Patent ID: 9566134
Date: 2017-02-14
CPC Classifications: A61C

Claim:
1. A combination, comprising a set of orthodontic brackets and an archwire, each said bracket having an archwire slot with a base surface that is in contact with and supports said archwire, said archwire adapted to bear against said base surfaces and thereby apply pressure to a patient's teeth to correct malocclusions, the archwire extending lengthwise in a mesial-distal direction, and forming an outer surface having at least one first radius of curvature along said mesial-distal direction, and a second radius of curvature along a direction substantially perpendicular to said mesial distal direction; said base surfaces of said archwire slots having at least one third radius of curvature along said mesial distal direction, said at least one third radius of curvature substantially congruent with said at least one first radius of curvature, such that said base surfaces of said archwire slots are in contact with said archwire over a curved, contiguous mesial-distal length of said archwire when said set of orthodontic brackets and said archwire are assembled together, and said base surfaces of said archwire slots having a fourth radius of curvature along a direction perpendicular to said mesial distal direction, said fourth radius of curvature substantially congruent with the second radius of curvature such that said base surfaces of said archwire slots are in contact with said archwire over a curved, contiguous arc in a plane perpendicular to said mesial distal direction, when said set of orthodontic brackets and said archwire are assembled together.