KR102306038B1 - Dental photopolymerizer - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dental photopolymerizer. A dental photopolymerizer for irradiating light to an object to be treated by the present invention includes: a light source for generating and emitting light; a light path control unit formed in front of the light source unit and including a liquid refractive member whose shape changes so as to change a path of the passing light while passing the emitted light; and a control unit configured to control the light path adjusting unit to change the shape of the liquid refractive member according to a procedure mode or an external input.

Description

Dental photopolymerizer {Dental photopolymerizer}

The present invention relates to a dental photopolymerizer.

In dentistry, especially, procedures using light such as blue light or ultraviolet light are widely performed. The treatment using such light includes a photopolymerization procedure for curing dental resin and a tooth whitening procedure.

In particular, the dental photopolymerizer includes a structure for intensively irradiating light onto a restoration occupying a relatively small area.

1 is a view showing a photopolymerizer of the prior art. As shown in FIG. 1 , the conventional photopolymerizer 10 may generally include a light source 11 , a lens 12 , a guide 13 , a casing 14 , and an input unit 15 . . That is, the light emitted from the light source 11 is diffracted while passing through the lens 12 , passes through the guide 13 , and is irradiated to the object to be treated. The casing 14 is provided in a shape that can be gripped by a user, and has an input unit 15 on one side of which a user can input a command such as On/Off.

In such a structure, there is a case in which the guide 13 is composed of a plurality of guides 13 having different calibers from each other in order to adjust the intensity of the irradiated light or the width of the irradiation area. In this case, it is necessary to replace the guide 13 as necessary, and inconvenience due to the management of a plurality of parts may follow.

Another method of adjusting the intensity of the irradiated light or the width of the irradiation area is to adjust the output of the light source unit 11 . However, even in this case, there is a risk that the life of the light source unit 11 is shortened or the function thereof is deteriorated.

1. Korean Patent Laid-Open No. 10-2009-0101768 (September 29, 2009), wired and wireless light curing machine for dentistry 2. Korea Open Utility Model No. 20-2010-0010785 (November 03, 2010), Structure of Light Irradiator with Condensing Cap 3. Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0121125 (November 07, 2018), light complex sterilization polymerization machine

The present invention has been devised in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a dental photopolymerizer capable of freely adjusting the intensity or area to which light is irradiated without changing the light guide or adjusting the intensity of the light source.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dental photopolymerizer that saves space and has a long lifespan by excluding a mechanism for adjusting the focus of a separate lens.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-purpose light irradiator capable of various types of treatment with one device.

A dental photopolymerizer for irradiating light to an object to be treated for dental treatment of the present invention for achieving the above object includes: a light source unit for generating and emitting light; a light path control unit formed in front of the light source unit and including a liquid refractive member whose shape changes so as to change a path of the passing light while passing the emitted light; and a control unit configured to control the light path adjusting unit to change the shape of the liquid refractive member according to a procedure mode or an external input.

The dental photopolymerizer may further include a guide part that is formed in front of the light path adjusting unit and guides all or part of the light incident through the light path adjusting unit to be irradiated to the object.

In addition, the object may be at least one of a tooth and a restoration material attached to the tooth.

In addition, the controller controls the optical path adjusting unit so that the liquid refractive member has a convex lens shape when the treatment mode is the first mode, and when the treatment mode is the second mode, the liquid refractive member is concave The optical path adjusting unit may be controlled to have a lens shape.

In addition, the first mode may be a light polymerization mode for curing the restoration material, and the second mode may be a tooth whitening mode for whitening the teeth.

In addition, the dental photopolymerizer may further include a casing including the light source unit and the light path adjusting unit therein, and having an irradiation hole through which the light passing through the light path adjusting unit is formed.

In addition, the casing unit, the light source unit and the light path control unit therein, the head unit having the irradiation hole formed at one end; a body part formed at the other end of the head part and including a power supply part for supplying power to the light source part and the light path adjusting part, and formed to be held by a user; may include.

In addition, the dental photopolymerizer further includes a collimating unit detachable at the front end of the irradiation hole, and the operation mode may be changed according to whether the collimating unit is detachable or not.

Meanwhile, the dental light polymerizer further includes an input unit receiving the external input from a user, and the control unit obtains command information for adjusting at least one of an intensity and an irradiation area of light irradiated to the object according to the external input. and control the optical path adjusting unit based on the command information.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to freely adjust the intensity of light or the irradiation area, so that a more efficient photopolymerization procedure is possible.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide a dental photopolymerizer having a long life and saving space by excluding a mechanism for adjusting the focus of a separate lens.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, various types of procedures can be performed with one light irradiation device, thereby reducing costs.

