VIBRATING DENTAL DEVICES

• US 20100055634A1
• Filed: 11/09/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Orthodontics and Education Association, LLC
• Original Assignee: Orthoaccel Technologies, Inc
• Inventors: Ling, Jeremy, SPAULDING, Glenn, Kaufman, Michael E., Lowe, Michael K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,028,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/0015 Electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 2204/005 using chip tag or any electronic identification mean, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/00 Orthodontics, i.e. obtaining or maintaining the desired position of teeth, e.g. by straightening, evening, regulating, separating, or by correcting malocclusions
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/002 Orthodontic computer assisted systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/008 using vibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/08 Mouthpiece-type retainers or positioners, e.g. for both the lower and upper arch arch-shaped medicament applicators for teeth or gums A61C19/063; mouthguards for protecting the teeth of sportsmen A63B71/085
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/12 Brackets; Arch wires; Combinations thereof; Accessories therefor

Abstract

A variety of improvements to the vibrating devices for dental remodeling are provided, including improved bite plate designs that accommodate common patient bite structure, a connector for a bite plate, a sizing tray for same, as well as better motors providing improved performance characteristics for an extraoral vibrator, and a completely intraoral vibrating dental plate with very thin cross section.

Claims

1. A bite plate for a vibrating dental device for correcting malocclusion, the bite plate being substantially U shaped and having two ends that can contact one or more molar teeth, a front end that can contact one or more anterior teeth, a midline bisecting the U, a width A perpendicular to the midline, a length C parallel to the midline, and a thickness E, wherein said thickness E is 2-10 mm, wherein the bite plate is one of three configurations:

a) thickness E does not substantially vary from said ends to said midline;

b) thickness E increases from E at said ends to E plus 0.5-10 mm at said midline;

c) thickness E increases from E at said midline to E plus 0.5-10 mm towards said ends, or thickness E increases from E at said midline to E plus 0.5-10 mm between said midline and said end and then narrows to E at said end;

wherein each configuration can optionally be in more than one size.

2. The bite plate of claim 1, further comprising one or more raised edges on said bite plate to contact a lingual surface of one or more teeth or a facial surface of one or more teeth or both.

3. The bite plate of claim 1, further comprising a connector at said midline and facing away from said ends that is shaped to operably couple said bite plate to an extraoral vibrating device.

4. The bite plate of claim 3, wherein said connector comprises a cylindrical shaft of diameter 6-7 mm and length 8-12 mm and having a groove approximately midway (35-65%) along the shaft length, wherein said groove circumnavigates the shaft and is of width>

1.4 mm and depth>

0.4 mm.

5. The bite plate of claim 1, comprising a stiff inner core and a biocompatible polymeric coating.

6. The bite plate of claim 5, wherein the stiff inner core is aluminum or steel or polycarbonate.

7. The bite plate of claim 5, wherein the biocompatible polymeric coating is a polyurethane, silicone, polyethylene, high density polyethylene, polycarbonate, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyesters, acrylics, vinyl, nylon, rubber, latex, Teflon, and copolymers thereof.

8. The bite plate of claim 5, wherein the biocompatible polymeric coating is a polyurethane polymer or silicone polymer or copolymers thereof.

9. The bite plate of claim 5, wherein the biocompatible polymeric coating is custom shapeable to fit a patient.

10. The bite plate of claim 1 wherein the width A of the U-shaped bite plate ranges from 62-70 mm and the length C ranges from 51-53 mm.

30. The bite plate sizing tray of claim 29, wherein there are 6 bite plates of differing sizes as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the container holds the bite plates in a horizontal configuration.

11. An vibrating dental device comprising a detachable bite plate, and an extraoral vibrator operatively coupled to said detachable bite plate and an optional power source operably coupled to said vibrator, each of said vibrator and optional power source contained within a housing, wherein said vibrator provides less than 55 dB of noise when in use and measured 6 inches from said device, and provides a frequency of 20-40 Hz with a variance of less than 2 Hz, and a force of 0.1-0.5 Newtons with a variance of less than 0.05 Newtons.

12. The vibrating dental device of claim 11, wherein said vibrator comprises a 3-6V DC off set weighted motor with 8 line integrated encoder to provide vibration.

13. The vibrating dental device of claim 11, wherein said power source comprises a 100-200 mA, rechargeable lithium battery.

14. The vibrating dental device of claim 11, wherein the frequency is 30 Hz+/−

0.75 Hz, and the force is 0.2 Newtons+/−

0.03 Newtons.

15. A connector for connecting a bite plate to an extraoral vibrator, comprising a connector protruding from a bite plate shaped to contact one or more teeth, wherein said connector comprises a cylindrical shaft of diameter 6-7 mm and length 8-12 mm and having a groove approximately midway (35-65%) along the shaft length, wherein said groove circumnavigates the shaft and is of width>

1.4 mm and depth>

0.4 mm.

16. The connector of claim 15, wherein said shaft is beveled at an insertion end that fits into a socket of a vibrator.

17. An intraoral vibrating dental plate, comprising:

a) a bite plate shaped to contact one or more teeth and comprising a core of material sufficiently rigid to transmit vibration,

b) at least one vibrator operatively mounted onto said core, and optionally a battery and on/off switch for operating said vibrator operatively mounted onto said core,

c) said core, and optional vibrator, battery and on/off switch for operating said vibrator being coated with a hermetically sealed biocompatible polymer.

18. The intraoral vibrating dental plate of claim 17, wherein said biocompatible polymer is a medical grade polymer.

19. The intraoral vibrating dental plate of claim 18, wherein the medical grade polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyurethane or silicone polymers and copolymers thereof.

20. The intraoral vibrating dental plate of claim 17, wherein the core is plastic or aluminum or steel and has one or more depressions therein shaped for receiving one or more of the vibrator and battery and on/off switch.

21. The intraoral vibrating dental plate of claim 17, wherein the vibrator is activated wirelessly from an extraoral controller.

22. The intraoral vibrating dental plate of claim 17, wherein the vibrator is a piezoelectric vibrator or an off-set weight vibrator or a disc shaped shaftless vibration motor.

23. The intraoral vibrating dental plate of claim 17, wherein said battery is a lithium battery or an alkaline battery or a hydrogen battery or a wirelessly chargeable battery.

24. The intraoral vibrating dental plate of claim 17, further comprising a bar code or unique serial number on said coating of bite plate.

25. The intraoral vibrating dental plate of claim 17, wherein said polymeric coating is clear and further comprising a bar code or unique serial number on said inner core of said bite plate.

26. The intraoral vibrating dental plate of claim 17, further comprising an activatable sound recording on said inner core.

27. The intraoral vibrating dental plate of claim 17, further comprising an identification chip on said inner core.

28. A vibrating dental device comprising a detachable bite plate, and an extraoral vibrator and controller contained within a housing and operably coupled to the detachable bite plate, and further comprising one or more of i) a custom colored housing, ii) a unique serial number on the exterior of the housing or inside the housing, iii) a bar code on the exterior of said housing, iv) a sound recording on said bite plate, v) an identification chip inside said housing or on said bite plate, or vi) a compatible charging station for charging the vibrator and for displaying usage information.

29. A bite plate sizing tray comprising, at least two bite plates of differing sizes and a container for holding the bite plates.

31. The bite plate sizing tray of claim 29, where each bite plate has a scannable chip or activatable sound recording therein or thereon identifying the size of said bite plate.