# US 5,702,250 A · Compact dental impression tray for photocurable impression material > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,702,250 A - Document ID: US5702250A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/684,522 - Filed: 1996-07-19 - Granted: 1997-12-30 - Earliest claimed: 1996-07-19 - Assignees: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company - Inventors: Cary A. Kipke - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5702250A ## CPC - A61C 9/0006: {Impression trays} - A61C 19/004: {Hand-held apparatus, e.g. guns} - A61C: DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE (non-driven toothbrushes A46B; {tongue scrapers A61B17/24;} preparations for dentistry A61K6/00; preparations for cleaning the teeth or mouth A61K8/00, A61Q11/00) ## Abstract A dental impression tray includes at least one array of solid state light emitters for curing photocurable impression material received in a channel of the tray. The tray includes a body presenting the channel, and a housing that is detachably connected to the body. The tray preferably includes a battery that extends along a buccolabial side of the tray body and as a result is received in the patient's oral cavity when an impression is taken. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A dental impression tray comprising: a body having a channel for receiving a quantity of photocurable dental impression material, said body having a lingual side and a buccolabial side; at least one solid state light emitter coupled to said body for directing light into said channel; and at least one battery electrically connected to said at least one light emitter and coupled to said body, said at least one battery extending along at least one of said lingual side and said buccolabial side of said body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The dental impression tray of claim 1 and including a housing that supports said at least one light emitter and said at least one battery. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The dental impression tray of claim 2, wherein said housing is detachably connected to said body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The dental impression tray of claim 2, wherein said housing includes a chamber that receives and encloses said battery. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The dental impression tray of claim 4, wherein said housing includes a detachable handle section. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The dental impression tray of claim 5, wherein said housing includes a buccolabial section, wherein said chamber is located within said buccolabial section and wherein said handle is detachably connected to said buccolabial section. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The dental impression tray of claim 6, wherein said handle section sealingly engages said buccolabial section when said handle section and said buccolabial section are connected together. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The dental impression tray of claim 1, wherein said channel includes an upper channel section and a lower channel section. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The dental impression tray of claim 1 and including at least one flat substrate for supporting said at least one light emitter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The dental impression tray of claim 1 and including a first substrate extending along said lingual side of said body and a second substrate distinct from said first substrate and extending along said buccolabial side of said body, and wherein said at least one solid state light emitter includes a number of light emitters mounted on said first substrate and a number of light emitters mounted on said second substrate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The dental impression tray of claim 10, wherein said first substrate and said second substrate are detachably connected to said body. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The dental impression tray of claim 1, wherein said body includes a septum made of a series of optical fibers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The dental impression tray of claim 1, wherein said housing is detachably connected to said body by a tongue and groove arrangement. ### Claim 14 A dental impression tray comprising: a body having a channel for receiving a quantity of photocurable dental impression material, said body having a lingual side and a buccolabial side; a housing detachably connected to said body and extending along said lingual side and said buccolabial side of said body; and at least two arrays of solid state light emitters connected to said housing and including at least two distinct flat, emitter-supporting substrates, wherein at least one of said substrates extends along said lingual side of said body, and wherein at least one of said substrates extends along said buccolabial side of said body. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The dental impression tray of claim 14, wherein each of said substrates includes a printed circuit board. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The dental impression tray of claim 14, wherein each of said arrays includes a polymeric coating that transmits actinic radiation. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The dental impression tray of claim 14, wherein said channel is elongated, and wherein said housing is detachably connected to said body, said housing being detachable from said body by sliding said housing relative to said body in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the channel. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The dental impression of tray of claim 17, wherein said housing is connected to said body by a tongue and groove arrangement. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The dental impression tray of claim 14 and including at least one battery that extends along at least one of said lingual side and said buccolabial side, said at least one battery being supported by said housing. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The dental impression tray of claim 19, wherein said at least one battery is substantially enclosed by said housing. ### Claim 21 A dental impression tray comprising: a body having an elongated channel for receiving a quantity of photocurable dental impression material, said body having a lingual side and a buccolabial side; a housing detachably connected to at least one of said lingual side and said buccolabial side of said body; and at least one solid state light emitter connected to said housing for directing light into said channel, wherein said housing is detachable from said body by sliding said housing relative to said body in a direction along the longitudinal axis of said channel. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The dental impression tray of claim 21, wherein said housing is detachably connected to said body by a tongue and groove arrangement. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The dental impression tray of claim 21 and including a battery that is connected to said housing and extends along said buccolabial side of said body. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The dental impression tray of claim 23, wherein said housing includes a detachable handle section. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The dental impression tray of claim 23, wherein said housing includes a chamber that receives said battery. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The dental impression tray of claim 21 and including at least one flat substrate for supporting said at least one solid state light emitter, wherein said at least one substrate extends along at least one of said lingual side and said buccolabial side of said body. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The dental impression tray of claim 21, wherein said body is made of a material that transmits actinic radiation.