The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 30, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 21, 1999
William S. Parker, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
American Medical Technologies, Inc., Corpus Christi, TX (US);
Abstract
A curing system for a photohardenable material is disclosed having an electrically powered light source and a variable power supply electrically connected to the light source. During calibration, a photocell determines the power output of the light source and produces an output signal representative thereof. A control circuit then controls the illumination of the light source by the power supply. This control circuit includes a comparator which compares the power output signal from the photocell with a target value and then varies or increases the power from the power supply to the light source up to a maximum power output whenever the power output signal from the photocell is less than the target value. Following calibration, the control circuit also activates the power supply for a time period sufficient to obtain a substantially constant energy output from the light source per light activation. In the event that the power output signal is less than the target value and also that the power supply is at its maximum power output, the control circuit increases the duration of illumination of the light source beyond a preset time period by an amount sufficient to obtain a substantially constant energy output from the light source per activation.