Patent ID: 11877907
Assignee: nan
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. An orthodontic appliance which cooperates with both upper and lower dental arches of a patient to achieve a predetermined clinical treatment, comprising:
a pair of archwires each having a longitudinal axis, an anterior facing surface, a posterior facing surface, and which are individually releasably attached to a multiplicity of teeth forming the lower and the upper dental arch of the patient, and wherein the lower and upper dental arches form an occlusal plane when the respective dental arches are closed, and wherein the respective archwires are secured to an anterior facing surface of the respective teeth forming each of the dental arches by individual orthodontic brackets, and wherein cooperation of the respective archwires with the individual orthodontic brackets exerts a force which effects first, second and/or third order movement to the respective teeth so as to move malpositioned teeth located in each of the dental arches into a proper orientation relative to adjacent teeth along the respective upper and lower dental arches, and wherein the orthodontic appliance is attached to each of the archwires after the movement of the malpositioned teeth is initiated, and wherein the orthodontic appliance is further removed from each of the archwires before the predetermined clinical treatment is completed;
an archwire coupler which is individually attached to each of the respective archwires, and wherein the respective archwire couplers each have a main body with an opposite first and second end, and which further defines an internal cavity, and wherein a first passageway extends longitudinally inwardly from the first end of the main body and communicates with the internal cavity, and wherein the main body of the respective archwire couplers further defines a second passageway which is located between the first and second ends thereof, and which further extends transversely, inwardly relative to the main body and communicates with the internal cavity which is defined by the archwire coupler, and wherein the second passageway is sized so as to permit the archwire to pass therethrough, and be positioned within the internal cavity without removing the archwire from adjacent orthodontic brackets; and
a recess/void defined in the main body of the archwire coupler within the internal cavity and axially aligned with the first passageway opposite the first end portion of the main body, and the recess/void is positioned between two spaced apart archwire support ends;
individual fasteners each defined, in part, by a first portion, having a given outside diametral dimension, and which is further sized so as to cooperate with the first passageway of each archwire coupler, and wherein the first portion of the each of the individual fasteners has a distal end which forcibly engages the anterior facing surface of the respective archwire within the internal cavity of the respective archwire coupler and responsively causes an outward deformation of the respective archwire on the posterior surface opposite the individual fastener, and the outward deformation of the respective archwire extends, at least partially, into the recess/void defined in the main body of the archwire coupler so as to fixedly releasably secure the respective archwire coupler onto the respective archwire, and wherein each of the individual fasteners further has a proximal end which is located longitudinally, outwardly relative to the first end of the respective archwire coupler, and wherein each individual fastener additionally has a second portion which is made integral with the proximal end of the first portion, and which further has an outside diametral dimension which is greater than the outside diametral dimension of the first portion, and wherein a gap is defined between the first end of the main body of the each of the respective archwire couplers, and the second portion of each of the individual fasteners;
a multiple section, elongated, telescoping assembly having opposite proximal and distal ends, and wherein the proximal end is rotatably attached to the archwire coupler which is affixed to the archwire installed on the upper dental arch of the patient, and wherein the distal end of the telescoping assembly is rotatably affixed to the archwire coupler which is affixed on the archwire installed on the lower dental arch of the patient, and wherein at least one of the telescoping sections defines an internal cavity, and wherein the multiple section, elongated, telescoping assembly is moveable along a coaxial course of travel from a first, extended position, where the respective sections of the telescoping assembly are oriented longitudinally, outwardly, one relative to the other, and the telescoping assembly has a maximum length dimension as measured between the proximal and distal ends, and is further oriented in a non-parallel orientation relative to the occlusal plane, to a second, retracted position, and wherein in the second, retracted position the respective sections forming the telescoping assembly are, internally telescoped together, and
the proximal and distal ends, and the telescoping assembly is further located in a substantially parallel orientation relative to the occlusal plane; and
a biasing spring received, at least in part, within the internal cavity of at least one of the telescoping sections of the multiple section, elongated, telescoping assembly, and wherein a biasing force exerted by the biasing spring is applied to the multiple section, elongated, telescoping assembly only when the multiple section, elongated telescoping assembly is moving along the course of travel, and is closely adjacent to, or at the second, retracted position along the course of travel, and wherein the biasing force of the biasing spring is transmitted by the respective telescoping sections forming the multiple section, elongated telescoping assembly in a direction which is substantially along the longitudinal axis of each archwire, and along the occlusal plane to simultaneously effect movement of the upper arch of the patient in a rearward direction, and the lower arch in a forward direction, while not simultaneously imparting adverse movement to the respective teeth forming each of the dental arches of the patient.