HEATING DEVICE FOR HEATING DENTAL MATERIAL, SYSTEM FOR APPLYING DENTAL MATERIAL AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURE OF A DENTAL MATERIAL

Abstract

The invention relates to a heating device 10 for heating a dental material and a method for controlling the temperature of a dental material.

Claims

1. A heating device for heating a dental material, the heating device comprising: a body having an opening formed therein configured to at least partially receive a container housing the dental material to be heated, at least one light emitting diode configured to emit infrared light having a wavelength in the range of 500 nm-2000 nm, preferably in the range of 800 nm-1500 nm, onto an outer surface of the container housing the dental material once received in the opening; at least one temperature sensor configured to determine a temperature of the outer surface of the container once received in the opening, and a controller having a control circuitry configured to communicate with the temperature sensor and the at least one light emitting diode and to control the temperature of the outer surface of the container based on the temperature of the outer surface of the container determined by the temperature sensor by controlling the amount of infrared light emitted by the at least one light emitting diode.

2. The heating device according to the preceding claim further comprising at least one or at least two adapters with a length L being at least partially received within the opening of the body along its length L and having a wall defining a receptacle configured to removably receive the container housing the dental material to be heated, wherein the at least one light emitting diode is arranged outside of the adapter and along its length L and wherein the adapter is, at least in sections, at least partially transmissive for infrared light along the length L.

3. The heating device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the amount of infrared light emitted by the at least one light emitting diode by intermittently interrupting and reactivating the emission of infrared light or by controlling a current provided to the at least one light emitting diode.

4. The heating device according to claim 1, further including at least one optics configured and positioned to focus the infrared light emitted by the at least one light emitting diode onto the outer surface of the container housing the dental material once received in the opening of the body.

5. The heating device according to claim 4, wherein the at least one optics is integrally formed on the adapter such that the at least one optics and the adapter constitute a one-piece component made of the same material.

6. A heating device for heating a dental material, the heating device comprising: a body having an opening formed therein configured to at least partially receive a container housing the dental material to be heated, at least one light emitting diode configured to emit infrared light onto an outer surface of the container housing the dental material once received in the opening of the body; at least one optics configured and positioned to focus the infrared light emitted by the at least one light emitting diode onto the outer surface of the container housing the dental material once received in the opening of the body.

7. The heating device 19; according to claim 6, wherein the heating device is configured as a portable table top device, and wherein preferably the opening a extends into the body by a length of less than 20 cm, preferably less than 16 cm, more preferably less than 14 cm, more preferably less than 10 cm.

8. The heating device according to claim 6, further comprising an adapter with a length L being at least partially received within the opening of the body along its Length L and having a wall defining a receptacle configured to removably receive the container housing the dental material to be heated, wherein the at least one light emitting diode is arranged outside of the adapter and along its length L and wherein the adapter is, at least in sections, at least partially transmissive for infrared light along the length L.

9. A system for applying dental material, comprising the heating device of claim 1 and a container housing a dental material.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the container includes a chamber for housing the dental material, a dispensing nozzle connected to the chamber for dispensing the dental material and a piston arranged in the chamber for urging the dental material toward the dispensing nozzle.

11-15. (canceled)

Description

[0228] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are further elucidated below with reference to the figures.

[0229] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment according to the invention;

[0230] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a further embodiment according to the invention;

[0231] FIG. 3 shows a further perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2;

[0232] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a further embodiment according to the invention; and

[0233] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a further embodiment according to the invention.

[0234] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a heating device 10 for heating a dental material, wherein the heating device 10 is preferably configured as a portable table top device. The heating device 10 is preferably a battery operated device. Thus, the heating device 10 can be easily moved to different locations within a treatment environment and can be arranged close to the point of application of the dental material.

[0235] The heating device 10 comprises a body 12. The body 12 is constructed as a multi-piece part and includes two control buttons 14, 16 configured to control the heating device 10. The control buttons 14, 16 can be configured to switch the heating device 10 into a standby-mode without activating the heating process of the heating device 12.

