X-rite Gmbh

Garrison Dental Solutions LLC

Foresight Enterprises, Inc.

Target Telemetrics, LLC

Steven Henry Peterson

Mark A Cargill

Timothy R Friend

Bernard J Berg

Thomas D Garrison

Robert W Anderson

Peter G Vander Jagt

Derek Gorter

Douglas V Baker

Harold R Van Aken

James L Overbeck

David R Bowden

David Salyer

Thomas J Boes

Robert A Lamfers

Ross A Ouwinga

Peter G VanderJagt

Kenneth A Round

Harold VanAken

Zhiling Xu

David A Salyer

The specification discloses a dental curing light including 1) a light engine, 2) a coaxially aligned, camera-based viewing system, and 3) a control system providing a variety of safety features and simplified, operator-friendly operation. The camera's field of view (FOV) is coaxial with the centerline of the curing beam of the light engine. The curing light includes a multi-planar dichroic mirror (MDM) providing viewing and light beam direction aligned with the target. The MDM provide multiple images to the camera from different angles. The camera provides real-time measurement of light intensity reflected back from the targeted surface. Using the multiple image portions reflected by the multi-planar dichroic mirror, the control system computes the distance between the curing light and the target. The reflected intensity and the calculated distance enable the control system to compute a light engine irradiance to achieve a desired irradiance at the targeted surface.

Dental curing light and method

An optical sensor for an instrument to form a closed-loop curing instrument that is configured to manage the quantity of delivered energy to a curable material, including a composite restoration for a tooth. The closed-loop curing instrument is configured to analyze a signal indicative of the light reflecting from the curable material, and to adjust light output based on the analysis.

Dental curing light

Dental instrument

Gun target

The optical assemblies disclosed herein advantageously utilize a beamsplitting apparatus in association with (i) the illumination path or (ii) the collection path of a color measurement instrument. Thus, the beamsplitting apparatus may be configured to spectrally divide one or more initial beams of light to emit a plurality of resultant beams of light, wherein the optical assembly is configured to illuminate a target using at least a first and second of the plurality of resultant beams. Alternatively, the beamsplitting apparatus may be configured to spectrally divide light received from a target to emit a plurality of resultant beams of light, wherein the optical assembly is configured to detect at least a first and second of the plurality of resultant beams of light. Advantageously, each of the first and second resultant beams is a product of a distinct set of one or more spectral constraints exacted by the beamsplitting apparatus.

Optical assemblies for a color measurement instrument

The optical assemblies disclosed herein advantageously utilize a beamsplitting apparatus in association with either (i) the illumination path or (ii) the collection path of a color measurement instrument. For implementations involving the illumination path, the beamsplitting apparatus may be configured to spectrally divide one or more initial beams of light so as to emit a plurality of resultant beams of light, wherein the optical assembly is configured to illuminate a target using at least a first and a second of the plurality of resultant beams of light. Similarly, for implementations involving the collection path, the beamsplitting apparatus may be configured to spectrally divide light received from a target so as to emit a plurality of resultant beams of light, wherein the optical assembly is configured to detect at least a first and a second of the plurality of resultant beams of light. Advantageously, each of the first and second resultant beams of light is a product of a distinct set of one or more spectral constraints exacted by the beamsplitting apparatus.

Disclosed herein is a point-of-purchase (POP) spectrophotometer for open-viewing of a color sample. The POP spectrophotometer includes a housing assembly containing an illumination optical system and an imaging optical system in desired orientation. Also provided is at least one of a second illumination optical system, a sheen detection system, and a camera system. The housing assembly includes a chassis in secure arrangement with a plurality of supports that define a target plane having a target location and that space the chassis therefrom. The chassis is configured to position the illumination, imaging, sheen detection, and/or camera systems in desired orientations relative to the target location and each other. The POP spectrophotometer can include an alignment device and/or targeting optics for facilitating user-identification of the target location, and means can be provided to enhance insensitivity to ambient light and/or depth variation of the color sample.

Point-of purchase (POP) spectrophotometer for open-view measurement of a color sample

A color measurement device designed for use at various stages of an industrial process is provided. The device offers enhanced insensitivity to ambient light, measurement depth variations, and/or ambient or environmental temperature variations. The device may be embodied as an LED-based, non-contact color measurement spectrophotometer. Over-illumination in full-spectrum of the target object facilitates effective color measurements over varying depths of view. Collected light is measured at discrete wavelengths across the entire visual spectrum. The hardened, rugged design and packaging of the measurement device allows color measurement to be performed at various stages of industrial processes wherein the device can add value by enabling enhanced detection of color errors.

Industrially robust non-contact color measurement device

An LED-based color measurement instrument including an illumination system and a sensing system. The illumination system includes modulated LEDs and a temperature control system for regulating the temperature of the LEDs, thereby improving the consistency of their performance. The sensing system includes a photodiode, a transimpedance amplifier, and an integrator in the first stage to cancel the effect of ambient light on the output of the first stage. The sensing system also includes a lens system for imaging a target area of the target sample onto the photo sensor in a manner so that the product of the target area times the solid angle captured by the lens system is generally uniform over a selected range of distances, thereby reducing the positional sensitivity of the instrument with respect to the target sample.

Color measurement instrument

An instrument and method for measuring light or color using modulated illumination. The system includes an LED illuminator modulated at a specific frequency for illuminating the sample, and a sensor capable of differentiating between the modulated light from the sample and unmodulated ambient light. The instrument is therefore capable of 'seeing' only light from the sample, while ignoring ambient light. In a second embodiment, the system includes multiple illuminators of different colors each modulated at a unique frequency so that the sample can be measured at multiple at each of the different frequencies.

Color measurement instrument with modulated illumination

Growing community of inventors

Martin, MI, United States of America

Steven Henry Peterson