초록

A method for curing polymerizable compositions by irradiating the compositions with light that is emitted from an LED. The method of the present invention is especially preferred for curing dental compositions.

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What is claimed is: 1. A method for curing polymerizable compositions with light from a light emitting diode (LED), wherein said compositions have (i) a continuous wave curing profile exhibiting a characteristic maximum hardness and exhibiting a decline in hardness values from said maximum hardness

What is claimed is: 1. A method for curing polymerizable compositions with light from a light emitting diode (LED), wherein said compositions have (i) a continuous wave curing profile exhibiting a characteristic maximum hardness and exhibiting a decline in hardness values from said maximum hardness as the intensity of said light is increased; and (ii) a pulsed wave curing profile having a characteristic maximum polymerization conversion and exhibiting a decline in conversion from said maximum polymerization conversion with increased light intensity, said method comprising the steps of: irradiating the polymerizable composition with light emitted by an LED; and concurrently controlling the intensity of the LED light, such that the cured composition has a hardness of at least about 80% of said characteristic maximum hardness, and such that said polymerization conversion is at least about 80% of said characteristic maximum polymerization conversion. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said light is a pulsed light emitted from at least one LED. 3. The method of claim 2 wherein said pulsed light has a pulse duration of between about 0.05 to about 75 μs and a pulse repetition interval of about 0.25 to about 100 μs. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the pulse has a pulse duration of from about 0.1 to about 10 μs. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein the pulse has a pulse duration of from about 2 to about 3 μs. 6. The method of claim 2, wherein the pulse has a pulse repetition interval of between about 1 to about 10μs. 7. The method of claim 2, wherein the pulse has a pulse repetition interval of from about 2 to about 5 μs. 8. The method of claim 2, wherein a pulse duration and a pulse repetition interval are selected for said pulsed light such that the pulse operates with a duty cycle of from about 5 to about 50%. 9. The method of claim 1 wherein said polymerizable composition is a photo-curable dental composition. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein said composition comprises liquid acrylic monomers. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein said polymerizable composition comprises camphorquinone as a photoinitiator. 12. The method of claim 2, wherein said polymerizable composition comprises a photoinitiator and wherein said LED emits light that has an excitation peak that falls within about 40 nm of the absorption peak of a said photoinitiator. 13. The method of claim 2, wherein said LED emits blue light. 14. The method of claim 2, wherein said LED emits light with an excitation peak that falls within the range of 440 to 500 nm on the electromagnetic spectrum. 15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cured composition achieves a cure depth of at least about 3 mm or more. 16. A method for curing polymerizable compositions with light from a light emitting diode (LED), wherein said compositions have a continuous wave curing profile exhibiting (i) a characteristic maximum hardness and a decline in hardness values from said maximum hardness as the total exposure from said light is increased; (ii) characteristic curing depth values correlating with characteristic hardness values; and (iii) an increase in said curing depth values as the total exposure to said light is increased, said method comprising the steps of: irradiating the polymerizable composition with light emitted by an LED; and concurrently controlling the total exposure of the LED light, such that the cured composition exhibits a relative hardness value of at least about 65% of said maximum hardness value, and such that the composition has a curing depth of at least the value which correlates with the characteristic hardness value of 90% of said maximum hardness value. 17. The method of claim 16 wherein said light is a pulsed light emiffed from at least one LED. 18. The method of claim 17 wherein said pulsed light has a pulse duration of between about 0.05 to about 75 μs and a pulse repetition interval of about 0.25 to about 100 μs. 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the pulse has pulse duration of from about 0.1 to about 10 μs. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the pulse has a pulse duration of from about 2 to about 3 μs. 21. The method of claim 17, wherein the pulse has a pulse repetition interval of between about 1 to about 10 μs. 22. The method of claim 17, wherein the pulse has a pulse repetition interval of from about 2 to about 5 μs. 23. The method of claim 17, wherein a pulse duration and a pulse repetition interval are selected for said pulsed light such that the pulse operates with a duty cycle of from about 5 to about 50%. 24. The method of claim 16 wherein said polymerizable composition is a photo-curable dental composition. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein said composition comprises liquid acrylic monomers. 26. The method of claim 24, wherein said polymerizable composition comprises camphorquinone as a photoinitiator. 27. The method of claim 17, wherein said polymerizable composition comprises a photoinitiator and wherein said LED emits light that has an excitation peak that falls within about 40 nm of the absorption peak of a said photoinitiator. 28. The method of claim 17, wherein said LED emits blue light. 29. The method of claim 17, wherein said LED emits light with an excitation peak that falls within the range of 440 to 500 nm on the electromagnetic spectrum. 30. The method according to claim 16, wherein the cured composition achieves a cure depth of at least about 3 mm or more.