Abstract
The present invention relates to an assembly for forming an interface part for dental implants with variable height. The assembly comprises a tubular interface part with a central axis and an auxiliary part which is coupled to the interface part. In a coupled position: the auxiliary part is integral with the interface part at least in a sense of direction parallel to the central axis; a final segment of the abutment protrudes through an upper end of the auxiliary part; and a peripheral surface outside the abutment comprises at least one planar face in a plane which intersects with the final segment of the abutment and the central axis. The planar face of the auxiliary part serves as a guide for cutting the abutment at a specific height.
Claims
1. An assembly for forming an interface part for dental implants with variable height, characterized in that it comprises: an interface part having a tubular shape with a central axis and comprising: a base end for seating said interface part on a dental implant body, an abutment for integrally attaching a prosthesis element to said interface part, said abutment being coaxial with said central axis and extending from said base end to a free end of said abutment, and an inner conduit coaxial with said central axis going through said interface part from said free end to said base end forming a passage for a set screw, said inner conduit being provided with an inner rib which forms a seating for the head of the set screw, and at least one auxiliary part formed for being coupled in a detachable manner to said interface part, such that in a coupled position: said auxiliary part is integral with said interface part at least in a sense of direction parallel to said central axis; a final segment of said abutment, adjacent to said free end, protrudes through an upper end of said auxiliary part; said upper end of the auxiliary part forms a peripheral surface outside said abutment, said peripheral surface comprising at least one planar face in a plane; and said plane of the planar face intersects with said final segment of the abutment and said central axis.
2. The assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said auxiliary part has an annular shape with an axial passage, said axial passage going through said auxiliary part from a lower end to said upper end forming said peripheral surface, said peripheral surface being an annular surface around said axial passage; and said auxiliary part being formed such that said abutment enters said axial passage of the auxiliary part through said lower end and moves freely in a direction parallel to said central axis to said coupled position; and in said coupled position, said interface part is integrally attached to said auxiliary part by shape complementarity between said interface part and said auxiliary part, in any radial direction with respect to said central axis.
3. The assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that said auxiliary part has a cylindrical-shaped outer surface provided with grooves distributed along the circular perimeter of said cylindrical shape.
4. The assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the assembly comprises a plurality of said auxiliary parts, each of said auxiliary parts being sized such that, in said coupled position, said plane of the planar face intersects with said final segment of the abutment and said central axis at a different height along said central axis.
5. The assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said base end of the interface part comprises a rim protruding from the outer surface of said abutment in a radial direction with respect to said central axis, said abutment extending from said rim to said free end, and in said coupled position said auxiliary part is supported with its lower end abutting with said rim in the direction of said central axis.
6. The assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said abutment of the interface part comprises a non-circular outer surface with respect to said central axis, and said auxiliary part comprises a non-circular inner surface with respect to said central axis, said non-circular inner surface having a shape complementary to the shape of said non-circular outer surface, such that in said coupled position, said interface part is integrally attached in rotation to said auxiliary part with respect to said central axis by shape complementarity between said outer surface and said inner surface.
7. The assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that the outer surface of said the abutment comprises, in a lower segment of said abutment adjacent to said base end, at least one protuberance forming said non-circular outer surface of the abutment, and the inner surface of said auxiliary part comprises at least one sinkage forming said non-circular inner surface of the auxiliary part in which said protuberance is introduced in said coupled position.
8. The assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that said protuberances are at least three in number and distributed around said central axis.
9. The assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that the outer surface of said abutment comprises at least one recess forming said non-circular outer surface of the abutment, and the inner surface of said auxiliary part comprises at least one rib which forms said non-circular inner surface of the auxiliary part and is introduced in said recess in said coupled position.
10. The assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that said recesses are at least three in number and distributed around said central axis.
11. The assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that the outer surface of said abutment has a frustoconical shape with a diameter decreasing towards said free end.
