Dental curing light with autoclavable tip and ultracapacitor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dental curing lights face inefficiencies in light transmission, sterilization challenges due to non-autoclavable components, and power source limitations, including long charging times and limited battery life.
Innovation Solution
A dental light device with a removable, autoclavable tip structure and ultracapacitor power supply, which allows for efficient light delivery, sterilization, and rapid charging, reducing heat generation and extending the device's operational cycles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a tapered and curved light guide is used to capture and direct light from the light-emitting elements, then the light can be directed to the desired area, but almost half of the light is lost in transmission through the light guide, requiring a significantly large light engine to generate the needed light
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into two separate autoclavable modules: a reusable handpiece containing the light-emitting elements and a disposable tip containing the light guide. This segmentation allows the light guide to be replaced after sterilization, optimizing light transmission efficiency while maintaining system sterility.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide is extracted from the permanent structure and placed in a removable, disposable tip that can be separately sterilized and replaced. This extraction eliminates the need to compromise the light engine size due to light guide losses, as new tips provide optimal light transmission.
2Loss of energy
If the light engine is moved closer to the operating tip to improve light delivery efficiency, then light transmission loss is reduced, but the tip becomes non-autoclavable due to the heat sensitivity of the light-emitting elements
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a reusable handpiece (containing the heat-sensitive light engine) and a disposable tip (containing the light guide). This allows the tip to be autoclaved without exposing the light engine to damaging temperatures, while still achieving efficient light delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable tip acts as an intermediary between the light engine and the patient's mouth. It can be autoclaved to ensure sterility, then attached to the light engine for efficient light transmission during the procedure.
3Ease of operation
If rechargeable batteries are used to power the portable dental light device, then portability is achieved, but the batteries require a significant amount of time to charge and have a limited number of charge cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses disposable tips instead of rechargeable batteries for the light guide portion. These tips can be quickly replaced rather than charged, eliminating charging wait time while maintaining portability through the handheld design.
4Illumination intensity
If a significantly large light engine is used to compensate for light guide losses, then the required light output at the curing site is achieved, but heat generation increases and must be properly removed and directed away from the light engine
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the system into a light engine in the handpiece and a light guide in the disposable tip, the light engine can be optimized for appropriate power output without excessive heat generation, while the tip handles light transmission efficiency.
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
The solution enhances light transmission efficiency, ensures effective sterilization, and provides a reliable power source with rapid charging and extended operational cycles, addressing the limitations of existing dental curing lights.
Implementation Method 1
Many such dental lights have a body, which contains the light elements, such as light-emitting diodes (LED)
Implementation Method 2
Generally, such light guides are bundles of fiber-optic elements, which operate to capture the light in the device
Data Source
AI summary
A curing light device includes a body with a tip portion that has a plurality of elements for providing electrical energy to the distal end of the tip and for removing heat from the distal end of the tip. A light engine includes at least one light emitting element operable for emitting light and is positioned on the distal end of the tip portion. A power supply is positioned in the body and is rechargeable and includes at least one ultracapacitor element. Spring electrical contacts are positioned in the body and electrically coupled with the ultracapacitor element. The spring electrical contacts are spaced along the length of the body and configured for electrically engaging the tip portion along its length for delivering power to the light engine and for provide a spring alignment of the tip portion in the body.