# US 9,039,415 B2 · Connecting screw for a dental implant > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,039,415 B2 - Document ID: US9039415B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/685,196 - Filed: 2012-11-26 - Published: 2013-06-27 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-22 - Assignees: Straumann Holding AG - Applicants: Straumann Holding AG - Inventors: Patrick Streff; Edmund Suter - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039415B2 ## CPC - A61C 8/0048: {Connecting the upper structure to the implant, e.g. bridging bars (A61C8/0028 takes precedence)} - A61C 8/0068: {with an additional screw} - F16B 23/003: {star-shaped or multi-lobular, e.g. Torx-type, twelve-point star} - A61C 8/0089: {Implanting tools or instruments} - A61C: DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE (non-driven toothbrushes A46B; {tongue scrapers A61B17/24;} preparations for dentistry A61K6/00; preparations for cleaning the teeth or mouth A61K8/00, A61Q11/00) - F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D) ## Abstract Connecting screw (22) for a dental implant (18) can be screwed securely by means of a commercially available rotary tool (24), even if the central longitudinal axis C of the connecting screw (22) and the longitudinal axis D of the rotary tool (24) are arranged at an acute angle to one another. For this purpose, the connecting screw (22) has a shaft portion (32) having an outer thread (48) for connection to the dental implant (18), and a head portion (34) having a blind-bore-shaped recess (36), which is open toward the upper screw end (46) and in which an engagement means (50) for the rotary tool (24) is formed integrally. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A connecting screw for a dental implant, comprising a shaft portion having a lower screw end and a head portion having an upper screw end located opposite the lower screw end, said portions being arranged along a central longitudinal axis C of the connecting screw, the shaft portion having an outer thread for connection to the dental implant and the head portion having a blind-bore-shaped recess, which is open toward the upper screw end and in which an engagement means for a rotary tool is integrally formed, the blind-bore-shaped recess expanding radially below the engagement means toward the lower screw end and forming an undercut, the engagement means having a plurality of engagement protrusions directed inwardly in the radial direction and distributed uniformly in the circumferential direction, each with an inner apex, and, centrally between each two adjacent engagement protrusions, having an engagement depression directed outwardly in the radial direction and with an outer apex in each case, each two diametrically opposed outer apices being arranged at a first distance A from one another and each two diametrically opposed inner apices being arranged at a second distance B from one another, at least one driving surface, which is defined by an upper end face falling radially inwardly in the direction of the lower screw end and by a lower undercut surface rising radially inwardly from the undercut to the upper screw end, extending over the engagement protrusions and engagement depressions, and an upper borderline running between the end face and the at least one driving surface, and a lower borderline running between the undercut surface and the at least one driving surface, and the upper borderline and the lower borderline being distanced from one another in the region of the outer apices of the engagement depressions by an outer distance Da, wherein the ratio Di:Da of an inner distance Di between the upper borderline and the lower borderline in the region of the inner apices of the engagement protrusions to the outer distance Da is less than 0.5. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratio Di:Da is less than 0.3. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower borderline and the upper borderline contact one another in the region of the inner apices of the engagement protrusions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner distance Di is less than 0.1 mm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer distance Da is between 0.3 mm and 0.8 mm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein a connecting line between the upper borderline and the lower borderline is curved at the inner apex toward the central longitudinal axis C of the connecting screw. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratio A:B is greater than 1. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first distance A is 1.8 mm to 2.0 mm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second distance B is 1.2 mm to 1.4 mm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engagement means has six engagement protrusions and six engagement depressions. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blind-bore-shaped recess additionally has an internal hexagon which is arranged below the engagement means. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting screw consists of metal or ceramics. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting screw is formed in one part. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein a surface normal E of the undercut surface encloses an angle α of 20° to 60° with the longitudinal axis C of the connecting screw. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein a torx screwdriver can be introduced into the engagement means at an angle γ of up to 20° with respect to the longitudinal axis C of the connecting screw. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head portion has a substantially circular cylindrical outer shape, of which the outer diameter is greater than that of the shaft portion, an annular shoulder surface running between the head portion and the shaft portion and a surface normal F of the annular shoulder surface (80) enclosing an angle β with the longitudinal axis C of the connecting screw. