Device for holding an abutment

• US 6,471,515 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2001
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Marshall B. Feuer
• Original Assignee: Marshall B. Feuer
• Inventors: Feuer, Marshall B.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor, Cary E.
• Application Number:
  US09/759,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20020094507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 433/159, 433/160, 433/161, 433/162, 606/210, 606/211, 294/99.2, 294/33, 968/666, 968/DIG.1
• US Class Current: 433/162
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/30 Surgical pincettes without pivotal connectionsfor holding suture needles or materials A61B17/0483; wound clamps A61B17/08 ; hand-held gripping tools without pivotal connections in general B25B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00738 part of the tool being offset with respect to a main axis, e.g. for better view for the surgeon
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0087 Means for sterile storage or manipulation of dental implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0089 Implanting tools or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 9/02 without sliding or pivotal connections, e.g. tweezers, onepiece tongs

Abstract

The current invention provides a device for holding dental abutments such as healing caps, healing screws, contoured healing abutments, PME (precision margin esthetics) abutments, PME impression pins, hexed transfer assemblies, straight and angled fixed system components, hexed coping screws or any dental implant parts when the object is being inserted or otherwise located into a patient'"'"'s mouth. The device is tweezer-like and is designed to hold a dental abutment having a central axis. The device includes a pair of substantially identical members that are joined together at one of the ends and each have a free end. The members are disposed in the V-like configuration with the joined ends interconnected and the free end spaced apart so that when the members are squeezed towards one another, the free ends are brought into contact. Each of the members has a handle portion including the joined end, and an offset gripping portion. The gripping portion of each member has a junction segment which is joined to the handle portion and forms an interior angle in the range of 70-110 degrees with the handle portion. The gripping portion also has a grip segment with a first end joined to the junction segment and a second end configured to grip the dental abutment through cooperative action with the second end of the grip segment of the other member. When gripped, the dental abutment is retained at angle in the range of 60-90 degrees to the handle portion.

Claims

1. A tweezer-like device for holding a dental abutment having a central axis, the device comprising:

a substantially identical first and second member each having a joined end and a free end, the members being disposed in a V-like configuration with the joined ends interconnected and the free ends spaced apart such that when the members are urged towards one another, the free ends are urged into contact;

each of the members further having a handle portion including the joined end, and an offset gripping portion;

the gripping portion of each member having a junction segment joined to the handle portion and forming an interior angle in the range of 70 to 110 degrees with the handle portion, the gripping portion further having a grip segment having a first end joined to the junction segment and a second end configured to grip the dental abutment through cooperative action with the second end of the grip segment of the other member such that the central axis of the dental abutment is retained at an angle in the range of 60 to 90 degrees to the handle portion; and

a locking device operable to selectively retain the first and second members in a position such that the free ends are in contact, the locking device comprising a locking arm extending from the first member and selectively engaging the second member.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the grip segment forms an interior angle in the range of 70 to 110 degrees with the junction segment.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the angle between the grip segment and the junction segment is in the range of 85 to 95 degrees.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the grip segment includes a main portion including the first end and a mid-portion between the main portion and the second end, the mid-portion being angled with respect to the main portion.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the angle between the mid-portion and the main portion is in the range of 30 to 50 degrees.

6. The device according to claim 4, wherein the second end is angled with respect to the mid-portion, the angle being in the range of 0 to 30 degrees.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the angle between the mid-portion and the main portion is in the range of 0 to 60 degrees.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the second end of each of the grip segments comprise an arcuate member such that when the two second ends are brought into contact, a generally round hole is formed therebetween.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the hole had a diameter between 3 and 4 millimeters.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first end of the grip segment is offset from the central axis of the handle portion by a distance of at least 0.3 inches.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the distance is approximately 0.5 inches.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the angle between the handle portion and the junction segment is between 96 and 97 degrees.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the dental abutment is retained at an angle of approximately 76 degrees.

14. The tweezer-like device according to claim 1, wherein the second member has an opening defined therein and the locking arm has a connected end that is connected to the first member and a locking end with a detent defined thereon, the locking arm configured such that the locking end passes through the opening when the members are urged toward one another and the detent engages the opening in the second member to retain the free ends of the members in contact.

15. The tweezer-like device according to claim 14, further comprising a travel limiter disposed on the first member and an alignment hole defined in the second member, the travel limiter comprising a protrusion extending from the first member towards the second member and an alignment pin defined on the protrusion in alignment with the alignment hole such that when the first and second members are urged towards one another, the protrusion contacts the second member and the alignment pin enters the alignment hole, wherein the travel limiter limits the travel of the first and second members towards one another.

