Patents Examined by Ralph Lewis
  • Patent number: 11571277
    Abstract: Method and system for establishing an initial position of a tooth, determining a target position of the tooth in a treatment plan, calculating a movement vector associated with the tooth movement from the initial position to the target position, determining a plurality of components corresponding to the movement vector, and determining a corresponding one or more positions of a respective one or more attachment devices relative to a surface plane of the tooth such that the one or more attachment devices engages with a dental appliance are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Vadim Matov, John Y. Morton, Eric Kuo, Heng Cao
  • Patent number: 11571281
    Abstract: An apparatus may include an elongated hollow body with a plurality of skirts on one end of the elongated hollow body. An exterior of the elongated hollow body may have a plurality of fins. At least some of the plurality of fins may have a different diameter and/or placement along a length of the elongated hollow body. The elongated hollow body may be configured to receive a screw. The screw may be configured to expand the plurality of skirts upon insertion into an interior of the elongated hollow body. The plurality of fins may be configured to secure the apparatus when the apparatus is placed within a bore. The plurality of fins may secure the apparatus at least by engaging the bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Inventor: Sargon Lazarof
  • Patent number: 11564777
    Abstract: Releasable and removable palatal expander apparatuses for expanding a patient's palate (“palatal expanders”) and methods of using and making them. These releasable palatal expanders are adapted for ease in removal by the patient or caregiver, and may include a breach region configured to predictably bend or break when a pulling force is applied. The palatal expander apparatuses described herein may include one or more locks for locking the palatal expander onto the patient's teeth. The lock(s) may be unlocked to release the palatal expander from the teeth. A lock may include a control for manually unlocking the lock. Unlocking the locks may allow the palatal expander to automatically disengage from the patient's teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Avi Kopelman, Ryan Kimura, Yaser Shanjani, Jeremy Riley, Jun Sato, Bob Grove, Reza Shirazi Aghjari
  • Patent number: 11564779
    Abstract: The invention relates to a superstructure support (20) as part of a prosthetic tooth replacement (1) between an implant body (10) and a superstructure, comprising a hollow implant post (23, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190), a hollow implant pin (50), and an implant flange (31) lying therebetween. The cavity zones (67, 62) of the implant post (23, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190) and of the implant pin (50) transition into each other. The center lines (69, 63) include an angle of 60 to 86 angular degrees. An attachment element (5) can be arranged on the implant post (23, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190) in a rotationally fixed manner by means of an assembly joint (140), which forms an interface (141, 145). The attachment element (5) is a cap-type element. At least some areas of the implant flange (31) have a supporting enveloping surface (37).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Inventor: Bruno Spindler
  • Patent number: 11559374
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes method, system, apparatus, and indicator embodiments. One apparatus includes an appliance for placement over one or more teeth and a release agent receptacle including an outer portion provided on appliance surface, an inner portion provided within the outer portion, and one or more apertures formed in the outer portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jennifer C. Chen, Li-Hung Su, Chunhua Li
  • Patent number: 11553991
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides high strength, self-ligating appliances with orthodontically desirable dimensions. The appliances of the present disclosure incorporate a door slidably engaged to a channel in the body; one that can be opened or closed depending on the equilibrium position of an integral protrusion on the door. Cooperating grooves and rails on the body and the door can guide the door between the open and closed positions, and mitigate against unintentional detachment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventor: Ming-Lai Lai
  • Patent number: 11553993
    Abstract: Highly self-tapping dental implant system with hybrid cone type connection and interlocking rails, which allows high insertion (or removal) torque and double parallel cone locking between the implant, prosthetic abutment and internal screw, even in its 3.0 mm diameter embodiment, and gives the whole system high primary and secondary stability, optimal watertightness thanks to the double cone sealing, as well as predictable long-term fixation of the dental prosthesis on the implant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Inventor: Julian Cuesta Garcia
  • Patent number: 11553986
