Patents by Inventor Donald Frantz
Donald Frantz 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).
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Publication number: 20240131803Abstract: Methods and systems relate to receiving oral characteristic data of a patient, processing the oral characteristic data in a server to determine dentition data and a forward mandibular position to enable the patient to breathe during sleep by opening an airway of the patient, forming a dental appliance using the dentition data and the forward mandibular position, including a lower dental tray and an upper dental tray, the upper dental tray including a pair of upper dental tray plateaus, the lower dental tray including a pair of lower dental tray plateaus, ultrasonically welding a first pair of button protrusions onto the pair of lower dental tray plateaus, and ultrasonically welding a second pair of button protrusions onto the upper dental tray plateaus to provide a dental when two connectors are attached to connect the upper dental tray to the lower dental tray.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2023Publication date: April 25, 2024Inventors: Joseph Frantz, Donald Frantz, Philip Bocala, Dane Kinchen
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Patent number: 11109998Abstract: An appliance and methods are described that include embodiments of a mandibular advancement or positioning device which can use elastic bands to pull the jaw forward. The appliance has an upper plastic tray conforming to the patient's upper teeth and including a set of retention hooks coupled to the upper plastic tray via being encased in plastic, one on the right and one on the left anterior buccal portion of an upper plastic base. The appliance also has a lower plastic tray conforming to the patient's lower teeth and has a set of bite pads integrated with a second set of plastic retention hooks encased in plastic extending outwardly from the teeth. The appliance includes the upper and lower plastic trays and specially formed elastic bands of a plurality of lengths and strengths replaceably attached to the retention hooks on both sides of the trays to pull the mandible forward for treatment.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2018Date of Patent: September 7, 2021Inventors: Donald Frantz, Joseph Frantz
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Patent number: 10588715Abstract: A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: determining an incrementally progressive series of adjustment appliances, each of the series of adjustment appliances having geometries selected to progressively reposition teeth; and determining for each of the series of adjustment appliances, a vertical displacement and a forward mandibular position for treating sleep apnea. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2017Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Frantz Design Inc.Inventors: Margaret M. Anderson, Donald Frantz, Joseph Frantz
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Publication number: 20190262100Abstract: A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: determining an incrementally progressive series of adjustment appliances, each of the series of adjustment appliances having geometries selected to progressively reposition teeth; and determining for each of the series of adjustment appliances, a vertical displacement and a forward mandibular position for treating sleep apnea. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 2, 2017Publication date: August 29, 2019Inventors: Margaret M. Anderson, Donald Frantz, Joseph Frantz
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Publication number: 20190142626Abstract: An appliance and methods are described that include embodiments of a mandibular advancement or positioning device which can use elastic bands to pull the jaw forward. The appliance has an upper plastic tray conforming to the patient's upper teeth and including a set of retention hooks coupled to the upper plastic tray via being encased in plastic, one on the right and one on the left anterior buccal portion of an upper plastic base. The appliance also has a lower plastic tray conforming to the patient's lower teeth and has a set of bite pads integrated with a second set of plastic retention hooks encased in plastic extending outwardly from the teeth. The appliance includes the upper and lower plastic trays and specially formed elastic bands of a plurality of lengths and strengths replaceably attached to the retention hooks on both sides of the trays to pull the mandible forward for treatment.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2018Publication date: May 16, 2019Inventors: Donald Frantz, Joseph Frantz
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Patent number: 10179063Abstract: An appliance and methods are described that include embodiments of a mandibular advancement or positioning device which can use elastic bands to pull the jaw forward. The appliance has an upper plastic tray conforming to the patient's upper teeth and including 3D printed sets of retention hooks coupled to the upper plastic tray via being encased in plastic, one on the right and one on the left anterior buccal portion of an upper plastic base. The appliance also has a lower plastic tray conforming to the patient's lower teeth including mandibular dentition, and includes having a 3D printed bite pad which opens the bite vertically. The lower tray also has a set of 3D printed plastic retention hooks encased in plastic extending outwardly from the teeth, one on the right and one on the left of the posterior buccal portion of the lower plastic base.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2015Date of Patent: January 15, 2019Assignee: Frantz Design IncorporatedInventors: Joseph Lee Frantz, Donald Frantz
