Temporary implant for use as an anchor in the mouth

Claim 2

An implant for use with an orthodontic appliance the implant for use as an orthodontic or orthopedic load-bearing anchor in the mouth in creating a stabilizing or moving force, the implant comprising: an elongated body having an in-bone portion connected to an above-bone portion, said in-bone portion and said avove-bone portion each having an inner and and an outer end, the cross sectional area of said above-bone portion inner end being greater than the cross-sectional area of said in-bone portion outer and, thereby forming a shoulder having a bone-contacting surface on said above-bone portion inner end capable of resting on a part of the bone surface adjacent to an opening in the bone when said implant is positioned in the mouth; said elongated body further including a securing section for attaching an orthopedic appliance to said elongated body.

Claim 3

The implant of claim 1 wherein said securing section includes a threaded cylindrical bore extending from said above-bone portion outer end into said elongated body.

Claim 4

The implant of claim 2 wherein said in-bone portion includes an outer circumferential surface having screw threads.

Claim 5

The implant of claim 3 in combination with an orthodontic appliance having a fastening section, said fastening section including a threaded cylindrical post for engaging said threaded cylindrical bore.

Claim 6

The implant of claim 1 wherein said above-bone portion has a cross-sectional shape along at least a part of its length which is non-circular.

Claim 7

The implant of claim 5 wherein said non-circular shape includes at least one flat.

Claim 8

The implant of claim 1 wherein said securing section includes a threaded cylindrical post extending outward from said above-bone portion outer end.

Claim 9

The implant of claim 7 in combination with an orthodontic appliance having a fastening section, said fastening section including a threaded cylindrical bore for engaging said threaded cylindrical post.

Claim 10

The implant of claim 1 wherein said elongated body includes a bioresorbable material.

Claim 11

The implant of claim 1 wherein said elongated body includes an osteoinductive factor.

Claim 12

The implant of claim 1 wherein said elongated body includes an infection-inhibiting coating.

Claim 13

An implant including an orthopedic appliance, the implant for use as an orthodontic or orthopedic load-bearing anchor in the mouth in creating a stabilizing or moving force, the implant comprising; an elongated body having an in-bone portion connected to an above-bone portion, said in-bone portion and said above-bone portion each having an inner end and an outer end, the cross-sectional area of said above-bone portion inner end being greater than the cross-sectional area of said in-bone portion outer end, thereby forming a shoulder having a bone-contacting surface on said above-bone portion inner end capable of resting on a part of the bone surface adjacent to an opening in the bone when said implant is positioned in the mouth; said implant further including an integrally formed orthodontic appliance extending from said above-bone portion of said elongated body.

Claim 14

An implant including an orthopedic appliance, the implant for use as an orthodontic or orthopedic load-bearing anchor in the mouth in creating a stabilizing or moving force, the implant comprising; an elongated body having an in-bone portion connected to an above-bone portion, said in-bone portion and said above-bone portion each having an inner end and an outer end, the cross-sectional area of said above-bone portion inner end being greater than the cross-sectional area of said in-bone portion outer end, thereby forming a shoulder having a bone-contacting surface on said above-bone portion inner end capable of resting on a part of the bone surface adjacent to an opening in the bone when said implant is positioned in the mouth; said implant further including an integrally formed orthodontic appliance extending from said above-bone portion of said elongated body.

Claim 15

An implant for use with an orthodontic appliance, the implant for use as an orthodontic or orthopedic load-bearing anchor in the mouth in creating a stabilizing or moving force, the implant comprising: an elongated body having an inner end, an outer end, a securing section for attaching an orthodontic appliance to said implant, and a retention portion for assisting in securing said implant within an opening in a bone surface in the mouth; said retention portion including a section of the elongated body extending from one of said inner end and said outer end at least part-way toward the other of said inner end and said outer end, said retention portion further including a tapered bore and at least one longitudinal cut, said tapered bore and said longitudinal cut extending from said one of said inner and outer ends with said tapered bore having a cross-sectional area which gets smaller in the direction of said inner end, whereby when said implant is positioned in an opening in a bone surface of the mouth, and an orthodontic appliance having a corresponding fastening section is attached to said elongated body, a portion of the fastening section biases against a portion of the sidewall of said tapered bore and moves said retention portion radially outward thereby securing said implant in the opening in the bone surface.

