Lead-Free Silicate-Tin Glass Light Guide for Dental UV Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing illumination devices for dental and medical applications face limitations due to the decreasing transmission of light in the blue spectral region, which affects the hardening time of dental fillings and the accuracy of diagnostic procedures, particularly in identifying cancer cells.
Innovation Solution
An illumination device featuring a light guide made of lead-free silicate-tin glass with a spectral transmittance of at least 70% at 350 nm and a plateau of 6% variation across the visible spectrum, allowing for improved transmission in the blue and UV regions, from 320 nm to 420 nm, and potentially up to 780 nm, including the infrared region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If conventional glass light guides are used, then the device structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but the transmission in the blue spectral region decreases, affecting hardening time and diagnostic accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the glass material by replacing lead oxide with tin oxide and adjusting the ratio of silica to boron oxide. This parameter change results in improved transmission characteristics in the blue spectral region while maintaining chemical resistance and mechanical properties. The specific composition (SiO2: 30-70 wt%, B2O3: 20-50 wt%, SnO2: 0.1-5 wt%) is optimized to achieve both high transmission and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite glass material system combining silica, boron oxide, and tin oxide in specific proportions. This composite material approach allows the light guide to achieve superior transmission in the blue region while maintaining the chemical resistance and mechanical integrity required for medical applications, resolving the contradiction between transmission improvement and reliability maintenance.
2Illumination intensity
If lead-containing glass is used, then the transmission is improved in some regions, but the device becomes less environmentally friendly and shows chemical degradation over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes lead oxide from the glass composition entirely, replacing it with tin oxide. This extraction of the harmful lead component eliminates the associated environmental and chemical degradation issues while maintaining the desired optical transmission properties through the alternative tin-based composition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition by substituting lead oxide with tin oxide and adjusting the silica-to-boron-oxide ratio. This parameter change achieves the same or better transmission performance without the harmful effects of lead, improving both environmental friendliness and long-term chemical stability.
3Reliability
If the light guide is used for multiple autoclaving cycles, then the sterilization requirement is met, but the transmission properties may degrade
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the glass composition parameters, specifically the ratio of silica to boron oxide and the addition of tin oxide, to enhance the chemical resistance of the light guide. This parameter optimization ensures that the light guide maintains its transmission properties after repeated autoclaving cycles at temperatures above 120°C, achieving both sterilization resistance and transmission stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite glass material system with specific proportions of silica, boron oxide, and tin oxide that provides superior chemical resistance. This composite material structure allows the light guide to withstand repeated autoclaving cycles without degradation, maintaining both sterilization resistance and optical transmission properties simultaneously.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the spectral transmission is expanded to include UV and infrared regions, then the useful spectrum is increased, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental composition parameters of the glass material to achieve broad spectral transmission. By optimizing the silica-to-boron-oxide ratio and adding tin oxide, the glass naturally transmits across a wider spectrum from UV to infrared regions. This parameter change enables expanded spectral capability without requiring complex multi-component systems or additional optical elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal light guide material that can transmit light across multiple spectral regions (UV, visible, infrared) simultaneously. This single glass composition serves multiple functions: it enables dental hardening applications, diagnostic imaging, and other spectral-based applications without requiring separate specialized light guides for each wavelength range, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
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 device provides enhanced transmission and color rendering quality, reducing hardening times and improving diagnostic accuracy by maintaining high transmission even after multiple autoclaving cycles, while being environmentally friendly and resistant to solarization and chemical degradation.
Implementation Method 1
the light guide guides the electromagnetic radiation from the radiation source to the object being irradiated
Implementation Method 2
the glass of the light guide contains no lead and is a glass from the system of silicate-tin glasses... the spectral transmittance amounts to at least 70% at the wavelength of 350 nm
Data Source
AI summary
An illumination device for irradiating objects with electromagnetic radiation is provided. The illumination device includes at least one light guide and a radiation source that emits electromagnetic radiation in the spectral region from 320 nm to 420 nm into the light guide. The light guide is formed of a glass that has a spectral transmittance of at least 70% at 350 nm and is selected from the system of lead-free silicate-tin glasses.