Patents by Inventor Kyle Laaker

Kyle Laaker 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).

  • Patent number: 11897200
    Abstract: A dental model, includes (a) an upper segment, the upper segment having a shape corresponding to at least a portion of a dental arch of a human patient; (b) a base segment having an external surface and a bottom surface; (c) at least one internal cavity formed in the base segment, and optionally the upper segment, the at least one internal cavity extending through the bottom surface; and (d) at least one wash channel extending from the external surface of the base segment through the base segment and into the at least one internal cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Carbon, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Alastair Graham, Kyle Laaker, Florian Markus Barth
  • Publication number: 20240009933
    Abstract: A method of enhancing a performance characteristic of an additive manufacturing apparatus, the method including: (a) dispensing a batch of a light polymerizable resin into the additive manufacturing apparatus, the batch characterized by at least one physical characteristic; (b) determining the unique identity of the batch; (c) sending the unique identity of the batch to a database; then (d) either: (i) receiving on the controller from the database modified operating instructions for the resin batch, which modified operating instructions have been modified based on the at least one physical characteristic, or (ii) receiving on the controller from the database the at least one physical characteristic for the specific resin batch and modifying the operating instructions based on the at least one physical characteristic; and then (e) producing the object from the batch of light polymerizable resin on the additive manufacturing apparatus with the modified operating instructions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: John R. Tumbleston, Clarissa Gutierrez, Ronald Truong, Kyle Laaker, Craig B. Carlson, Roy Goldman, Abhishek Parmar
  • Patent number: 11801643
    Abstract: A method of enhancing a performance characteristic of an additive manufacturing apparatus, the method including: (a) dispensing a batch of a light polymerizable resin into the additive manufacturing apparatus, the batch characterized by at least one physical characteristic; (b) determining the unique identity of the batch; (c) sending the unique identity of the batch to a database; then (d) either: (i) receiving on the controller from the database modified operating instructions for the resin batch, which modified operating instructions have been modified based on the at least one physical characteristic, or (ii) receiving on the controller from the database the at least one physical characteristic for the specific resin batch and modifying the operating instructions based on the at least one physical characteristic; and then (e) producing the object from the batch of light polymerizable resin on the additive manufacturing apparatus with the modified operating instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Carbon, Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Tumbleston, Clarissa Gutierrez, Ronald Truong, Kyle Laaker, Craig B. Carlson, Roy Goldman, Abhishek Parmar
  • Patent number: 11685117
    Abstract: A method of forming a three-dimensional object includes providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface. The carrier and the build surface define a build region therebetween. The method further includes filling said build region with a polymerizable liquid; continuously or intermittently irradiating said build region with light through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid; applying a reduced pressure and/or polymer inhibitor-enriched gas to the polymerizable liquid through the optically transparent member to thereby reduce a gas content of the polymerizable liquid; and continuously or intermittently advancing (e.g., sequentially or concurrently with said irradiating step) said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Carbon, Inc.
    Inventors: Bob E. Feller, David Moore, John R. Tumbleston, Ronald Truong, Kyle Laaker
  • Publication number: 20230150189
    Abstract: Methods of making a three-dimensional object from a light polymerizable resin are described. A method may include: (a) providing a window, a light polymerizable resin, a laterally translatable substrate between said window and said resin to which said resin is adhered, and a carrier platform above said window; (b) irradiating said resin with light through said window and said translatable substrate, and vertically advancing said carrier away from said window, to produce a growing object on said carrier platform and consume resin beneath said growing object; and (c) laterally advancing said translatable substrate with said resin adhered thereto across said window to drag fresh resin beneath said growing object, continue producing said growing object and continue consuming fresh resin, until said three-dimensional object is produced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Matthew Panzer, Kyle Laaker, John R. Tumbleston, Bob E. Feller, Soren Rademacher, Stephen Paul Land, Henry Quarles Bibb, III, David Shirvanyants, Alexander Ermoshkin
  • Publication number: 20230038421
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and/or apparatuses for making an object on a bottom-up stereolithography apparatus that includes a light source, a drive assembly, optionally a heater and/or cooler, and a controller. The light source, optional heater and/or cooler, and/or the drive assembly have at least one adjustable parameter that is adjustable by said controller. An example method comprises (a) installing a removable window cassette on said apparatus in a configuration through which said light source projects, said window cassette comprising an optically transparent member having a build surface on which an object can be produced, and with said optically transparent member having at least one thermal profile associated therewith; and then (b) modifying said at least one adjustable parameter by said controller based on said at least one thermal profile of said optically transparent member; and then (c) producing the object on said build surface from a light-polymerizable liquid by bottom-up stereolithography.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Inventors: Daniel N. Mohsenizadeh, Kyle Laaker, Ronald A. Truong
