PROTECTIVE MOUTHGUARD

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a polymer mouthguard for protecting the teeth of a wearer. The mouthguard includes a lingual portion, a facial portion, and an occlusal portion connected with one another in the shape of an arch and together defining a trough for receiving the upper (maxillary) or lower (mandibular) teeth of a wearer. At least one, or both, of the facial portion and the occlusal portion have a shock absorbing lattice formed therein. The mouthguard can be produced as a single object by the process of additive manufacturing (e.g., stereolithography).

Claims

1. A polymer mouthguard for protecting the teeth of a wearer, comprising: a lingual portion, a facial portion, and an occlusal portion connected with one another in the shape of an arch and together defining a trough for receiving the upper (maxillary) or lower (mandibular) teeth of a wearer; wherein at least one, or both, of said facial portion and said occlusal portion have a shock absorbing lattice formed therein.

2. The mouthguard of claim 1, wherein said lingual portion has a smooth comfort surface formed thereon.

3. The mouthguard of claim 1, wherein said mouthguard is produced as a single object by the process of additive manufacturing.

4. The mouthguard of claim 1, wherein each said shock absorbing lattice comprises repeating unit cells.

5. The mouthguard of claim 1, wherein both said facial portion and said occlusal portion have a shock-absorbing lattice formed therein.

6. The mouthguard of claim 1, wherein said shock-absorbing lattice of said facial portion, and/or said shock absorbing lattice of said occlusal portion, comprises a conformal lattice.

7. The mouthguard of claim 1, wherein said mouthguard includes edge and corner portions, wherein at least some, or all, of said edge and corner portions are radiused.

8. The mouthguard of claim 1, wherein said shock absorbing lattice of said facial portion and said shock absorbing lattice of said occlusal portion differ from one another, to thereby impart different shock-absorbing properties to said occlusal portion and said facial portion.

9. The mouthguard of claim 1, wherein said shock absorbing lattice of said facial portion has a stiffness gradient formed therein.

10. The mouthguard of claim 1, wherein said shock absorbing lattice of said facial portion, and/or said shock absorbing lattice of said occlusal portion, comprise at least two different energy attenuation regions.

11. The mouthguard of claim 1, wherein said shock absorbing lattice of said facial portion, and/or said shock absorbing lattice of said occlusal portion, are configured to promote the flow of air therethrough during breathing by the wearer.

12. The mouthguard of claim 1, wherein said shock absorbing lattice of said facial portion, and/or said shock absorbing lattice of said occlusal portion, are configured to promote the drainage of saliva therethrough by a wearer.

13. The mouthguard of claim 1, wherein said lingual portion, facial portion, and occlusal portion further define an opposite trough for receiving the opposite (maxillary or mandibular) teeth of a wearer.

14. The mouthguard of claim 1, wherein at least one of said facial portion and said lingual portion includes a conforming lattice facing said upper and/or lower trough, the conforming lattice configured to aid in fitting said mouthguard to an individual wearer, and/or to aid in retaining the mouthguard on the dental arch of the wearer during a sport or athletic activity.

15. The mouthguard of claim 1, wherein said mouthguard consists essentially of a flexible or elastic polymer.

16. A computer-implemented method of making a mouthguard of claim 1, comprising the steps of: inputting into a computer a dental arch data file, the data file produced by the process of scanning at least one, or both, dental arches of the intended wearer; generating in the computer a mouthguard data file from said dental arch data file; and then additively manufacturing the mouthguard from said data file.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: inputting user preference data for the intended wearer into the computer, and then modifying said generating step and/or said additively manufacturing step based on said user preference data.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said user preference data comprises at least one, two, or three different mouthguard characteristics.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said different mouthguard characteristics are selected from: stiffness, weight, impact absorption, ease of air flow (breathability), degree of saliva drainage, surface texture, size, and/or mouthguard color.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said user preference data comprises at least two different characteristics, wherein said characteristics are prioritized, and wherein said modifying and/or generating steps are carried out based on said prioritized characteristics, with a characteristic having a lesser priority being de-emphasized or deleted during said modifying and/or generating steps when they are incompatible with a characteristic having a greater priority.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a non-limiting embodiment of a mouthguard of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, looking down into the trough that receives a wearer's teeth.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, looking down on the occlusal surface portion.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a front view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3.

