Coated Orthodontic Appliance
AssigneeSpire Corporation
InventorsNader M. Kalkhoran, Eric Tobin, Jason Burns
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Abstract
A ceramic coated aesthetic orthodontic appliance is described as well as methods for making one. The appliance can be an archwire or a bracket. The ceramic coated aesthetic appliance can include an orthodontic archwire having a surface, an aesthetic coating covering at least a portion of the surface, and a ceramic coating layer covering at least a portion of the aesthetic coating. The aesthetic coating can be an aesthetic polymer coating and the ceramic coating layer can be deposited using a low temperature process such as ion beam assisted deposition. An ion beam surface cleaning step may also be added to enhance the adhesion of the ceramic coating layer.
Claims34
A ceramic coated aesthetic archwire comprising:
- an orthodontic archwire having a surface;
- an aesthetic coating provided on at least a portion of the orthodontic archwire surface;
- and
- a protective ceramic coating layer provided over at least a portion of the aesthetic coating.
A method for preparing a ceramic coated aesthetic archwire, comprising:
- providing an orthodontic archwire having a surface, and an aesthetic coating provided on at least a portion of the orthodontic archwire surface;
- depositing a ceramic coating layer over at least a portion of the aesthetic coating.
A ceramic coated aesthetic orthodontic appliance comprising:
- an orthodontic appliance having a surface;
- an aesthetic coating provided on at least a portion of the orthodontic appliance surface;
- and
- a protective ceramic coating layer provided at least over a portion of the aesthetic coating.
The ceramic coated aesthetic orthodontic appliance, wherein the orthodontic appliance is a bracket.
The ceramic coated aesthetic orthodontic appliance 23, wherein the protective ceramic coating layer is a metal oxide, a metal nitride, or a diamond-like carbon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.