JP-7854987-B2 - Heating device for heating dental materials, and system for applying dental materials

Inventors

• リヒター，クリスティアン アー．
• ゲルラッハ，コルビニアン
• ケルツ，ラルフ エム．
• シュミッド，ルドルフ
• ヴェルカー，ステファン カー．

Assignees

• ソルベンタム インテレクチュアル プロパティズ カンパニー

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20210902

Priority Date

20200925

Claims (1)

1. A heating device (10) for heating dental materials, A main body (12) having openings (22, 24) formed inside, configured to at least partially receive containers (26, 28) containing the dental material to be heated, At least one light-emitting diode (42) is configured to emit infrared light having a wavelength in the range of 500 nm to 2000 nm onto the outer surface (44) of the container (26, 28) containing the dental material, which is received in the aperture (22, 24), At least one temperature sensor (48) configured to determine the temperature of the outer surface (44) of the container (26, 28) received in the opening (22, 24) of the main body (12), A controller (49) having a control circuit that communicates with the temperature sensor (48) and the at least one light-emitting diode (42), and controls the amount of infrared light emitted by the at least one light-emitting diode (42), thereby controlling the temperature of the outer surface (44) of the container (26, 28) based on the temperature of the outer surface (44) of the container (26, 28) determined by the temperature sensor (48), Equipped with, The controller (49) is configured to control the amount of infrared light emitted by the at least one light-emitting diode (42) by intermittently interrupting and restarting the emission of infrared light, or by controlling the current supplied to the at least one light-emitting diode (42). The heating device (10) A heating device (10) further comprising at least one or at least two adapters (30, 32) having a length L, each having a wall (34, 36) defining a receptacle (38, 40) configured to be at least partially received within the opening (22, 24) of the body (12) along the length L, and the adapters (30, 32) being at least partially transparent to infrared light along the length L, wherein at least one light-emitting diode (42) is positioned outside the adapters (30, 32) and along the length L, and the adapters (30, 32) are at least partially transparent to infrared light along the length L, at least in part.

Description

Various types of materials are used in restorative dental treatment. For example, dental composite materials can be used to fill cavities in a patient's teeth. Furthermore, dental materials can be used to repair crown fractures, tooth wear, and congenital tooth defects. In some cases, it may be advantageous to heat dental materials for specific purposes, such as altering their properties before applying them to a patient's teeth. Specifically, to increase the viscosity of the composite material, the high-filler composite material can be heated. Increasing the viscosity of the composite material improves its handling and/or performance characteristics, thereby facilitating its application to the patient's teeth. However, some composite materials become less viscous when heated. This can also be advantageous in some cases, for example, by allowing the composite material to flow and conform to the complex details of a dental cavity, and by facilitating easier extrusion of the material from its container. Dental materials are often supplied in packaging (e.g., capsules or other containers) that allows for the storage of a certain quantity of dental material. Typically, the dental material is heated using a heating device based on an electrical resistor, by placing the container containing the dental material inside or on the heating device. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/234921(A1) (Addendum) relates to a heating device into which a compal of dental material can be inserted to raise the temperature of the dental material above ambient temperature before clinical use, comprising a base for housing a heating element, a temperature control mechanism for controlling the temperature of the heating element, a power connection for electrically connecting the temperature control mechanism to a power source, and a heating receptacle detachably mounted on the base. A device for melting high-melting-point materials used by dental technicians, or for analytical purposes, is described in European Patent Application Publication No. 1464904 (A1) (Barget). These melting devices enable the melting of materials up to a temperature of 1,600°C and include a quartz glass melting crucible, which is surrounded by an insulating block having at least one radiating shaft extending toward the melting crucible, and includes a short-wavelength quartz infrared radiator as a radiant heat source. However, existing approaches have certain drawbacks. Therefore, there is still a need for heating devices that are easy to use and highly energy-efficient. Furthermore, when heating dental materials, a specific target temperature range for the material being heated is desirable. For example, if dental materials are heated to a temperature below the desired target temperature range, the desired dental material properties may not be achieved, or may only be partially achieved. Furthermore, overheating dental materials to temperatures exceeding the desired temperature range and/or for extended periods can damage and/or degrade the dental materials and/or the containers holding them. Furthermore, heating dental materials to a temperature higher than necessary and/or desired results in a waste of energy consumed for heating. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a heating device for heating dental materials with improved heating efficiency. This objective is achieved by a heating device for heating dental materials. The heating device comprises a body with an opening formed inside, configured to at least partially receive a container containing the dental material to be heated. The dental materials being heated specifically include dental composite materials used in dental restorations (e.g., materials for filling cavities, restorative materials). The heating device body may include a housing configured to accommodate components of the heating device, such as electronic equipment, batteries, and control elements. The housing may be a single-piece structure or a multi-piece structure, such as a two-piece structure, to facilitate the assembly of the heating device. The opening formed in the main body may be open to the environment surrounding the heating device. However, the opening may also be at least selectively and/or at least partially closed to the environment, for example, by a lid or other closing structure, to prevent or at least minimize contamination of the opening from the environment when the heating device is not in use. The opening may extend into the main body only for a specific distance, such as 25 cm, 20 cm, 15 cm, or 10 cm. The opening can be configured to accept different types of containers, such as capsules and/or syringes. Therefore, the shape and/or geometric form of the opening formed in the body can be specifically configured to correspond to a container for dental materials that is at least partially accepted into the opening. Thus, for example, the length of the opening can be configured acco