Dental Handheld Tool Combining Curing and Fluorescence Excitation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dental professionals face difficulty in distinguishing between restorative materials and tooth structure during visual assessments, and there is a lack of effective solutions for identifying carious areas and bacterial indicators like plaque and tartar.
Innovation Solution
A hand-held dental device combining a curing device for dental restoration materials with light in a first wavelength range and a fluorescence excitation device for tooth substance in a second wavelength range, controlled by an electronic device that allows adjustable intensity and independent activation, enabling identification of carious areas and bacterial indicators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a curing device is used to cure dental restoration material, then the restoration material is properly cured, but it becomes difficult to distinguish between restorative materials and tooth substance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes fluorescence properties where tooth substance and restorative materials exhibit different fluorescent responses under specific wavelength light. The fluorescence excitation device illuminates the tooth structure, causing healthy tooth substance to fluoresce while carious areas and restorative materials show different fluorescence patterns, enabling visual differentiation after curing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a fluorescence excitation device as an intermediary diagnostic tool that works in conjunction with the curing device. This separate detection mechanism allows differentiation of tooth structures without interfering with the curing process, solving the problem of visual identification after material application.
2Measurement precision
If separate curing and fluorescence devices are used, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the curing device and fluorescence excitation device into a single integrated handheld unit. Both devices share common components including the light source, housing, and control systems, allowing dentists to perform both curing and fluorescence-based diagnostics with one device rather than requiring separate instruments.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated device performs multiple functions: curing dental restoration material, detecting carious areas through fluorescence, and identifying restorative materials. The single device replaces what would traditionally require separate curing lights and diagnostic instruments, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining diagnostic accuracy.
3Illumination intensity
If intensity is adjustable, then diagnostic visibility is improved, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates adjustable intensity control for the fluorescence excitation light, allowing the dentist to optimize illumination levels based on specific diagnostic needs. The control system enables dynamic adjustment of light intensity to enhance visibility of fluorescent signals from carious areas and tooth structure while maintaining ease of operation through intuitive controls.
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
Facilitates easy differentiation of restorations and caries from healthy tooth structure, allows for simultaneous curing and fluorescence imaging, and supports diagnosis and treatment by enhancing visibility of plaque, tartar, and caries during or after curing processes.
Implementation Method 1
a curing device (101) for curing a dental restoration material (103) with light in a first wavelength range
Implementation Method 2
a fluorescence excitation device (105) for exciting fluorescence of the tooth substance with light in a second wavelength range
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a dental hand device (100) comprising a curing device (101) for curing a dental restoration material (103) with light in a first wavelength range; and a fluorescence excitation device (105) for exciting a fluorescence of tooth substance (107) with light in a second wavelength range.