16. A tweezer-like device for holding a dental abutment having a central axis, the device comprising:

a substantially identical first and second member each having a joined end and a free end, the members being disposed in a V-like configuration with the joined ends interconnected and the free ends spaced apart such that when the members are urged towards one another, the free ends are urged into contact;

each of the members further having;

a handle portion including the joined end, the handle portion extending in a first direction,

a junction segment joined to the handle portion and extending in a second direction which is at an angle to the first direction, and

a grip segment having a first end joined to the junction segment and a second end configured to grip the dental abutment through cooperative action with the second end of the grip segment of the other member, the grip segment extending in a third direction which is at an angle to the second direction;

wherein the angle between the first direction and the second direction is in the range of 70 to 110 degrees and the angle between the second direction and the third direction is in the range of 70 to 110 degrees;

a locking device operable to selectively retain the first and second members in a position such that the free ends are in contact, the locking device comprising a locking arm extending from the first member and having a locking end with a detent defined thereon, the second member having an opening defined therein, the locking arm configured such that the locking end passes through the opening when the members are urged toward one another and the detent engages the opening in the second member to retain the free ends of the members in contact; and

a travel limiter disposed on the first member and an alignment hole defined in the second member, the travel limiter comprising a protrusion extending from the first member towards the second member and an alignment pin defined on the protrusion in alignment with the alignment hole such that when the first and second members are urged towards one another, the protrusion contacts the second memeber and the alignment pin enters the alignment hole, wherein the travel limiter limits the travel of the first and second members towards one another.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the second end of the grip segment retains a dental abutment at an angle in the range of 60 to 90 degrees with respect to the handle portion.

18. The device according to claim 16, wherein the grip segment includes a main portion including the first end and a mid-portion between the main portion and the second end, the mid-portion being angled with respect to the main portion.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein the angle between the mid-portion and the main portion is in the range of 30 to 50 degrees.

20. The device according to claim 18, wherein the second end is angled with respect to the mid-portion, the angle being in the range of 0 to 30 degrees.

21. A tweezer-like device for holding a dental abutment having a central axis, the device comprising:

a substantially identical first and second member each having a joined end and a free end, the members being disposed in a V-like configuration with the joined ends interconnected and the free ends spaced apart such that when the members are urged towards one another, the free ends are urged into contact;

each of the members further having;

a handle portion including the joined end and having an opposite end;

the handle extending in a first direction between the joined and opposite ends,

a junction segment joined to the opposite end of the handle portion and extending in a second direction, and

a grip segment having a first end joined to the junction segment and a second end configured to grip the dental abutment through cooperative action with the second end of the grip segment of the other member, the grip segment extending in a third direction;

wherein a handle plane is defined by the joined ends and opposite ends of the handle, a junction plane is defined by the junction segments, and a grip plane is defined by the grip segments, the junction plane being at an angle of 70 to 110 degrees to the handle plane and the grip plane being at an angle of 70 to 110 degrees to the junction plane; and

a locking device operable to selectively retain the first and second members in a position such that the free ends are in contact, the locking device comprising a locking arm extending from the first member and having a locking end with a detent defined thereon, the second member having an opening defined therein, the locking arm configured such that the locking end passes through the opening when the members are urged toward one another and the detent engages the opening in the second member to retain the free ends of the members in contact.

22. A tweezer-like device for holding a dental abutment having a central axis, the device comprising:

a substantially identical first and second member each having a joined end and a free end, the members being disposed in a V-like configuration with the joined ends interconnected and the free ends spaced apart such that when the members are urged towards one another, the free ends are urged into contact;

each of the members further having a handle portion including the joined end, and an offset gripping portion;

the gripping portion of each member having a junction segment joined to the handle portion and forming an interior angle in the range of 70 to 110 degrees with the handle portion, the gripping portion further having a grip segment having a first end joined to the junction segment, a main portion including the first end, a second end, and a mid-portion adjacent the second end and disposed between the main portion and the second end, the main portion of the grip segment forming an interior angle in the range of 70 to 110 degrees with the junction segment, the second end of the grip segment configured to grip the dental abutment through cooperative action with the second end of the grip segment of the other member such that the central axis of the dental abutment is retained at an angle in the range of 60 to 90 degrees to the handle portion; and

a locking device operable to selectively retain the first and second members in a position such that the free ends are in contact, the locking device comprising a locking arm extending from the first member and selectively engaging the second member.