12. The assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said peripheral surface of said auxiliary part comprises a first planar face in a first plane intersecting with said final segment of the abutment and said central axis and a second face that does not belong to said first plane and continuously prolongs said first planar face in said peripheral surface.
13. The assembly according to claim 12, characterized in that said first plane is perpendicular to said central axis.
14. The assembly according to claim 12, characterized in that said second face comprises an upper segment in a second plane parallel to said central axis, and a lower segment in a third plane, said second plane and third plane intersecting with said final segment of the abutment, and said third plane forming with said second plane P an angle equal to or greater than 90°.
15. The assembly according to claim 14, characterized in that said third plane forms with said second plane an obtuse angle.
16. The assembly according to claim 15, characterized in that said third plane forms with said second plane an angle comprised between 110° and 130°.
17. The assembly according to claim 14, characterized in that said second face comprises a concave curved intermediate segment joining said upper segment and said lower segment.
18. The assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the assembly comprises a tool for integrally attaching said auxiliary part to said interface part in said coupled position in the direction of said central axis, said tool comprising a rod which moves in a through hole of said auxiliary part and presses, with its end, the outer surface of said interface part.
19. The assembly according to claim 18, characterized in that said rod is provided with a thread and said through hole is provided with a corresponding thread, such that said rod is screwed into said through hole so that it moves along same until pressing, with its end, the outer surface of said interface part, and said tool comprises a handle integral with said rod.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] The advantages and features of the invention will become apparent in the following description in which preferred embodiments of the invention are described in a non-limiting manner with respect to the scope of the main claim in reference to the drawings.
[0037] FIGS. 1 to 17 show a first embodiment with a first type of interface part.
[0038] FIGS. 1 to 5 are, respectively, a perspective view, a section view, a bottom view, a front view, and a top view of the interface part.
[0039] FIGS. 6 to 10 are, respectively, a perspective view, a section view, a bottom view, a front view, and a top view of the auxiliary part.
[0040] FIGS. 11 to 13 are, respectively, a front view, a longitudinal section view, and a cross-section view of the assembly formed by the interface part and the auxiliary part in the coupled position.
[0041] FIG. 14 shows from left to right successive steps of the abutment cutting operation for the interface part at a height predetermined by the auxiliary part.
[0042] FIG. 15 shows three auxiliary parts, each of them sized for cutting the same interface part at a different height.
[0043] FIGS. 16 and 17 are a perspective view and a section view showing the use of the tool for integrally attaching the two parts to one another in the direction of the central axis.
[0044] FIGS. 18 to 30 show a second embodiment with a second type of interface part.
[0045] FIGS. 18 to 22 are, respectively, a perspective view, a section view, a bottom view, a front view, and a top view of the interface part.
[0046] FIGS. 23 to 28 are, respectively, a top perspective view, a bottom perspective view, a section view, a bottom view, a front view, and a top view of the auxiliary part.
[0047] FIGS. 29 and 30 are, respectively, a longitudinal section view and a cross-section view of the assembly formed by the interface part and the auxiliary part, coupled to one another and in the coupled position.
[0048] FIGS. 31 to 37 are, respectively, a perspective view, a first longitudinal section view, a second longitudinal section view, a cross-section view, a bottom view, a front view, and a top view of an auxiliary part according to a third embodiment.
[0049] FIGS. 38 to 40 are, respectively, a front view, a longitudinal section view, and a cross-section view of the assembly formed by the interface part and the auxiliary part in the coupled position.
[0050] FIGS. 41 and 42 show from left to right successive steps of the abutment cutting operation for the interface part at a height predetermined by the auxiliary part with a notch being made in the abutment.
[0051] FIGS. 43 and 44 are a perspective view and a section view showing the use of the tool for integrally attaching the two parts to one another in the direction of the central axis.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0052] FIGS. 1 to 17 show a first embodiment of the assembly according to the invention, with a first type of interface part.
[0053] The assembly is formed by an interface part 1A for dental implants and three auxiliary parts 8A. In the embodiment that is shown, the three auxiliary parts 8A have the same shape but not the same height: each of them has a different height to enable cutting the abutment of the same interface part 1A at a different height. FIGS. 1-14 and 16-17 show only the auxiliary part 8A having a smaller height.