    Abstract: A system for fabricating a dental restoration to restore a tooth at a restoration site in a dentition of a patient is disclosed. The dentition includes a restoration dental arch and an opposing dental arch. The restoration dental arch include the restoration site and the opposing dental arch is opposite the restoration dental arch. The system includes an impression apparatus, a motion capture apparatus, an interface apparatus, and a restoration design system. The impression apparatus is configured to capture an impression of the dentition of the patient. The motion capture apparatus is configured to capture a plurality of location data points that represent the locations of the opposing dental arch relative to the restoration dental arch. The interference model generation system is configured to generate an interference model for the restoration site. The restoration design system is for designing a restoration using the interference model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: HULTGREN DENTAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Bruce Willard Hultgren
  • Patent number: 11547530
    Abstract: A tool for forming a dental restoration includes a mold body configured to provide a customized fit with at least one tooth of a patient. In some examples, the mold body defines an aperture configured to align with a portion of a surface of a tooth. The aperture is sufficiently large to allow placement and flow of restorative material over the desired portion of the surface of the tooth to be restored. The mold body is configured to combine with the at least one tooth of the patient to define a mold cavity encompassing at least a portion of desired tooth structure of the tooth to be restored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Joseph C. Dingeldein, James D. Hansen, Katelyn M. Languell, Christopher M. Brown
  • Patent number: 11540899
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to tools, systems and methods for recontouring/reshaping gum tissue by engaging a consumable tip on a powered tool to abrade/ablate excess or mal-contoured gum tissue to allow better visualization of the tooth/implant structure and reduce the periodontal pockets to provide improved access for cleaning by both the patient and clinician. In some embodiments, the powered tool may use vibrational movement, longitudinal reciprocating movement, rotational movement, reciprocating rotational movement, or a combination of any of the above movement schemes. In some embodiments, a consumable tip may be directed for cleaning tooth/implant surfaces and for recontouring/reshaping gum tissue. The powered tool itself may be constructed to allow the cooling water flow used for operation to be directed to the site where the procedure is carried out for irrigation or to be directed elsewhere at the user's selection to facilitate gum contouring procedures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Inventor: Bennett H. Jacoby
  • Patent number: 11540901
    Abstract: A bone foundation guide system having a bone foundation guide with a foundation guide body forming an open surgical space connecting a top of the bone foundation guide body with a bottom of the bone foundation guide body, the bottom contoured to removably affix the bone foundation guide body to the bone of a dental implant surgical site, the body further contoured to guide the cutting of bone from a dental implant surgical site and supporting a dental implant surgical guide; the dental implant surgical guide contoured to removably mate to the bone foundation guide body; wherein a combination of the bone foundation guide and the dental implant surgical guide forms a double open-ended placement channel that passes through a plurality of guiding cylinders held in tandem alignment to aid in the placement of a dental implant that is anchored in a site remote from the mouth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: NATIONAL DENTEX, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel R. Llop, Armand C. Jusuf, Ryan A. Spanke, Charles T. Fanlo
  • Patent number: 11534264
    Abstract: The invention relates to a preformed dental composite crown being characterized by its shape and chemical composition, the shape being characterized as follows: having an occlusal top surface and depending buccal, mesial, distal and lingual side surfaces, the side surfaces being connected to each other and forming a crown cervix, the wall thickness of the crown at the crown cervix being lower than 0.6 mm; at least two of opposing depending side surfaces having a concave shape; the chemical composition of the material the preformed dental composite crown is made of being a hardened composition comprising the following components: nano-filler(s) in an amount from 20 to 70 wt. %, resin matrix in an amount from 20 to 75 wt. %, wt. % with respect to the weight of the chemical composition, the resin matrix comprising urethane(meth)acrylate(s) and (meth)acrylate(s) not comprising a urethane moiety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Andreas Herrmann, Gallus Schechner, Reinhold Hecht, Helmar B. Mayr, Malte Korten, Bernhard Hofmann, Gioacchino Raia, Till Meurer
  • Patent number: 11534268
    Abstract: A series of appliances including a first appliance and a second appliance. The first appliance can be configured to receive at least one tooth of a first jaw and have a first number of bite adjustment structures extending from the lingual surface of the first appliance. The first number of bite adjustment structures can have a first shape and location specific to a first stage of the treatment plan. The second appliance can be configured to receive at least one tooth of the second jaw, have a second number of bite adjustment structures extending from the second appliance and be designed to make contact with the first number of bite adjustment structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Huizhong Li, Crystal Tjhia, Eric Yau, Rohit Tanugula, Jun Sato
  • Patent number: 11529217
