Dental curing light having unibody design that acts as a heat sink

Abstract

A dental curing light includes a device body that efficiently conducts heat away from the light emitting diode portion of the curing light. The device body includes a proximal gripping end and a distal head end. The device body is formed from a thermally conductive body material. Excellent heat conduction away from the LED dies is achieved using a thermally conductive layer disposed over the device body. The thermally conductive layer serves as a conduit to quickly conduct heat away from the LED dies for dissipation within the material of the device body In this manner, the material of the device body serves as a highly efficient heat dissipater. The surface area coupling the thermally conductive layer to the device body is sufficiently large that a majority (e g, substantially all) of heat being conducted by the thermally conductive layer is transferred to the device body during operation of the device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A curing light comprising:
 a unitary, one-piece body including a first end and an opposite second end, the unitary, one-piece body being constructed from a thermally conductive material, the unitary, one-piece body comprising:
 a head disposed at the first end of the unitary, one-piece body, the head including a head cavity; 
 a handle extending from the second end of the unitary, one-piece body, the handle being sized and configured for a user to hold and manipulate the curing light with one hand; and 
 an internal cavity disposed in the unitary, one-piece body; 
   one or more light emitting diodes disposed in the head cavity of the head; and   an electronics assembly disposed within the internal cavity, the electronics assembly configured to drive the one or more light emitting diodes.   
     
     
         2 . The curing light of  claim 1 , wherein the unitary, one-piece body has no seams or joints. 
     
     
         3 . The curing light of  claim 1 , further comprising a thermally conductive layer disposed between the one or more light emitting diodes and the thermally conductive material of the one-piece body, wherein the thermally conductive layer includes a first thermal conductivity that is greater than a second thermal conductivity of thermally conductive material of the unitary, one-piece body. 
     
     
         4 . The curing light of  claim 3 , wherein the thermally conductive layer comprises at least one of a thermally conductive grease, gel, or adhesive. 
     
     
         5 . The curing light of  claim 3 , wherein the thermally conductive layer comprises at least one of aluminum nitride, beryllium oxide, diamond, silicon carbide, nanomaterials of carbon, boron nitride, thermally conductive ceramics, or thermally conductive particulate metals. 
     
     
         6 . The curing light of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first exterior surface of the head of the unitary, one-piece body, the head cavity being disposed in the first exterior surface; and   an opposite, second exterior surface of the head of the unitary, one-piece body, the second exterior surface being a substantially planar surface.   
     
     
         7 . The curing light of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the unitary, one-piece body further comprises a neck disposed between the head and the handle, the neck having narrower dimensions than the handle and the head; and   the internal cavity is disposed in the handle of the unitary, one-piece body.   
     
     
         8 . The curing light of  claim 7 , wherein an outer surface of the neck and the head of the unitary, one-piece body are substantially planar. 
     
     
         9 . The curing light of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the handle of the unitary, one-piece body includes a thickness in a range from about 15 millimeters (mm) to about 30 mm; and   the neck and the head have thicknesses in a range from about 1 mm to about 10 mm.   
     
     
         10 . The curing light of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the internal cavity is sized and configured to house a battery pack; and   the internal cavity extends substantially an entire length of the handle in a longitudinal direction along a length of the unitary, one-piece body.   
     
     
         11 . The curing light of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the internal cavity has substantially flat longitudinal sidewalls extending to a substantially flat bottom surface such that portions of the unitary, one-piece body surrounding the longitudinal sidewalls and the bottom surface have a convex shape; and   the internal cavity includes one or more holes that allow the electronics assembly to be secured to the unitary, one-piece body.   
     
     
         12 . The curing light of  claim 1 , further comprising an opening in the second end of the unitary, one-piece body that extends into the internal cavity. 
     
     
         13 . The curing light of  claim 1 , wherein the unitary, one-piece body is substantially straight without any turns or bends. 
     
     
         14 . The curing light of  claim 1 , further comprising a lens disposed over the head cavity such that the lens does not extend past an outermost surface of the unitary, one-piece body. 
     
     
         15 . The curing light of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the unitary, one-piece body functions as a heat sink; and   a majority of waste heat produced during operation of the one or more light emitting diodes is transferred to the unitary, one-piece body.   
     
     
         16 . The curing light of  claim 1 , further comprising a cup-like member sized and configured to be removably disposed within the head cavity of the head, wherein the cup-like member houses the one or more light emitting diodes. 
     
     
         17 . The curing light of  claim 1 , wherein the unitary, one-piece body is machined from a single piece of aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         18 . A curing light, comprising:
 a unitary, one-piece body formed of a single piece of thermally conductive material and having an elongated shape that extends between a first end and a second end, the unitary, one-piece body comprising:
 a head including a head cavity; 
 a handle sized and configured for a user to hold and manipulate the curing light with one hand; 
 an internal cavity sized and configured to house a battery pack and an electronics assembly; 
 a neck comprising a narrowed region extending between the head and the handle, the neck being configured for insertion into a mouth of a patient; and 
 a passageway at least partially disposed in the neck, the passageway disposed between the head and the internal cavity; 
   the electronics assembly disposed in the internal cavity; and   one or more light emitting diodes disposed on at least one region of the head,   wherein the unitary, one-piece body functions as a heat sink into which waste heat produced by operation of the one or more light emitting diodes is transferred.   
     
     
         19 . The curing light of  claim 18 , wherein the internal cavity includes:
 a rim that is configured to seal with a corresponding rim of the electronics assembly; and   one or more holes, grooves, or mounting points that are configured to secure the electronics assembly to the unitary, one-piece body.   
     
     
         20 . The curing light of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a lens disposed over the head cavity in the head such that the lens does not extend past an outermost surface of the unitary, one-piece body; and   a thermally conductive layer disposed between the one or more light emitting diodes and the thermally conductive material of the unitary, one-piece body, wherein the thermally conductive layer includes a first thermal conductivity that is greater than a second thermal conductivity of the unitary, one-piece body.   
     
     
         21 . The curing light of  claim 18 , wherein the single piece of thermally conductive material forms the neck, the handle, and the head and has no seams or joints therein.