Device and method for attaching a member in replacement of part of a set of teeth
AssigneeAccius B.V.
InventorsHeimo Sichler, Hans M. de Nieuport
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for attaching a member that replaces a part of a set of teeth, wherein the device has a pin to be implanted in a jawbone and a coupling pin with a ball-and-socket joint disposed between the coupling pin and the implantation pin. The ball and/or the socket of the joint is made of a memory material. The memory position is such that at body temperature pivotal motion of the ball-and-socket joint can simply be brought into a desired position. Thus, the coupling pin can be brought into any desired position, virtually independently of the orientation of the implantation pin in the jaw, so that the dental-replacement member can be fitted readily without any tension arising therein.
Claims20
A device for attaching a member in replacement of part of a set of teeth, comprising:
- a hollow implantation pin to be implanted in a jawbone;
- and
- a coupling pin adapted to be rigidly attached to the hollow implantation pin by means of and further comprises a ball-and-socket joint;
- wherein:
- a coupling part of the ball-and-socket joint is at least partly made of a memory material to prevent pivotal motion of the ball-and-socket joint at an operating temperature.
A coupling pin for attaching a replacement part of a set of teeth to an implantation pin, said coupling pin comprising a coupling part of a ball-and-socket joint at an end of said pin wherein said coupling part is at least partly made of a memory material.
A transmucosal member for attaching a replacement part of a set of teeth to an implantation pin, said transmucosal member comprising a first end and a second end, said first end comprising a means for attaching the transmucosal member to the implantation pin and said second end comprising a coupling part of a ball-and-socket joint, wherein said coupling part is at least partly made of memory material.
A method for attaching a member in replacement of part of a set of teeth, in which a coupling pin is attached, to the member by means of a corresponding recess in the member and the coupling pin is further attached to a ball-and-socket joint which in turn, is attached to an implantation pin implanted in a jawbone, wherein at least one of the coupling parts of the ball-and-socket joint is made of a memory material, said method comprising the steps of:
- cooling at least the part of the ball-and-socket joint that is made of memory material to a temperature below a critical temperature to make the ball-and-socket joint pivotable;
- positioning the ball-and-socket joint so as to bring the coupling pin into a desired orientation relative to the implantation pin;
- and
- heating at least the part of the ball-and-socket joint that is made of memory material to a temperature above the critical temperature so as to fix the desired position of the ball-and-socket joint.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.