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AssigneeBrien R. Lang
InventorsBrien R. Lang, Roman Gr. Maev, Andrei Ptchelintsev
Estimating the term…
A method and apparatus are provided for determining the preload in a dental implant system. The preload is determined by transmitting a sonic impulse, which is preferably an ultrasonic impulse, at a predetermined frequency to the head of the implant screw through a transducer, which may be incorporated into the head of the screw, the head of a wand which generates the sonic impulse, or the transducer and pulse-generating instrumentation may be incorporated into a torque generating instrument used to tighten the screw. The preload is determined by measuring the delay between the first and second reflections through the preloaded screw to determine a preload value and comparing that value with a pre-established baseline value for the screw, and comparing the difference with a predetermined table of values to determine the preload on the screw.
A method of determining the pre-load on a screw that secures a component to other components in a dental implant system comprising:
Apparatus for determining the preload on a screw in a dental implant system that includes at least one screw for securing components of the dental implant system together, wherein the dental implant system includes at least a fixture having one end adapted for osseointegration into a jawbone, the other end adapted to receive an abutment, and the abutment adapted to receive and support a dental prosthesis, the apparatus further comprising
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.