Growth factor releasing biofunctional dental implant

• US 20030224328A1
• Filed: 06/03/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schubert L. Sapian
• Original Assignee: Schubert L. Sapian
• Inventors: Sapian, Schubert L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,939,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/173
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0006 Periodontal tissue or bone regeneration support means for endoprosthetic bone substitute or bone graft implants A61F2/2846
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0009 Consolidating prostheses or implants, e.g. by means of stabilising pins A61C8/0031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0033 Expandable implants; Implants with extendable elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/005 Connecting devices for joining an upper structure with an implant member, e.g. spacers
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0054 having a cylindrical implant connecting part
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0057 with elastic means
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0059 with additional friction enhancing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/006 with polygonal positional means, e.g. hexagonal or octagonal
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0065 with expandable or compressible means
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0069 tapered or conical connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0077 with shape following the gingival surface or the bone surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0086 with shock absorbing means

Abstract

A biofunctional dental implant system for affixing a crown to an implant socket that is made in the bone structure within the mouth of a dental patient. A root portion is initially anchored within the implant socket made in the patient'"'"'s bone structure. According to a first embodiment of this invention, the crown is secured to the root portion by a flexible abutment post. According to a second embodiment, the crown is secured to the root portion by a hollow abutment tube. The dental implant system of this invention is capable of increasing bone/implant stabilization and providing a supply path through which to evenly distribute human growth factor to the bone structure surrounding the root portion. The system also enables the crown to have a selectively controllable mobility relative to the root portion that is anchored within the implant socket so as to advantageously function like a natural tooth.

Claims

1. A biofunctional dental implant system for affixing a crown portion to the bone structure in the mouth of a patient, said dental implant system comprising:

a root portion to be implanted below the patient'"'"'s gum line within a socket made in the patient'"'"'s bone structure;

means by which to anchor said root portion within the socket made in the patient'"'"'s bone structure;

a crown portion; and

a flexible abutment post by which to connect said crown portion to said root portion, said flexible abutment post adapted to bend so that said crown portion is movable relative to said root portion anchored within the socket made in the patient'"'"'s bone structure.

2. The dental implant system recited in claim 1, wherein said root portion includes an implant casing to be received within the socket made in the patient'"'"'s bone structure, said implant casing having a passage running longitudinally therethrough, and said flexible abutment post having a coronal end coupled to said crown portion and an opposite apical end received within said passage and coupled to said implant casing.

3. The dental implant system recited in claim 2, wherein said means by which to anchor said root portion to the patient'"'"'s bone structure includes a set of threads at the exterior of said implant casing to bite into the bone structure when the implant casing of said root portion is received within the socket made in the patient'"'"'s bone structure.

4. The dental implant system recited in claim 2, wherein said implant casing has a set of growth factor ports communicating with said passage running longitudinally therethrough so that a supply of human growth factor can be delivered to the patient'"'"'s bone structure surrounding said implant casing by way of said passage and said set of growth factor ports.

5. The dental implant system recited in claim 2, wherein said passage running longitudinally through said implant casing includes a series of screw threads extending therearound, and the apical end of said flexible abutment post having a corresponding set of screw threads, said screw threaded apical end rotated into mating engagement with said screw threaded passage when said apical end is received within said passage, whereby said abutment post is connected to said root portion.

6. The dental implant system recited in claim 5, wherein the coronal end of said flexible abutment post includes a series of screw threads extending therearound, said crown portion coupled to said screw threaded coronal end, whereby said abutment post is connected to said crown portion.

7. The dental implant system recited in claim 6, further comprising a screw threaded nut, said crown portion having a central cavity within which to receive the screw threaded coronal end of said flexible abutment post, said screw threaded nut positioned within said central cavity and rotated into mating engagement with said screw threaded coronal end, whereby said crown portion is coupled to said abutment post and connected to the implant casing of said root portion.

8. The dental implant system recited in claim 7, further comprising a compressible washer positioned within the central cavity of said crown portion for surrounding the threaded coronal end of said flexible abutment post, said compressible washer lying between said threaded nut and said crown portion to apply a pushing force for holding said crown portion against said root portion and thereby controlling the movement of said crown portion relative to said root portion, said threaded nut being rotated around said coronal end and tightened against said compressible washer for compressing said washer and adjusting the pushing force applied by said washer to said crown portion.