[0033] FIG. 5 is a side view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4.

[0034] FIG. 6A is a side sectional schematic view of further embodiment of the invention, taken along a line corresponding to that of line x-x in FIG. 5.

[0035] FIG. 6B is a side sectional schematic view of a still further embodiment of the invention, again taken along a line corresponding to that of line x-x in FIG. 5.

[0036] FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a process as described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0037] The present invention is now described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0038] As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, as well as the lack of combinations when interpreted in the alternative (“or”).

1. Mouthguards

[0039] A non-limiting example of a mouthguard as described herein is illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, with additional variations described in FIGS. 6A-6B. Specific configurations of mouthguards as described herein will depend upon factors such as the age, skill level, size and weight of the wearer, on the specific activity during which the mouthguard is worn, and in some cases on the team position of the wearer. Mouthguards as described herein can be configured or optimized for any of a variety of sports, including but not limited to: baseball, basketball, BMX cycling, boxing, bull riding, field hockey, football, ice hockey, lacross, martial arts and mixed martial arts (e.g., karate, jiu jitsu, tae kwon do, judo, etc.), motor X, kick boxing, roller derby, rugby, soccer, water polo, weightlifting, etc.

[0040] FIGS. 1-5 show a non-limiting example of a polymer mouthguard (10) for protecting the teeth of a wearer. The mouthguard has a lingual portion (11), and a facial (or buccal) portion (12), and an occlusal portion (15) connected with one another in the shape of an arch and together defining a trough (16) for receiving the upper (maxillary) or lower (mandibular) teeth of a wearer. Anterior (13) and posterior (14) portions are labelled for convenience.

[0041] As noted above, at least one, or both, of the facial portion (12) and the occlusal portion (15) have a shock absorbing lattice (12a, 15a) formed therein. In the illustrated embodiment, both the facial and occlusal portions have a shock absorbing lattice (12a, 15a) formed therein. In addition, the lingual portion (11) optionally, but preferably, has a smooth comfort surface (11a) (e.g., an uninterrupted solid surface) formed thereon, better adapated for a comfortable surface against the tongue of the wearer. And, again, while a solid surface is shown, in some embodiments, the comfort surface can have openings therein as well, with the openings preferably radiused or smoothly transitioning to again provide a comfortable (rather than rough) surface against the tongue of the wearer.

[0042] As discussed further below, the shock absorbing lattices (12a, 15a) typically comprise repeating unit cells. The unit cells may be in the form of a strut lattice of interconnected struts and nodes, may be in the form of a triply periodic surface lattice, or a combination thereof. Unit cells of a lattice may be all of one type, or may transition from one type to another in the lattice, as is known in the art. The lattices are preferably “conformal lattices” where unit cells are shaped to fit within the overall contours or boundaries of the object, as is also known in the art.

[0043] In some embodiments, the shock absorbing lattice (12a) of the facial portion (12) and the shock absorbing lattice (15a) of the occlusal portion (15) differ from one another (e.g., in lattice unit cell type, lattice strut diameter, lattice strut length, or a combination thereof), to thereby impart different shock-absorbing properties to the occlusal portion (15) and the facial portion (12). Again, specific choices will depend upon the specific sport or activity for which the mouthguard is intended (a representative variety of sports and activities being set forth above).

[0044] As shown in FIG. 6A, in some embodiments, at least one (or both) of the facial/buccal portion (12) and the lingual portion (11) can include a conforming lattice (11b, 12b) facing the upper and/or lower trough (16), configured to aid in fitting the mouthguard to the individual wearer, and/or aid in retaining the mouthguard on the dental arch of the wearer during activity (e.g., reduce frequency of mouthguard being knocked out of place). The conforming lattice (11b, 12b) can achieve this goal by matching the shape of the wearer's dental arch, by applying securing pressure to the dental arch of the wearer, or a combination thereof.