[0054] The interface part 1A is a one-piece metallic part made of biocompatible material, such as grade 5 titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V alloy), a Cr—Co alloy, or a Ni—Cr—Mo—Ti alloy, for example. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 to 5, the interface part 1A has a tubular shape with a central axis Z and comprises a base end 2 for seating the interface part 1A on a dental implant body (not depicted in the drawings), and an abutment 3 for integrally attaching a prosthesis element (not depicted in the drawings) to said interface part 1A. The abutment 3 is coaxial with the central axis Z and extends from the base end 2 to a free end 4 of said abutment 3. An inner conduit 5, coaxial with the central axis Z, goes through the interface part 1A from the free end 4 to the base end 2. This inner conduit 5 forms a passage for a set screw (not depicted in the drawings) and is provided with an inner rib 6 which forms a seating 7 for the head of the set screw. The base end 2 has a flange-like seating portion constituting a rim 15 protruding from the outer surface of the abutment 3 in a radial direction with respect to the central axis Z. The abutment 3 extends from the rim 15 to the free end 4. The base end 2 further comprises a fitting portion 28 which in the depicted example has a hexagonal shape and is intended for fitting the interface part 1A in a dental implant body having a corresponding shape in a manner that prevents rotation. This fitting portion 28 can have any other shape, including a shape on the inner surface of the inner conduit 5, depending on the geometry of the dental implant body in which the interface part 1A is to be fitted. The outer surface of the abutment 3 is cylindrical and comprises retaining grooves 27, intended for assuring the integral attachment of a prosthesis element to said outer surface of the abutment 3. In a lower segment of the abutment 3, adjacent to the base end, the outer surface of the abutment 3 comprises three protuberances 16 which are distributed around the central axis Z and form a non-circular outer surface of the abutment 3.
[0055] The auxiliary part 8A is a one-piece part made of any strong and rigid material. For example, it can be a metallic part or a part molded from a polymer material with fillers. As can be seen in FIGS. 6 to 10, in the depicted embodiment the auxiliary part 8A has an annular shape with an axial passage 9 going through said auxiliary part 8A from a lower end 10 to an upper end 11 thereof. In the drawings, the auxiliary part 8A has a cylindrical ring shape. The upper end 11 forms an annular peripheral surface 12 around the axial passage 9. This peripheral surface 12 comprises a planar face 13 in a plane P. In the depicted example, the entire peripheral surface 12 constitutes the planar face 13, which in this case is located on plane P parallel to the axis of the cylindrical ring-shaped auxiliary part 8A. Other embodiments in which the peripheral surface has a complex shape and only a part thereof constitutes the planar face are possible.
[0056] The auxiliary part 8A is formed for being coupled in a detachable manner to the interface part 1A, such that the abutment 3 enters the axial passage 9 of the auxiliary part 8A through the lower end 10 and moves freely in the direction of the central axis Z to a coupled position in which the auxiliary part 8A is supported abutting with interface part 1A. The assembly of the two parts 1A and 8A in this coupled position is shown in FIGS. 11 to 13. As can be seen in FIG. 12, the auxiliary part 8A is supported with its lower end 10 abutting with the rim 15 of the interface part 1A. This abutting support constitutes a limit for the relative movement between the abutment 3 and the axial passage 9 in the direction of entry of said abutment 3 in said axial passage 9. Therefore, in this coupled position the auxiliary part 8A is integral with the interface part 1A in the direction of the central axis Z in said direction of entry. Furthermore, in this coupled position the interface part 1A is integrally attached to the auxiliary part 8A by shape complementarity between said interface part 1A and said auxiliary part 8A, in any radial direction with respect to the central axis Z. More specifically, in the depicted embodiment the shape of the axial passage 9 and the shape of the abutment 3 are complementary in a section transverse to the central axis Z, as can be seen in FIG. 13. The inner surface of the axial passage 9 comprises three sinkages 17 in which each of the three protuberances 16 is introduced. These three sinkages 17 form a non-circular inner surface of the axial passage 9 with respect to the central axis Z, having a shape complementary to the shape of the non-circular outer surface of the abutment 3 formed by the protuberances 16. In that sense, in the coupled position the interface part 1A is integrally attached in rotation to the auxiliary part 8A with respect to the central axis Z by shape complementarity between the outer surface of the abutment 3 and the inner surface of the axial passage 9. In other embodiments, this attachment can be made with different numbers of protuberances 16 and sinkages 17, without there being a need for as many sinkages 17 as protuberances 16.
