Patents by Inventor Stefan Fecher

Stefan Fecher has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240041574
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the production of a blank of a ceramic material, wherein a first ceramic material and then a second ceramic material of different compositions are filled into a mold and wherein the materials are pressed and after pressing are sintered. Thereby, a layer of the first ceramic material is filled into the mold, a first open cavity is formed in the layer, the second ceramic material is filled into the first open cavity and the materials are pressed together and are then heat-treated. Both the first ceramic material and the second ceramic material contain, or consists of, lithium silicate glass ceramic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc.
    Inventors: Markus VOLLMANN, Lothar VOLKL, Stefan FECHER, Carsten WIESNER
  • Patent number: 11833003
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the production of a blank of a ceramic material, wherein a first ceramic material and then a second ceramic material of different compositions are filled into a mold and wherein the materials are pressed and after pressing are sintered. Thereby, a layer of the first ceramic material is filled into the mold, a first open cavity is formed in the layer, the second ceramic material is filled into the first open cavity and the materials are pressed together and are then heat-treated. Both the first ceramic material and the second ceramic material contain, or consists of, lithium silicate glass ceramic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Markus Vollmann, Lothar Volkl, Stefan Fecher, Carsten Wiesner
  • Publication number: 20230249379
    Abstract: A method for forming a multi-layer blank of a ceramic material including the steps of: providing a mold that includes at least one side wall surrounding a lower press plunger to form a cavity therebetween, wherein the lower press plunger has a movable pin; filling into the mold a first ceramic material; extending the movable pin from an upper surface of the lower press plunger and into the cavity; pressing a first upper press plunger against the first ceramic material so that a first open cavity is formed while at least a portion of the first upper press plunger is in contact with the movable pin to maintain the through-hole through the first layer; filling into the mold a second ceramic material of a different composition; extending the movable pin from an upper surface of the first layer and into the first open cavity; and pressing a second upper press plunger against the second layer so that a second open cavity is formed in communication with the through-hole that extends through the first and second laye
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Stefan FECHER, Lothar VÖLKL, Sven GIESE, Tobias RÖSCH, Andreas GEBHARDT
  • Publication number: 20230014589
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a dental implant comprising at least a lower part and at least an upper part; wherein said lower part of the dental im-plant, which is adapted to be connected to the jawbone of a patient, is made of an at least first material; wherein said upper part of the dental implant, which is adapted to be connected to the lower part of the dental implant, is made of an at least second material; and wherein the upper surface of the upper part of the dental implant is adapted to be aligned with the upper surface of the jawbone of a patient; wherein said at least first material is different from said at least second material; wherein the at least second material of the upper part of the implant is made of a ceramic material, and wherein said ceramic material comprises zirco-nium dioxide comprising at least one coloring additive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Applicant: DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc.
    Inventors: Lothar VÖLKL, Stefan FECHER
  • Patent number: 11464608
    Abstract: The invention relates to a blank of a ceramic material, wherein a first ceramic material and then a second ceramic material of different compositions are filled into a die and wherein the materials are pressed and after pressing are sintered. A layer of the first ceramic material is thereby filled into the die and a first cavity formed in the layer, the second ceramic material is then filled into the first open cavity and the materials pressed together and then heat-treated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Lothar Volkl, Martin Kutzner, Tanja Oefner, Stefan Fecher
  • Publication number: 20220281770
    Abstract: The invention relates to a medical form body of lithium silicate glass ceramic. To increase its strength it is proposed that in the form body comprising lithium silicate glass or containing lithium silicate glass the lithium ions are replaced by alkali ions of greater diameter to generate a surface compressive stress. To this end the form body is covered with a melt containing an alkali metal for which an aliquoted quantity of salt containing the alkali metal is used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Applicant: DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc.
    Inventors: Stefan FECHER, Lothar VÖLKL
  • Patent number: 11370702
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method to derive a medical form body of lithium silicate glass ceramic. To increase its strength it is proposed that in the form body comprising lithium silicate glass or containing lithium silicate glass the lithium ions are replaced by alkali ions of greater diameter to generate a surface compressive stress. To this end the form body is covered with a melt containing an alkali metal for which an aliquoted quantity of salt containing the alkali metal is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Stefan Fecher, Lothar Völkl
  • Publication number: 20220183804
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a pink colored pre-sintered or fully-sintered blank for use for the production of a dental restoration, such as a denture base of a full or a partial denture, a partial denture, or an implant supported denture, consisting of a ceramic material which comprises zirconium dioxide doped with yttrium oxide (Y2O3), calcium oxide (CaO), magnesium oxide (MgO) and/or cerium oxide (CeO2), wherein the pink colored blank comprises 2 to 25 wt %, preferably 4 to 17 wt %, and more preferably 5 to 12 wt %, erbium oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicant: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Stefan FECHER, Lothar VÖLKL, Daniel AMMON
  • Publication number: 20220184847
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a method for producing a ceramic multilayer blank comprising at least a first layer of a first ceramic material and at least a second layer of a second ceramic material, wherein the first layer and the second layer are made of ceramic materials of different compositions, which are filled in pourable condition layer-by-layer into a mold and thereafter they are pressed and then sintered, wherein the first layer is a pink colored layer, wherein the first ceramic material comprises 2 to 25 wt % erbium oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicant: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Stefan FECHER, Lothar VÖLKL, Daniel AMMON
  • Publication number: 20220175500
    Abstract: A blank for milling or grinding a dental article, the blank having a plate-shaped body adapted to be received in a blank holder of a CAM system, which plate-shaped body comprises one or more ceramic or glass ceramic blank portions and two or more through holes, wherein each through hole is contiguous with at least one of the ceramic or glass ceramic blank portions for receiving a working end of a milling or grinding tool of the CAM system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Applicant: DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc.
