Patent ID: 7186108

Claim:
An automated apparatus for curing a ploymerizable dental material by light and pressure comprising: an air-tight chamber for receiving the dental material therein; a light source for supplying light to an interior of the air-tight chamber, wherein the light source comprises tungsten, halogen, mercury vapor, short arc xenon or a metal halide source; a gas inlet for receiving pressurized gas into he interior of the air-tight chamber from an independent gas source; a processing means operatively associated with the light source and the gas source for controlling curing of the dental material by light and pressure within the air-tight chamber; a control means operatively associated with the processing means for receiving input from an operator relating to operation of the light source and the gas source; latch means for pressure sealing the air-tight chamber; means for retracting the latch means after the pressure in the air-tight chamber has reached a nominal pressure value; a control panel having a Start button and a Stop button for starting and stopping the apparatus; and whereby the air-tight chamber is automatically pressure sealed after the Start button is pressed.