Patents Examined by Yogesh Patel
  • Oral care implement having fluid delivery system
    Patent number: 8517728
    Abstract: An oral care implement has a head portion with tooth cleaning elements on one surface thereof and a reservoir containing at least one active agent. A capillary channel extends through at least a portion of the oral care implement to deliver active agent(s) to one or more outlets. In one aspect, a vibration-producing device is provided to vibrate at least a portion of the implement to enhance the function of tooth cleaning elements and the delivery of the active agent through capillary action. A variety of active agents can be administered for therapeutic, hygienic, and/or other benefits, such as fresh breath, tooth whitening, or producing sensations of heat, cool, or tingling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: John J. Gatzemeyer, Thomas J. Boyd, Eduardo J. Jimenez, Bruce M. Russell
  • Dental attachment assembly and method
    Patent number: 8512039
    Abstract: A dental attachment system has an abutment member configured for attachment to a tooth root, implant, or adjacent tooth, the abutment member having a head and an annular seat adjacent the head. An elastomeric ring is configured for releasable engagement in the seat on the abutment member, and is retained in a retainer ring which in turn is in swivel engagement with a concave inner surface of a cavity in a cap which is secured in a recess in a dental appliance such as a denture, partial denture, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Zest IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Scott Mullaly, Paul Zuest
  • Dental model
    Patent number: 8506297
    Abstract: A dental modal for making a dental prosthesis has a base body formed with model teeth and model gingiva and with a cutout in an edentate area and with a hole in a floor of the cutout. A plate is releasably fittable complementarily in the cutout and is formed with a hole aligned with the hole of the cutout. A gingiva mask is fittable on the plate in the cutout and is in turn formed with a hole aligned with the holes of the plate and of the cutout. A model implant insert is releasably fittable in the holes of the mask, plate, and cutout and carries a model implant or an implant-screw mockup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: DREVE ProDiMed GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Klare, Markus Kaiser, Frank Gischer
  • Systems and methods for fabricating a dental template
    Patent number: 8496473
    Abstract: A dental template to position an object on a patient's tooth includes digitizing the patient's tooth; adding virtual objects to predetermined locations on the digitized tooth; and fabricating the dental template to locate the object on the patient's tooth. The template can be used for etching or for positioning brackets on teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Loc X. Phan, Peter G. Knopp, Eric Kuo, Amir Abolfathi, Huafeng Wen
  • Endodontic instruments for preparing endodontic cavity spaces
    Patent number: 8496476
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus providing a critical set of endodontic instruments. The set includes a first endodontic instrument, a second endodontic instrument, and a third endodontic instrument. Each endodontic instrument includes a working portion that has a cone-like shape. Each working portion having an effective contact area defined by the exposed surface area of the working portion's respective cone-like shape. The difference between the effective contact areas of the first endodontic instrument and second endodontic instrument being substantially the same as the difference between the effective contact areas of the second endodontic instrument and third endodontic instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Inventor: Michael J. Scianamblo
  • Dental implant
    Patent number: 8491302
    Abstract: A dental implant with a coarsely threaded portion suitable for nesting within the cortical bone, and a finely threaded portion suitable for nesting within the cancellous bone. A primary thread with a constant pitch and a constant major diameter, runs along both the finely threaded portion and the coarsely threaded portion, and has a large thread height in the coarsely threaded portion, and a small thread height in the finely threaded portion. At least one secondary thread, having the constant pitch and the small thread height, runs along the finely threaded portion at an offset from the primary thread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Inventor: Uri Arni
  • Registering physical and virtual tooth structures with pedestals
    Patent number: 8491306
    Abstract: In general, the invention relates to techniques for registering a three-dimensional (3D) coordinate system of a physical model of a patient's tooth structure to a 3D coordinate system of a virtual model of the same tooth structure. Techniques are described to register the complex geometries of the physical and virtual tooth structures by using a known physical characteristic of a pedestal associated with the physical model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Richard E. Raby, James D. Cleary, Oliver L. Puttler
  • Dental implant fixture
    Patent number: 8491304
