Patents by Inventor Zachary B. Suttin

Zachary B. Suttin 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).

  • Patent number: 9848836
    Abstract: A method of creating a 3-D anatomic digital model for determining a desired location for placing at least one dental implant in a patient's mouth. The method comprises the act of obtaining a first dataset associated with hard tissue of the patient's mouth. The method further comprises the act of obtaining a second dataset associated with soft tissue of the patient's mouth. The method further comprises the act of combining the first dataset and the second dataset to create a detailed structure of hard tissue and soft tissue having variable dimensions over the hard tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Biomet 3I, LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Berckmans, III, Zachary B. Suttin
  • Patent number: 9839496
    Abstract: A method of designing a patient-specific prosthesis for a current patient includes receiving scan data of a mouth of the current patient to identify conditions at a location at which the patient-specific prosthesis is to be placed on a dental implant, and determining at least two clinical factors for the current patient. The method further includes identifying a desired outcome for soft tissue for the current patient at the location, and accessing a database having soft-tissue-outcome information for each of a plurality of previous patients. The database further includes clinical-factor information for each of the plurality of previous patients. Based on the soft-tissue-outcome information and the clinical-factor information for at least one of the plurality of previous patients being related to the current patient's desired outcome and the current patient's at least two clinical factors, the method includes developing a design for the patient-specific prosthesis for the current patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Biomet 3I, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen M. Herrington, Zachary B. Suttin
  • Patent number: 9795345
    Abstract: The invention relates to manufacturing a surgical guide to be placed in a patient's mouth. The patient's mouth is scanned to obtain surgical-region scan data at a region where an implant is to be located. The patient's mouth is also scanned in the opened position to acquire dental conditions opposite from the surgical region to obtain opposing-condition scan data. A virtual model is developed using the surgical-region scan data and the opposing-condition scan data. Using the virtual model, a surgical plan is developed that includes the location of the implant to be installed in the patient. A virtual surgical guide is also developed based on the surgical plan. The dimensions of instrumentation to be used with the surgical guide are checked to ensure they will fit within the mouth by use of the opposing-condition scan data. After checking, final surgical-guide manufacturing information is obtained for manufacturing the surgical guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Biomet 3I, LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Berckmans, III, Zachary B. Suttin
  • Patent number: 9717571
    Abstract: A dental implant screw for holding an abutment on a dental implant includes a head and a shaft. A proximal end of the shaft is coupled to the head. The shaft includes a threaded section, an outwardly tapered section leading into a recessed section, and a stop section directly between the outwardly tapered section and the recessed section. The recessed section is directly between the head and the stop section. The threaded section is directly adjacent a distal end of the shaft and is configured to engage threads of an internally threaded bore in the dental implant to hold the abutment on the dental implant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Biomet 3I, LLC
    Inventors: Ralph E. Goodman, John J. Bellanca, Zachary B. Suttin, Ross W. Towse
  • Patent number: 9668834
    Abstract: A virtual three-dimensional model for use in developing a patient-specific prosthesis to be coupled to an implant installed in a mouth of a patient includes one or more virtual teeth, virtual gingival tissue, and a floating virtual proxy abutment. The virtual gingival tissue includes a virtual gingival aperture leading to a location for a virtual implant. The floating virtual proxy abutment is positioned relative to the virtual gingival aperture and is virtually detached from the rest of the virtual three-dimensional model. The floating virtual proxy abutment has known characteristics for determining a location and an orientation for the patient-specific prosthesis to be attached to the implant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Biomet 3I, LLC
    Inventors: Zachary B. Suttin, Ross W. Towse, Gretchen B. Wilson, Miguel G. Montero
  • Publication number: 20170112598
    Abstract: An attachment member for mating with a dental implant includes a non-rotational structure and a body. The non-rotational structure is configured to mate with a corresponding non-rotational feature of the dental implant. The body extends from the non-rotational structure. The body has (i) an exterior side surface configured to at least partially engage gingival tissue adjacent to the dental implant, (ii) an exterior top surface that is exposed through the gingival tissue, (iii) a screw access bore for receiving a screw that attaches the attachment member to the dental implant in a removable fashion, and (iv) a set of radiopaque information markers that is located internal to the exterior side surface and the exterior top surface. The set of radiopaque information markers indicates information regarding the dental implant that is revealed in response to a scan from a computerized tomography (CT) scanner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Zachary B. Suttin, Stephen S. Porter