  • Patent number: 11548219
    Abstract: A method of improving production performance of an additive manufacturing system includes obtaining a first production plan and a second production plan, different from the first production plan, for the manufacture of a plurality of objects using a fleet of additive manufacturing apparatus, automatically generating a first allocation of a first quantity of the plurality of objects to the fleet of additive manufacturing apparatus using the first production plan, automatically generating a second allocation of a second quantity of the plurality of objects to the fleet of additive manufacturing apparatus using the second production plan, comparing a production performance of the first and second quantity of the plurality of objects after being manufactured by the fleet of additive manufacturing apparatus, and based on the comparison of the production performance, automatically regenerating the first and second allocations to change the first and second quantities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Carbon, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald A. Truong, John R. Tumbleston, Kyle Laaker, Bob E. Feller, Joshua D. Deetz
  • Patent number: 11504905
    Abstract: A method of making a three-dimensional object (11) from a light polymerizable dual cure resin (16), includes the steps of: (a) producing a green intermediate object by light polymerization of the resin in a stereolithography process (e.g., continuous liquid interface production); (i) the object comprising a body portion and a circumferential boundary portion (12) included in at least part of the body portion i (ii) the stereolithography process including overexposing the boundary portion (as compared to the exposure of the body portion) with light; (b) cleaning the intermediate object; and then (c) baking the object to produce the three-dimensional object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Carbon, Inc.
    Inventors: Kyle Laaker, Leah Marie Heist, Bob E. Feller
  • Patent number: 11498274
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and/or apparatuses for making an object on a bottom-up stereolithography apparatus that includes a light source (11), a drive assembly (14), optionally a heater (34) and/or cooler (34), and a controller (15). The light source, optional heater and/or cooler, and/or the drive assembly have at least one adjustable parameter that is adjustable by said controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Carbon, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel N. Mohsenizadeh, Kyle Laaker, Ronald A. Truong
  • Publication number: 20220332048
    Abstract: A dental model, includes (a) an upper segment, said upper segment having a shape corresponding to at least a portion of a dental arch of a human patient; (b) a base segment having an external surface and a bottom surface; (c) at least one internal cavity formed in said base segment, and optionally said upper segment, said at least one internal cavity extending through said bottom surface; and (d) at least one wash channel extending from said external surface of said base segment through said base segment and into said at least one internal cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Ian Alastair Graham, Kyle Laaker, Florian Markus Barth
  • Patent number: 11426938
    Abstract: A dental model, includes (a) an upper segment, the upper segment having a shape corresponding to at least a portion of a dental arch of a human patient; (b) a base segment having an external surface and a bottom surface; (c) at least one internal cavity formed in the base segment, and optionally the upper segment, the at least one internal cavity extending through the bottom surface; and (d) at least one wash channel extending from the external surface of the base segment through the base segment and into the at least one internal cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Carbon, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Alastair Graham, Kyle Laaker, Florian Markus Barth
  • Publication number: 20220100915
    Abstract: Various embodiments described herein provide a method of making an object from a three-dimensional geometry file and a light polymerizable resin on a light-transmissive window by projection of light through the window in a bottom-up stereolithography process. The method may comprise: slicing the file into a series of sequential images. Temperature fluctuations in the resin may be calculated for at least some of the sequential images upon light polymerization thereof based on sequential exposure of the resin to light, the light corresponding to the series of sequential images. During producing of the object, the production may be modified based on the calculated temperature fluctuations by: (i) reducing production speed during at least a portion of the production; (ii) activating a window cooler during at least a portion of the production; or (iii) increasing production speed during at least a portion of the production.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: KYLE LAAKER, BOB E. FELLER, MATTHEW PANZER
  • Publication number: 20220057776
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing system may include an additive manufacturing apparatus on which a process of producing a three-dimensional object from a material can be performed; an additive manufacturing process controller operatively associated with the additive manufacturing apparatus; and a first memory device operatively associated with the additive manufacturing process controller. The first memory device may include first and second stable release process programs each comprising a first subset of operations executable by said process controller. The system may include a second memory device comprising another stable release process program comprising a second subset of operations executable by said process controller. The system may include a selector configured to choose one of the stable release process programs to run on said process controller when producing a three-dimensional object on the additive manufacturing apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: John R. Tumbleston, Kyle Laaker, Ronald A. Truong, Roy Goldman, Abhishek Parmar