[0057] As can be seen in particular in FIG. 11, in the coupled position the abutment 3 protrudes through the upper end 11 of the auxiliary part 8A in a final segment 14 adjacent to the free end 4, such that the plane P of the planar face 13 intersects with said final segment 14 of the abutment 3 and the central axis Z. The section of plane P with the abutment 3 determines the plane along which said abutment 3 will be cut with the help of the auxiliary part 8A.
[0058] To cut the abutment 3, a dental prosthesis technician works in the following manner. First, the technician chooses the auxiliary part 8A which corresponds to the desired cutting height from among the different auxiliary parts 8A available, for example from among the three parts shown in FIG. 15. Next, the technician couples the auxiliary part 8A to the interface part 1A, introducing the abutment 3 through the axial passage 9 and moving the auxiliary part 8A with respect to the interface part 1A along the central axis Z until reaching the coupled position shown in FIGS. 11 to 13. This situation is shown in the image on the left hand side of FIG. 14. The technician then uses a cutting tool, such as a drill or a cutting disc, for example, to cut the abutment 3 along the plane Z defined by the planar face 13. To that end, the technician can advantageously support the cutting tool on the planar face 13. The image in the center of FIG. 14 shows the situation after cutting has been performed. Finally, the technician removes the auxiliary part 8A, and thereby obtains the interface part 1A with the abutment 3 cut to the desired height as shown in the image on the right hand side of FIG. 14.
[0059] To cut the abutment 3 at a different height, the technician performs the same operation using another auxiliary part 8A. Each of the auxiliary parts 8A is sized such that, when it is coupled to the same interface part 1A and in the coupled position, the plane P of the planar face 13 intersects with the final segment 14 of the abutment 3 and the central axis Z at a different height along the central axis Z. In the depicted embodiment, this is achieved simply as a result of the auxiliary parts 8A having the same shape but a different height between the lower end 10 and the upper end 11.
[0060] The auxiliary part 8A has a cylindrical-shaped outer surface provided with grooves 20 distributed along the circular perimeter of said cylindrical shape. The outer surface of the auxiliary part 8A thereby forms a grip which the technician can use to hold said auxiliary part 8A and keep it in the coupled position while the cut is being made.
[0061] FIGS. 18 to 30 show a second embodiment of the assembly according to the invention, with a second type of interface part. The same reference numbers as in the first embodiment have been used in the drawings to indicate similar elements.
[0062] The interface part 1B is depicted in FIGS. 18 to 22. It differs from interface part 1A in that the outer surface of the abutment 3 has a frustoconical shape centered in the central axis Z, with a diameter that decreases towards the free end 4. Furthermore, the non-circular outer surface of the abutment 3 is not formed by protuberances, but rather by three recesses 18 distributed around the central axis Z. The recesses 18 are formed in a central area of the abutment 3 which is provided with retaining grooves 27. The fitting portion of the base end 2 is also different. In this case, the fitting portion 29 is a body of revolution which, in the depicted example, has a frustoconical shape and is intended for rotatably fitting the interface part 1B in a dental implant body having a corresponding shape. This fitting portion 29 can have any other shape, including a shape on the inner surface of the inner conduit 5, depending on the geometry of the dental implant body in which the interface part 1B is to be fitted.
