Custom-Molded Oral Appliance and Method of Forming

• US 20110088701A1
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airway Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Airway Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Thornton, W. Keith
• Granted Patent: US 8,573,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/848
• 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: A61F 5/566 Intra-oral devices

Abstract

A method for forming a custom-molded oral appliance for positioning a user'"'"'s jaw proximate to centric occlusion is disclosed. The method includes heating a thin sheet of material comprising a polycaprolactone polymer. The thin sheet of material is positioned within the user'"'"'s mouth. The user'"'"'s jaw is positioned proximate to centric occlusion. The thin sheet of material is molded around at least respective portions of the user'"'"'s upper and lower dental arches such that each of the respective portions of the user'"'"'s upper and lower dental arches form respective impressions on opposite sides of the thin sheet of material. The thin sheet of material is transitioned to a substantially non-deformable state.

Claims

1. A method for forming a custom-molded oral appliance for positioning a user'"'"'s jaw proximate to centric occlusion, comprising:

heating a thin sheet of material comprising a polycaprolactone polymer;

positioning the thin sheet of material within the user'"'"'s mouth;

positioning the user'"'"'s jaw proximate to centric occlusion;

molding the thin sheet of material around at least respective portions of the user'"'"'s upper and lower dental arches such that each of the respective portions of the user'"'"'s upper and lower dental arches form respective impressions on opposite sides of the thin sheet of material; and

transitioning the thin sheet of material to a substantially non-deformable state.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising trimming the thin sheet of material.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein heating the thin sheet of material further comprises heating the thin sheet of material to a temperature of at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transitioning the thin sheet of material to the non-deformable state further comprises allowing the thin sheet of material to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit or less.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the thin sheet of material is substantially non-deformable at approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the thin sheet of material transitioned to the non-deformable state is thinner than 0.1 millimeters.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least the portion of the thin sheet of material transitioned to the non-deformable state comprises impressions formed on opposite sides of the thin sheet of material by respective occlusal surfaces of the upper and lower dental arches of the mouth.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the thin sheet of material to be positioned within the user'"'"'s mouth to receive bite impressions of the user'"'"'s upper and lower dentitions of the mouth, to be pressed against a portion of the user'"'"'s pallet, and to be pressed around portions of the user'"'"'s upper dental arch.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein molding the heated thin sheet of material around at least respective portions of the user'"'"'s upper and lower dental arches further comprises:

biting down on the heated thin sheet of material;

pressing the heated thin sheet of material against a pallet of the mouth; and

pressing the heated thin sheet of material around the upper dental arches of the mouth.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the thin sheet of material is molded around at least respective portions of the user'"'"'s upper and lower dental arches, such that:

a portion of the thin sheet of material molded around at least one molar is thinner than 0.1 millimeter; and

at least a portion of the thin material is thicker than 2 mm.

11. A method for forming a custom-molded oral appliance for positioning a user'"'"'s jaw proximate to centric occlusion, comprising:

heating a thin sheet of material to a temperature of at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit, the thin sheet of material comprising a polycaprolactone polymer;

positioning the thin sheet of material within the user'"'"'s mouth;

positioning the user'"'"'s jaw proximate to centric occlusion;

molding the thin sheet of material around at least respective portions of the user'"'"'s upper and lower dental arches such that each of the respective portions of the user'"'"'s upper and lower dental arches form respective impressions on opposite sides of the thin sheet of material; and

transitioning the thin sheet of material to a substantially non-deformable state by allowing the thin sheet of material to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit or less, wherein the thin sheet of material is substantially non-deformable at approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit; and

wherein at least a portion of the thin sheet of material transitioned to the non-deformable state is thinner than 0.1 millimeters.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising trimming the thin sheet of material.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least the portion of the thin sheet of material transitioned to the non-deformable state comprises impressions formed on opposite sides of the thin sheet of material by respective occlusal surfaces of the upper and lower dental arches of the mouth.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising configuring the thin sheet of material to be positioned within the user'"'"'s mouth to receive bite impressions of the user'"'"'s upper and lower dentitions of the mouth, to be pressed against a portion of the user'"'"'s pallet, and to be pressed around portions of the user'"'"'s upper dental arch.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein molding the heated thin sheet of material around at least respective portions of the user'"'"'s upper and lower dental arches further comprises:

biting down on the heated thin sheet of material;

pressing the heated thin sheet of material against a pallet of the mouth; and

pressing the heated thin sheet of material around the upper dental arches of the mouth.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the thin sheet of material is molded around at least respective portions of the user'"'"'s upper and lower dental arches, such that:

a portion of the thin sheet of material molded around at least one molar is thinner than 0.1 millimeter; and

at least a portion of the thin material is thicker than 2 mm.

17. A custom-fit oral appliance for positioning a user'"'"'s jaw proximate to centric occlusion, comprising:

a molded sheet of material comprising a polycaprolactone polymer, the molded sheet of material being in a substantially non-deformable state and being molded to conform to features of a user'"'"'s mouth such that the molded sheet of material comprises;

bite impressions of the upper and lower dentitions of the user'"'"'s mouth;

an impression of a portion of the user'"'"'s pallet; and

wherein at least a portion of the molded sheet of material is thinner than approximately 0.1 millimeters.

18. The custom-fit oral appliance of claim 17, wherein the at least the portion of the molded sheet of material comprises impressions formed on opposite sides of the molded sheet of material by respective occlusal surfaces of the upper and lower dental arches of the user'"'"'s mouth.

19. The custom-fit oral appliance of claim 18, wherein the portion of the molded sheet of material thinner than approximately 0.1 millimeters comprises the rearmost of the impressions formed on opposite sides of the molded sheet of material by the respective occlusal surfaces of the upper and lower dental arches of the user'"'"'s mouth.