1 is a view showing a photopolymerizer of the prior art.
2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a dental photopolymerizer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a view showing the configuration of a dental photopolymerizer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a schematic diagram showing the structure and operating principle of a liquid lens.
5 is a view showing the configuration of a dental photopolymerizer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view showing the configuration of a dental photopolymerizer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Matters related to the operation and effect including the technical configuration for the above object of the present invention will be clearly understood by the following detailed description with reference to the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

Advantages and features of the present invention, and techniques for achieving them, etc. will become clear with reference to the embodiments described below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. This embodiment may be provided to completely inform the scope of the invention to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains, as well as to complete the disclosure of the present invention. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawings show a general manner of construction, and detailed descriptions of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the discussion of the described embodiments of the present invention. Additionally, elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the sizes of some components in the drawings may be exaggerated compared to other components in order to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present invention. Like reference numbers in different drawings indicate like elements, and like reference numbers may, but do not necessarily, indicate like elements.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the same or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals regardless of reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted.

In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a dental photopolymerizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the dental light polymerization device 100 for irradiating light to the object 200, which is the target of dental treatment of the present invention for achieving the above object, includes a light source unit 200, a light path control unit ( 300), and the control unit 400 may be basically included.

The light source unit 200 generates and emits light. The light source unit 200 may receive power required for light emission from a power supply unit 640 provided in the device 100 or a power source external to the device 100 .

The light source unit 200 may be formed with various light emitting means. Preferably it includes an LED that emits UV or blue light. In addition, it may further include an LED for irradiating white light to increase the illuminance inside the oral cavity during the procedure.

The control unit 400 may control the light source unit 200 and/or the light path control unit 300 . More specifically, by adjusting the On/Off or output voltage of the power applied to the light source unit 200 , and adjusting the On/Off or the output voltage (or current) of the power applied to the optical path adjusting unit 300 , the light It is possible to change the shape of the refractive member 20 .

The control unit 400, including a microprocessor and a memory, is preferably configured to perform an operation required for control. In addition, the control unit 400 may be implemented as a PC or a user mobile terminal to control the light source unit 200 and/or the light path control unit 300 through communication. To this end, the device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a wired or wireless communication unit (not shown).

Also, FIG. 3 is a view showing the configuration of a dental photopolymerizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3 , the light path adjusting unit 300 may be formed at the front end of the light source unit 200 . That is, the light emitted from the light source unit 200 may be provided in a traveling direction. The light path adjusting unit 300 may include a liquid refraction member 310 that can pass the emitted light and change a shape so as to change the path of the passing light.

4 is a schematic diagram showing the structure and operating principle of a liquid lens. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the light path adjusting unit 300 may be configured to include a liquid lens 20 in which the light path 210 is changed according to the application of power. The liquid refractive member 310 may be oil included in the liquid lens 20 .

The liquid lens 20 is based on the electro-wetting phenomenon, which is the principle of controlling the surface tension with electricity. This is based on the fact that water molecules are polar (+,-) molecules, and it refers to a phenomenon in which the surface tension is increased due to the force of attraction to the metal through which electricity flows.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4( a ), the negative charge is not charged to the water 22 contained in the liquid lens 20 because DC power is not applied to the electrode 24 of the liquid lens 20 . In , the angle of the interface between the water 22 and the surface of the insulating material 25 becomes large, and accordingly, the oil 21 having a high refractive index may take a shape like a concave lens.

However, as shown in FIG. 4(b) , in a state in which DC power is applied to the electrode 24 of the liquid lens 20 and negative charges are charged to the water 22 included in the liquid lens 20, the The angle of the interface between the water 22 and the surface of the insulating material 25 becomes smaller, and accordingly, the oil 21 having a high refractive index may take a shape like a convex lens. By controlling the magnitude of the voltage (or current) of the applied DC power, the bending angle of the optical path 27 can be adjusted.

As such, it is possible to control the intensity of the irradiated light or the width of the irradiation area through voltage (or current) control, even without the mechanical structure for focusing the solid lens. Through this, the internal space of the device 100 is saved and the lifespan is extended.

The control unit 400 may control the optical path control unit 300 to change the shape of the liquid refractive member 310 according to a dental procedure mode or an external input.

