USRE35484E
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Light activated coloration of dental restorations
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1994-11-10
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Granted: 1997-03-25
•
Expires: 2014-11-10
Abstract
Abstract A method of effecting the coloration of a restoration to be mounted on a tooth including the steps of forming a mixture of powdered dental porcelain and a photonucleable silicate glass and shaping the mixture into a dental restoration. The dental restoration is heated in an oven to its fusing temperature and allowed to cool. Selected areas of the restoration are exposed to ultra-violet light. The dental restoration is reexposed to high energy while the color of the selected areas changes.
Inventors
- 👤 Gerald G. McLaughlin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 01:44
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61C; A61C13/00; A61C13/08; A61C13/082; A61C5/00; A61C5/70; A61C5/77; A61K; A61K6/00; A61K6/80; A61K6/884; A61K6/887
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
157 words
A method of effecting coloration of a dental restoration to produce a desired color in selected areas of said dental restoration comprising the steps of: (a) forming a mixture of powdered dental porcelain and a photonucleable silicate material; (b) shaping said mixture into said dental restoration; (c) heating said dental restoration to its fusing temperature and thereafter allowing said restoration to cool; (d) exposing selected areas of said restoration to light of a specific wave length to establish color centers in said restoration; (e) reheating said selected areas to a predetermined temperature sufficient to cause color intensification in said selected areas of said restoration and maintaining said predetermined temperature while said color intensifies and changes in said selected areas to produce said desired color in said selected areas; and (f) cooling said restoration after said desired color of said selected areas is produced to thus prevent further color intensification of said color centers in said dental restoration.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
157 words
A method of effecting coloration of a dental restoration to produce a desired color in selected areas of said dental restoration comprising the steps of: (a) forming a mixture of powdered dental porcelain and a photonucleable silicate material; (b) shaping said mixture into said dental restoration; (c) heating said dental restoration to its fusing temperature and thereafter allowing said restoration to cool; (d) exposing selected areas of said restoration to light of a specific wave length to establish color centers in said restoration; (e) reheating said selected areas to a predetermined temperature sufficient to cause color intensification in said selected areas of said restoration and maintaining said predetermined temperature while said color intensifies and changes in said selected areas to produce said desired color in said selected areas; and (f) cooling said restoration after said desired color of said selected areas is produced to thus prevent further color intensification of said color centers in said dental restoration.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said powdered dental porcelain and said photonucleable silicate material are mixed in approximately equal proportions by weight.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said dental restoration is heated at a rate sufficiently slow to allow penetration of heat into said dental restoration and said dental restoration is bench cooled after heating.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 3 wherein said selected areas of said restoration are exposed to UV in a range of about 280-340 nm wavelength to established said color centers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 4 wherein said dental restoration after exposure to UV is reheated at a rate of no more than about 10 deg. C. per minute to said fusing temperature and is held at said fusing temperature for a predetermined period of time to allow said color to intensify.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 5 wherein said reheated dental restoration is bench cooled.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said light is a laser.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 4 wherein said reheating is effected by exposing said selected areas to laser light at a frequency below that of a UV spectrum.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
195 words
The method of effecting coloration of a dental restoration to produce a desired color in selected areas of said dental restoration comprising the steps of: (a) forming a mixture of dental glaze or dental stain and a photonucleable silicate material; (b) applying said mixture to a surface of a porcelain dental restoration having a fusing temperature above a fusing temperature of said mixture; (c) heating said coated dental restoration to a temperature below said fusing temperature of said restoration and above said fusing temperature of said mixture and thereafter allowing said restoration to cool; (d) exposing selected areas of said restoration to a source of electromagnetic energy to establish color centers in said mixture applied to said dental restoration: (e) applying additional energy to said dental restoration to cause growth in said color centers resulting in intensification of color of said selected areas of said coated dental restoration to produce said desired color in said selected areas; and (f) withdrawing said growth causing energy from said restoration after said desired color of said selected areas is produced to thus prevent further color intensification of said color centers in said mixture applied to said dental restoration.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
195 words
The method of effecting coloration of a dental restoration to produce a desired color in selected areas of said dental restoration comprising the steps of: (a) forming a mixture of dental glaze or dental stain and a photonucleable silicate material; (b) applying said mixture to a surface of a porcelain dental restoration having a fusing temperature above a fusing temperature of said mixture; (c) heating said coated dental restoration to a temperature below said fusing temperature of said restoration and above said fusing temperature of said mixture and thereafter allowing said restoration to cool; (d) exposing selected areas of said restoration to a source of electromagnetic energy to establish color centers in said mixture applied to said dental restoration: (e) applying additional energy to said dental restoration to cause growth in said color centers resulting in intensification of color of said selected areas of said coated dental restoration to produce said desired color in said selected areas; and (f) withdrawing said growth causing energy from said restoration after said desired color of said selected areas is produced to thus prevent further color intensification of said color centers in said mixture applied to said dental restoration.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said energy causing said establishment of said color centers in said mixture comprises light in a specific frequency.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 10 wherein said light is in UV spectrum.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 11 wherein said ultra-violet light is in a range or about 280-340 nm wavelength.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 12 wherein said ultra-violet light has an intensity on said restoration of about that obtained from a 3500 watt mercury arc lamp with a parabolic reflector at a distance of about 21 inches from a site of application to said dental restoration.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 13 wherein said additional energy application is effected by exposing said selected areas to laser light at a frequency below that of a UV spectrum.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
