Dental Compule Wall Infrared Heating Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for storing and applying dental materials face challenges in uniform heat transfer, leading to uneven heating and potential overheating of materials near the device walls, which affects the flowability and hygiene of dental composites.
Innovation Solution
A device with a wall structure that is impermeable to radiation in the 100 nm to 500 nm range but permeable to infrared radiation (600 nm to 50,000 nm) using a combination of polyamide or polybutylene terephthalate materials with perylene derivatives or thermochromic materials, allowing direct heating of dental materials without undesired light exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional heating devices (external heaters, heating wires, induction coils) are used to heat dental materials in compules, then the dental material can be heated to improve flowability, but uneven heating occurs with thermal gradients that cause overheating near walls and insufficient heating in the center
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical/external heating systems (heating wires, induction coils, external heaters) with optical heating using infrared radiation. The compule wall is designed to be transparent to infrared radiation, allowing direct irradiation of the dental material without contact heating elements, thereby eliminating thermal gradients and achieving uniform heating throughout the material volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The compule wall acts as an intermediary that selectively transmits infrared radiation while blocking visible light. The wall material (polymer matrix with specific additives) serves as a mediator that allows the heating energy to pass through to the dental material while preventing premature curing from visible light exposure.
2Reliability
If the compule wall is made opaque to block visible light and prevent premature curing, then dental material hygiene is maintained, but infrared radiation cannot penetrate to heat the material effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The compule wall is designed with spatially selective optical properties: it is opaque to visible light wavelengths (to prevent premature curing) while being transparent to infrared radiation wavelengths (to allow heating). This wavelength-selective transparency is achieved through specific polymer matrix composition and additive selection that creates different optical properties at different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Solution Approach 2:
The compule wall is constructed as a composite material consisting of a polymer matrix combined with specific additives that provide wavelength-selective optical properties. The composite structure allows the wall to simultaneously block visible light and transmit infrared radiation, resolving the contradiction between light blocking and heat transmission.
3Temperature
If heating is applied slowly to avoid overheating near walls, then temperature control is improved, but the heating process takes too long and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs infrared radiation which can be applied as pulsed or continuous energy input, enabling rapid volumetric heating of the dental material. The infrared heating method allows for controlled energy input that heats the material uniformly throughout its volume simultaneously, achieving both temperature control and fast heating without the sequential heat transfer limitations of conventional methods.
Solution Approach 2:
By replacing contact-based heating mechanisms with infrared radiation heating, the system achieves rapid and uniform heating throughout the dental material volume. The infrared radiation penetrates the material and converts to heat internally, eliminating the slow conductive heating process and enabling productivity improvement without sacrificing temperature control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution ensures uniform heating of dental materials, preventing overheating and improving flowability while maintaining hygiene by blocking undesired light and allowing infrared radiation to penetrate and heat the material effectively.
Implementation Method 1
the wall, in at least a first temperature range, is impermeable to radiation of at least a first wavelength or a first wavelength range in the range of 100 nm to 500 nm
Implementation Method 2
the wall, A) has at least one area that at least in a second temperature range is permeable to radiation of at least a second wavelength or a second wavelength range in the range of 600 nm to 50,000 nm
Implementation Method 3
irradiating the provided device with radiation of the second wavelength or the second wavelength range, preferably with IR light of a wavelength in the range of 600 nm to 50,000 nm, in order to heat the dental material
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates in particular to the storage of dental material in a device (10, 10′) and the application of the dental material (20) from such a device (10,10′), and a method for treating dental material (20). In order to provide a solution that allows the simple and practical handling of a dental material (20) in the sense of storage, application and/or treatment thereof, inter alia, a device (10, 10′) for storage and application (20) comprising a cavity (12) for storage of the dental material (20) and a wall (14) surrounding the cavity (12) is proposed, wherein the wall (14) in at least a first temperature range is impermeable to radiation of at least a first wavelength or a first wavelength range in the range of 100 nm to 500 nm, wherein the wall (14) comprises at least one area that at least in a second temperature range is permeable to radiation of at least a second wavelength or a second wavelength range in the range of 600 nm to 50,000 nm.