FR2847455A1 - Light-emitting diode device for photo polymerizing resins comprises a light-transmitting front part reversibly connected to an electricity-supplying back part - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for photo polymerizing resins, with a light source comprising light-emitting diodes (LEDs), comprises two reversibly detachable parts, namely a front part that produces the light and transmits it to a site of interest, and a back part that supplies electricity to the front part.

Description

The subject of the present invention is, in the field of treatment

  dental, a device for photopolymerization

resins.

  It is known that the composite materials used in dentistry today are essentially photo-polymerizable resins, the structure of which changes under the effect of light radiation of a precise and known wavelength between 400 and 500 nanometers. This radiation activates a photo-initiator during an exposure time calculated in

  function of the energy produced by the light source.

  To date, several types of light sources are used, such as halogen lamps, plasma lamps, laser lamps and LED diode lamps, each having

pros and cons.

  Thus, halogen lamps have the advantage of representing a simple and inexpensive technology, on the other hand, their very low efficiency associated with a high energy requirement prevents rapid polymerizations or the possibility of using wireless electrical devices. In addition, their progressive energy decrease requires constant self-calibration

impossible in a dental office.

  Plasma lamps, on the other hand, allow faster polymerization but the undesirable heat effect is high and their energy requirement excludes the use of batteries. In addition, the energy requirement exceeding 20,000 volts at the level of the bulb means that a flexible light-conducting fiber has to be used because it is impossible to bring such electrical powers close to the mouth of patients. In addition, if they have good stability over time, they have two major drawbacks, they are very

  expensive and give off a lot of heat.

  Laser lamps have only been used briefly in

  dentistry because, in addition to their extremely high cost, the narrowness of their bandwidth makes them inactive, in more than

  50% of cases, photos-initiators used in dentistry.

  LED diode lamps have appeared recently, they offer an interesting alternative, they have good stability over time, they can be powered by battery and placed near the mouth of patients without danger. They have, on the other hand, the disadvantage of being expensive, of being of a power still weak compared to their competitors, of being globally less powerful what obliges to have to resort to numerous solutions essentially represented by an elevation current sent to LED diodes

  or a significant increase in their number.

  This technology is however the most promising, in particular in that it offers numerous advantages such as for example the simplicity of use and the limited size of the apparatus. Several devices are currently known, and, if all the solutions have the advantage of optimizing power and energy by multiplying the number of LED diodes, none of them has applied to optimize the connection associating, diode LED, light pipe and power supply. In particular, the resolution of the power has always been proposed by increasing the number of LEDs, by convergence of the

  optical guides or by a power supply.

  The object of the present invention is to remedy this deficiency by proposing a device for photo-polymerization.

  resin, inexpensive and effective.

  The device for the photopolymerization of resins according to the invention is of the type comprising a light source coming from lamps with at least one LED diode, it is essentially characterized in that it consists of two parts which can be dissociated in a reversible manner, and which consist of a front part which creates light and leads it to the site concerned, and a rear part which supplies energy

electric to said front part.

  Yet another characteristic consists in that the rear part is designed capable of being easily joined and dissociated from the front part, and comprises an adjustable connection to that of the front part and transmitting

energy to the latter.

  According to an additional characteristic, the rear part contains a battery and / or a special interchangeable connector. The presence of such a connector allows, for example, to connect said rear part to a dental unit or to a

  power supply, for example, of the mains type.

  According to an additional characteristic of the device according to the invention, the rear part is capable of cooperating, dissociated or not from the front part, with a charging base for electrical energy, in particular capable of ensuring the charging of a

battery as mentioned above.

  A particular embodiment consists in that such cooperation can be achieved through said

above connection.

  According to another additional characteristic of the device according to the invention, the front part incorporates electronic cards which manage all of the supply currents of the LED diode (s), radiators necessary for the evacuation of the heat on each of which is fixed at least one LED diode itself surrounded by a radiation reflector with a diameter equal to or less than that of a maonofiber optical tip, itself fixed according to a minimal surface, the whole being included in a housing comprising a connection

  rear capable of receiving power from the power supply.

  Yet another characteristic consists in that the front part of this device comprises a housing defined, at least in part, in a material facilitating thermal conduction, in particular a metallic material, this in particular with the aim of improving the evacuation of the heat produced by the

  device and, more particularly, by the lamp or lamps.

  In fact, such a housing is preferably constituted by a metal shell inside which are arranged, at least in part, the elements used in the composition of the

device according to the invention.

  Although the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment, it is understood that it is in no way limited thereto and that it is possible to make various modifications to the forms, materials and combinations of these. various elements, without departing from the framework and

the spirit of the invention.

Claims (5)

  1) Device for the photopolymerization of resins, this device being of the type comprising a light source coming from lamps with at least one LED diode, characterized in that it consists of two parts which can be reversibly separated, and which consist of a front part which creates the light and leads it to the site concerned, and in part   rear which supplies electrical energy to said front part.   2) Device for the photopolymerization of resins according to claim 1, characterized in that the rear part is designed capable of being fixed and easily disconnected from the front part, and comprises an adjustable connection to that of the front part and transmitting the energy to the latter.   3) Device for the photo polymerization of resins   according to either of claims 1 or 2, characterized   by the fact that the rear part contains a battery and / or   interchangeable special connectors.   4) Device for the photo polymerization of resins   according to any one of claims l to 3, characterized by   the fact that the rear part is able to cooperate, dissociated or not from the front part, with a charging base for electrical energy. ) Device for photopolymerization of resins   according to any one of claims l to 4, characterized by   the fact that the front part incorporates electronic cards which manage all of the supply currents of the LED or diodes, radiators necessary for the evacuation of heat on each of which is fixed at least one LED diode itself surrounded by a radiation reflector with a diameter equal to or less than that of a single fiber optic tip, itself fixed to a minimum surface area, the whole being included in a housing comprising a rear connector capable of   receive energy from food. 1 6   6) Device for the photo polymerization of resins   according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by   the fact that the front part comprises a housing defined, at least in part, in a material facilitating thermal conduction, in particular a metallic material.