3m Innovative Properties Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

James R Kvitrud

Thomas W Martin

Naimul Karim

Robert M Biegler

Gerald E Drake

Kevin M Cummings

Darin J Meyertholen

Ross A Longhini

Robert W Peterson

Daryl L Neisse

Lance C Gore

Daniel T Scott

Robert W Petrich

Steven E Shimota

Methods of manufacturing hardenable dental articles, packaged hardenable dental articles, and methods of packaging hardenable dental articles are disclosed. In various embodiments, the manufacturing may involve molding a hardenable dental material in a mold cavity that may be lined with a mold liner. The mold body may also form the package of the hardenable dental article formed within the mold cavity. In other embodiments, the hardenable dental articles may be provided in mold cavities located in sacrificial mold bodies that may be torn, stretched, softened, dissolved, etc. to release the hardenable dental articles in the mold cavities.

Packaged hardenable dental article

Method of manufacturing a hardenable dental article

A photocurable composition is provided which includes al having bottom and side walls which define a chamber a photocurable material disposed in-the chamber. The wall circulmacribe the bottom wall and includes a rant so that the side wall will substantially attenuate nic radiation while minimally attenuating visible light ng an approximating spectral wavelength greater than nanometers. By that arrangement, the level of the ocurable material may be visualized through the side while still providing sufficient attenuation of nic radiation to provide for long term storage of the ocurable material without substantial curing thereof.

Packaged photocurable composition

A dispensing cartridge for use with a hand-held applicator has a chamber with a first section and a second section. The second section has a smaller cross-sectional area than the first section such that the chamber has a stepped configuration. A piston is slidably received in the chamber and has a head portion that is received in the second section and a tail portion that is received in the first section. As a force is applied to the tail portion, the head portion advances to expel material through an outlet opening. The cartridge is especially useful for dispensing compositions having a relatively high viscosity such as dental pastes and the like.

Dispensing cartridge with stepped chamber

A photocurable composition is provided which includes a vial having bottom and side walls which define a chamber and a photocurable material disposed in the chamber. The side wall circumscribes the bottom wall and includes a colorant so that the side wall will substantially attenuate actinic radiation while minimally attenuating visible light having an approximating spectral wavelength greater than 500 nanometers. By that arrangement, the level of the photocurable material may be visualized through the side wall, while still providing sufficient attenuation of actinic radiation to provide for long term storage of the photocurable material without substantial curing thereof.

A packaged composition includes a vial having wall portions defining a chamber and a photocurable material in the chamber. The wall portions transmit less than about 1.0% of actinic radiation, and at least one of the wall portions transmits light having wavelengths in at least part of the visible spectrum. In certain embodiments of the invention, the wall portions are flexible and the photocurable material is dispensed from the chamber through an outlet when the wall portions are squeezed together. In other embodiments of the invention, an element is floating in the photocurable material in the chamber to facilitate determination of the amount of photocurable material remaining in the chamber.

An assembly for holding dental shade guides has a first holder and a second holder, both of which include coupler parts for coupling the holders to each other and to other holders as desired in modular fashion. Each holder may be connected to the adjacent holder in one of two possible orientations in order to bring different shade guides into closer view. Additionally, the shade guides are releasably connected to the holders and may be inserted in receptacles of the holders in a variety of orientations.

Dental shade guide assembly

Dental shade guide

A syringe having a barrel adapted to receive a plunger with a through passageway from the bottom wall of a groove in which an O-ring seal is positioned to the rear surface of the plunger. Upon insertion of the plunger into the barrel, the O-ring will move to a position adjacent a rear wall defining the groove over the passageway and allow air to escape from within the barrel through the passageway. When the pressure used to seat the plunger against material within the barrel is removed, the plunger will rebound slightly causing the plunger to move relative to the O-ring so that the O-ring makes an air tight seal between the plunger and the barrel. When pressure is again applied to the plunger to press the material out of the barrel, the plunger will again move relative to the O-ring to again position the O-ring over the passageway, however, the O-ring will seal the passageway sufficiently to restrict escape of a significant amount of the viscous material through the passageway.

Growing community of inventors

White Bear Lake, MN, United States of America

James R Kvitrud