The control unit 400 controls the power supplied to the optical path control unit 300 from a power source 640 included in the device 100 or a power source external to the device 100 to thereby control the optical path control unit 300 . ) can be controlled. More specifically, it is possible to adjust the shape of the liquid refraction member 21 of the optical path adjusting unit 300 by using the controlled power and to adjust the angle at which the optical path 210 is changed accordingly.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the dental light polymerization unit 100 may further include a guide unit 500 formed in front of the light path adjusting unit 300 . In this case, the guide unit 500 serves to guide all or part of the light incident through the light path adjusting unit 300 to be irradiated to the object 200 .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the guide part 500 may include an optical fiber that transmits the light irradiated from the optical path control part 300 . The optical path adjusting unit 300 according to the present invention may adjust the amount of light transmitted into the optical fiber by changing the optical path 210 under the control of the controller 400 . Accordingly, the dental photopolymerizer according to an embodiment of the present invention adjusts the output of the power applied to the light source unit 200 or the object 900 in the device 100 without replacement for changing the size of the guide unit 500 . ) to control the amount of irradiated light.

The dental light polymerization unit 100 includes the light source unit 200 and the light path control unit 300 therein, and an irradiation hole 610 through which the light passing through the light path control unit 300 passes. It may further include a casing portion 600 is formed.

5 is a view showing the configuration of a dental photopolymerizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5 , the casing part 600 may include a head part 620 and a body part 630 .

The head unit 620 may include the light source unit 200 and the light path control unit 300 . An irradiation hole (hole) 610 through which the light passes and is irradiated may be formed at one end of the head unit 620 . More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 , the light source unit 200 and the light path control unit 300 are formed inside the head unit 620 , and are generated by being connected to the rear end of the irradiation hole 610 . It is preferable to be

In this embodiment, it is easy to effectively irradiate light to the object 900 without providing a separate guide unit 500 .

The main body 630 is preferably assembled or integrally formed with the other end opposite to the one end of the head unit 620 . The main body 630 is preferably configured in the form of a handle so that a user can grip it.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the device 100 includes a power supply unit 640 such as a battery, the power supply unit 640 may be formed inside the body unit 630 .

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the head part 620 and the body part 630 may be provided to be spaced apart, and may include a connection part (not shown) for interconnecting the two.

6 is a view showing the configuration of a dental photopolymerizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 (b), the dental photopolymerizer 100 may further include a collimating unit 700 detachable at the front end of the irradiation hole 610 .

The collimator 700 is configured to adjust an area to which the light passing through the light path adjusting unit 300 is irradiated. It may include a baffle for confining the light, and may also include a transparent material for guiding the path 210 of the light therein. In some cases, the collimator 700 may include a member that can be bitten by the examinee (the recipient) during the procedure.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the operation mode may be changed according to whether the collimator 700 is attached or detached.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the treatment mode may include a photopolymerization mode and a tooth whitening mode. The device 100 further includes a sensor for detecting when the collimating unit 700 as described above is coupled to the casing unit 600, and when the coupling of the collimating unit 700 is detected, teeth whitening mode can be set.

The dental photopolymerizer 100 may further include an input unit 800 that receives the external input from a user. The control unit 400 may obtain command information for adjusting at least one of an intensity and an irradiation area of light irradiated to the object 200 according to the external input. Also, the optical path adjusting unit 300 may be controlled based on the command information.

It is preferable that the input unit 800 includes a button or a touch sensor so that an external input is made. Alternatively, it may be implemented using an external mobile terminal or desktop computer.

Through this, a user (such as a doctor) can select and input a desired treatment mode into the apparatus 100 .

The object 200 may be at least one of a tooth 910 and a restoration material (not shown) attached to the tooth 910 .

The restoration material (not shown) is made of a material that can be cured by causing photopolymerization by light, particularly blue light or ultraviolet (UV) light, such as dental resin. The restoration material (not shown) is mainly used to fill a place where a part of a tooth is shaved, such as after caries treatment.

The control unit 400 controls the optical path adjusting unit 300 so that the liquid refractive member 310 has a convex lens shape when the treatment mode is the first mode, and the treatment mode is the second mode. In this case, the optical path adjusting unit 300 may be controlled so that the liquid refractive member 310 has a concave lens shape.

Also, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first mode may be a photopolymerization mode for curing the restoration material, and the second mode may be a tooth 910 whitening mode for whitening the teeth 910 .

That is, in the photopolymerization mode, it is preferable to irradiate the light so that light is concentrated on the restoration material (not shown) through the convex lens-shaped refractive member 310 . In addition, in the dental whitening mode, it is necessary to obtain a whitening effect by irradiating light to the teeth 910 in a wider area.

In this tooth whitening mode, coupling of the collimator 700 may be required to prevent light from spreading to an excessively wide area.

On the other hand, in this specification and claims, terms such as "first", "second", "third", and "fourth" are used to distinguish between similar elements, if any, and are not necessarily However, it is used to describe a specific sequence or sequence of occurrences. It will be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances to enable the embodiments of the invention described herein to operate, for example, in sequences other than those shown or described herein. Likewise, where methods are described herein as comprising a series of steps, the order of those steps presented herein is not necessarily the order in which those steps may be executed, and any described steps may be omitted and/or Any other steps not described may be added to the method.