    Abstract: A dental implant includes a fixture implanted into an alveolar bone, an abutment fixed to an upper part of the fixture and having a core hole formed in a center of an upper surface of the abutment, a crown bonded to an upper outer side of the abutment and having a passage vertically formed through a center of the crown, and a cover screw having a screw screw-fastened to the core hole and a head in close contact between an upper surface of the abutment and a lower surface of the crow to cover the core hole, in which, when the screw is released by a tool passing through the passage, the head moves up so that the cover screw provides a separating force to the crown. The dental implant may facilitate a separation of the crown and prevent binding force from weakening, thereby enabling an efficient procedure and management.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Inventor: Jae-joon Lee
  • Patent number: 11529215
    Abstract: Method and system for establishing an initial position of a tooth, determining a target position of the tooth in a treatment plan, calculating a movement vector associated with the tooth movement from the initial position to the target position, determining a plurality of components corresponding to the movement vector, and determining a corresponding one or more positions of a respective one or more attachment devices relative to a surface plane of the tooth such that the one or more attachment devices engages with a dental appliance are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Vadim Matov, John Y. Morton, Eric Kuo, Heng Cao
  • Patent number: 11529216
    Abstract: An orthodontic appliance and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the present technology includes a positioning member configured to position an orthodontic appliance during installation in the patient's mouth. The positioning member may comprise a first portion configured to be coupled to the patient's teeth and a second portion extending away from the first portion. The second portion may be configured to be detachably coupled to the orthodontic appliance. While the positioning member is coupled to the orthodontic appliance, the positioning member is configured to be positioned in the patient's mouth and coupled to the patient's teeth, thereby positioning the orthodontic appliance at a desired location adjacent a patient's oral anatomy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Brius Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Seyed Mehdi Roein Peikar, James Sylvester Wratten, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11517399
    Abstract: A dental isolation system includes a dental tool that has a handle portion at a proximal end, a tip portion at an opposite, distal end, and a body portion extending between the handle portion and the tip portion. The handle portion has handles and finger apertures so that a dentist can manipulate the distal end. The tip portion is inserted into an O-ring of a dental dam and, when actuated by a dentist, the tip portion forms a quadrant, allowing the stretched O-ring to easily fit over a tooth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Inventor: Spencer Torgerson
  • Patent number: 11514199
    Abstract: System and method for developing a treatment plan for achieving a treatment goal including creating a virtual model of a dental patient's dentition; transforming the virtual model of the dentition using virtual prosthodontics to facilitate achievement of the treatment goal; transforming the virtual model of the dentition using virtual orthodontics to facilitate achievement of the treatment goal; iterating on the transforming steps until substantially achieving the treatment goal; and generating an orthodontic treatment plan and a prosthodontic treatment plan based upon the substantially achieved treatment goal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Eric Kuo, Jihua Cheng, Vadim Matov, Juan Carlos Alvarez, Ali Kakavand
  • Patent number: 11510761
    Abstract: A bite registration device including a scan post configured to attach to a dental implant, a bite pillar configured to be attached at a coronal end of the scan post, and a mechanism for attaching the bite pillar to the scan post, wherein the mechanism enables adjustment of a distance from a coronal end of the bite pillar to an apical end of the scan post. A bite pillar including a wide coronal end and an elongate shape configured to attach to an object in a mouth of a patient. A scan post including a screw thread for attaching a bite pillar thereto. A reference pillar configured as an elongate shape to be attached at a first end to an object in a mouth of a patient. Related apparatus and methods are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Inventor: Philippe Nuytens
  • Patent number: 11510755
    Abstract: A method of producing a custom dental anchor application appliance may be provided. The appliance may be for mounting one or more anchors to teeth of a patient. The appliance may be for use in orthodontic aligner treatment. The method may include forming a dental appliance. The forming may be done using a three-dimensional printing approach. The appliance may include a body. The body may include at least one anchor-locating area. The anchor-locating area may be shaped to conform to a mounting area on a surface of a tooth. The appliance may include a receiving structure. The receiving structure may be configured to removably support a dental anchor. The dental anchor may be of a predefined configuration in a fixed position and orientation relative to the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Ormco Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Mark Matty