Patents Examined by Mirayda Aponte
  • Patent number: 10792130
    Abstract: The secondary part (17), for securing on and/or in a dental implant, is suitable for receiving a tertiary part. The secondary part (17) has a secondary-part body (22) with a recess (21) on the inside, and a secondary-part screw (20) receivable or received in the recess. The secondary part (17) has a screwing-in mechanism in the form of a contour for receiving a screwing-in tool for screwing the dental implant, connected to the secondary part (17), into a jawbone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Camlog Biotechnologies AG
    Inventors: Christoph Solèr, Antonio Vaccaro
  • Patent number: 10779912
    Abstract: A dental implant and final prosthetic placement system for small-diameter implants (and method for using the system) in which a final prosthetic is digitally designed and created, and is itself used as the drill guide to place the implants. The final prosthetic is held in the predetermined proper drilling position by a stent, such as an occlusal guard. The combination of final prosthetic (with holes through which the small-diameter implants are drilled to secure it) and the stent encasing the final prosthetic, is itself the drill guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Inventor: Paul Hertz
  • Patent number: 10772697
    Abstract: Disclosed is an anatomical drape, such as a dental drape, for covering a treatment area of an anatomical part. The drape includes an elastomeric material capable of conforming to the contours of the anatomical part. The drape preferably includes a curing agent. Activation of the curing agent, for example by a light source, causes selective hardening of the stretched material to at least partially set the drape in a configuration conforming to the anatomical part. The semi-rigid set drape preferably is liquid impermeable but gas permeable. A method of manufacturing the drape is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: MAVRIK DENTAL SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventor: Daniel Sanders
  • Patent number: 10751148
    Abstract: The present invention relates to dental wedges that may be used for creating space between adjacent teeth. In one form, the dental wedge includes an elongated body extending from an outer end to an opposite inner end. The body has a longitudinal intermediate wall, a longitudinal first side wall connected to the intermediate wall, and a longitudinal second side wall connected to the intermediate wall. The first side wall and the second side wall each flare away from the intermediate wall such that a first distal end of the first side wall and a second distal end of the second side wall are spaced apart creating an inverted generally V-shaped transverse section for the body. The body has a top surface formed by the intermediate wall, the first side wall and the second side wall. The body also has a bottom surface formed by the intermediate wall, the first side wall and the second side wall. The dental wedge includes a grasping section connected to the outer end of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Inventor: David J. Clark
  • Patent number: 10736712
    Abstract: The invention relates to a clamping device for clamping a cylindrical instrument shank, in particular, a dental instrument, the clamping device including a spring-loaded element for holding the instrument shank, a hollow shaft for transmitting a rotational movement, and a plunger, with the spring-loaded element being designed as a sleeve with a cylindrical wall, a first opening and a second opening; and the wall having cut-outs. The spring-loaded element, the shaft and the plunger have axes of rotation that are arranged coaxially; the shaft protrudes at least partially into the first opening of the spring-loaded element; and the plunger protrudes at least partially into the second opening of the spring-loaded element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Metin Ertugrul, Siegfried Goisser, Stefan Gobel
  • Patent number: 10729519
    Abstract: There is provided an implant having a slack prevention function by an eccentric fitting structure. An engaging shaft 53, which is decentered with a screw shaft 52, is provided at the end of an abutment screw 5, and is engaged with an engaging hole 45 provided in the bottom of a screw hole 44, into which an abutment screw 5 is screwed, and thus, the screw shaft 52 is inclined to and eccentric from the screw hole 44. Thereby, the screw shaft 52 comes to be strongly pressed partially in a circumferential direction toward the screw hole 44, so that internal stress in the horizontal direction is accumulated on the screw shaft 52. The screw 5 is threaded with maintaining prevailing torque caused by the internal stress, which enables the screw 5 to be fastened to the right position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Hardlock Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 10716646
    Abstract: An orthodontic appliance is disclosed and which cooperates with both the upper and lower dental arches of a patient and which includes an archwire coupler which is attached to individual archwires that are releasably attached to the anterior facing surface of a patient's teeth requiring orthodontic treatment; and a multiple section elongated telescoping assembly which is rotatably and releasably coupled to the archwires attached to the upper and lower dental arches of a patient undergoing treatment, and wherein the multiple section elongated telescoping assembly effects movement of the upper dental arch in a rearward direction, and the lower dental arch in a forward direction when the multiple section elongated telescoping assembly is in a given position along a predetermined course of travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Inventors: Terry G. Dischinger, William M. Dischinger, Steven O. Luse