[0045] In some embodiments, the shock absorbing lattice of the facial portion (12) has a stiffness gradient formed therein such as exemplified by the two different shock absorbing zones (12a, 12b) in FIG. 6B. For example, the lattice can increase in stiffness in the facial to lingual direction, in either step-wise fashion as illustrated, or in a smooth (or gradient) transitioning manner. In a similar manner, in some embodiments, the shock absorbing lattice (12a) of the facial portion (12), and/or the shock absorbing lattice (15a) of the occlusal portion (15), can comprise at least two different energy attenuation regions (e.g., regions differing in impact absorption in the facial to lingual direction, in the anterior to posterior direction, or a combination thereof). Again, specific choices will depend upon the specific sport or activity for which the mouthguard is intended.

[0046] In some preferred embodiments, the shock absorbing lattice (12a) of the facial portion (12), and/or the shock absorbing lattice (15a) of the occlusal portion (15), are configured to promote the flow of air therethrough during breathing by the wearer. And in some preferred embodiments, the shock absorbing lattice (12a) of the facial portion (12), and/or the shock absorbing lattice (15a) of the occlusal portion (15), are configured to promote the drainage of saliva therethrough by a wearer. These functions are achieved by the mouthguard shown in the illustrative embodiments, but numerous variations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, if a mouthguard adapted for a particular activity requires a denser (and hence more flow or drainage restrictive) lattice, for shock absorbing purposes in some regions, a more open (and hence less restrictive) lattice can be provided in other regions.

[0047] The mouthguard may be for a single arch (used singly, or in matched pairs) or may be for both arches as also shown in FIG. 6B. In the latter case, the mouthguard will further include an additional trough (16′) for receiving the opposite (maxillary or mandibular) teeth of a wearer.

[0048] The illustrated embodiment is provided to emphasize the lattice structures. For many preferred uses, it will be noted that the mouthguard includes edge and corner portions, and at least some, or all, of these edge and corner portions are preferably radiused as shown by dashed lines (23) in FIG. 6B to enhance the comfort of the mouthguard for the wearer, and/or reduce trapping of saliva, food particles, etc.

[0049] The specific configuration of the shock absorbing lattices, including multi-zone shock absorbing lattices and shock absorbing lattices having adjacent conforming lattices, can be generated by any suitable technique, depending on factors such as the intended user, and the purpose or activity for which the mouthguard will be worn. Example techniques include but are not limited to those set forth in Kabaria and Kurtz, U.S. Pat. No. 10,882,255, Mass customization in additive manufacturing (Jan. 5, 2021); Kabaria and Kurtz, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2021/0246959, Lattice transitioning structures in additively manufactured products (Aug. 12, 2021); Bologna et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2020/0215415, Football helmet with components additively manufactured to manage impact forces (Jul. 9, 2020); Kabaria, Kurtz, Sage, Burgess, and Chen, PCT Publication No. WO2021/046376, Cushions containing shock absorbing triply periodic lattice and related methods (Mar. 11, 2021).

2. Stock and Customized Mouthguards

[0050] The mouthguards described herein can be made in a variety of stock sizes (e.g., extra-small, small, medium, large, extra-large, etc.) adapted for a particular sport. In the alternative, the mouthguards can be custom-fit to a specific wearer.

[0051] As schematically shown in FIG. 7, a custom mouthguard can be produced inputting into a computer a dental arch data file, the data file produced by the process of scanning (51) at least one, or both, dental arches of the intended wearer; then generating (54) in the computer a mouthguard data file from the dental arch data file; and then additively manufacturing (55) the mouthguard from the data file.

[0052] In some embodiments, the method can further include the steps of inputting into the computer user preference data (52) for the intended wearer, and then modifying the generating step and/or the additively manufacturing step based on the user preference data.

