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).

  • Publication number: 20240131803
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Joseph Frantz, Donald Frantz, Philip Bocala, Dane Kinchen
  • Patent number: 11109998
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Inventors: Donald Frantz, Joseph Frantz
  • Patent number: 10588715
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Frantz Design Inc.
    Inventors: Margaret M. Anderson, Donald Frantz, Joseph Frantz
  • Publication number: 20190262100
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Margaret M. Anderson, Donald Frantz, Joseph Frantz
  • Publication number: 20190142626
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Donald Frantz, Joseph Frantz
  • Patent number: 10179063
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Frantz Design Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph Lee Frantz, Donald Frantz
  • Patent number: 10123901
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Frantz Design Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph Lee Frantz, Donald Frantz
  • Publication number: 20170224441
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: Margaret ANDERSON, Donald FRANTZ, Joseph FRANTZ
  • Publication number: 20160106572
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Applicant: Frantz Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Lee Frantz, Donald Frantz
  • Publication number: 20150013688
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Donald FRANTZ, Joseph FRANTZ, Dane KINCHEN
  • Publication number: 20070214852
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Inventor: Donald Frantz