[0236] The control buttons 14, 16 can further be configured to activate a heating process of the heating device 10. Furthermore, the control buttons 14, 16 can be configured such that by actuating one of the buttons 14, 16, for instance by touching or pressing one of the buttons 14, 16, for a period shorter than a predetermined threshold value the heating device can be switched into the standby-mode. The control buttons 14, 16 can further be configured such that by actuating one of the buttons 14, 16 for a period longer than a predetermined threshold the heating process of the heating device 10 can be activated.

[0237] Furthermore, the buttons 14, 16 can be configured such that the duration during which one of the buttons 14, 16 is actuated can determine the mode and/or duration of the heating process of the heating device 10. Alternatively or additionally, the amount of sequential actuations of one of the buttons 14, 16 can determine the mode and/or duration of the heating process of the heating device 10. Different modes of the heating device 10 can comprise, for instance, at least one of different heating temperature profiles, different target temperature of the dental material and different heating intensities.

[0238] The body 12 further includes indicating lights 18, 20 arranged in a circular shape around the buttons 14, 16 which can indicate the mode the heating device is in, i.e. in standby-mode, heating mode, etc. The indicating lights 18, 20 can also indicate warnings to the user, such as a defect of the heating device 10 and/or when the dental material should be removed from the heating device 10, for instance when the target heating time and/or the target temperature of the dental material has been reached.

[0239] The body 12 further includes two openings 22, 24 each formed in the body 12. Both openings 22, 24 are configured to at least partially receive a container 26, 28 housing the dental material to be heated.

[0240] Thus, the control button 14 is configured to control the heating process in the opening 24 and the control button 16 is configured to control the heating process in the opening 22. However, the body 12 can also comprise a single button to control the heating process in both openings 22, 24.

[0241] As shown in FIG. 1, the container 26 to be received by the opening 24 is a capsule housing dental material to be applied in a patient's mouth, for instance for filling a cavity in a patient's tooth. The container 28 to be received by the opening 22 is a syringe also housing a dental material to be applied in a patient's mouth, such as for repairing crown damage.

[0242] The capsule 26 comprises a dispensing nozzle 21 for dispensing the dental material from the capsule 26, wherein the capsule 26 is releasably attached to a mouth piece 29 of a dispensing gun 31. The dispensing gun 31 is configured to dispense the dental material from the capsule 26 by applying a force to an actuating handle 33 by the user.

[0243] The syringe 28, on the other hand, comprises a piston 35 configured to dispense the dental material from the syringe 28 by axially displacing the piston 35 relative to a housing 37 of the syringe 28.

[0244] Thus, the openings 22, 24 can be configured to receive different types of containers 26, 28, such as different sizes and/or different shapes, as shown in FIG. 1. However, the openings 22, 24 can be substantially the same size and shape and can be configured to receive the same type of container. The body 12 can also comprise more than two openings, for instance 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or more, in order to heat a number of dental materials either at the same time or sequentially.

[0245] The heating device 10 further comprises two adapters 30, 32 each having a wall 34, 36 defining a receptacle 38, 40 configured to receive one of the containers 26, 28 housing the dental material. The receptacles 38, 40 are each sized and shaped to receive the corresponding containers 26, 28. The adapters 30, 32, which are shown in a retracted position with regard to the openings 22, 24, are to be at least partially received in the openings 22, 24.

[0246] FIG. 2 shows the container 26 received in the opening 24 of the body 12. As can further be seen in FIG. 2, the heating device 10 further comprises light emitting diodes 42 configured to emit infrared light onto an outer surface 44 of the container 26. The light emitting diodes 42 are mounted on mounting structures 46 configured to be attached within the body 12. Furthermore, the mounting structures 46 and the light emitting diodes 42 are distributed circumferentially around the container 26 in order to evenly heat the dental material housed in the container 26.

