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US 7,354,270 B2Granted
Surgical dental appliance
AssigneeAlign Technology, Inc.
InventorsAmir Abolfathi, Loc X. Phan, Peter Knopp
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dental splint includes upper and lower appliances having cavities shaped to receive teeth on a patient's maxillary and mandibular arches, respectively; and a connection member adapted to fixedly secure the upper and lower appliances together.
Claims27
A dental splint, comprising:
- upper and lower polymeric shell appliances having cavities shaped to receive and hold teeth on a patient's maxillary and mandibular arches, respectively, said upper and lower polymeric shell appliances comprising a plurality of delineated portions, at least one of said plurality of delineated portions having an elastic modulus that is different from at least another of said plurality of delineated portions;
- at least one connection member adapted to fixedly secure the upper and lower appliances together to prevent any significant movement of the arches relative to one another;
- and
- at least one upper portion protruding from the upper appliance and at least one lower portion protruding from the lower appliance, wherein the upper portion and lower portion are adapted to engage the connection member;
- wherein the connection member and the upper and lower portions comprise a pawl and ratchet system.
2 more elements
A dental splint, comprising:
- upper and lower polymeric shell appliances having cavities shaped to receive and hold teeth on a patient's maxillary and mandibular arches, respectively, said upper and lower polymeric shell appliances comprising a plurality of delineated portions, at least one of said plurality of delineated portions having an elastic modulus that is different from at least another of said plurality of delineated portions;
- at least one connection member adapted to fixedly secure the upper and lower appliances together to prevent any significant movement of the arches relative to one another;
- and
- at least one upper portion protruding from the upper appliance and at least one lower portion protruding from the lower appliance, wherein the upper portion and lower portion are adapted to engage the connection member;
- wherein the connection member comprises a ladder adapted to engage the upper and lower portions.
2 more elements
A dental splint, comprising:
- upper and lower polymeric shell appliances having cavities shaped to receive and hold teeth on a patient's maxillary and mandibular arches, respectively, said upper and lower polymeric shell appliances comprising a plurality of delineated portions, at least one of said plurality of delineated portions having an elastic modulus that is different from at least another of said plurality of delineated portions;
- at least one connection member adapted to fixedly secure the upper and lower appliances together to prevent any significant movement of the arches relative to one another;
- and
- at least one upper portion protruding from the upper appliance and at least one lower portion protruding from the lower appliance, wherein the upper portion and lower portion are adapted to engage the connection member;
- wherein the connection member comprises a bead string adapted to engage the upper and lower portions.
2 more elements
A dental splint, comprising:
- upper and lower polymeric shell appliances having cavities shaped to receive and hold teeth on a patient's maxillary and mandibular arches, respectively, said upper and lower polymeric shell appliances comprising a plurality of delineated portions, at least one of said plurality of delineated portions having an elastic modulus that is different from at least another of said plurality of delineated portions;
- at least one connection member adapted to fixedly secure the upper and lower appliances together to prevent any significant movement of the arches relative to one another;
- and
- at least one upper portion protruding from the upper appliance and at least one lower portion protruding from the lower appliance, wherein the upper portion and lower portion are adapted to engage the connection member;
- wherein the connection member comprises a hasp.
2 more elements
A dental splint, comprising:
- upper and lower polymeric shell appliances having cavities shaped to receive and hold teeth on a patient's maxillary and mandibular arches, respectively, said upper and lower polymeric shell appliances comprising a plurality of delineated portions, at least one of said plurality of delineated portions having an elastic modulus that is different from at least another of said plurality of delineated portions;
- at least one connection member adapted to fixedly secure the upper and lower appliances together to prevent any significant movement of the arches relative to one another;
- and
- at least one upper portion protruding from the upper appliance and at least one lower portion protruding from the lower appliance, wherein the upper portion and lower portion are adapted to engage the connection member;
- wherein the connection member comprises a clip adapted to slidably engage the upper and lower portions.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.