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US 7,641,828 B2Granted
Methods of making orthodontic appliances
AssigneeAlign Technology, Inc.
InventorsJoseph M. DeSimone, Robert E. Tricca
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods of making a removable dental positioning appliance include forming a sheet of transparent crystalline polymeric material into a shell having cavities shaped to receive and reposition teeth from a first orientation to a successive orientation. The polymeric material may then be annealed at a temperature above its glass transition temperature or cured if a curable material to enhance characteristics of the polymeric material. The polymeric material may be coated with a second transparent material.
Claims39
A method of making a removable dental positioning appliance, comprising:
- forming a sheet of a first transparent material into a shell having cavities shaped to receive and reposition teeth from a first orientation to a successive orientation, wherein the first transparent material is selected from the group consisting of styrenics, ion-containing polymers, polymeric laminates thereof and polymeric blends thereof;
- and
- applying a coating of a second transparent material onto the shell such that the shell has a tensile strength at yield of greater than 6,000 psi, an elongation at yield of greater than 4%, an elongation at break of greater than 80%, a tensile modulus greater than 200,000 psi, a flexural modulus greater than 200,000 psi, stress relaxation over time of not more than 50%, and a transmissivity of light between 400 nm and 800 nm greater than 75%.
A method of making a removable dental positioning appliance, comprising:
- forming a sheet of a first transparent material into a shell having cavities shaped to receive and reposition teeth from a first orientation to a successive orientation wherein the first transparent material is selected from the group consisting of styrenics, ion-containing polymers, polymeric laminates thereof and polymeric blends thereof;
- and
- applying a coating of a second transparent material onto the shell, wherein the coating has a higher tensile and flexural modulus than the sheet, and wherein the shell has a tensile modulus greater than 200,000 psi, and a flexural modulus greater than 200,000 psi.
A method of making a removable denial positioning appliance, comprising:
- forming a sheet of a first transparent material into a shell having cavities shaped to receive and reposition teeth from a first orientation to a successive orientation, wherein the shell has a tensile strength at yield of greater than 4,000 psi;
- and
- applying a coating of a second transparent material onto the shell, wherein the coating has a higher tensile and flexural modulus than the sheet, and wherein at least one of the first and second transparent materials comprises organic filler material selected from the group consisting of waxes and oligomeric polymers.
A method of making a removable dental positioning appliance, comprising:
- forming a sheet of a first transparent material into a shell having cavities shaped to receive and reposition teeth from a first orientation to a successive orientation, wherein the first transparent material comprises material selected from the group consisting of styrenics, ion-containing polymers, polymeric laminates thereof, and polymeric blends thereof;
- and
- applying a coating of a second transparent material onto the shell, wherein the coating has a higher tensile and flexural modulus than the sheet, and wherein the shell has a tensile modulus greater than 200,000 psi, and a flexural modulus greater than 200,000 psi.
A method of making a removable dental positioning appliance, comprising:
- forming a sheet of a first transparent material into a shell having cavities shaped to receive and reposition teeth from a first orientation to a successive orientation;
- applying a coating of a second transparent material onto the shell such that the shell has a tensile strength at yield of greater than 6,000 psi, an elongation at yield of greater than 4%, an elongation at break of greater than 80%, a tensile modulus greater than 200,000 psi, a flexural modulus greater than 200,000 psi, stress relaxation over time of not more than 50%, and a transmissivity of light between 400 nm and 80 nm greater than 75%, wherein the second transparent material comprises a curable polymeric material comprising antioxidants;
- and
- curing the second transparent material by irradiating the coating with ionizing electromagnetic radiation selected from the group consisting of gamma radiation, ultraviolet radiation, microwave radiation, electron beam radiation and x-ray radiation.