  • Publication number: 20170042682
    Abstract: A method of forming an implant to be implanted into living bone. The implant includes titanium. The method includes deforming at least a portion of a surface of the implant to produce a first micro-scale topography. The method further includes removing at least a portion of the surface to produce a second micro-scale topography superimposed on the first topography. The second micro-scale topography is generally less coarse than the first micro-scale topography. The method further includes adding a submicron topography superimposed on the first and second micro-scale topographies, the submicron topography including tube-like structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Inventors: Daniel Mandanici, Zachary B. Suttin, Keng-Min Lin, Olga Sanchez
  • Publication number: 20170042645
    Abstract: A dental implant with a specialized thread arrangement is disclosed. The dental implant includes a cylindrical upper section and a tapered lower section coupled to the cylindrical upper section. A helical thread is located on the exterior surface of the cylindrical upper section and the tapered lower section. A path is defined by the helical thread. The helical thread has a section on the exterior surface of the cylindrical body section and a section on the tapered body section. A cutting tooth is formed on the helical thread where the thread section on the cylindrical body section transitions into the thread section on the tapered body section. The cutting tooth allows minimal torque to be applied to create stability of the implant by cutting into the dense part of the bone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Inventors: Dan P. Rogers, Zachary B. Suttin
  • Publication number: 20170014210
    Abstract: A dental implant assembly is disclosed. The dental implant assembly includes an implant having a bore within a coronal end, an abutment configured to couple to the implant to the coronal end, a screw configured to secure the abutment to the implant, and a gasket configured to seal an interface between the implant and the abutment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Dan P. Rogers, Zachary B. Suttin
  • Publication number: 20160354183
    Abstract: A dental restoration system is disclosed. A dental restoration system includes an implant, retention component, dental component and driver tool. The retention component is seatable in a retention chamber of the implant. The retention component includes a driver section for interfacing with a driving head of the driver tool and a dental component engagement section with a threaded surface. The dental component includes a retention component interface surface with threads. The dental component engages the retention component via the threaded surface interlocking with the threads of the retention component interface surface when the dental component is inserted in the implant. The driver tool is used to rotate the retention component to engage the dental component apically. The retention component contacts the retention component wall and the dental component contacts an annular shoulder of the implant when the dental component is fully attached to the implant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Inventors: Miguel G. Montero, Zachary B. Suttin, David Rebollar
  • Publication number: 20160354169
    Abstract: A robotic system includes a base, a grounding arm, a working arm, and one or more sensors. The grounding arm extends from the base and is configured to be coupled to a fixed structure within the mouth of the patient for establishing an origin for the robotic system. The working arm extends from the base and is configured to be coupled with one or more tools for use during an installation of a dental implant in the mouth. The one or more sensors are for monitoring positions of the grounding arm and/or the working arm and to generate positional data that is used to create a post-operative virtual three-dimensional model of at least a portion of the mouth of the patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Inventors: Zachary B. Suttin, Stephen S. Porter
  • Publication number: 20160157964
    Abstract: A robotic system includes a base, a grounding arm, a working arm, and one or more sensors. The grounding arm extends from the base and is configured to be coupled to a fixed structure within the mouth of the patient for establishing an origin for the robotic system. The working arm extends from the base and is configured to be coupled with one or more tools for use during an installation of a dental implant in the mouth. The one or more sensors are for monitoring positions of the grounding arm and/or the working arm and to generate positional data that is used to create a post-operative virtual three-dimensional model of at least a portion of the mouth of the patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventors: Zachary B. Suttin, Stephan S. Porter
  • Publication number: 20160051346
    Abstract: A method of providing an accurate three-dimensional scan of a dental arch area is disclosed. The arch area has two segments and a connecting area between the two segments. The connecting area has homogeneous features. A connecting-geometry tool with at least one definable feature is affixed to the arch area. The definable feature overlays at least part of the connecting area. The arch area is scanned to produce a scanned dataset of the arch area. The definable feature of the connecting-geometry tool on the connection area is determined based on the scanned dataset. The dimensions of the arch area are determined based on the data relating to the definable features from the scanned dataset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: Zachary B. Suttin, Joell Cruz
