# US 7,535,184 B1 · Photopolymerization apparatus

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- Number: US 7,535,184 B1
- Document ID: US7535184B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 11/135,832
- Filed: 2005-05-23
- Granted: 2009-05-19
- Earliest claimed: 2001-01-16
- Assignees: Design Rite, LLC
- Inventors: Gilbert Fregoso
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7535184B1

## CPC

- A61C 19/004: {Hand-held apparatus, e.g. guns}
- H05B 45/10: Controlling the intensity of the light
- H05B 45/56: involving measures to prevent abnormal temperature of the LEDs
- H05B 45/3725: Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
- Y10S 362/80: Light emitting diode
- 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)
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A light-weight, portable photocuring device possesses a single light emitting diode (LED). The single LED backed with a heat sink is driven by a driving circuit and controlled by a timing circuit. A temperature monitor can be included in a closed loop to feed back and control the driver. Lenses and/or light guides in the device act to further direct the light.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A photopolymerization apparatus comprising:
a housing;
one light emitting diode;
a heat sink;
a timing circuit that is a microcontroller;
a driver circuit, wherein said driver circuit comprises one inductive storage device, a DC blocking capacitor, another inductive storage device, a switching regulator device, a rectifier, a filter, a current sensing device, and a transistor MOSFET; and
a means for applying power to said driver circuit, wherein the another inductive storage device runs at resonance with the one inductive storage device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said inductive storage device is wire wound with an inductance between about 18 and 220 micro henries.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said switching regulator device comprises:
a programmable reference voltage source;
an oscillation circuit; and
an error amplifier.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said switching regulator device is a CMOS PWM PFM switching regulator.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said rectifier is a Schottky diode.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said current sensing device and said switching regulator device are a temperature compensation circuit comprising an error amplifier, a current sensing resistor and at least two reference voltage resistors.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transistor MOSFET is super enhanced.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a low voltage power converter circuit.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said low voltage power converter circuit produces 3 volts and 20 milliamps when supplied with at least 0.8 volts input.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for applying power is at least one battery.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one lens/reflector.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said at least one lens/reflector contacts said one light emitting diode.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a light guide.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one lens and a light guide.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a phototransistor for detecting stray light and providing feed back to said microcontroller.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a thermal switch which feeds back to said microcontroller.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a programmable trim pot to allow power to be ramped up.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an enhanced MOSFET to detect leakage current.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a start/stop switch.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising and liquid crystal display as a visual display.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a battery monitor circuit.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cooling fan.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a solid state thermal electric heat pump.