A distractor for palatal expansion is disclosed. A high degree of treatment safety can be insured if anchoring parts each have at least two tooth supports and each subsection has at least one of the tooth supports and at least one of the palate rests to which this tooth support is connected in order to thus fix the support surfaces in their position against the palate.

An off-the-shelf oral splint that is operatively secured to the maxilla and mandible to assist in reduction and provide maintenance of reduction of maxillary and mandibular fractures in the edentulous or partially edentulous patient. The oral splint is fabricated into a plurality of standardized sizes. These sizes are determined by imaging a population of jaws, measuring dimensions thereof, manipulating (e.g., calculating the mean) these dimensions, and generating a size that is representative of a subset of that population. This can be done for all sizes that would represent individuals in that population. The splint itself is fabricated virtually by creating “U-shapes”, splitting them horizontally into halves, creating an evacuation channel, and generating a coupling mechanism to hold the halves together. The splint can then be printed or otherwise manufactured.

An off-the-shelf oral splint that is operatively secured to the maxilla and mandible to assist in reduction and provide maintenance of reduction of maxillary and mandibular fractures in the edentulous or partially edentulous patient. The oral splint is fabricated into a plurality of standardized sizes. These sizes are determined by imaging a population of jaws, measuring dimensions thereof, manipulating (e.g., calculating the mean) these dimensions, and generating a size that is representative of a subset of that population. This can be done for all sizes that would represent individuals in that population. The splint itself is fabricated virtually by creating “U-shapes”, splitting them horizontally into halves, creating an evacuation channel, and generating a coupling mechanism to hold the halves together. The splint can then be printed or otherwise manufactured.

The present disclosure is directed to implantable distraction osteogenesis devices and methods of their use. In a non-limiting embodiment, the device has a guide, a first bone attachment device slidably engaged with the guide, a force delivery mechanism coupled to the first bone attachment device and operably engaged with the guide, a regulator operably engaged with the force delivery mechanism, and a second bone attachment device rigidly fixed to the guide, wherein the force delivery mechanism is configured to exert a force to move the first bone attachment device along the guide at a predetermined rate, and the regulator is configured to control the movement of the first bone attachment device along the guide without percutaneous intervention.

A device for cranial restructuring, by the expansion, compression, or flexure of a cranial structure located between first and second anchor points, includes: a force generator configured to generate force; a first anchor attachment to the first anchor point; a second anchor attachment to a second anchor point; a hydraulic force transmitting structure, connected to the force generator, to transmit the generated force to the anchors thereby putting the cranial structure in tension, compression or flexure. Another device for cranial restructuring includes: a head support, having a head-receiving portion; a force generator to generate force which is periodic; a first anchor attachment to the first anchor point; a force transmitting structure, connected to the force generator, which transmits the periodic force to the anchor in a restructuring direction; wherein the head support includes: a restriction to prevent or restrict movement of the user's head when the periodic force is applied.

An expandable rod system includes a first rod portion having an internal cavity, a second rod portion sealingly positioned within the internal cavity of the first rod portion and moveable in a first axial direction relative to the first rod portion, and an osmotic chamber for receiving an osmotic agent to facilitate movement of the second rod portion to expand the rod system. The rod system includes a lock assembly engageable with the second rod portion to prevent the second rod portion from moving in a second axial direction. The lock assembly includes a tapered ramped portion and a bearing member that is moveable within the tapered ramped portion such that when compression forces are imparted on the second rod portion, the bearing member becomes wedged in the tapered ramped portion.

A splint for releasably fixing a maxillary jaw and a mandibular jaw of a patient together during orthognathic surgery. The splint may include a locking mechanism including a lower section and an upper section. The lower section may be attached fixedly to the mandibular jaw. The lower section may include a horizontal locking pin moveable along a horizontal axis. The upper section may include a vertical locking key attached fixedly to the maxillary jaw. The vertical locking key may include a horizontal pin receiving hole provided along a diameter of the vertical locking key. The horizontal pin receiving hole may be configured to receive the horizontal locking pin. The maxillary jaw and the mandibular jaw may be fixed together responsive to the horizontal pin receiving hole is aligned with the horizontal axis and the horizontal locking pin is inserted into the horizontal pin receiving hole.

An automatic sampling apparatus for taking liquid samples for the qualitative or quantitative determination of at least one analyte contained in the sample liquid includes a sample line that can be fluidically connected to the sampling station, a pump device, at least one sample container that can be fluidically connected to the sample line, and an electronic control system. The electronic control system is configured to fluidically connect the sample line to the sample container such that a fluid flow path extending from the sampling station through the sample line into the sample container is formed. The electronic control system is further configured to transport, using the pump device, a definable volume of the sample liquid, in the form of a liquid sample, along the fluid flow path into the sample container. The sampling apparatus is configured for concentrating or extracting the analyte present in the liquid sample.

Systems, methods, devices and apparatus for mandibular advancement or retraction via bone anchoring devices are described herein. In various aspects, an apparatus for treating a patient via mandibular advancement or retraction comprises a plurality of anchoring devices positioned in the patient's intraoral cavity. Each of the plurality of anchoring devices can be positioned in bone of the patient's upper jaw or bone of the patient's lower jaw. One or more connecting structures can be removably coupled to and extend between the plurality of anchoring devices in order to displace the lower jaw anteriorly or posteriorly relative to the upper jaw.

An external distraction apparatus for performing a craniofacial distraction is disclosed. The external distraction apparatus may comprise a stationary member. The stationary member may be configured to be affixed to a head of a patient. The external distraction apparatus may also comprise laterally disposed distractors. The laterally disposed distractors may extend inferiorly from the stationary member and be moveable relative to the stationary member.