[0063] The auxiliary part 8B is depicted in FIGS. 23 to 28. If differs from auxiliary part 8A in that the inner surface of the axial passage 9 comprises two ribs 19 forming the non-circular inner surface of the axial passage 9 and in that, in the coupled position, each of them is introduced in one of the recesses 18. In the depicted embodiment, the recesses 18 are sunken planar faces, and the ribs 19 are corresponding protruding planar faces. The axial passage 9 has a segment with a frustoconical shape complementary to the frustoconical shape of the outer wall of the abutment 3. The shape of the axial passage 9 and the shape of the abutment 3 are therefore complementary in a section transverse to the central axis Z, as can be seen in FIG. 30.
[0064] FIGS. 29 and 30 show the fitting of the two parts 1B and 8B. It can be observed that FIG. 29 depicts the part 1B after the abutment 3 has been cut. The initial situation before cutting and in the coupled position is similar to that of FIG. 11, i.e., the abutment 3 protrudes through the upper end 11 of the auxiliary part 8B in a final segment adjacent to the free end 4, such that the plane P of the planar face 13 intersects with said final segment of the abutment 3 and the central axis Z.
[0065] FIGS. 31 to 44 show a third embodiment of the assembly according to the invention. The assembly is formed by an interface part 1A for dental implants which in this example is identical to the one of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 17, and an auxiliary part 8A′ according to said third embodiment.
[0066] The auxiliary part 8A′ is a one-piece part made of any strong and rigid material. For example, it can be a metallic part or a part molded from a polymer material with fillers. As can be seen in FIGS. 31 to 37, in the depicted embodiment the auxiliary part 8A′ has an annular shape with an axial passage 9 going through said auxiliary part 8A′ from a lower end 10 to an upper end 11 thereof. In the drawings, the auxiliary part 8A′ has a cylindrical ring shape. The upper end 11 forms an annular peripheral surface 12 around the axial passage 9. This peripheral surface 12 comprises a first planar face 131 in a first plane P1 perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical ring-shaped auxiliary part 8A′ and a second face 132 that does not belong to said first plane P1 and continuously prolongs said first planar face 131 in said peripheral surface 12. The second face 132 comprises an upper segment 133 in a second plane P2 parallel to the axis of the cylindrical ring-shaped auxiliary part 8A′ and a lower segment 134 in a third plane P3 forming with said second plane P2 an obtuse angle comprised between 110° and 130°. In the example depicted in the drawings, this angle is substantially equal to 120°. The second face 132 further comprises an elbow-like concave curved intermediate segment 135 joining the upper segment 133 and the lower segment 134.
[0067] The auxiliary part 8A′ is formed for being coupled in a detachable manner to the interface part 1A, such that the abutment 3 enters the axial passage 9 of the auxiliary part 8A′ through the lower end 10 and moves freely in the direction of the central axis Z to a coupled position in which the auxiliary part 8A′ is supported abutting with the interface part 1A. The assembly of the two parts 1A and 8A′ in this coupled position is shown in FIGS. 38 to 40. As can be seen in FIG. 39, the auxiliary part 8A′ is supported with its lower end 10 abutting with the rim 15 of the interface part 1A. This abutting support constitutes a limit for the relative movement between the abutment 3 and the auxiliary part 8A′ in the direction of entry of said abutment 3 in the axial passage 9. Therefore, in this coupled position the auxiliary part 8A′ is integral with the interface part 1A in the direction of the central axis Z in said direction of entry. Furthermore, in this coupled position the interface part 1A is integrally attached to the auxiliary part 8A′ by shape complementarity between said interface part 1A and said auxiliary part 8A′, in any radial direction with respect to the central axis Z. More specifically, in the depicted embodiment the shape of the axial passage 9 and the shape of the abutment 3 are complementary in a section transverse to the central axis Z, as can be seen in FIG. 40. The inner surface of the axial passage 9 comprises three sinkages 17 in which each of the three protuberances 16 is introduced. These three sinkages 17 form a non-circular inner surface of the axial passage 9 with respect to the central axis Z, having a shape complementary to the shape of the non-circular outer surface of the abutment 3 formed by the protuberances 16. In that sense, in the coupled position the interface part 1A is integrally attached in rotation to the auxiliary part 8A′ with respect to the central axis Z by shape complementarity between the outer surface of the abutment 3 and the inner surface of the axial passage 9. In other embodiments, this integral attachment can be made with different numbers of protuberances 16 and sinkages 17, without there being a need for as many sinkages 17 as protuberances 16.