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratio Di:Da is less than 0.2. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratio Di:Da is less than 0.1. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 18, wherein Di is less than 0.1 mm and Da is between 0.3 mm and 0.8 mm. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting screw comprises titanium, a titanium alloy, stainless steel or zirconium oxide. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner distance Di is less than 0.05 mm. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratio A:B is greater than 1.45. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head portion has a substantially circular cylindrical outer shape, of which the outer diameter is greater than that of the shaft portion, an annular shoulder surface running between the head portion and the shaft portion and a surface normal F of the annular shoulder surface (80) enclosing an angle 13 of 0° to 45° with the longitudinal axis C of the connecting screw. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The connecting screw as claimed in claim 1, wherein a torx screwdriver in accordance with standard EN DIN ISO 10664 can be introduced into the engagement means at an angle γ of up to 20° with respect to the longitudinal axis C of the connecting screw. ### Claim 25 A connecting screw for a dental implant, comprising a shaft portion having a lower screw end and a head portion having an upper screw end located opposite the lower screw end, said portions being arranged along a central longitudinal axis C of the connecting screw, the shaft portion having an outer thread for connection to the dental implant and the head portion having a blind-bore-shaped recess, which is open toward the upper screw end and in which an engagement means for a rotary tool is integrally formed, the blind-bore-shaped recess expanding radially below the engagement means toward the lower screw end and forming an undercut, the engagement means having a plurality of engagement protrusions directed inwardly in the radial direction and distributed uniformly in the circumferential direction, each with an inner apex, and, centrally between each two adjacent engagement protrusions, having an engagement depression directed outwardly in the radial direction and with an outer apex in each case, each two diametrically opposed outer apices being arranged at a first distance A from one another and each two diametrically opposed inner apices being arranged at a second distance B from one another, at least one driving surface, which is defined by an upper end face falling radially inwardly in the direction of the lower screw end and by a lower undercut surface rising radially inwardly from the undercut to the upper screw end, extending over the engagement protrusions and engagement depressions, and an upper borderline running between the end face and the at least one driving surface, and a lower borderline running between the undercut surface and the at least one driving surface, the upper borderline and the lower borderline being distanced from one another in the region of the outer apices of the engagement depressions by an outer distance Da, wherein the ratio Di:Da of an inner distance Di between the upper borderline and the lower borderline in the region of the inner apices of the engagement protrusions to the outer distance Da is less than 0.5; and wherein the lower borderline and the upper borderline contact one another in the region of the inner apices of the engagement protrusions. ### Claim 26 An abutment and connecting screw for connecting the abutment to a dental implant, comprising: the abutment having a bore configured to receive the connecting screw for attaching the abutment to a dental implant, wherein the bore of the abutment is disposed at an acute angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of a bore of the dental implant for receiving the connecting screw; and the connecting screw comprising: a shaft portion having a lower screw end and a head portion having an upper screw end located opposite the lower screw end, said portions being arranged along a central longitudinal axis C of the connecting screw, the shaft portion having an outer thread for connection to the dental implant and the head portion having a blind-bore-shaped recess, which is open toward the upper screw end and in which an engagement means for a rotary tool is integrally formed, the blind-bore-shaped recess expanding radially below the engagement means toward the lower screw end and forming an undercut, the engagement means having a plurality of engagement protrusions directed inwardly in the radial direction and distributed uniformly in the circumferential direction, each with an inner apex, and, centrally between each two adjacent engagement protrusions, having an engagement depression directed outwardly in the radial direction and with an outer apex in each case, each two diametrically opposed outer apices being arranged at a first distance A from one another and each two diametrically opposed inner apices being arranged at a second distance B from one another, at least one driving surface, which is defined by an upper end face falling radially inwardly in the direction of the lower screw end and by a lower undercut surface rising radially inwardly from the undercut to the upper screw end, extending over the engagement protrusions and engagement depressions, and an upper borderline running between the end face and the at least one driving surface, and a lower borderline running between the undercut surface and the at least one driving surface, and the upper borderline and the lower borderline being distanced from one another in the region of the outer apices of the engagement depressions by an outer distance Da, wherein the ratio Di:Da of an inner distance Di between the upper borderline and the lower borderline in the region of the inner apices of the engagement protrusions to the outer distance Da is less than 0.5.