The present disclosure describes a resin cassette for an additive manufacturing apparatus. The resin cassette includes a light-transmissive window, a frame connected to and surrounding the window, and at least one dame connected to the frame. The frame and window form a well for receiving a light polymerizable resin. The dam extends over and continuously contacts the window and partitions the well into a plurality of independent build regions, each independent build region configured for receiving different light polymerizable resins. Additive manufacturing apparatuses and methods of concurrently making three-dimensional objects are also described.

Polymeric shells which fit over one or more natural teeth to change the perceived color of the teeth, and optionally to provide orthodontic support. The shells can be prepared by thermoforming selected polymeric sheets which contain optical additives over a physical image of the teeth, or by depositing polymeric compositions containing optical additives over a physical image of the teeth, or by additive manufacturing based upon a digital image of the teeth. The optical additives cause the combination of the shell and the teeth to have a desired appearance. At least part of the shell preferably has transparency greater than 75%, particularly greater than 85%.

A method for manufacturing a dental structure, a dental structure and a dental assembly, formed by a structure screwed on a dental implant relates to a manufacturing method of a dental structure intended to be located and screwed on a previously osseointegrated dental implant, as well as to the structure obtained according to said method and to the dental assembly formed by said structure and implant.

A method of three-dimensional printing an object having a varying degree of transmissivity to light along an axis of the object, the method comprising the steps of (a) providing a liquefied polymer resin having a plurality of particles therein, the particles being distributed in the liquefied polymer resin based on the density of the particles; and (b) polymerizing the liquefied polymer resin under conditions to form the object layer-by-layer. There is also provided a formulation for three-dimensional printing and a three-dimensional printed object.

The present disclosure describes an additive manufacturing apparatus. The apparatus includes a chamber (11) having a planar circumferential top edge portion (12) defining a chamber orifice (13); a stage (15) movably positioned in the chamber (11), the two together configured to receive a viscous resin; a dispenser (30) facing the stage (15) and operatively associated therewith, the dispenser (30) configured to apply a planar coating of viscous resin; a primary drive (22) operatively associated with the dispenser (30) and chamber (11), the primary drive (22) configured to move the dispenser (30) across the chamber orifice (13); a light engine (40) facing the stage (15) and operatively associated therewith, the light engine (40) configured to expose a coating of resin on the stage (15) planar top surface (12) to patterned light; and a stage drive (24) operatively associated with the stage (15) and configured to retract the stage (15) into the chamber (11), following exposure of a coating of resin. Methods of making a three-dimensional object by additive manufacturing are also described.

A polymerization apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a light irradiator; and a polymerization vessel. The light irradiator includes a first casing and a light source assembly. The first casing includes a light source chamber defined by cylindrical side walls, a ceiling, and a floor including a light-transmissive window member. The light source assembly includes a base having a light-emitting surface on which a plurality of light-emitting diodes is disposed in a predetermined pattern and a heat-dissipating surface to which a heat sink is joined, and the light source assembly is disposed within the light source chamber so that the light-emitting surface faces the light-transmissive window member. The polymerization vessel includes a polymerization cup and a second casing. The polymerization cup has a frustoconical or substantially frustoconical shape that opens upward and increases in diameter upward, and is capable of housing an object therein. The second casing is a bottomed cylindrical or box-shaped casing having an opening at the apex thereof, the polymerization cup being attachably/detachably housed in the second casing via the opening. In this polymerization apparatus, light that has been emitted by the plurality of light-emitting diodes of the light irradiator and has passed through the light-transmissive window member is applied to the inside of the polymerization cup of the polymerization vessel.

The invention is a system and method for forming a dental appliance. A control module may be configured to receive data concerning a dental model and determine a toolpath for creating a pre-cut substrate based on the data. A cutting module may be configured to create the pre-cut substrate based on the toolpath. A forming module may be configured to apply a second substrate to the pre-cut thermoforming substrate received from the cutting module and form a dental appliance from the pre-cut substrate and the secondary substrate. The method may include receiving data concerning a dental model, determining a toolpath for cutting a substrate into a pre-cut thermoforming substrate based on the data, pre-cutting a first substrate based on the toolpath to form a pre-cut substrate, applying a second substrate to the pre-cut substrate, and thermoforming a dental appliance from the pre-cut substrate and the second substrate.

The invention is a system and method for forming a dental appliance. A control module may be configured to receive data concerning a dental model and determine a toolpath for creating a pre-cut substrate based on the data. A cutting module may be configured to create the pre-cut substrate based on the toolpath. A forming module may be configured to apply a second substrate to the pre-cut thermoforming substrate received from the cutting module and form a dental appliance from the pre-cut substrate and the secondary substrate. The method may include receiving data concerning a dental model, determining a toolpath for cutting a substrate into a pre-cut thermoforming substrate based on the data, pre-cutting a first substrate based on the toolpath to form a pre-cut substrate, applying a second substrate to the pre-cut substrate, and thermoforming a dental appliance from the pre-cut substrate and the second substrate.

A photo-curable resin composition is suitable for the fabrication of 3D printed objects via digital light processing (DLP) or stereolithography (SLA). The photo-curable resin composition can provide 3D printed objects having lower volumetric shrinkage, high accuracy and favorable mechanical strength for dental application such as building models, implant templates, surgical guides, night guard/occlusal splints, dentures, clear aligners, and temporary restorations.

A nest with flexural self-alignment features for receiving and aligning a model. The model is provided is a pair of V grooves that engage a pair of alignment pins of the nest. One of the alignment pins is movable and is connected to a near-infinite-life spring loaded flexure.