  • Publication number: 20210387413
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and/or apparatuses for making an object on a bottom-up stereolithography apparatus that includes a light source (11), a drive assembly (14), optionally a heater (34) and/or cooler (34), and a controller (15). The light source, optional heater and/or cooler, and/or the drive assembly have at least one adjustable parameter that is adjustable by said controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventors: Daniel N. Mohsenizadeh, Kyle Laaker, Ronald A. Truong
  • Publication number: 20210354378
    Abstract: A method of improving production performance of an additive manufacturing system includes obtaining a first production plan and a second production plan, different from the first production plan, for the manufacture of a plurality of objects using a fleet of additive manufacturing apparatus, automatically generating a first allocation of a first quantity of the plurality of objects to the fleet of additive manufacturing apparatus using the first production plan, automatically generating a second allocation of a second quantity of the plurality of objects to the fleet of additive manufacturing apparatus using the second production plan, comparing a production performance of the first and second quantity of the plurality of objects after being manufactured by the fleet of additive manufacturing apparatus, and based on the comparison of the production performance, automatically regenerating the first and second allocations to change the first and second quantities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Inventors: Ronald A. Truong, John R. Tumbleston, Kyle Laaker, Bob E. Feller, Joshua D. Deetz
  • Patent number: 11151292
    Abstract: Various embodiments described herein provide a method of making an object from a three-dimensional geometry file and a light polymerizable resin on a light-transmissive window by projection of light through the window in a bottom-up stereolithography process. The method may comprise: slicing the file into a series of sequential images. Temperature fluctuations in the resin may be calculated for at least some of the sequential images upon light polymerization thereof based on sequential exposure of the resin to light, the light corresponding to the series of sequential images. During producing of the object, the production may be modified based on the calculated temperature fluctuations by: (i) reducing production speed during at least a portion of the production; (ii) activating a window cooler during at least a portion of the production; or (iii) increasing production speed during at least a portion of the production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Carbon, Inc.
    Inventors: Kyle Laaker, Bob E. Feller, Matthew Panzer
  • Publication number: 20210282897
    Abstract: An assembly useful for preparing a prosthetic crown for fitting to a tooth of a patient is accordingly described herein. The assembly includes (a) a polymer dental model having a shape corresponding to at least a portion of a dental arch of a patient and a socket formed therein, the socket having a socket wall, and (b) a polymer die having an upper portion configured in the shape of a tooth of a patient and a lower stem configured for insertion into the socket. At least one of the stem and the socket wall are configured to have both a relaxed position when the die is not in the socket, and a tensioned position when the die is fully inserted in the socket, so that the stem is firmly and accurately engaged by the socket when the die is inserted therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventor: Kyle Laaker
  • Patent number: 11077608
    Abstract: A method of making a three-dimensional object from a light polymerizable resin, includes the steps of: (a) producing an object adhered to a carrier plate by light polymerization of the resin in a bottom-up stereolithography process (e.g., continuous liquid interface production); (i) the object including a carrier plate adhesion portion, a main body portion, and a circumferential boundary portion included in the carrier plate adhesion portion and optionally extending into at least part of the main body portion; (ii) the stereolithography process including overexposing the boundary portion (as compared to the exposure of the adhesion portion or main body portion) with light; (b) optionally cleaning the object; and then (c) optionally baking the object to produce a further cured three-dimensional object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Carbon, Inc.
    Inventors: Bob E. Feller, Kyle Laaker
  • Patent number: 11014299
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus of forming a three-dimensional object, wherein the method includes providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, said carrier and said build surface defining a build region therebetween; filling said build region with a polymerizable liquid, continuously or intermittently irradiating said build region with light through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid, continuously or intermittently advancing (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Carbon, Inc.
    Inventors: Bob E. Feller, David Moore, John R. Tumbleston, Ronald Troung, Kyle Laaker
  • Publication number: 20210117581
    Abstract: Various embodiments described herein provide a method of making an object from a three-dimensional geometry file and a light polymerizable resin on a light-transmissive window by projection of light through the window in a bottom-up stereolithography process. The method may comprise: slicing the file into a series of sequential images. Temperature fluctuations in the resin may be calculated for at least some of the sequential images upon light polymerization thereof based on sequential exposure of the resin to light, the light corresponding to the series of sequential images. During producing of the object, the production may be modified based on the calculated temperature fluctuations by: (i) reducing production speed during at least a portion of the production; (ii) activating a window cooler during at least a portion of the production; or (iii) increasing production speed during at least a portion of the production.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: KYLE LAAKER, BOB E. FELLER, MATTHEW PANZER