U.S. patent application number 10/783924 was filed with the patent office on 2005-08-25 for heated compule.
Invention is credited to Friedman, Joshua.
Application Number | 20050186531 10/783924 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34861369 |
Filed Date | 2005-08-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050186531 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Friedman, Joshua |
August 25, 2005 |
Heated compule
Abstract
A compule for storing dental composite material to be extruded
from the compule using a standard dispenser in the preparation or
repair of a dental restoration. The compule comprises: a
cylindrical body having an orifice at one end thereof through which
the dental composite material is extruded and a means at the
opposite end thereof to facilitate the extrusion of said dental
composite material using the dispenser. The body of the compule may
be surrounded by an electrically conductive plastic or composed of
a thermally and electrically conductive plastic having a thermal
conductivity in the range of between 1.0 w/mk and 500 w/mk and
electrical resistivity in the range 0.01-10,000 ohm-cm.
Inventors: |
Friedman, Joshua;
(Ridgefield, CT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Eugene Lieberstein
2151 Long Ridge Road
Stamford
CT
06904
US
|
Family ID: |
34861369 |
Appl. No.: |
10/783924 |
Filed: |
February 20, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
433/90 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61C 5/62 20170201; A61C
5/66 20170201; B05C 17/00516 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
433/090 |
International
Class: |
A61C 005/04 |
Claims
What I claim is:
1- A compule for storing dental composite material to be extruded
from the compule using a dispenser in the preparation or repair of
a dental restoration, said compule comprising: A cylindrical body
having an orifice at one end thereof through which the dental
composite material is extruded and a head having means at the
opposite end thereof to facilitate the extrusion of said dental
composite material using said dispenser, said body being composed
of a thermally conductive plastic having a thermal conductivity in
the range of between 1.0 w/mk and 500 w/mk.
2- A compule as defined in claim 1 further comprising a heating
element composed of an electrically conductive material contiguous
with or defining the body of said compule and a pair of electrical
contacts connected to said heating element to form a series
electrical circuit through said heating element when connecting
said contacts to an external power supply.
3- A compule as defined in claim 2 wherein said heating element is
formed of an electrically conductive plastic.
4- A compule as defined in claim 2 wherein said heating element is
formed of an electrically conductive plastic material, which is
both electrically conductive and thermally conductive.
5- A compule as defined in claim 1 wherein said heating element is
arranged in a spiral geometry
6- A compule as defined in claim 5 wherein said heating element
surrounds the body of said compule.
7- A compule as defined in claim 2 further comprising an insulating
plastic material for separating the heating element into
sections.
8- A compule as defined in claim 7 wherein said insulating plastic
material extends lengthwise of the body of said compule.
Description
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a compule for storing dental
composite material and more particularly to a dental compule which
is thermally conductive and preferably also electrically conductive
so that the composite material can be heated quickly by direct heat
transfer upon heating the compule.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Light cured materials have become regularly used in
dentistry. The advantages of light curing a one-part material over
a two-part system are well documented. The ability to cure on
command offers the dental practioner a wide degree of control over
the shape and shade of a dental restoration. This inventor has
discussed various methods of delivering heated dental materials,
which because of the heating effect causes these materials to take
on superior handling characteristics as well as improved physical
properties in the polymerized state.
[0003] In the case of dental composite fillings, all these methods
relate to either heating them in syringes, in computes in which
they are delivered or simply heating the material directly in an
external device.
[0004] New research on dental materials has shown many benefits to
heating these materials prior to polymerization. Demonstrated
advantages are as follows:
[0005] 1. Substantially faster monomer conversion (shorter curing
time) (IADR--0819 Thermal Effects on Composite Photopolymerization
Monitored by Real-time NIR By Drs. M. Trujillo and J. W. Stansbury,
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colo.,
USA).
[0006] 2. Greatly reduced viscosity (IADR--Composite Film Thickness
at Various Temperatures By Drs. R. G. Holmes, J. S. Blalock, and F.
A. Rueggeberg, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Ga. USA).
[0007] 3. Much greater material flow offering better adaptation to
tooth surface (Dr. Broome, Associate Professor, University of
Alabama School of Dentistry, Birmingham, Ala., USA) Report to
AdDent Quantification of Flow Increase Resulting from Preheating
Composite Compules dated Jun. 6, 2003).
[0008] Recently, research has also shown that when a composite is
preheated, we can achieve much less microleakage at the cervical
margin of a dental restoration (IADR --Effect of Pre-Heating
Composite on Microleakage in Class II Restorations By M. N. Aksu,
A.-M. L. Neme, S. Walker, F. E. Pink, J. B. Linger, and W. C.
Wagner, University of Detroit Mercy, Mich., USA). Microleakage is a
major factor in causing decay under a dental restoration.
[0009] The use of heated dental restorative materials has been
described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,236,020 and 6,616,448. A method for
using heated dental materials has been described in U.S. Pat. No.
6,320,162. In both of these earlier applications, I described a
method and a device for heating dental materials. In the devices
used in my previous applications, a widely used compule that stores
the material is heated externally. One method uses a heater placed
in a block of thermally conductive material another method uses a
heating element embedded in a molded plastic holder that is also
part of a means for dispensing material.