  • Publication number: 20160030140
    Abstract: A dental implant system including an implant and an abutment is disclosed. The implant includes a generally cylindrical body, a central axis, a distal end for anchoring in a patient's bone and a proximal end opposing the distal end. The proximal end includes a roughened lateralized surface that surrounds an abutment-engaging region. The lateralized surface is disposed at a negative slope relative to the central axis. The abutment includes an upper portion for supporting a tooth-like prosthesis and a lower portion for engaging the abutment-engaging region of the dental implant. The diameter of the lower portion of the abutment is smaller than the diameter of the implant at its proximal end. The lower portion includes a first surface with a soft-tissue enhancing material. The first surface and the lateralized surface defining a circumferentially extending recess having a V-shaped cross-section for receiving and attachment to the soft tissue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Ross W. Towse, Michael D. Scalise, Zachary B. Suttin
  • Patent number: 9204941
    Abstract: A method of creating a 3-D anatomic digital model for determining a desired location for placing at least one dental implant in a patient's mouth. The method comprises the act of obtaining a first dataset associated with hard tissue of the patient's mouth. The method further comprises the act of obtaining a second dataset associated with soft tissue of the patient's mouth. The method further comprises the act of combining the first dataset and the second dataset to create a detailed structure of hard tissue and soft tissue having variable dimensions over the hard tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Biomet 3i, LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Berckmans, III, Zachary B. Suttin
  • Patent number: 9198627
    Abstract: A method of providing an accurate three-dimensional scan of a dental arch area is disclosed. The arch area has two segments and a connecting area between the two segments. The connecting area has homogeneous features. A connecting-geometry tool with at least one definable feature is affixed to the arch area. The definable feature overlays at least part of the connecting area. The arch area is scanned to produce a scanned dataset of the arch area. The definable feature of the connecting-geometry tool on the connection area is determined based on the scanned dataset. The dimensions of the arch area are determined based on the data relating to the definable features from the scanned dataset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Biomet 3i
    Inventors: Zachary B. Suttin, Joell Cruz
  • Publication number: 20150320516
    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: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Zachary B. Suttin, T. Tait Robb, Bruce Berckmans, III, Ralph E. Goodman, Theodore M. Powell
  • Publication number: 20150320519
    Abstract: Methods of selecting or designing an implant to be used in a patient are provided. A CT scan of a patient's mouth is performed. A 3D CAD model of the patient's mouth is created utilizing data generated by the CT scan. Properties of the patient's mouth are determined based upon CT scan data and assigned to the 3D CAD model. A desired location for an implant is selected. A FEA simulation is performed on the 3D CAD model to choose an implant or to design an implant that optimizes a selected variable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Zachary B. Suttin, Bruce Berckmans, III, T. Tait Robb
  • Patent number: 9168110
    Abstract: A dental implant system including an implant and an abutment is disclosed. The implant includes a generally cylindrical body, a central axis, a distal end for anchoring in a patient's bone and a proximal end opposing the distal end. The proximal end includes a roughened lateralized surface that surrounds an abutment-engaging region. The lateralized surface is disposed at a negative slope relative to the central axis. The abutment includes an upper portion for supporting a tooth-like prosthesis and a lower portion for engaging the abutment-engaging region of the dental implant. The diameter of the lower portion of the abutment is smaller than the diameter of the implant at its proximal end. The lower portion includes a first surface with a soft-tissue enhancing material. The first surface and the lateralized surface defining a circumferentially extending recess having a V-shaped cross-section for receiving and attachment to the soft tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Biomet 3i, LLC
    Inventors: Ross W. Towse, Michael D. Scalise, Zachary B. Suttin
  • Publication number: 20150302170
    Abstract: A method of creating a 3-D anatomic digital model for determining a desired location for placing at least one dental implant in a patient's mouth. The method comprises the act of obtaining a first dataset associated with hard tissue of the patient's mouth. The method further comprises the act of obtaining a second dataset associated with soft tissue of the patient's mouth. The method further comprises the act of combining the first dataset and the second dataset to create a detailed structure of hard tissue and soft tissue having variable dimensions over the hard tissue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Inventors: Bruce Berckmans, III, Zachary B. Suttin