  • Patent number: 10709526
    Abstract: The present invention provides a dental implant including: a fixture and an abutment including a coupling leg, and the fixture and the abutment are elastically coupled with each other, the dental implant including: a fixture axial hole inner inclined surface in which an inner diameter of an axial hole is gradually and downwardly reduced from a predetermined position of an inner inclined surface of the fixture; a first coupling part formed with a coupling hole at a predetermined position of the fixture; and a first associated coupling part formed with a coupling protrusion complementarily coupled with the first coupling part, wherein when the first associated coupling part is separated from the first coupling part by rotating the abutment, the coupling protrusion upwardly pushes the abutment from the fixture by elastic repulsion with the axial hole inner inclined surface of the fixture, thus the abutment becomes separated from the fixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: DENFLEX CO., LTD
    Inventor: Hyung Woo Kim
  • Patent number: 10667885
    Abstract: The present invention is a surgical guide for guiding the insertion of a dental implant into a desired location in a patient's mouth. The implant includes a non-rotational structure. The surgical guide includes a structure and a master tube. The structure has a negative impression surface to be fitted on and placed over gingival tissue, bone, and/or teeth in the patient's mouth. The structure includes an opening through which the dental implant is placed. The master tube is located at the opening. The master tube includes indicia for alignment with the non-rotational structure on the implant such that the non-rotational structure of the implant is at a known angular orientation with respect to the master tube. The present invention includes kits of various components used with the surgical guide and with the dental surgery using the surgical guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Biomet 3I, LLC
    Inventors: Zachary B. Suttin, T. Tait Robb, Bruce Berckmans, III, Ralph E. Goodman, Theodore M. Powell
  • Patent number: 10667886
    Abstract: A dental burr for preparing tooth for fabrication may include a shank designed to engage with a dental handpiece; and a burr body extending from the shank. The burr body may have a lip distal from the shank, the lip defining an opening into a cavity within the burr body, the cavity being sized to accommodate a tooth; and an indented edge extending from an area of the burr body proximate to the lip to the lip, wherein an exterior surface of the indented edge, the lip, and an inner surface of the cavity be an abrasive surface. The burr body may also have at least one debris vent extending therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Inventor: LittleJohn Kirk VanHorn
  • Patent number: 10646119
    Abstract: A plaque detection system is presented including a dental implement and a multi-mode optical waveguide for receiving fluorescence light from a plurality of angles, the fluorescence light traveling along a core of the multimode optical waveguide at different path lengths resulting in modal dispersion. The plaque detection system also includes a detector configured to receive the fluorescence light for detecting plaque, calculus, and/or caries, and communicating plaque identification information of teeth based on frequency domain lifetime measurements. The modal dispersion is used to detect at least one plaque, calculus, and or caries fluorescence area on the teeth. The plaque fluorescence area detected with modal dispersion includes different levels of plaque with respect to a center point of the plaque fluorescence area. Thus, a plaque detection signal depends on a radial distance from the center point of the plaque fluorescence area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Steven Charles Deane, Olaf Thomas Johan Antonie Vermeulen, Jan Hendrik Poesse
  • Patent number: 10639128
    Abstract: A method of implementing a splint device, and associated splint device are provided for a guidance system of a surgical robot. An adhesive material is engaged with a first stabilizing portion of a first splint portion, and the adhesive material is engaged with a second stabilizing portion of a second splint portion. The first or second splint portion has a mounting portion extending outwardly therefrom, The first and second splint portions are removably engaged with each other and about a tooth of a patient such that, when engaged, the first stabilizing portion is generally opposed to and laterally spaced apart from the second stabilizing portion to define a channel therebetween, with the mounting portion being disposed and extending outwardly of the channel, and with the first and second stabilizing portions defining the channel being secured to respective sides of the tooth via the adhesive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: NEOCIS, INC.
