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US 2024/0207016 A1Published application
Dental handpiece, motor and coupler with multi-wavelength light outputs
AssigneeLares Research
InventorsCraig Lares, Jason Orgain, Bruce Holderbein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Dental handpieces, motors, couplers and other dental instruments and methods having multiple very small, high output, LEDs in a single lamp assembly to facilitate incorporation of a plurality of wavelengths emitted from these devices to allow dentists to select between the benefits of multiple wavelength light outputs to the working area in a single device.
Claims27
A dental apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a housing configured for attachment of a dental instrument at an end of the housing, said dental instrument configured for performing a dental procedure on a tooth surface;
- (b) a dual-wavelength lamp coupled to the housing and configured to provide an illumination beam for illuminating an area on or near the tooth surface;
- (c) the dual-wavelength lamp comprising first and second adjacent illumination sources, wherein each said illumination source is configured to generate said illumination beam;
- (d) wherein said first illumination source is configured to generate the illumination beam a first wavelength and wherein said second illumination source is configured to generate the illumination beam at a second wavelength;
- (e) a switching mechanism internal or external to the housing and electrically connected to the first and second illumination sources and configured to selectively apply power to only one of said illumination sources at a time;
- (f) a non-light transmitting optical barrier disposed between the first and second illumination sources and configured to shield a non-powered said illumination source from radiation emitted by an adjacent powered said illumination source, wherein fluorescence of the non-powered illumination source is minimized or inhibited as a result of said barrier, thus minimizing or inhibiting emission of a non-selected wavelength along with a selected wavelength.
3 more elements
A dental apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a coupler having a distal coupler end for releasably connecting to a proximal end of a dental instrument configured for performing a dental procedure on a tooth surface;
- (b) a dual-wavelength lamp disposed in the coupler and configured to provide an illumination beam for illuminating an area on or near the tooth surface;
- (c) wherein said dual-wavelength lamp is configured to output light at the first and second wavelengths at said distal coupler end of said coupler;
- (d) said dual wavelength lamp comprising first and second adjacent illumination sources, wherein each said illumination source is configured to generate said illumination beam;
- (e) wherein said first illumination source is configured to generate the illumination beam a first wavelength and wherein said second illumination source is configured to generate the illumination beam at a second wavelength;
- (f) a switching mechanism internal or extension to the coupler and electrically connected to the first and second illumination sources and configured to selectively apply power to only one of said illumination sources at a time;
- (g) a non-light transmitting optical barrier disposed between the first and second illumination sources and configured to shield a non-powered illumination source from radiation emitted by an adjacent powered illumination source, wherein fluorescence of the non-powered illumination source is minimized or inhibited as a result of said barrier, thus minimizing or inhibiting emission of a non-selected wavelength along with a selected wavelength.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.