What is claimed is:
1. An appliance for applying a filler material to a root canal comprising:
an elongated body having a proximal handle portion and a distal shaft portion, whereby the shaft portion may be inserted in a root canal, and whereby the shaft portion comprises a filler material portion as an integral part of the shaft portion.
2. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the shaft portion and the filler material portion are fabricated of a thermoplastic material or a synthetic rubber material.
3. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the shaft portion and the filler material portion are fabricated of a polymeric or resinous material.
4. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the handle portion, shaft portion and filler material portion are one integral unit.
5. The appliance of claim 2 wherein the synthetic rubber material comprises a silicone rubber material.
6. The appliance of claim 2 wherein the shaft portion and the filler material portion are fabricated of polysiloxanes, styrene-butadiene, ethylene-propylene, polysulfones, polyacrylates, polyisoprenes, epicholorohydrin, polyacetals, polyphenylene sulfides, polyarylsulfides, polyurethane dimethacrylate (PUDMA), styrene acrylonitrile, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) polymers or mixtures thereof.
7. The appliance of claim 2 wherein the shaft portion and the filler material portion are fabricated of polyarylates, polyurethanes, polypropylenes, polyethylenes, polyamides, polyimides, fluoropolymers, polyesters, polyphosphazenes, polyanhydrides, polysulfides, polyethers, epoxies, polycarbonates, polystyrenes, polybutadienes, polyphenylene oxides or mixtures thereof.
8. The appliance of claim 7 wherein the polyacrylates are selected from the group consisting of polymethyl methacrylate, polyhydroxy ethyl methacrylate, and hydroxy ethyl methacrylate (HEMA).
9. The appliance of claim 7 wherein the fluoropolymers are selected from the group consisting of Teflon polytetraflouethylene (PTFE) and Teflon perflouroalkoxy (PFA).
10. The appliance of claim 7 wherein the polyesters are selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid, glycolide, polycaprolactone and co-polymers thereof.
11. The appliance of claim 5 wherein the silicone rubber materials comprise polysiloxanes.
12. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the handle portion is fabricated from a thermoplastic, thermoset material or synthetic rubber material.
13. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the handle portion is fabricated of a polymeric or resinous material.
14. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the handle portion is fabricated of polyarylates, polyurethanes, polypropylenes, polyethylenes, polyamides, polyimides, fluoropolymers, polyesters, polyphosphazenes, polyanhydrides, polysulfides, polyethers, epoxies, polycarbonates, polystyrenes, polybutadienes, polyphenylene oxides, vinyl esters or mixtures thereof.
15. The appliance of claim 12 wherein the synthetic rubber material comprises silicone rubber materials.
16. The appliance of claim 12 wherein the handle portion is fabricated of polysiloxanes, styrene-butadiene, ethylene-propylene, polysulfones, polyacrylates, polyisoprenes, epicholorohydrin, polyacetals, polyphenylene sulfides, polyarylsulfides, polyurethane dimethacrylate (PUDMA), styrene acrylonitrile, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) polymers or mixtures thereof.
17. The appliance of claim 16 wherein the polyacrylates are selected from the group consisting of polymethyl methacrylate, polyhydroxy ethyl methacrylate, and hydroxy ethyl methacrylate (HEMA).
18. The appliance of claim 14 wherein the fluoropolymers are selected from the group consisting of Teflon polytetraflouethylene (PTFE) and Teflon perflouroalkoxy (PFA).
19. The appliance of claim 14 wherein the polyesters are selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid, glycolide, polycaprolactone and co-polymers thereof.
20. The appliance of claim 15 wherein the silicone rubber materials comprise polysiloxanes.
21. The appliance of claim 12 wherein the thermoset material comprises an epoxy material.
22. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the shaft and filler portions are fabricated of a material comprising plasticizing, antibiotic, cariostatic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, biologically active, therapeutic materials or mixtures thereof.
23. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the handle portion is fabricated of a material comprising plasticizing, antibiotic, cariostatic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, biologically active, therapeutic materials or mixtures thereof.
24. An endodontic post comprising:
a filler section and a post section, whereby the filler section and the post section both comprise the same matrix material and whereby the post section further comprises a reinforcing material dispersed in the matrix material.
25. The endodontic post of claim 24 wherein the matrix material is a thermoplastic material or synthetic rubber material.
26. The endodontic post of claim 24 wherein the matrix material is a resinous or polymeric material.
27. The endodontic post of claim 24 wherein the matrix material comprises polyarylates, polyurethanes, polypropylenes, polyethylenes, polyamides, polyimides, fluoropolymers, polyesters, polyphosphazenes, polyanhydrides, polysulfides, polyethers, epoxies, polycarbonates, polystyrenes, polybutadienes, polyphenylene oxides or mixtures thereof.
28. The endodontic post of claim 24 wherein the synthetic rubber material comprises a silicone rubber material.
29. The endodontic post of claim 24 wherein the matrix material comprises polysiloxanes, styrene-butadiene, ethylene-propylene, polysulfones, polyacrylates, polyisoprenes, epicholorohydrin, polyacetals, polyphenylene sulfides, polyarylsulfides, polyurethane dimethacrylate (PUDMA), styrene acrylonitrile, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) polymers or mixtures thereof.
30. The endodontic post of claim 29 wherein the polyacrylates are selected from the group consisting of polymethyl methacrylate, polyhydroxy ethyl methacrylate, and hydroxy ethyl methacrylate (HEMA).
31. The endodontic post of claim 27 wherein the fluoropolymers are selected from the group consisting of Teflon polytetraflouethylene (PTFE) and Teflon perflouroalkoxy (PFA).
32. The endodontic post of claim 27 wherein the polyesters are selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid, glycolide, polycaprolactone and co-polymers thereof.
33. The endodontic post of claim 28 wherein the silicone rubber material comprise polysiloxanes.
34. The endodontic post of claim 24 wherein the matrix material comprises plasticizing, antibiotic, cariostatic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, biologically active, therapeutic materials or mixtures thereof.
35. The endodontic post of claim 24 wherein the reinforcing material comprises fillers, fibers or mixtures thereof.
36. The endodontic post of claim 35 wherein the fillers comprise silica, silicate glass, quartz, barium silicate, strontium silicate, barium borosilicate, barium sulfate, bismuth oxychloride, strontium borosilicate, borosilicate, lithium silicate, amorphous silica, ammoniated or deammoniated calcium phosphate and alumina, zirconia, tin oxide, titania or mixtures thereof.
37. The endodontic post of claim 35 wherein the fibers comprise glass, ceramic, metal, carbon, graphite, polymeric such as cellulose, polyamide, aramid, polyester, polyaramid, acrylic, vinyl and modacrylic, polyolefin, polytetrafluorethylene, or mixtures thereof.
38. The endodontic post of claim 35 wherein the fibers comprise long, unidirectional, continuous filaments which are preferably at least partially aligned and oriented along the longitudinal dimension of the post.
39. The endodontic post of claim 35 wherein the fibers are aligned perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of the post.
40. The endodontic post of claim 35 wherein the fibers comprise random-length fibers.
41. The endodontic post of claim 35 wherein the fibers comprise uniform-length fibers.
42. The endodontic post of claim 35 wherein the fibers comprise randomly dispersed fibers.
43. The endodontic post of claim 35 wherein the fibers comprise fabric.
44. The endodontic post of claim 24 wherein the reinforcing material is surface treated.
45. The endodontic post of claim 24 wherein the reinforcing material is surface treated with a silane.
46. The endodontic post of claim 45 wherein the silane comprises 3-methacryloxypropyl tri-methoxy silane, N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane, or a mixture thereof.
47. The endodontic post of claim 24 wherein the matrix comprises polymerization initiators, polymerization accelerators, ultra-violet light absorbers, anti-oxidants, fluorescent whitening agents, free radical initiators, or mixtures thereof.
48. An appliance for applying a filler material to a root canal comprising:
an elongated body having a proximal handle portion and a distal shaft portion, whereby the shaft portion may be inserted in a root canal, whereby the shaft portion comprises a filler material portion as an integral part of the shaft portion and whereby the shaft portion and filler material portion are fabricated of a thermoplastic material or a synthetic rubber material.
49. An appliance for applying a filler material to a root canal comprising:
an elongated body having a proximal handle portion and a distal shaft portion, whereby the shaft portion may be inserted in a root canal, whereby the shaft portion comprises a filler material portion as an integral part of the shaft portion and whereby the shaft portion and filler material portion are fabricated of a polymeric material or a resinous material.
50. An endodontic post comprising:
a filler section and a post section, whereby the filler section and the post section both comprise the same matrix material, whereby the post section further comprises a reinforcing material dispersed in the matrix material, and whereby the matrix material is a a thermoplastic material or a synthetic rubber material.
51. An endodontic post comprising:
a filler section and a post section, whereby the filler section and the post section both comprise the same matrix material, whereby the post section further comprises a reinforcing material dispersed in the matrix material, and whereby the matrix material is a resinous or polymeric material.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for detecting a passivation pinhole, comprising:
forming an oxide vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) having an oxidation cavity;
forming a passivation layer over a surface of the oxidation cavity;
exposing the oxide VCSEL to an hotplate and pressurized by a supply of an inert gas.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said inspecting the oxide VCSEL comprises examining the oxide VCSEL under an infrared light.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein said inspecting the oxide VCSEL further comprises examining the oxide VCSEL with an infrared filter.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the defect appears under infrared light as an oxidation front caused by the etchant.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the etchant is in a vapor form.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the oxide VCSEL is exposed to the etchant inside a furnace.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the etchant comprises a hydrochloric acid (HCl) vapor.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising heating a wet HCl to generate the (HCl) vapor.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the wet HCl is heated to 30\xb0 C.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the HCl vapor is pressurized by an inert gas supplied at one standard liter per minute.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the oxide VCSEL is exposed to the HCl vapor inside a furnace at 285\xb0 C.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the oxide VCSEL is exposed to the HCl vapor for two hours.