    Inventors: Federico Grande, Yohama Lorenzo, Jeffrey Ganeles, Nima Massoomi, Alon Mozes, Juan Salcedo
  • Patent number: 10639129
    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: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: NATIONAL DENTEX, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel R. Llop, Armand C. Jusuf, Ryan A. Spanke, Charles T. Fanlo
  • Patent number: 10603008
    Abstract: Example embodiments of this invention include a method and a device for assessing the internal structure of the tooth. In one example, the method is comprised of emitting a sequence of ultrasonic pulses from a given point on the tooth surface into the tooth at various directions of incidence (angles of incidence) with respect to the local tooth surface, recording the corresponding sequence of ultrasonic echoes from different internal dental formations, and processing the collected ultrasonic pulse-echo and pulse-direction data to present internal structure of the tooth in quantitative or graphical form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Tessonics Corporation
    Inventors: Roman Gr. Maev, Eugene V. Malyarenko, Alexander Ilyutovich
  • Patent number: 10595968
    Abstract: An apparatus for replicating a tooth within a user's mouth includes a threaded insert receivable with a bore in a wearer's jaw, the threaded insert having a first connector associated therewith and a tooth implant having a second connector. The first and second connectors are frictionally engageable with each other to retain the tooth implant within the user's mouth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Inventor: Horst Wismann
  • Patent number: 10595961
    Abstract: Endodontic instruments are used to clean and enlarge the endodontic cavity space (ECS), also known as the root canal system, of a human tooth. This document describes novel endodontic instruments that are radially compressible, and methods for their use. Some embodiments include a shank and a body with a working surface. At least a portion of the working surface may define a center of mass path that spirals. The center of mass of a transverse cross-section of the working surface at the shank end can be offset from the axis of rotation of the instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Inventor: Michael J. Scianamblo
  • Patent number: 10537410
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for extracting a broken fragment of a dental abutment screw from a dental implant. One system includes an extractor tool having a tubular outer body and a conductor positioned within the tubular outer body, and an applicator that receives and end of the extractor tool and also includes a heating element that converts electrical energy into heat that is conducted to the extractor tool to melt a thermoplastic adhesive in a cavity at the distal end of the extractor tool, such that the melted thermoplastic adhesive can conform to and engage with a broken fragment of a dental abutment screw within a dental implant when the adhesive cools. The extractor tool can then be rotated to unscrew the broken fragment from the dental implant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: University of Pittsburgh—of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
    Inventors: Steve J. Kukunas, Ashley Smoots, Hannah M. Smith, Paul Kukunas, Fanying Sun, Tyler Hughes
  • Patent number: 10524878
    Abstract: A dental device for shaping matrix bands. The device has a first arm pivotally connected to a second arm. A male head component having a curved, convex inner sidewall with a flattened surface centrally disposed thereon is connected to a bar portion of the first arm. A female head component having a curved, concave inner sidewall with a flattened surface centrally disposed thereon is connected to a bar portion of the second arm. When a handle portion of the first arm is pivoted towards a handle portion of the second arm, the first bar portion pivots toward the second bar portion. The male head component mates with the female head component such that the inner sidewall of the male head component interfaces with the inner sidewall of the female head component, and the flattened surface of the male head component interfaces with the flattened surface of the female head component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Inventor: Hung M. Thai
  • Patent number: 10524879
    Abstract: Apparatus, system, and methods for utilizing one or more computing devices to stage the movement of teeth during an alignment treatment are disclosed. The computing device receives an electronic representation of the patient's teeth in their initial position and an electronic representation of the teeth a final position for each tooth. A route each tooth will travel to reach its final position is determined, and the teeth are scheduled to move according to a movement pattern. Moreover, the schedule of movement takes into account a maximum rate of tooth movement for each tooth, the path of movement for each tooth, the distance each tooth needs to move, any needed tooth staggering, any needed round-tripping or tooth movement slowing. The invention also includes techniques for determining an optimum number of stages for the treatment based on the schedule of movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Ian Kitching, Alexander Dmitriev, Alexey Vishnevskiy
  • Patent number: 10517698
    Abstract: A method for securing a dental implant within a dental bone cavity is disclosed. The method may include inserting a dental wedge into the dental bone cavity and allowing bone tissues to grow toward and at least partially surround the dental wedge. Dental implantation systems for implementing the method are also disclosed. The system can include a dental wedge adapted to be inserted into a dental bone cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Zimmer Dental, Inc.
    Inventors: Suneel Ranga Sai Battula, Hai Bo Wen, Eneetra Patrice Livings, Michael Scott Collins