Dental positioning system
AssigneeSirona Dental, Inc.
InventorsMark Abramovich, Aaron Bratslavsky, Joe Goldstone, Steven Mita, Charles Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dental positioning system and method employing the system are described. The system includes at least one receptor holder having an arm extending from a receptor grip. The receptor grip retains a receptor in a fixed position within the grip and with respect to the arm. The system also includes an alignment ring having a window formed therein and having at least one opening corresponding to the at least one receptor holder. The opening is constructed to receive the arm of the receptor holder such that the receptor is substantially centered with respect to the window.
Claims18
A dental positioning system, comprising:
- a plurality of receptor holders, each receptor holder having an arm extending from a receptor grip, and each arm having a different cross-sectional profile, wherein the receptor grip includes a plurality of fingers and a tab, oriented orthogonally to the plurality of fingers, that form a slot to retain a receptor therein, and wherein the tab is constructed to contact an outer edge of the receptor when the receptor is retained in the slot;
- and
- an alignment ring having a window formed therein and having a plurality of openings each with a different cross-sectional profile,
- wherein the cross-sectional profiles of the plurality of openings respectively correspond to the cross-sectional profiles of the arms of the plurality of receptor holders, and
- wherein each of the receptor holders is constructed such that when:
- (i) a receptor holder is received by a corresponding opening, (ii) the receptor is retained within the slot formed by the plurality of fingers and the tab, and (iii) the outer edge of the receptor is in contact with the tab, a center of the receptor is substantially centered with respect to the window.
A dental positioning method comprising:
- retaining a receptor within a receptor grip, the receptor grip includes a plurality of fingers and a tab, oriented orthogonally to the plurality of fingers, that form a slot dimensioned to retain the receptor therein, wherein the receptor is retained within the slot such that an outer edge of the receptor contacts the tab, and wherein the receptor grip is disposed at one end of an arm of a receptor holder;
- and
- coupling the receptor holder to an alignment ring, having a window formed therein and having a plurality of openings each with a different cross-sectional profile, by inserting the arm of the receptor holder through an opening of the plurality of openings that has a cross-sectional profile that corresponds to a cross-sectional profile of the arm of the receptor holder, and
- wherein when:
- (i) the receptor holder is coupled to the alignment ring by insertion of the arm of the receptor holder through the opening of the plurality of openings that has the cross-sectional profile that corresponds to the cross-sectional profile of the arm of the receptor holder, (ii) the receptor is retained within the slot formed by the plurality of fingers and the tab, and (iii) the outer edge of the receptor is in contact with the tab, a center of the receptor is substantially centered with respect to the window.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.