Single dose dental impression material delivery system and method

1. A delivery system for supplying a single-dose quantity of a two-component dental impression material, comprising:

a dispenser having first and second chambers sized to contain first and second components of the single-dose of dental impression material, respectively;

a base material disposed in said first chamber, said base material having a viscosity of approximately 1 Pa-s to approximately 200 Pa-s at a shear stress of 100 Pa; and

a catalyst material disposed in said second chamber, said catalyst material having a viscosity of approximately 1 Pa-s to approximately 200 Pa-s at a sheer stress of 100 Pa.

2. The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein said base material and said catalyst material are provided in a ratio of 1:1.

3. The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein said base material has a viscosity of approximately 10 Pa-s to approximately 100 Pa-s at a shear stress of 100 Pa.

4. The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein said catalyst material has a viscosity of approximately 10 Pa-s to approximately 100 Pa-s at a shear stress of 100 Pa.

5. The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the dental impression material resulting from the combination of said base material and said catalyst material has a viscosity of approximately 20 Pa-s to approximately 2,000 Pa-s at a shear stress of 100 Pa.

6. The delivery system of claim 5 , wherein the dental impression material resulting from the combination of said base material and said catalyst material has a viscosity of approximately 40 Pa-s to approximately 1,000 Pa-s at a shear stress of 100 Pa.

7. The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the dental impression material resulting from the combination of said base material and said catalyst material has a yield stress of approximately 0.5 Pa to approximately 100 Pa.

8. The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the dental impression material resulting from the combination of said base material and said catalyst material is thixotropic.

9. A delivery system for supplying a single-dose quantity of a two-component dental impression material, comprising:

a dispenser body having first and second adjacent chambers sized to contain first and second components of the single dose of dental impression material, said first and second chambers having first and second dispensing orifices proximate first ends of said chambers and having first and second openings proximate second ends of said chambers;

first and second components of the single dose of dental impression material disposed within said first and second chambers, respectively;

said first component comprising a base material having a viscosity of approximately 1 Pa-s to approximately 200 Pa-s at a shear stress of 100 Pa;

said second component comprising a catalyst materiel having a viscosity of approximately 1 Pa-s to approximately 200 Pa-s at a shear stress of 100 Pa;

first and second plungers disposed in said first and second chambers, respectively, through said first and second openings, and configured for movement therein to discharge said first and second components through said first and second dispensing orifices;

a closure having first and second sealing members sealingly engageable with said first and second dispensing orifices, respectively, to seal said first and second chambers, respectively, said closure movable between a first position wherein said first and second sealing members seal said first and second orifices to thereby seal said first and second chambers and a second position wherein said first and second sealing members are moved out of engagement with said orifices to permit said first and second components to be dispensed from said orifices by movement of said plungers; and

a dispensing tip attachable to said dispenser body and having an input end proximate said first and second orifices when said dispensing tip is attached to said dispenser body, said input end configured to receive said first and second components of said dental impression material from said first and second orifices, said dispensing tip having an output end through which said first and second components of said dental impression material input to said dispensing tip are output for application to a desired target.

10. The delivery system of claim 9 , further comprising:

a movable actuator coupled to said plungers to simultaneously advance said plungers to simultaneously discharge said first and second components through said first and second dispensing orifices.

11. The delivery system of claim 10 , wherein said first and second chambers have substantially equal volumes and transverse cross-sections, and wherein said first and second plungers have transverse cross-sections approximating the transverse cross-section of their respectively associated chambers, for simultaneously dispensing said first and second components through said first and second dispensing orifices at substantially equal volume flow rates.

12. A method of forming a dental impression, comprising:

obtaining a single dose quantity of a two-component dental impression material in a delivery system comprising:

a dispenser having first and second adjacent chambers sized to contain first and second components of the single dose of dental impression material, respectively,

a base material disposed in said first chamber, said base material having a viscosity of approximately 1 Pa-s to approximately 200 Pa-s at a shear stress of 100 Pa, and

a catalyst material disposed in said first chamber, said catalyst material having a viscosity of approximately 1 Pa-s to approximately 200 Pa-s at a shear stress of 100 Pa;

dispensing said first and second components of the single dose of dental impression material;

mixing said first and second components of the single dose of dental impression material through a dispensing tip containing mixing vanes; and

applying the mixed impression material to the dental anatomy of a patient.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

applying the mixed impression material to a dental tray.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

mixing the base and catalyst material as it is dispensed from the dispenser.