Stimulator healing cap

• US 5,292,252 A
• Filed: 12/14/1992
• Issued: 03/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Impla-Med Incorporated (Vesuvius Plc)
• Original Assignee: Impla-Med Incorporated (Vesuvius Plc)
• Inventors: Patterson, Chad J., Nickerson, Bruce L., Smolowitz, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas D.
• Application Number:
  US07/990,064
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 433/173, 433/174, 433/175, 433/176
• US Class Current: 433/173
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0007 Stimulation of growth around implant by electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/008 Healing caps or the like

Abstract

A stimulator healing cap is disclosed for enhancing and speeding the growth of bone cells and bone tissue surrounding a dental implant. The stimulator healing cap includes a threaded portion which is engagable with an interior threaded portion of the implant and a top portion containing a current source. In one embodiment, the top portion and the threaded portion are conductive and are connected by a middle insulated portion; the threaded portion being coupled to one pole of the current source and the top portion being coupled to the other pole of the current source. In another embodiment, the current source is coupled to a coil wound around a longitudinal core inside the threaded portion. The healing cap provides a current path or electromagnetic field in the vicinity of bone tissue surrounding the implant which stimulates the growth of the bone tissue and speeds up the primary healing phase after the implant is surgically inserted.

Claims

1. A stimulator healing cap for enhancing in a patient the growth of bone cells and bone tissue surrounding a dental implant having and a threaded open interior portion having a proximal opening located near the gingival-cortical plate interface in the patient, said stimulator healing cap comprising:

a) a conductive threaded first portion having a longitudinal axis which threads in and matingly engages in the open threaded interior portion of the implant, wherein an unthreading of said conductive threaded first portion from the threaded open interior portion of the dental implant disengages said stimulator healing cap from the dental implant;

b) a conductive second portion axially removed from the conductive threaded first portion along said longitudinal axis, and adapted to reside substantially in the gingiva of the patient;

c) an insulated third portion insulating said conductive second portion from said conductive threaded first portion, and adapted to extend outside the implant; and

d) a current source having two poles, with a first of said two poles being electrically coupled to said conductive second portion, and the other of said two poles being electrically coupled to said threaded conductive first portion.

2. A stimulator healing cap according to claim 1, wherein:

said insulated third portion extends into the threaded open interior portion of the dental implant when mounted thereon.

3. A stimulator healing cap according to claim 2, wherein:

said conductive second portion is a top portion of said stimulator healing cap, and said insulated third portion is a middle portion of said stimulator healing cap.

4. A stimulator healing cap according to claim 3, wherein the dental implant has a top radially protruding mating element, wherein

said middle portion is provided with a shoulder for covering and protecting said the top radially protruding mating element of said the implant.

5. A stimulator healing cap according to claim 3, wherein

an outside surface of said conductive top portion is provided with socket means for engaging a driving tool.

6. A stimulator healing cap according to claim 3, wherein:

said current source is a battery, and said battery is located at least partially in said insulated third portion with one of said poles of said battery coupled to said conductive second portion.

7. A stimulator healing cap according to claim 1, wherein:

said current source is a battery.

8. A stimulator healing cap according to claim 7, wherein:

said battery is located at least partially in said insulated third portion with one of said poles of said battery coupled to said conductive second portion.

9. A stimulator healing cap to speed the growth of bone tissue surrounding a dental implant having an open interior portion, comprising:

a) a first portion which engages the interior portion of the implant, said first portion having a bore therein;

b) a top portion;

c) a current source located in said top portion; and

d) a coil extending in said bore of said first portion, said coil coupled to said current source such that an electromagnetic field is generated by said coil.

10. A stimulator healing cap according to claim 9, where the interior portion of the implant has threads, wherein:

said first portion of said stimulator healing cap has outer threads which engage the threads of the interior portion of the implant.

11. A stimulator healing cap according to claim 10, further comprising:

e) a ferrous core extending longitudinally through said coil.

12. A stimulator healing cap according to claim 9, wherein:

when said first portion is threaded into the threaded interior portion of the dental implant, said first portion of said stimulator healing cap extends into the gingiva of a patient.

13. A stimulator healing cap according to claim 12, wherein the dental implant has a top protruding mating element, wherein

said first portion of said stimulator healing cap is provide with a shoulder for covering and protecting the top protruding mating element of the implant.

14. A stimulator healing cap according to claim 13, wherein

said first portion is provided with socket means for engaging a driving tool.