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Patent number: 10123901Abstract: An appliance and methods are described that include embodiments of a mandibular advancement or positioning device which can use elastic bands to pull the jaw forward. The appliance has an upper plastic tray conforming to the patient's upper teeth and including a set of retention hooks coupled to the upper plastic tray via being encased in plastic, one on the right and one on the left anterior buccal portion of an upper plastic base. The appliance also has a lower plastic tray conforming to the patient's lower teeth and has a set of bite pads integrated with a second set of plastic retention hooks encased in plastic extending outwardly from the teeth. The appliance includes the upper and lower plastic trays and specially formed elastic bands of a plurality of lengths and strengths replaceably attached to the retention hooks on both sides of the trays to pull the mandible forward for treatment.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2014Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: Frantz Design IncorporatedInventors: Joseph Lee Frantz, Donald Frantz
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Publication number: 20170224441Abstract: A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: determining an incrementally progressive series of adjustment appliances, each of the series of adjustment appliances having geometries selected to progressively reposition teeth; and determining for each of the series of adjustment appliances, a vertical displacement and a forward mandibular position for treating sleep apnea. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2017Publication date: August 10, 2017Inventors: Margaret ANDERSON, Donald FRANTZ, Joseph FRANTZ
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Publication number: 20160106572Abstract: An appliance and methods are described that include embodiments of a mandibular advancement or positioning device which can use elastic bands to pull the jaw forward. The appliance has an upper plastic tray conforming to the patient's upper teeth and including 3D printed sets of retention hooks coupled to the upper plastic tray via being encased in plastic, one on the right and one on the left anterior buccal portion of an upper plastic base. The appliance also has a lower plastic tray conforming to the patient's lower teeth including mandibular dentition, and includes having a 3D printed bite pad which opens the bite vertically. The lower tray also has a set of 3D printed plastic retention hooks encased in plastic extending outwardly from the teeth, one on the right and one on the left of the posterior buccal portion of the lower plastic base.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2015Publication date: April 21, 2016Applicant: Frantz Design, Inc.Inventors: Joseph Lee Frantz, Donald Frantz
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Publication number: 20150013688Abstract: A dental appliance and method includes injection molding a thermoplastic material to form discs for use in thermoforming. Also, a dental appliance and method of manufacture therefor, includes but is not limited to injection overmolding a thermoplastic polyster-containing material with an thermoplastic elastomer material to form a chemically bonded material, and thermoforming the injection molded chemically bonded material to form the dental appliance.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2014Publication date: January 15, 2015Inventors: Donald FRANTZ, Joseph FRANTZ, Dane KINCHEN
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Publication number: 20070214852Abstract: A combined support and lock device (10) has a longitudinally extending support portion (20) and a longitudinally extending lock portion (50). The support portion (20) includes a centrally disposed strut (22) having a first end (24) and a second end (26). The first strut end (24) is adapted to rest against a member (8) of a boat trailer frame (6). The second strut end (26) is adapted to rest against a portion of a boat motor (12). The lock portion (50) includes a hook-like rod (60) having a first end (62) and a second end (66). The first end (62) of the rod (60) is curved (64) so as to engage a recess (18) defined within the rearward portion of the boat motor propeller (16). The rod (60) extends between two adjacent propeller blades (17) to prevent rotation of the propeller (16). The second end (66) of the rod (60) is lockable within a pivotable locking flange (52), the locking flange (52) being rotatably secured to the second strut end (26) of the support portion (20) of the device (10).Type: ApplicationFiled: July 9, 2004Publication date: September 20, 2007Inventor: Donald Frantz