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US 8,783,260 B2Granted
Apparatuses and methods for mandibular protrusion
AssigneeZST Holdings, Inc.
InventorsJohn E. Remmers, Hugo Tam, Terry Macartney, Peter Santosham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of methods and mandibular protruders and positioning devices, comprising, for example: an upper mounting bracket having an upper dental appliance; a lower mounting bracket having a lower dental appliance; and a rail system configured to couple the upper mounting bracket to the lower mounting bracket. Some embodiments comprise a drive motor and/or an initial position adjustment mechanism.
Claims16
A mandibular protruder comprising,
- an upper mounting bracket having an upper dental appliance and a portion that extends from the upper dental appliance, the upper dental appliance being configured for use with dental impression material;
- a lower mounting bracket having a lower dental appliance and a portion that extends from the lower dental appliance, the lower dental appliance being configured for use with dental impression material;
- wherein at least a portion of each extending portion is configured to extend outside the mouth of a subject when the upper and lower dental appliances are positioned in the mouth of the subject;
- a rail system coupling the extending portions such that relative motion of the extending portions is substantially prevented in a lateral direction, wherein the rail system comprises an engaged portion of the upper and lower extending portions;
- and
- wherein the upper mounting bracket or the lower mounting bracket is configured to be coupled to a drive-motor connector of a drive motor, the drive-motor connector having a longitudinal axis that is substantially parallel to the direction of actuation of the drive motor, such that the longitudinal axis of the upper mounting bracket or the lower mounting bracket is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drive-motor connector.
3 more elements
A mandibular protruder comprising,
- an upper mounting bracket having an upper dental appliance and a portion that extends from the upper dental appliance, the upper dental appliance being configured for use with dental impression material;
- a lower mounting bracket having a lower dental appliance and a portion that extends from the lower dental appliance, the lower dental appliance being configured for use with dental impression material;
- wherein at least a portion of each extending portion is configured to extend outside the mouth of a subject when the upper and lower dental appliances are positioned in the mouth of the subject;
- a rail system coupling the extending portions such that relative motion of the extending portions is substantially prevented in a lateral direction, wherein the rail system comprises an engaged portion of the upper and lower extending portions;
- and
- wherein the rail system comprises a portion of one of the lower mounting bracket and the upper mounting bracket that is configured to wrap around a portion of the other of the lower mounting bracket and the upper mounting bracket.
3 more elements
A mandibular protruder comprising,
- an upper mounting bracket having an upper dental appliance and a portion that extends from the upper dental appliance, the upper dental appliance being configured for use with dental impression material;
- a lower mounting bracket having a lower dental appliance and a portion that extends from the lower dental appliance, the lower dental appliance being configured for use with dental impression material;
- wherein at least a portion of each extending portion is configured to extend outside the mouth of a subject when the upper and lower dental appliances are positioned in the mouth of the subject;
- a rail system coupling the extending portions such that relative motion of the extending portions is substantially prevented in a lateral direction, wherein the rail system comprises an engaged portion of the upper and lower extending portions;
- and
- a drive motor configured to effect relative displacement of the lower mounting bracket and the upper mounting bracket.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing a mandibular protruder comprising:
- an upper mounting bracket having an upper dental appliance and a portion that extends from the upper dental appliance;
- a lower mounting bracket having a lower dental appliance and a portion that extends from the lower dental appliance, wherein at least a portion of each extending portion is configured to extend outside the mouth of a subject when the upper and lower dental appliances are positioned in the mouth of the subject;
- a rail system coupling the extending portions such that relative motion of the extending portions is substantially prevented in a lateral direction;
- a drive motor configured to effect relative displacement of the lower mounting bracket and the upper mounting bracket;
- and
- an initial position adjustment mechanism configured to be actuated to adjust the relative position of the lower mounting bracket and the upper mounting bracket independently of the drive motor;
- actuating the initial position adjustment mechanism to adjust the relative position of the upper mounting bracket and the lower mounting bracket;
- and
- relatively displacing with the drive motor the upper mounting bracket and the lower mounting bracket when a patient's upper teeth are coupled to the upper dental appliance and the patient's lower teeth are coupled to the lower dental appliance to cause relative displacement between the upper dental appliance and the lower dental appliance and displace the patient's mandible relative to the patient's maxilla.
7 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing a mandibular protruder comprising:
- an upper mounting bracket having an upper dental appliance and a portion that extends from the upper dental appliance;
- a lower mounting bracket having a lower dental appliance and a portion that extends from the lower dental appliance, wherein at least a portion of each extending portion is configured to extend outside the mouth of a subject when the upper and lower dental appliances are positioned in the mouth of the subject;
- and
- a rail system that substantially restricts the relative motion of the extending portions in a lateral or vertical direction;
- a drive motor configured to effect relative displacement of the lower mounting bracket and the upper mounting bracket;
- and
- an initial position adjustment mechanism configured to be actuated to adjust the relative position of the lower mounting bracket and the upper mounting bracket independently of the drive motor;
- actuating the initial position adjustment mechanism to adjust the relative position of the upper mounting bracket and the lower mounting bracket;
- and
- relatively displacing with the drive motor the upper mounting bracket and the lower mounting bracket when a patient's upper teeth are coupled to the upper dental appliance and the patient's lower teeth are coupled to the lower dental appliance to cause relative displacement between the upper dental appliance and the lower dental appliance and displace the patient's mandible relative to the patient's maxilla.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.