Orthodontic bracket
AssigneeCeramic Sciences Incorporated
InventorJohn C. Voudouris
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An orthodontic bracket comprising a body having an archwire slot and adapted to be secured to a tooth, and a clip coupled to the body and movable between an open position, permitting access to the archwire slot, and a closed position, inhibiting access to the archwire slot. The clip comprises a base material having recesses formed by laser-ablation, and a coating formed over at least a portion of the base material and over at least one of the recesses.
Claims17
1-19. (canceled)
A method of making a self-ligating orthodontic bracket, the method comprising:
- creating a body having an archwire slot and adapted to be secured to a tooth;
- creating a clip including
- creating a clip base for the clip from a base material,
- creating recesses on the base material of the clip base using laser ablation,
- after creating recesses, applying a coating to at least a portion of the base material of the clip base to cover at least one of the recesses to create a coated clip;
- and
- attaching the coated clip to the body, the coated clip being movable relative to the body between a closed position, in which the coated clip covers the archwire slot, and an open position, in which the coated clip allows access to the archwire slot.
A method of making a clip for a self-ligating orthodontic bracket, the method comprising:
- creating a clip base from a base material;
- creating recesses on the base material of the clip base using laser ablation, wherein creating recesses includes directing a plurality of laser shots on an associated location on the base material of the clip base to form each of the recesses;
- and
- after creating recesses, applying a coating to at least a portion of the base material of the clip base to cover at least one of the recesses to create a coated clip.
A method of making a self-ligating orthodontic bracket, the method comprising:
- creating a body having an archwire slot and adapted to be secured to a tooth;
- creating a clip including
- creating a clip base for the clip from a base material, the base material having a surface,
- creating recesses on the surface of the base material of the clip base using laser ablation, creating recesses including creating a first group of recesses each having an axis oriented at a first angle with respect to the surface of the base material of the clip base and creating a second group of recesses each having an axis oriented at a second angle with respect to the surface of the base material of the clip base, the first angle being different than the second angle,
- after creating recesses, applying a coating to at least a portion of the base material of the clip base to cover at least one of the recesses to create a coated clip;
- and
- attaching the coated clip to the body, the coated clip being movable relative to the body between a closed position, in which the coated clip covers the archwire slot, and an open position, in which the coated clip allows access to the archwire slot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.