1 more element
A method of making a removable dental positioning appliance, comprising:
- forming a sheet of a first transparent material into a shell having cavities shaped to receive and reposition teeth from a first orientation to a successive orientation;
- and
- applying a coating of a second transparent material onto the shell such that the shell has a tensile strength at yield of greater than 6,000 psi, an elongation at yield of greater than 4%, an elongation at break of greater than 80%, a tensile modulus greater than 200,000 psi, a flexural modulus greater than 200,000 psi, stress relaxation over time of not more than 50%, and a transmissivity of light between 400 nm and 800 nm greater than 75%;
- wherein at least one of the first and second transparent materials comprises filler material selected from the group consisting of inorganic materials and organic materials.
1 more element
A method of making a removable dental positioning appliance, comprising:
- forming a sheet of a first transparent material into a shell having cavities shaped to receive and reposition teeth from a first orientation to a successive orientation;
- and
- applying a coating of a second transparent material onto the shell such that the shell has a tensile strength at yield of greater than 6,000 psi, an elongation at yield of greater than 4%, an elongation at break of greater than 80%, a tensile modulus greater than 200,000 psi, a flexural modulus greater than 200,000 psi, stress relaxation over time of not more than 50%, and a transmissivity of light between 400 nm and 800 nm greater than 75%;
- wherein at least one of the first and second transparent materials comprises inorganic filler material selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, oxygenates, carbonates, halides, and sulfates.
1 more element
A method of making a removable dental positioning appliance, comprising:
- forming a sheet of a first transparent material into a shell having cavities shaped to receive and reposition teeth from a first orientation to a successive orientation;
- and
- applying a coating of a second transparent material onto the shell such that the shell has a tensile strength at yield of greater than 6,000 psi, an elongation at yield of greater than 4%, an elongation at break of greater than 80%, a tensile modulus greater than 200,000 psi, a flexural modulus greater than 200,000 psi, stress relaxation over time of not more than 50%, and a transmissivity of light between 400 nm and 800 nm greater than 75%;
- wherein at least one of the first and second transparent materials comprises organic filler material selected from the group consisting of waxes and oligomeric polymers.
1 more element
A method of making a removable dental positioning appliance, comprising:
- forming a sheet of a first transparent material into a shell having cavities shaped to receive and reposition teeth from a first orientation to a successive orientation, wherein the first transparent material comprises ultra-high molecular weight polymers;
- and
- applying a coating of a second transparent material onto the shell such that the shell has a tensile strength at yield of greater than 6,000 psi, an elongation at yield of greater than 4%, an elongation at break of greater than 80%, a tensile modulus greater than 200,000 psi, a flexural modulus greater than 200,000 psi, stress relaxation over time of not more than 50%, and a transmissivity of light between 400 nm and 800 nm greater than 75%.
A method of making a removable dental positioning appliance, comprising:
- forming a sheet of a first transparent material into a shell having cavities shaped to receive and reposition teeth from a first orientation to a successive orientation;
- and
- applying a coating of a second transparent material onto the shell such that the shell has a tensile strength at yield of greater than 6,000 psi, an elongation at yield of greater than 4%, an elongation at break of greater than 80%, a tensile modulus greater than 200,000 psi, a flexural modulus greater than 200,000 psi, stress relaxation over time of not more than 50%, and a transmissivity of light between 400 nm and 800 nm greater than 75%, wherein the second transparent material comprises Sol-gel.
A method of making a removable dental positioning appliance, comprising:
- forming a sheet of a first transparent material into a shell having cavities shaped to receive and reposition teeth from a first orientation to a successive orientation;
- and
- applying a coating of a second transparent material onto the shell such that the shell has a tensile strength at yield of greater than 6,000 psi, an elongation at yield of greater than 4%, an elongation at break of greater than 80%, a tensile modulus greater than 200,000 psi, a flexural modulus greater than 200,000 psi, stress relaxation over time of not more than 50%, and a transmissivity of light between 400 nm and 800 nm greater than 75%, wherein the second transparent material comprises advanced thermoplastic composite (ATC) material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.