[0247] The heating device 10 further comprises a temperature sensor 48 configured to determine a temperature of the outer surface 44 of the container 26 received in the opening 24 of the body 12. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the temperature sensor 48 is an infrared temperature sensor configured to detect infrared energy emitted by the container 26. However, the temperature sensor 48 can alternatively be configured to contact the outer surface 44 of the container 26 in order to determine the temperature of the outer surface 48 of the container 26, such as a thermocouple or a resistance thermometer, such as a PT100.

[0248] The heating device 10 can also comprise a plurality of temperature sensors 48, preferably distributed circumferentially around the container 26. Preferably, the opening 22 configured to receive the syringe 28 also comprises a temperature sensor 48 such as the one shown in FIG. 2. However, the temperature sensor 48 arranged in the opening 22 can be of a different type than the temperature sensor 48 arranged in the opening 24 as shown in FIG. 2, such as a temperature sensor configured to contact the outer surface 44 of the container 26 in order to determine the temperature of the outer surface 48 of the container 26, such as a thermocouple or a resistance thermometer, such as a PT100.

[0249] The heating device 10 further comprises a controller 49 having a control circuitry configured to communicate with the temperature sensor 48 and the light emitting diodes 42 to control the temperature of the outer surface 44 of the container 26 based on the temperature of the outer surface 44 of the container 26 determined by the temperature sensor 48 by controlling the amount of infrared light emitted by the light emitting diodes 42.

[0250] The controller 49 can be configured to control the amount of infrared light emitted by the light emitting diodes 42 by intermittently interrupting and reactivating the emission of infrared light by the light emitting diodes 42.

[0251] Alternatively or additionally, the controller 49 can be configured to control the amount of infrared light emitted by adjusting the intensity of the infrared light emitted by the light emitting diodes 42. Adjusting the intensity of the infrared light emitted by the light emitting diodes 42 can preferably be performed by controlling a current provided to the light emitting diodes 42.

[0252] Preferably, the adapter 30 is also arranged in the opening 24, wherein the light emitting diodes 42 are preferably arranged outside of the adapter 30. Thus, the adapter 30 is preferably at least partially transmissive for infrared light, at least in sections. For clarity purposes, the adapter 30 is not shown in FIG. 2.

[0253] FIG. 3 substantially shows the arrangement shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 further shows the dispensing gun 31 with the container 26 received by the mouth piece 29, as shown in FIG. 1. For clarity purposes, the controller 49 has been omitted in FIG. 3.

[0254] FIG. 4 shows the adapter 30 as shown in FIG. 1. The adapter 30 is open on both ends of the receptacle 38 formed by the wall 34. The adapter 30 comprises four optics 50 configured and positioned to focus the infrared light emitted by the light emitting diodes 42 onto the outer surface 44 of the container 26 housing the dental material once received in the opening 24 of the body 12.

[0255] The optics 50 are integrally formed on the adapter 30 such that the optics 50 and the adapter 30 constitute a one-piece component made of the same material. Preferably, the adapter 30 is made of polycarbonate. Thus, in this case, the optics 50 can also be made of polycarbonate.

[0256] By focusing the infrared light emitted by the light emitting diodes 42 onto the outer surface 44 of the container 26, the dental material is heated more efficiently by intensifying the infrared light onto the container 26.

[0257] The adapter 32 received in the opening 22, as shown in FIG. 1, can have the same configuration as the adapter 30 shown in FIG. 4.

[0258] FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment, in which the adapter comprises optics 52 mounted to the light emitting diodes 42. Each optics 52 and its corresponding light emitting diode 42 constitute an integral component releasably attached to the adapter 30. The optics 52 can, for instance, include a total internal reflection (TIR) optics.

[0259] The adapter 32 received in the opening 22, as shown in FIG. 1, can have the same configuration as the adapter 30 shown in FIG. 5.