[0053] The user preference data may comprise one, two, or three or more different mouthguard characteristics, such as: stiffness, weight, impact absorption, ease of air flow (breathability), degree of saliva drainage, surface texture, size, and/or mouthguard color. Note also that, when the user preference data comprises at least two different characteristics, the characteristics can be prioritized (e.g., ranked in priority by the user), and the modifying and/or generating steps can be carried out based on the prioritized characteristics, with a characteristic having a lesser priority being de-emphasized or deleted during the modifying and/or generating steps when they are incompatible with a characteristic having a greater priority.

3. Additive Manufacturing

[0054] Mouthguards as described above are preferably produced as a single object by the process of additive manufacturing. In this way, the mouthguard may consist entirely or essentially of a flexible or elastic polymer (in some cases, an additional coating such as an antibacterial coating may be applied).

[0055] Techniques for additive manufacturing are known. Suitable techniques include, but are not limited to, techniques such as selective laser sintering (SLS), fused deposition modeling (FDM), stereolithography (SLA), material jetting including three-dimensional printing (3DP), and multijet modeling (MJM) (MJM including Multi-Jet Fusion such as available from Hewlett Packard), and others. See, e.g., H. Bikas et al., Additive manufacturing methods and modelling approaches: a critical review, Int. J. Adv. Manuf. Technol. 83, 389-405 (2016).

[0056] SLA methods and apparatus, including bottom-up and top-down versions thereof, are known and described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,637 to Hull, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,391,072 and 5,529,473 to Lawton, U.S. Pat. No. 7,438,846 to John, U.S. Pat. No. 7,892,474 to Shkolnik, U.S. Pat. No. 8,110,135 to El-Siblani, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0292862 to Joyce, and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0295212 to Chen et al. The disclosures of these patents and applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

[0057] In some embodiments, the additive manufacturing step is carried out by one of the family of methods sometimes referred to as as continuous liquid interface production (CLIP). CLIP is known and described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,211,678; 9,205,601; 9,216,546; and others; J. Tumbleston et al., Continuous liquid interface production of 3D Objects, Science 347, 1349-1352 (2015); and R. Janusziewcz et al., Layerless fabrication with continuous liquid interface production, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 113, 11703-11708 (Oct. 18, 2016). Other examples of methods and apparatus for carrying out particular embodiments of CLIP include, but are not limited to: Batchelder et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017/0129169 (May 11, 2017); Sun and Lichkus, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2016/0288376 (Oct. 6, 2016); Willis et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0360419 (Dec. 17, 2015); Lin et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0331402 (Nov. 19, 2015); D. Castanon, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017/0129167 (May 11, 2017). B. Feller, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2018/0243976 (published Aug. 30, 2018); M. Panzer and J. Tumbleston, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2018/0126630 (published May 10, 2018); K. Willis and B. Adzima, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2018/0290374 (Oct. 11, 2018) L. Robeson et al., PCT Publication No. WO2019/164234 (see also U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,259,171 and 10,434,706); and C. Mirkin et al., PCT Publication No. WO2017/210298 (see also U.S. Patent Publication No. 2019/0160733).

[0058] Any suitable build material or resin can be used (depending upon the specific additive manufacturing process used) including but not limited to dual cure resins, Such resins are known and described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,676,963, 9,453,142 and 9,598,606 to Rolland et al. Particular examples of suitable dual cure resins include, but are not limited to, Carbon Inc. medical polyurethane, elastomeric polyurethane, rigid polyurethane, flexible polyurethane, and silicone dual cure resins, all available from Carbon, Inc., 1089 Mills Way, Redwood City, Calif. 94063 USA.

[0059] After the object is formed, it is typically cleaned (e.g., by washing, centrifgual separation, wiping/blowing, etc., including combinations thereof), and in some embodiments then further cured, such as by baking (although further curing may in some embodiments be concurrent with the first cure, or may be by different mechanisms such as by contacting to water, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,453,142 to Rolland et al.).

[0060] The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention, and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.