Dental restorations formed by solid free-form fabrication methods
US6994549B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 5, 2001 |
| Grant date | Feb 7, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 5, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB33Y80/00
- WIPO fieldPharmaceuticals
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Solid free form fabrication techniques such as fused deposition modeling and three-dimensional printing are used to create a dental restoration. Three-dimensional printing comprises inkjet printing a binder into selected areas of sequentially deposited layers of powder. Each layer is created by spreading a thin layer of powder over the surface of a powder bed. Instructions for each layer may be derived directly from a CAD representation of the restoration. The area to be printed is obtained by computing the area of intersection between the desired plane and the CAD representation of the object. All the layers required for an aesthetically sound restoration can be deposited concurrently slice after slice and sintered/cured simultaneously. The amount of green body oversize is equivalent to the amount of shrinkage which occurs during sintering or curing. While the layers become hardened or at least partially hardened as each of the layers is laid down, once the desired final shaped configuration is achieved and the layering process is complete, in some applications it may be desirable that the form and its contents be heated or cured at a suitably selected temperature to further promo…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.