Claim 16

An implant for use with an orthodontic appliance, the implant for use as an orthodontic or orthopedic load-bearing anchor in the mouth in creating a stabilizing or moving force, the implant comprising: an elongated body having an inner end, an outer end, a securing section for attaching an orthodontic appliance to said implant, and a retention portion for assisting in securing said implant within an opening in a bone surface in the mouth; said retention portion including a section of the elongated body extending from one of said inner end and said outer end at least part-way toward the other of said inner end and said outer end, said retention portion further including a tapered bore and at least one longitudinal cut, said tapered bore and said longitudinal cut extending from said one of said inner and outer ends with said tapered bore having a cross-sectional area which gets smaller in the direction of said inner end, whereby when said implant is positioned in an opening in a bone surface of the mouth, and an orthodontic appliance having a corresponding fastening section is attached to said elongated body, a portion of the fastening section biases against a portion of the sidewall of said tapered bore and moves said retention portion radially outward thereby securing said implant in the opening in the bone surface.

Claim 17

The implant of claim 13 in combination with an orthodontic appliance having a fastening section, said fastening section including a stem sized so as to bias against a portion of the sidewall of said tapered bore and move said retention portion radially outward, thereby assisting in securing said implant in an opening in a bone surface.

Claim 18

The implant of claim 13 wherein said securing section includes a threaded cylindrical bore.

Claim 19

The implant of claim 15 in combination with an orthodontic appliance having a fastening section, said fastening section including a threaded cylindrical post corresponding with said threaded cylindrical bore, said fastening section further including a stem sized so as to bias against a portion of the sidewall of said tapered bore and move said retention portion radially outward, thereby assisting in securing said implant in an opening in a bone surface.

Claim 20

An implant for use with an orthodontic appliance, the implant for use as an orthodontic or orthopedic load-bearing anchor in the mouth in creating a stabilizing or moving force, the implant comprising: an elongated body having an inner end, an outer end, a securing section for attaching an orthodontic appliance to said implant, and a retention portion for assisting in securing said implant within an opening in a bone surface in the mouth; said retention portion including a section of the elongated body extending from one of said inner end and said outer end at least part-way toward the other of said inner end and said outer end, said retention portion being formed of a shape-memory alloy and including a bore and at least two longitudinal cuts, said bore and said longitudinal cuts extending from said one of said inner end and said outer end at least part-way toward said other of said inner end and said outer end, said longitudinal cuts forming at least two leg portions, said retention portion capable of assuming a predetermined shape in which said leg portions angle slightly radially outward when said retention portion reaches an ambient mouth temperature, thereby securing said implant in an opening in a bone surface in the mouth.

Claim 21

An implant for use with an orthodontic appliance, the implant for use as an orthodontic or orthopedic load-bearing anchor in the mouth in creating a stabilizing or moving force, the implant comprising: an elongated body having an inner end, an outer end, a securing section for attaching an orthodontic appliance to said implant, and a retention portion for assisting in securing said implant within an opening in a bone surface in the mouth; said retention portion including a section of the elongated body extending from one of said inner end and said outer end at least part-way toward the other of said inner end and said outer end, said retention portion being formed of a shape-memory alloy and including a bore and at least two longitudinal cuts, said bore and said longitudinal cuts extending from said one of said inner end and said outer end at least part-way toward said other of said inner end and said outer end, said longitudinal cuts forming at least two leg portions, said retention portion capable of assuming a predetermined shape in which said leg portions angle slightly radially outward when said retention portion reaches an ambient mouth temperature, thereby securing said implant in an opening in a bone surface in the mouth.

Claim 22

The implant of claim 17 wherein said securing section includes a threaded cylindrical bore extending from said outer end into said elongated body.

Claim 23

The implant of claim 18 in combination with an orthodontic appliance having a fastening section, said fastening section including a threaded cylindrical post for engaging said threaded cylindrical bore.

Claim 24

An anchorage system including an onplant and an implant for use as an orthodontic or orthopedic load-bearing anchor in creating a stabilizing or moving force in the mouth, the anchorage system comprising: an onplant having a bone-facing surface, an opposite face, and a hole extending through said onplant at an angle substantially perpendicular to said bone-facing surface; and an implant for use in affixing said onplant to a bone surface in the mouth, said implant having an elongated body including an inner end and an outer end, a portion of said elongated body including said inner end capable of being positioned through said hole and in an opening in a bone surface in the mouth.

Claim 25

An anchorage system including an onplant and an implant for use as an orthodontic or orthopedic load-bearing anchor in creating a stabilizing or moving force in the mouth, the anchorage system comprising: an onplant having a bone-facing surface, an opposite face, and a hole extending through said onplant at an angle substantially perpendicular to said bone-facing surface; and an implant for use in affixing said onplant to a bone surface in the mouth, said implant having an elongated body including an inner end and an outer end, a portion of said elongated body including said inner end capable of being positioned through said hole and in an opening in a bone surface in the mouth.