9. The dental implant system recited in claim 2, wherein the implant casing of said root portion includes an outwardly flared implant cradle at one end thereof, said crown portion being seated upon and movable relative to said root portion along said implant cradle.

10. The dental implant system recited in claim 9, wherein said implant cradle includes an installation opening aligned axially with the passage running longitudinally through said implant casing, said installation opening being sized to receive therewithin a tool for applying a rotational force to said implant casing and thereby rotating said root portion into receipt by the socket made in the patient'"'"'s bone structure.

11. A biofunctional dental implant system for affixing a crown portion to the bone structure within the mouth of a patient, said dental implant system comprising:

a root portion to be implanted below the patient'"'"'s gum line within a socket made in the patient'"'"'s bone structure;

means be which to anchor said root portion within the socket made in the patient'"'"'s bone structure;

a crown portion; and

a hollow abutment tube by which to connect said crown portion to said root portion so that said crown portion is movable relative to said root portion anchored within the socket made in the patient'"'"'s bone structure.

12. The dental implant system recited in claim 11, wherein said root portion includes an implant casing to be received within the socket made in the patient'"'"'s bone structure, said implant casing having a passage running longitudinally therethrough and said hollow abutment tube having an upper end coupled to said crown portion, a lower end received within the passage of said implant casing, and a channel extending continuously through said abutment tube between said upper and lower ends thereof.

13. The dental implant system recited in claim 12, wherein said implant casing has a set of growth factor ports communicating with said channel extending through said hollow abutment tube so that a supply of human growth factor can be delivered to the patient'"'"'s bone structure surrounding said implant casing by way of said channel and said passage running longitudinally through said implant casing.

14. The dental implant system recited in claim 13, wherein said means by which to anchor said root portion to the patient'"'"'s bone structure includes a plurality of locking pins received by and slidable outwardly from respective ones of said set of growth factor ports to be bore into said bone structure.

15. The dental implant system recited in claim 14, further comprising a sleeve located within said passage running longitudinally through said implant casing to block said plurality of locking pins from sliding inwardly of said set of growth factor ports following said root portion being anchored to the patient'"'"'s bone structure, said sleeve having a plurality of seep holes formed therein and communicating with each of said passage running longitudinally through said implant casing, said channel extending through said hollow abutment tube, and said set of growth factor ports so that said supply of human growth factor is delivered to the patient'"'"'s bone structure.

16. The dental implant system recited in claim 12, wherein each of the upper and lower ends of said hollow abutment tube is a cylinder having a series of screw threads extending therearound, said passage running longitudinally through said implant casing having a corresponding series of screw threads, the lower screw threaded cylindrical end of said hollow abutment tube being rotated into mating engagement with said screw threaded passage, whereby said abutment tube is connected to said root portion.

17. The dental implant system recited in claim 16, wherein the diameter of the upper screw threaded cylindrical end of said hollow abutment tube is smaller than the diameter of the lower screw threaded cylindrical end thereof.

18. The dental implant system recited in claim 16, further comprising a washer having flexible arms extending outwardly therefrom, said crown portion having a central cavity within which to receive the upper screw threaded cylindrical end of said hollow abutment tube, said washer positioned within said central cavity so as to surround said upper screw threaded cylindrical end, the flexible arms of said washer adapted to be bent to apply a corresponding pushing force against said crown portion for holding said crown portion against said root portion such that said crown portion is adapted to move relative to said root portion.

19. The dental implant system recited in claim 18, wherein said crown portion includes a compressible base surrounding the central cavity thereof, said washer seated upon said compressible base, the flexible arms of said washer bending towards and compressing said compressible base to apply said pushing force for securing said crown portion against said root portion such that said crown portion is adapted to move relative to said root portion.

20. The dental implant system recited in claim 19, further comprising a screw threaded nut positioned within the central cavity of said crown portion and rotated into mating engagement with the upper screw threaded cylindrical end of said hollow abutment tube, whereby said crown portion is coupled to said abutment tube and connected to the implant casing of said root portion, said threaded nut being rotated around said upper screw threaded cylindrical end and selectively tightened against said washer for causing the flexible arms thereof to bend towards and compress said compressible base to adjust the pushing force applied by said flexible arms and control the movement of said crown portion relative to said root portion.