[0010] Previous attempts to warm dental materials have either done
so in a laboratory oven or in the container it is packaged in such
as a syringe or compule. While these methods work for introducing
heated composite materials into the mouth, they suffer from several
drawbacks. In the case of heating a syringe, a large bulk of
material is heated needlessly, and the heating time is long. In the
case of heating a compule (dose package), the heating time is
shortened but still significantly long. In the case of heating
material expressed from a syringe onto a heated surface, the
material needs to be first picked up, then introduced into the
dental cavity and then repeated with each layer, also in a time
consuming procedure. The invention described herein eliminates
these drawbacks. In this invention, the heat is generated directly
within the compule itself, and in so doing, creates a very
efficient method of heat transfer from the source of heat directly
into the material to be heated.
[0011] Many dentists have found it useful and convenient to
dispense restorative composite, root canal filling materials,
dental bleach as well as dental sealants and coatings directly from
a pre dosed compule. Currently, the various computes on the market
are made from polyethylene either high (HDP) or low density (LDP)
as well as other commonly used plastics.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The dental compule of the present invention is fabricated
from a thermally conductive plastic having a thermal conductivity
in the range from 1.0 w/mk to 500 w/mk. Such materials of
themselves are known and commercially available. One such material
is Coolpoly D5104 a trademark product of Cool Polymers, Inc. USA. A
compule formed from a thermally conductive material having a
thermal conductivity in the range from 1.0 w/mk to 500 w/mk will
cause a dental composite restorative material stored in the compule
to be heated up two or three times faster than it would even under
conditions described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,236,020, 6,616,448 and
6,320,162.
[0013] An improved compule of the present invention incorporates a
molded in (insert molded) heating means into the thermally
conductive body of the compule so that the compule will be both
thermally conductive and electrically conductive. In a preferred
embodiment, the plastic itself is made from a class of materials,
which is both thermally and electrically conductive with electrical
conductivity measured as resistivity in the range 0.01-10,000
ohm-cm. One such material may be the Coolpoly E5101 a trademark
product of Cool Polymers, Inc. USA. In this preferred embodiment
the heating material is formed into distinct sections, i.e., half
sections (although it is not critical that each section be
identical in size) which surround the body of the compule or define
the body of the compule and an electrical current is passed through
both halves of the compule so that the plastic itself will heat up.
Since the compule is now itself the heating element, heating is
much more efficient and the material heats significantly faster.
Using this arrangement, there is more than an order of magnitude
(i.e. 10 seconds compared to 180 seconds) reduction in heating
time. In addition, the power required is far less, making the
dispensing device, smaller, less costly and easier to handle.
[0014] There are a number of configurations that can be used to
accomplish the heating of a dental compule in accordance with the
present invention. As explained above the compule itself may be
composed of a thermally conductive plastic preferably having a
thermal conductivity in the range from 1.0 w/mk to 500 w/mk to
provide for better heat transfer. Other iterations include heating
elements either molded into or adhered to the surface of the
compule body. Heating elements are generally conductive materials
that provide some electrical distance which when placed in a
circuit connected to a power source produce a heating effect
proportional to the resistance and the current flowing in the
circuit. FIGS. 1 through 5 show various ways of achieving this
condition.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a compule of the present
invention for storing dental material;
[0016] FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the compule of the
present invention;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of
the compule of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a further embodiment of
the compule of the present invention; and
[0019] FIGS. 5(a-c) show different views of the compule of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the compule (8) of the
present invention with the body (9) of the compule (8) composed of
thermally conductive plastic having a thermal conductivity in the
range from 1.0 w/mk to 500 w/mk. It should be understood that the
word compule is be interpreted generically for purpose of the
present application to represent any conventional container of
dental material adapted for use with a standard dispensing device
to express the dental composite from the compule and includes that
of a dental syringe.
[0021] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the compule (8) with an
electrical heating elements (10) insert molded in a spiral pattern
onto its surface or internally situated. The elements can be made
from Nichrome Wire, Steel, Silver or Copper conductor or any
electrically conductive material. Electrical contacts (11, 11)
connect the heating element (10) to an external power source (not
shown).
[0022] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a compule (8) using a
conductive carbon fabric to form a heating element 12. The heating
element (12) adheres to the compule outer surface or is internally
molded or internally situated. A pair of electrical contacts (13,
13) is connected to the heating element (12) at opposite ends
thereof for forming a series electrical circuit for resistive
heating of the element (12) when the electrical contacts (13, 13)
are connected to an external power source (not shown).
[0023] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a compule (8) with a
flexible circuit consisting of a printed conductor layered either
directly on the compule or adhered to a plastic film that is bonded
to the compule surface. Electrical contacts (16, 16) connect to the
heating element (14) and to a power supply (not shown).
[0024] FIG. 5(a) is another perspective view of the compule (8). An
insulating plastic (15), that is electrically nonconductive,
extends lengthwise along the body of the compule (8) for forming an
insulating divide separating an electrically conductive plastic
(17) which itself constitutes both a heating element and a
thermally conductive plastic into sections. The electrically
conductive plastic (17) may surround the body of the compule (8) or
be internally molded or situated or itself become the body of the
compule (8) Electrical contacts (16) are connected to the separated
sections of the heating element (17) and to a power source (not
shown).
[0025] FIG. 5(b) is a top view of the compule of FIG. 5(a). The
electrically insulating plastic is shown as (15) with the
electrical contacts (16) connected to each half section (17) of
electrically conductive plastic. FIG. 5(c) is a cross sectional
view of compule (8). The compule (8) has an orifice (18) for
discharging the dental compule material and a slider or plunger
(20) for extruding the dental material (19) as shown in FIG. 5(c)
from the orifice (18) using a standard dispensing device or
gun.
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