Claim 26

The anchorage system of claim 20 wherein said elongated body includes a shoulder, said shoulder capable of biasing against said opposite face of said onplant.

Claim 27

The anchorage system of claim 20 wherein said elongated body includes a securing section for attaching an orthodontic appliance to said implant.

Claim 28

The anchorage system of claim 22 wherein said securing section of said implant includes a threaded cylindrical bore.

Claim 29

The anchorage system of claim 23 in combination with an orthodontic appliance having a fastening section, said fastening section including a threaded cylindrical post for engaging said threaded cylindrical bore.

Claim 30

The anchorage system of claim 20 wherein said implant is made of a bioresorbable material.

Claim 33

The method of claim 26 further including the step of attaching an orthodontic appliance to said implant.

Claim 34

The method of claim 27 wherein said securing section includes a threaded cylindrical bore and said orthodontic appliance includes a fastening section having a corresponding threaded cylindrical post, said attaching step including threading said post into said bore.

Claim 35

The method of claim 26 wherein said securing section is accessible at said outer end of said elongated body.

Claim 36

The method of claim 29 wherein said securing section includes a feature selected from the group consisting of a threaded cylindrical bore and a threaded cylindrical post.

Claim 37

The method of claim 26 further including the step of forming an opening in a bone surface selected from the group consisting of the buccal, labial, lingual and palatal surfaces of the maxillary jawbone and the buccal, labial and lingual surfaces of the mandibular jawbone prior to said positioning step.

Claim 38

The method of claim 26 wherein said elongated body includes an in-bone portion connected to an above-bone portion, said in-bone portion and said above-bone portion each having an inner end and an outer end, the cross-sectional area of said above-bone portion inner end being greater than the cross-sectional area of said in-bone portion outer end, thereby forming a shoulder having a bone-contacting surface on said above-bone portion inner end capable of resting on a part of the bone surface adjacent to an opening in the bone when said implant is positioned in the mouth; said positioning step including inserting said in-bone portion into said opening in said bone surface, whereby said shoulder contacts the bone surface adjacent the mouth of said opening, said shoulder capable of distributing at least some force from said orthodontic appliance to the bone surface adjacent the mouth of said opening when an orthodontic appliance is attached to said implant.

Claim 39

The method of claim 26 wherein said elongated body includes a retention portion for assisting in securing said implant within the opening in the bone surface in the mouth.

Claim 40

The method of claim 33 wherein said retention portion includes a plurality of annular ridges positioned along said outer circumferential surface of said elongated body.

Claim 41

The method of claim 33 wherein said retention portion includes a section of the elongated body extending from one of said inner end and said outer end at least partway toward the other of said inner end and said outer end, said retention portion further including a tapered bore and at least one longitudinal cut, said tapered bore and said longitudinal cut extending from said one of said inner and outer ends with said tapered bore having a cross-sectional area which gets smaller in the direction of said inner end, whereby when said implant is positioned in the opening in the bone surface of the mouth, and an orthodontic appliance having a corresponding fastening section is attached to said elongated body, a portion of the fastening section biases against a portion of the sidewall of said tapered bore and moves said retention portion radially outward thereby securing said implant in the opening in the bone surface.

Claim 42

The method of claim 33 wherein said retention portion includes a section of the elongated body extending from one of said inner end and said outer end at least partway toward the other of said inner end and said outer end, said retention portion being formed of a shape-memory alloy and including a bore and at least two longitudinal cuts, said bore and said longitudinal cuts extending from said one of said inner end and said outer end at least part-way toward said other of said inner end and said outer end, said longitudinal cuts forming at least two leg portions, said retention portion assuming a predetermined shape in which said leg portions angle slightly radially outward when said retention portion reaches an ambient mouth temperature, thereby securing said implant in the opening in the bone surface in the mouth.

Claim 43

The method of claim 26 wherein said elongated body includes a bioresorbable material.

Claim 44

The method of claim 26 wherein said elongated body includes an osteoinductive factor.

Claim 45

The method of claim 26 wherein said elongated body includes an infection-inhibiting coating.

Claim 50

The method of claim 41 wherein said elongated body includes a shoulder, said shoulder biasing against said opposite face of said onplant.

Claim 51

The method of claim 41 wherein said elongated body includes a securing section for attaching an orthodontic appliance.

Claim 52

The method of claim 43 further including the step of attaching an orthodontic appliance.

Claim 53

The method of claim 41 wherein said implant includes an integrally formed orthodontic appliance.

Claim 54

The method of claim 41 wherein said hole includes a threaded cylindrical bore and said elongated body includes a threaded cylindrical post, said positioning step including threading said threaded cylindrical post into said threaded cylindrical bore.