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixture for a dental implant that serves as a replacement for a missing tooth and is implanted in the maxillary or mandibular bone. In this fixture invention the R/S border (the border between the rough and smooth surfaces) is formed to be inclined to a plane perpendicular to the long axis (central axis) of the dental implant fixture. The dental implant fixture prevents a marked decrease in the support for the dental implant due to bone reduction procedure in a patient having inclined bone crest, eliminates disadvantages in the aspects of expenses caused by the application of guided bone regeneration technique and also removes inconvenience of long operation time and possible infection, and also has a remarkable advantage of making convenient one-staged surgery possible in many cases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Inventor: Ill-Mo Rhew
  • Teeth cleaning apparatus
    Patent number: 8474467
    Abstract: Teeth cleaning apparatus comprises a cylindrical cleaning implement. The cleaning implement includes a resilient support shaft and an engagement thread and is drivingly rotatable. The implement is so configured that, when presented between a pair of adjacent teeth, a rotating implement threads itself into the interproximal space and extracts interproximal debris.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Inventor: Eric Leonard Coates
  • Dental methods, compositions, and kits including acid-sensitive dyes
    Patent number: 8465284
    Abstract: Methods and compositions including an aqueous liquid that includes an acid-sensitive dye are disclosed for use in dental and orthodontic procedures. The aqueous liquid can be useful for providing a visible color change to indicate contact with acidic materials including, for example, etching compositions, self-etching adhesives, and self-adhesive compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Bradley D. Craig, Robert Lee, Ahmed S. Abuelyaman, Afshin Falsafi, Steven M. Aasen, Joel D. Oxman
  • Oral implant placement system and method
    Patent number: 8465282
    Abstract: An oral implant system and method. The system includes a positioning tool, a transfer band, a transfer screw, and a transfer drill to provide for accurate placement of a dental implant parallel to other implants and or existing teeth and at predetermined depths. A model is made of the patient's maxilla and mandible. The model is marked for implant position, depth and size. Holes are drilled in the model for implant analogs using the positioning tool. The analogs are installed into the model using the positioning tool and a surveyor. Transfer bands are coupled to the analogs and a surgical stent portion is fabricated. The surgical stent is fitted to the patient's occlusion, secured, and then utilized to accurately drill apertures into the patient's maxilla or mandible. The implants are installed into the apertures and the surgical stent is removed. A final restoration is secured to the implants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Immediate Implant Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Gary A. Duncan
  • Orthodontic activator
    Patent number: 8459989
    Abstract: An odontological device to guide occlusion of an individual. The device contains a U-shaped arch with concaves on the side of both the lower jaw and the upper jaw. The bottom surfaces of the concaves form an isthmus separating the concaves from one another. The isthmus includes blanks for individual teeth and uniform, continuous hollows for at least two teeth. The lower jaw side of the device has a lower wing constricting a tongue at least sideways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: LM-Instruments Oy
    Inventors: Katri Keski-Nisula, Juha Varrela
  • Oral implant placement system and method
    Patent number: 8459991
    Abstract: An oral implant system and method. The system includes a positioning tool, a transfer band, a transfer screw, and a transfer drill to provide for accurate placement of a dental implant parallel to other implants and or existing teeth and at predetermined depths. A model is made of the patient's maxilla and mandible. The model is marked for implant position, depth and size. Holes are drilled in the model for implant analogs using the positioning tool. The analogs are installed into the model using the positioning tool and a surveyor. Transfer bands are coupled to the analogs and a surgical stent portion is fabricated. The surgical stent is fitted to the patient's occlusion, secured, and then utilized to accurately drill apertures into the patient's maxilla or mandible. The implants are installed into the apertures and the surgical stent is removed. A final restoration is secured to the implants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Immediate Implant Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Gary A. Duncan
  • Orthodontic connector assembly and a method for treating teeth
    Patent number: 8459988
    Abstract: An orthodontic connector assembly 10 including a plurality of substantially identical connecting members, such as members 12, 14 which include a movable but biased portion 20 which is adapted to selectively and removably receive a pocket portion 44 which is deployed on at least one bracket, such as bracket 40. In an alternative embodiment, the members, such as member 12, 14 each include a ridge, such as ridge 212, which is selectively, removably, and frictionally placed within slot 236.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Inventor: John Joseph Dumas
