Apparatus and method for manufacturing a dental milling block with a graduated color and/or translucency profile
AssigneeThe Argen Corporation
InventorsJeffery Lowthorp, Carlos Sanchez
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and processes by providing for gradually interleaving layers of zirconia powders having different concentrations of colorants and yttria to obtain color and translucency gradients that more closely mimic natural teeth, in which apparatus includes a comb having a multiplicity of tines that is extended vertically into a mold configured to hold at least two layers of differently constituted powders, such that adjacent layers of the powders form an interface. The comb is reciprocated to create a textured surface pattern on a topmost layer of powder and additionally may be used to penetrate an interface between adjacent layers, thereby redistributing the particles near the interface.
Claims17
A process of manufacturing a dental milling block having a translucency and/or color gradient, the process comprising:
- providing a mold with a cavity having a z-direction and defining an area in a x/y-plane;
- providing a comb having a base extending in the x/y plane and a multiplicity of tines projecting vertically from the base in the z-direction, each one of the multiplicity of tines consisting of an elongated rod having a first diameter, a proximal end coupled to the base and a distal region adjacent to a distal end, the distal region having a second diameter substantially larger than the first diameter to form a shoulder;
- partially filling the cavity with a first zirconia powder to form a first layer having a top surface;
- reciprocating the comb into the mold only in the z-direction to penetrate the top surface of the first layer and create a textured pattern in the top surface of the first layer;
- introducing into the mold a second zirconia powder on top of the first layer of first zirconia powder to form a second layer having a top surface and a bottom surface, the textured pattern in the top surface of the first layer creating a complimentary textured pattern in the bottom surface of the second layer, the textured pattern in the top surface of the first layer and the complimentary textured pattern in the bottom surface of the second layer together forming a first interface;
- reciprocating the comb into the mold only in the z-direction to penetrate the second layer and the first interface, such that the shoulder of each tine carries particles from the first layer upwards into the second layer when the comb is retracted through the second layer;
- and
- compacting the first and second layers in the mold and optionally applying heat to the compacted first and second layers, wherein the first zirconia powder has different chemical composition and/or color than the second zirconia powder.
A process of manufacturing a dental milling block having a translucency and/or color gradient, the process comprising steps of:
- providing a mold with a cavity having a z-direction and defining an area in a x/y-plane;
- providing a comb having a base extending in the x/y plane and a multiplicity of tines projecting vertically from the base in the z-direction, each one of the multiplicity of tines consisting of an elongated rod having a first diameter, a proximal end coupled to the base and a distal region adjacent to a distal end, the distal region having a second diameter substantially larger than the first diameter to form a shoulder;
- depositing a zirconia powder into the mold to form a layer having an upper surface;
- reciprocating the comb into the mold only in the z-direction to create a textured pattern in the upper surface;
- depositing a subsequent layer of a different zirconia powder into the mold on top of the textured pattern in the upper surface, the subsequent layer having an upper surface and a bottom surface with a complimentary textured pattern, the textured pattern and complimentary textured pattern together forming an interface;
- reciprocating the comb into the mold only in the z-direction to penetrate the subsequent layer and the interface, such that the shoulder of each tine carries particles from the layer upwards into the subsequent layer when the comb is retracted through the subsequent layer;
- repeating the steps of reciprocating the comb and depositing another subsequent layer of a different zirconia powder to form multiple adjacent layers of different zirconia powders having multiple interfaces;
- and
- compacting the multiple adjacent layers in the mold and optionally applying heat to the compacted multiple adjacent layers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.