Time indicating containers for dental compositions

Abstract

A system for storing a dental composition having a given shelf-life. The storage system includes a container (e.g., a syringe) and activatable time sensitive marking means disposed on or within the container. Upon activation of the time sensitive marking means, the system begins to indicate time lapsed since activation. The time sensitive marking means allows a dental practitioner to determine whether a dental composition within the container has expired, or how much time remains before the composition expires and should either be used up or discarded.

1 . A time indicating storage system for a dental composition comprising: 
 a container for holding a dental composition; and    activatable time sensitive marking means disposed on or within the container, wherein upon activation, the time sensitive marking means identifies time lapsed since activation of the time sensitive marking means.    
     
     
         2 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein upon activation, the time sensitive marking means also identifies time remaining until expiration of a dental composition within the container.  
     
     
         3 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , the container comprising a syringe including a syringe barrel and a plunger slidably disposed within the syringe barrel.  
     
     
         4 . A system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the activatable time sensitive marking means is disposed on the syringe barrel of the syringe.  
     
     
         5 . A system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the activatable time sensitive marking means is disposed on the plunger of the syringe.  
     
     
         6 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the time sensitive marking means comprises a label disposed on or within the container, the label including a length of microporous material and a tinted liquid that migrates along the microporous material by capillary action so as to have a migration length that increases as a function of time, the migration length of the tinted liquid indicating time lapsed since activation of the time sensitive marking means.  
     
     
         7 . A system as recited in  claim 6 , the label further comprising a blister that initially contains the tinted liquid.  
     
     
         8 . A system as recited in  claim 6 , the length of microporous material being configured as a substantially straight strip.  
     
     
         9 . A system as recited in  claim 6 , the length of microporous material being configured as a curved strip.  
     
     
         10 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the time sensitive marking means comprises a label disposed on or within the container, the label including a blister containing two initially separate components that upon mixing form a mixed composition that begins to change from a first color to a second color as a function of time, the second color indicating that the shelf-life of a composition within the container has expired.  
     
     
         11 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the time sensitive marking means comprises a label disposed on or within the container, the label being formed of a material that upon activation begins to change from a first color to a second color as a function of time, the second color indicating that the shelf-life of a composition within the container has expired.  
     
     
         12 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the time sensitive marking means comprises a label disposed on or within the container, the label including a microchip configured to measure lapsed time, the microchip being readable by an associated microchip reader so as to indicate to a user how much time remains to the shelf-life of a composition within the container.  
     
     
         13 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a dental composition within the container.  
     
     
         14 . A system as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the dental composition comprises a mixed two-part dental primer, a mixed two-part bleaching composition, or a disinfecting solution.  
     
     
         15 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the time sensitive marking means is also temperature sensitive so as to account for variability in shelf-life due to temperature changes in a storage environment.  
     
     
         16 . A time indicating storage system for a dental composition comprising: 
 a syringe for holding a dental composition, the syringe including a barrel and a plunger stem slidably disposed within the barrel; and    an activatable label disposed at least partially within the plunger stem comprising: 
 a length of microporous material sealed within the plunger stem; and  
 a blister disposed on a head of the plunger stem, the blister containing a tinted liquid that migrates along the microporous material by capillary action upon activation so as to have a migration length that increases as a function of time, the migration length of the tinted liquid indicating time lapsed since activation.  
   
     
     
         17 . A system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the migration length of the tinted liquid along the microporous material is also dependent on temperature so as to account for variability in shelf-life due to temperature changes in a storage environment.  
     
     
         18 . A method for determining the remaining shelf-life of a dental composition comprising: 
 providing a container including activatable time sensitive marking means disposed on or within the container, wherein upon activation, the time sensitive marking means identifies time lapsed since activation of the time sensitive marking means;    providing a dental composition within the container having a given shelf-life;    activating the time sensitive marking means disposed on or within the container;    identifying whether the given shelf-life of the dental composition is greater than or less than the time lapsed since activation of the time sensitive marking means.    
     
     
         19 . A method as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the given shelf-life of the dental composition is less than the time lapsed since activation of the time sensitive marking means, further comprising discarding the container and the dental composition.  
     
     
         20 . A method as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the given shelf-life of the dental composition is greater than the time lapsed since activation of the time sensitive marking means, further comprising dispensing at least a portion of the dental composition from the container for use.  
     
     
         21 . A method as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the provided dental composition within the container comprises a mixed composition that was previously prepared by mixing together at least two initially separate components to form a mixed dental composition.  
     
     
         22 . A method as recited in  claim 21 , wherein the step of activating the time sensitive marking means is performed immediately subsequent to mixing together the at least two initially separate components to form the mixed dental composition.