  • Customized dental prosthesis for periodontal- or osseointegration, and related systems and methods
    Patent number: 8454362
    Abstract: A customized dental prosthesis for periodontal or osseointegration is disclosed having a manufactured implant portion shaped to substantially conform to the three-dimensional surface of a root of a tooth to be replaced. Furthermore a CAD/CAM based method of and a system for manufacturing a customized dental prosthesis replacing an extracted tooth is disclosed, where the extracted tooth is scanned regarding its three-dimensional shape and substantially copied using (a) an imaging system in-vitro like a 3D scanner or in-vivo like a cone beam CT system, (b) CNC machinery and (c) biocompatible material that is suitable to be integrated into the extraction socket and at least partially adopted by the existing tissue forming the socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Natural Dental Implants AG
    Inventor: Ruedger Rubbert
  • Method for preparing a physical plaster model
    Patent number: 8454364
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for creating a physical teeth model. The method comprises the following steps: providing a virtual three dimensional (3D) representation of a patient's dentition that comprises at least a region of the teeth that includes a tooth stump on which a crown is to be fitted or a region on to which a bridge is to be fitted; and preparing a physical model of the jaws of a subject from a blank, based on information from said virtual 3D image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Cadent Ltd.
    Inventors: Eldad Taub, Avi Kopelman
  • Non-custom dental treatment trays having improved anatomical features
    Patent number: 8444413
    Abstract: A non-custom, dental tray device includes a moisture-resistant barrier layer having a labial-buccal wall, a lingual wall, and a bottom wall. The dental tray device includes at least one of the following structural features to enhance the fit of the device; (1) the bottom wall includes an abrupt reduction of width at a location corresponding to where the first bicuspid meets the canine; (2) a bottom wall in the posterior region having a width that is equal to or less than the width of the bottom wall in the anterior region, with no lingual wall in the posterior region; or (3) a transition portion between the bottom wall and either the labial-buccal wall or the lingual wall has a larger radius of curvature as compared to a radius of curvature at a transition portion between the bottom wall the other of the labial-buccal wall and the lingual wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Ultradent Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Dan E. Fischer, Peter M. Allred, Bruce S. McLean
  • Anchor apparatus for clear plastic orthodontic appliance systems and the like
    Patent number: 8444412
    Abstract: Anchor apparatus for a flexible and resilient clear orthodontic appliance constructed to be removably fitted over the teeth of a user by friction in a predetermined position. One or more first anchor devices are secured to the bone in the mouth of the user in a position to be adjacent to the orthodontic appliance when fitted over the teeth. The orthodontic appliance is constructed to removably engage the first anchor device or devices when the orthodontic appliance is fitted on the teeth in the predetermined position to removably secure the orthodontic device in the predetermined position. The orthodontic appliance may comprise one or more second anchor devices mounted thereon for removable engagement with the first anchor devices. The first and second anchor devices comprise female recessed portions or male heads that are complementary in shape to facilitate the removable engagement thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Bi-Corticle LLC
    Inventors: David Baughman, Jack Fisher, John Sparaga
  • Periodontal interdental delivery tray and periodontal medicament tray syringe
    Patent number: 8439676
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a periodontal interdental tray and to a periodontal medicament tray syringe that can be used in conjunction with the periodontal interdental tray of the present invention, or can be utilized by itself or in conjunction with other periodontal trays already on the market. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to treatment of periodontal disease, and in particular to a dental tray syringe and method for delivering medicaments into areas of the mouth either supragingival or subgingivally to treat the infected areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Inventor: Michael Florman
  • Systems and methods for intra-oral drug delivery
    Patent number: 8439674
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for intra-oral delivery of drugs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chunhua Li, Wenda C. Carlyle, Philippe De Smedt, Amir Abolfathi, Eric E. Kuo, Robert E. Tricca, Jennifer C. Chen, Benjamin M. Wu