[0068] As can be seen in particular in FIG. 38, in the coupled position the abutment 3 protrudes through the upper end 11 of the auxiliary part 8A′ in a final segment 14 adjacent to the free end 4, such that the first plane P1 of the first planar face 131 is perpendicular to the central axis Z and intersects with said final segment 14 of the abutment 3 and said central axis Z. The section of the abutment 3 along the first plane P1 determines a first cutting surface along which a first cut of said abutment 3 will be made with the help of the auxiliary part 8A′ to reduce the height of said abutment 3 to a height established by the position of the first planar face 131 along the central axis Z. As can also be seen in FIG. 38, the second plane P2 of the second face 132 is parallel to said central axis Z, and the second plane P2 and the third plane P3 intersect with the final segment 14 of the abutment 3. The projection of the second face 132 over the abutment 3 determines a second cutting surface along which the abutment 3 will be cut with the help of the auxiliary part 8A′ to make a notch 29 with a shape determined by said second face 132 of the auxiliary part 8A′ in said abutment 3.
[0069] To cut the abutment 3, a dental prosthesis technician works in the following manner. First, the technician couples the auxiliary part 8A′ to the interface part 1A, introducing the abutment 3 through the axial passage 9 and moving the auxiliary part 8A′ with respect to the interface part 1A along the central axis Z until reaching the coupled position shown in FIGS. 38 to 40. This situation is shown in the first image on the left hand side of FIGS. 41 and 42. Next, the technician uses a cutting tool, such as a drill or a cutting disc, for example, to make a first cut on the abutment 3 along the first plane Z1 defined by the first planar face 131. To that end, the technician can advantageously support the cutting implement on said first planar face 131. The second image on left hand side of FIGS. 41 and 42 shows the situation after this first cut has been made, whereby the height of the abutment 3 has been reduced to a height established by the position of the first planar face 131 along the central axis Z. The technician then uses the same or another cutting tool, such as a drill, for example, to make a second cut on the abutment 3 following the projection of the second face 132. To that end, the technician can advantageously support the cutting implement on said second face 132. The third image on the left hand side of FIGS. 41 and 42 shows the situation after this second cut has been made, whereby a notch 29 with a shape determined by the second face 132 of the auxiliary part 8A′ has been made in the abutment 3.
[0070] Finally, the technician removes the auxiliary part 8A′, and thereby obtains the interface part 1A with the abutment 3 cut to the desired height and provided with the notch 29, as shown in the image on the right hand side of FIGS. 41 and 42.
[0071] As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 for the first embodiment, as well as in FIGS. 43 and 44 for the second embodiment, the assembly according to the invention may optionally comprise a tool 21 for keeping the two parts 1A, 8A-8A′ in the coupled position, i.e., for integrally attaching the auxiliary part 8A-8A′ to the interface part 1A in the direction of the central axis Z. The drawings show an embodiment of this tool 21, comprising a rod 22 which moves in a through hole 23 provided in the auxiliary part 8A-8A′. The rod 22 presses with its end the outer surface of the interface part 1A. Advantageously, the rod 22 is provided with a thread 24 and the through hole 23 is provided with a corresponding thread 25, such that the rod 22 is screwed into the through hole 23 and thereby moves in controlled manner along this through hole until pressing, with its end, the outer surface of the interface part 1A. The technician can readily rotate the rod 22 as a result of a handle 26 of the tool 21 which is integral with said rod 22. The rod 22 is kept in position, assuring the integral attachment of the two parts 1A, 8A-8A′, as a result of the force exerted through the end thereof on the interface part 1A.