    Inventors: Stefan FECHER, Lothar VÖLKL, Markus VOLLMANN, Andreas GEBHARDT
  • Patent number: 11166794
    Abstract: The invention relates to a support body for a blank, whereby the support body possesses a receiving opening for the blank that is surrounded by an inner circumferential surface, which terminates in an upper and a lower edge, and whereby a blank fixed in position within the support body is bonded to the latter by means of an adhesive agent. In order to be able to easily introduce the adhesive agent into a gap between the blank and the support body it is intended that the inner circumferential surface possesses at least one depression and/or elevation extending to accommodate the adhesive agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Martin Kutzner, Stefan Fecher, Lothar Völkl
  • Publication number: 20210338389
    Abstract: The invention relates to a blank from a ceramic material, wherein at least two layers of ceramic material of different compositions are filled into a die layer-by-layer and after filling of the layers they are then pressed and sintered, wherein after filling of a first layer this is structured on its surface in such a way that the first layer, viewed across its surface, differs in its height from region to region, and then a layer with a composition that differs from the first layer is filled as a second layer into the mold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc.
    Inventors: Lothar VOLKL, Martin KUTZNER, Heiner HORHOLD, Stefan FECHER
  • Publication number: 20210290351
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a method for the manufacture of a multilayer blank, having a lowermost layer and a topmost layer, of a ceramic material, where layers of different compositions are introduced layer-by-layer into a mold, compressed and then sintered and where individual layers contain at least one coloring oxide, wherein as a first coloring oxide as the one coloring oxide at least one oxide from the group Co, Mn, Ni, Cr is used, the proportion of which in the lowermost layer containing the first coloring oxide is lower than in the topmost layer containing the first coloring oxide: and at least one oxide from the group Pr, Er, Fe, Ti, V, Bi, Cu, Tb is used as the second coloring oxide, the proportion of which in the lowermost layer containing the second coloring oxide is greater than that in the topmost layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Applicant: DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc.
    Inventors: Lothar VOELKL, Stefan FECHER, Martin KUTZNER, Tanja OEFNER, Christian KOHLER, Tobias KRANZ, Andreas GEBHARDT, Martin HAIZMANN, Heiner HOERHOLD, Andrea BURNS
  • Patent number: 11090142
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the preparation of a blank from a ceramic material, wherein at least two layers of ceramic material of different compositions are filled into a die layer-by-layer and after filling of the layers they are then pressed and sintered, wherein after filling of a first layer this is structured on its surface in such a way that the first layer, viewed across its surface, differs in its height from region to region, and then a layer with a composition that differs from the first layer is filled as a second layer into the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Lothar Volkl, Martin Kutzner, Heiner Horhold, Stefan Fecher
  • Patent number: 11040909
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method to increase the strength of a form body of lithium silicate glass ceramic, which after it has a desired end geometry and after the application of a material which influences its surface to form a coating, is subject to a heat treatment. To create a surface compressive stress through the replacement of lithium ions by alkali ions of greater diameter at least that region not covered by the application layer is covered by a melt or paste consisting of or containing a salt of an alkali metal with ions of greater diameter and the form body is in contact with the melt or paste for a period of time t at a temperature T and the melt or paste is subsequently removed from the form body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc.
    Inventors: Lothar Völkl, Stefan Fecher
  • Patent number: 10842599
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the production of a dental restoration from a blank, which has regions or layers of ceramic materials with differing compositions, under use of the method steps, filling of the ceramic materials into a mold, pressing of the ceramic materials to form a blank, removal of the blank from the mold, temperature treatment of the blank, wherein the ceramic materials are filling into the mold in such a way that layers and/or regions after temperature treatment have a profile that is available as a digital set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Lothar Volkl, Stefan Fecher
  • Patent number: 10799326
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for positioning a blank (116), which after insertion in a holder is in contact therewith, wherein the holder has a structural element. The blank (16) is positioned in the holder by way of an adapter (118), which is inserted in both the holder or the structural element and the blank, wherein the adapter positively engages with the holder or the structural element and with the blank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Andreas Gebhardt, Stefan Fecher, Lothar Volkl
  • Publication number: 20200030064
    Abstract: The invention relates to a blank of a ceramic material, wherein a first ceramic material and then a second ceramic material of different compositions are filled into a die and wherein the materials are pressed and after pressing are sintered. A layer of the first ceramic material is thereby filled into the die and a first cavity formed in the layer, the second ceramic material is then filled into the first open cavity and the materials pressed together and then heat-treated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Applicant: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Lothar VOLKL, Martin KUTZNER, Tanja OEFNER, Stefan FECHER
  • Patent number: 10531938
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the production of a restoration from a blank consisting of, or containing, a lithium silicate glass ceramic, wherein at least two layers of ceramic material of different compositions are filled into a mold layer-by-layer and after filling of the layers they are then pressed and sintered, wherein after filling of a first layer this is structured on its surface in such a way that the first layer, viewed across its surface, differs in its height from region to region, and then a layer with a composition that differs from the first layer is filled as a second layer into the mold. After sintering the dental restoration is produced from the blank by mechanical working.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Markus Vollmann, Lothar Volkl, Stefan Fecher, Carsten Wiesner
  • Patent number: 10485640
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the preparation of a blank of a ceramic material, wherein a first ceramic material and then a second ceramic material of different compositions are filled into a die and wherein the materials are pressed and after pressing are sintered. A layer of the first ceramic material is thereby filled into the die and a first cavity formed in the layer, the second ceramic material is then filled into the first open cavity and the materials pressed together and then heat-treated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc.
    Inventors: Lothar Volkl, Martin Kutzner, Tanja Oefner, Stefan Fecher