Terms such as "left", "right", "front", "back", "top", "bottom", "above", "below" in this specification and claims are used for descriptive purposes, It is not necessarily intended to describe an invariant relative position. It will be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances to enable the embodiments of the invention described herein to operate otherwise than, for example, as shown or described herein. As used herein, the term “connected” is defined as being directly or indirectly connected in an electrical or non-electrical manner. Objects described herein as being "adjacent" to one another may be in physical contact with one another, in proximity to one another, or in the same general scope or area as appropriate for the context in which the phrase is used. The presence of the phrase “in one embodiment” herein refers to the same, but not necessarily, embodiment.

Also, in the specification and claims, references to 'connected', 'connecting', 'fastened', 'fastening', 'coupled', 'coupled', etc., and various variations of these expressions, refer to other elements directly It is used in the sense of being connected or indirectly connected through other components.

In addition, the suffixes "module" and "part" for the components used in this specification are given or mixed in consideration of the ease of writing the specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles by themselves.

In addition, the terms used herein are for the purpose of describing the embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular also includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise in the phrase. As used herein, 'comprise' and/or 'comprising' means that a referenced component, step, operation and/or element is the presence of one or more other components, steps, operations and/or elements. or addition is not excluded.

So far, the present invention has been looked at with respect to preferred embodiments thereof. All embodiments and conditional examples disclosed through this specification are described with the intention of helping those skilled in the art to understand the principles and concepts of the present invention. It will be understood that the present invention may be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention.

Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The scope of the present invention is indicated in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being included in the present invention.

10: light polymerization reactor 11: light source
12: lens 13: guide
14: casing 15: input unit
20: liquid lens 21: oil
22: water 23: window
24: electrode 25: insulating material
26: DC power supply 27: optical path
100: dental light polymerization device 200: light source unit
210: optical path
300: light path control unit 310: liquid refractive member
400: control unit 500: guide unit
600: casing unit 610: investigator
620: head portion 630: body portion
640: power supply
700: collimating unit 800: input unit
900: object 910: tooth

Claims (9)

In the dental photopolymerizer for irradiating light to an object to be treated,
a light source unit that generates and emits light;
a light path control unit formed in front of the light source unit and including a liquid refractive member whose shape changes so as to change a path of the passing light while passing the emitted light; and
A dental light polymerization device comprising a; a control unit for controlling the light path adjusting unit to change the shape of the liquid refractive member according to a procedure mode or an external input. The method of claim 1,
The dental photopolymerizer further comprising a guide part formed in front of the light path adjusting unit and guiding all or part of the light incident through the light path adjusting unit to be irradiated to the object. The method of claim 1,
The object is a dental light polymerization device, characterized in that at least one of a tooth and a restoration material attached to the tooth. ◈Claim 4 was abandoned when paying the registration fee.◈ 4. The method of claim 3,
The control unit is
When the treatment mode is the first mode, controlling the optical path adjusting unit so that the liquid refractive member has a convex lens shape,
When the operation mode is the second mode, the dental light polymerization device according to claim 1, wherein the optical path adjusting unit is controlled so that the liquid refractive member has a concave lens shape. ◈Claim 5 was abandoned when paying the registration fee.◈ 5. The method of claim 4,
The first mode is a photopolymerization mode for curing the restoration,
The second mode is a dental light polymerization device, characterized in that it is a tooth whitening mode for whitening the teeth. ◈Claim 6 was abandoned when paying the registration fee.◈ 5. The method of claim 1 or 4,
The dental photopolymerizer further comprising a casing including the light source unit and the light path adjusting unit therein, and having an irradiation hole through which the light passing through the light path adjusting unit is formed. ◈Claim 7 was abandoned when paying the registration fee.◈ 7. The method of claim 6,
The casing part,
a head unit including the light source unit and the light path adjusting unit therein, and having the irradiation hole formed at one end thereof; and
and a body part formed at the other end of the head part, the main body part including a power supply part supplying power to the light source part and the light path adjusting part, and formed to be held by a user. ◈Claim 8 was abandoned when paying the registration fee.◈ 7. The method of claim 6,
Further comprising a collimating unit detachable at the front end of the irradiation hole,
Dental light polymerization device, characterized in that the operation mode is changed according to whether the collimator is attached or detached. ◈Claim 9 was abandoned at the time of payment of the registration fee.◈ The method of claim 1,
Further comprising an input unit for receiving the external input from the user,
The control unit is
obtaining command information to adjust at least one of an intensity and an irradiation area of light irradiated to the object according to the external input;
The dental light polymerization unit, characterized in that the light path control unit is controlled based on the command information.

Images