the manufacture of blocks for dental appliances using a CAD/CAM process and hot pressing system. The lithium silicate material has a chemical composition that is different from those reported in the prior art with 1 to 10% of germanium dioxide in final composition. The softening points are close to the crystallization final temperature of 800° C. indicating that the samples will support the temperature process without shape deformation.

A method of making a surface-active glass as regenerative anti-fouling material comprising mixing Na.sub.2O and B.sub.2O.sub.3, creating a surface-active glass with a water-soluble glass matrix, wherein the surface-active glass comprises a sodium borate glass consisting of 25 mol % Na.sub.2O and 75 mol % B.sub.2O.sub.3 or wherein the surface-active glass comprises a sodium aluminoborate glass consisting of 10-30 mol % Al.sub.2O.sub.3, 10-30 mol % Na.sub.2O and 70-40 mol % B.sub.2O.sub.3.

A method of making a surface-active glass as regenerative anti-fouling material comprising mixing Na.sub.2O and B.sub.2O.sub.3, creating a surface-active glass with a water-soluble glass matrix, wherein the surface-active glass comprises a sodium borate glass consisting of 25 mol % Na.sub.2O and 75 mol % B.sub.2O.sub.3 or wherein the surface-active glass comprises a sodium aluminoborate glass consisting of 10-30 mol % Al.sub.2O.sub.3, 10-30 mol % Na.sub.2O and 70-40 mol % B.sub.2O.sub.3.

The invention relates to a blank for producing a dental molded part such as an inlay, onlay, crown or bridge, and to a method for producing the blank. To be able to machine a dental molded part, in particular one having thin wall thicknesses, from the blank without difficulty, the blank is designed to consist of a glass ceramic having a density of between 30 and 60% of theoretical density, and of glass-ceramic powder particles with a particle size distribution d.sub.90≦80 μm, lithium silicate crystals being present in an amount of 10 to 90% by volume.

Disclosed herein are sealed devices comprising a first substrate, a second substrate, an inorganic film between the first and second substrates, and at least one weld region comprising a bond between the first and second substrates. The weld region can comprise a chemical composition different from that of the inorganic film and the first or second substrates. The sealed devices may further comprise a stress region encompassing at least the weld region, in which a portion of the device is under a greater stress than the remaining portion of the device. Also disclosed herein are display and electronic components comprising such sealed devices.