148 words
A method of effecting coloration of a dental restoration to produce a desired color in selected areas of said dental restoration comprising the steps of: (a) forming a mixture of powdered dental porcelain and a photonucleable silicate material; (b) shaping said mixture into said dental restoration; (c) heating said dental restoration to its fusing temperature and thereafter allowing said restoration to cool; (d) exposing selected areas of said restoration to a first source of electromagnetic energy to establish color centers in said restoration; (e) further exposing said selected areas to a second source of energy to cause color intensification of said color centers in said restoration to produce said desired color in said selected areas of said dental restoration; and (f) cooling said restoration after said desired color of said selected areas is produced to thus prevent further color intensification of said color centers in said dental restoration.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
148 words
A method of effecting coloration of a dental restoration to produce a desired color in selected areas of said dental restoration comprising the steps of: (a) forming a mixture of powdered dental porcelain and a photonucleable silicate material; (b) shaping said mixture into said dental restoration; (c) heating said dental restoration to its fusing temperature and thereafter allowing said restoration to cool; (d) exposing selected areas of said restoration to a first source of electromagnetic energy to establish color centers in said restoration; (e) further exposing said selected areas to a second source of energy to cause color intensification of said color centers in said restoration to produce said desired color in said selected areas of said dental restoration; and (f) cooling said restoration after said desired color of said selected areas is produced to thus prevent further color intensification of said color centers in said dental restoration.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said first source of energy comprises light in a specific frequency to establish said color centers.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said second source of energy comprises heat.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
182 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said second source of energy comprises light in a frequency different from said frequency of said first source. .Iadd.19. A method of effecting coloration of a dental restoration to produce a desired color in selected areas of said dental restoration comprising the steps of: (a) forming a mixture of powdered dental porcelain and a photonucleable silicate material; (b) shaping said mixture into a block and heating said block to its fusing temperature and thereafter allowing said block to cool; (c) shaping said block into said dental restoration; (d) exposing selected areas of said restoration to light of a specific wave length to establish color centers in said restoration; (e) reheating said selected areas to a predetermined temperature sufficient to cause color intensification in said selected areas of said restoration and maintaining said predetermined temperature while said color intensifies and changes in said selected areas to produce said desired color in said selected areas; and (f) cooling said restoration after said desired color of said selected areas is produced to thus prevent further color intensification of said
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
162 words
color centers in said dental restoration. .Iaddend..Iadd.20. A method of effecting coloration of a dental restoration to produce a desired color in selected areas of said dental restoration comprising the steps of: (a) forming a mixture of powdered dental porcelain and a photonucleable silicate material; (b) shaping said mixture into a block and heating said block to its fusing temperature and thereafter allowing said block to cool; (c) shaping said block into said dental restoration; (d) exposing selected areas of said restoration to a first source of electromagnetic energy to establish color centers in said restoration; (e) further exposing said selected areas to a second source of energy to cause color intensification of said color centers in said restoration to produce said desired color in said selected areas of said dental restoration; and (f) cooling said restoration after said desired color of said selected areas is produced to thus prevent further color intensification of said color centers in said dental restoration. .Iaddend.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
162 words
color centers in said dental restoration. .Iaddend..Iadd.20. A method of effecting coloration of a dental restoration to produce a desired color in selected areas of said dental restoration comprising the steps of: (a) forming a mixture of powdered dental porcelain and a photonucleable silicate material; (b) shaping said mixture into a block and heating said block to its fusing temperature and thereafter allowing said block to cool; (c) shaping said block into said dental restoration; (d) exposing selected areas of said restoration to a first source of electromagnetic energy to establish color centers in said restoration; (e) further exposing said selected areas to a second source of energy to cause color intensification of said color centers in said restoration to produce said desired color in said selected areas of said dental restoration; and (f) cooling said restoration after said desired color of said selected areas is produced to thus prevent further color intensification of said color centers in said dental restoration. .Iaddend.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-03-24 | 2000-09-23 | 2001-03-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-03-24 | 2004-09-23 | 2005-03-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-03-24 | 2008-09-23 | 2009-03-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |