Three-dimensional printing system and methods of use

Abstract

A three-dimensional printing system including a feed source of uncured filled resin material, a print head configured to apply discrete layers of a composition including upconversion phosphors, and a radiation source configured to irradiate layers of uncured filled resin material and deposited layers of the composition is provided. A method of three dimensionally printing a dental article is also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A three-dimensional printing system comprising:
 a feed source of uncured filled resin material comprising a polymerizable resin, photoinitiator, and inert filler particles;   a print head configured to apply discrete layers of a composition comprising upconversion phosphors to predetermined surface regions of incrementally stacked layers of the uncured filler resin material in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined form of a dental article; and   a radiation source configured to irradiate layers of uncured filled resin material and deposited layers of the composition comprising upconversion phosphors with a wavelength that causes to the particles to luminesce at a wavelength corresponding to an activation wavelength of the photoinitiator in the uncured filled resin material thereby curing the resin material in a region adjacent the particles to form a cured resin mass.   
     
     
         2 . The printing system of  claim 1 , wherein the upconversion phosphors comprise an inorganic host lattice doped with a rare earth ion. 
     
     
         3 . The printing system of  claim 2 , wherein the inorganic host is selected from the group consisting of lanthanide fluorides, oxysulfides, fluorides, oxide hosts, a ytterbium fluoride salt, a yttrium fluoride salt, lutetium oxide, and yttrium oxide. 
     
     
         4 . The printing system of  1 , wherein the inorganic hosts are doped or co-doped with one or more trivalent rare earth ions selected from the group consisting of ytterbium (Yb 3+ ), lutetium (Lu 3+ ), thulium (Tm 3+ ), terbium (Tb 3+ ), erbium (Er 3+ ), praseodymium (Pr 3+ ), scandium (Sc 3+ ), yttrium (Y 3+ ) and combinations thereof.