SURGICAL GUIDE WITH MATING CONNECTORS

Abstract

A dental implant surgical guide assembly includes a first arcuate guide defining sockets and a second arcuate guide having protrusions. The protrusions are mated to the sockets and the protrusions are longitudinally aligned with the sockets. The surgical guide assembly has a secure, close-to friction-fit with mating connectors having a particular geometry, simplifying the overall guide design.

Claims

1. A dental implant surgical guide assembly, comprising: a first arcuate guide defining sockets; and a second arcuate guide having protrusions mated to the sockets; wherein the sockets are longitudinally aligned with the protrusions.

2. The dental implant surgical guide assembly of claim 1, wherein the sockets and the protrusions have in cross-section a substantially isosceles trapezoid shape.

3. The dental implant surgical guide assembly of claim 1, wherein the protrusions and sockets have rounded edges and corners.

4. The dental implant surgical guide assembly of claim 1, wherein the protrusions and sockets have an angle divergence between about 0.1 and 10 degrees.

5. The dental implant surgical guide assembly of claim 1, wherein the protrusions and sockets have less than about 1 mm therebetween when coupled.

6. The dental implant surgical guide assembly of claim 1, wherein the protrusions and sockets have a friction fit or secure together with water adhesion.

7. The dental implant surgical guide assembly of claim 1, wherein the first arcuate guide is a bone reduction guide and the second arcuate guide is a surgical guide.

8. The dental implant surgical guide assembly of claim 7, wherein the bone reduction guide further defines fastener apertures between adjacent positions of the sockets and having a perpendicular axial configuration to the sockets.

9. The dental implant surgical guide assembly of claim 7, wherein the bone reduction guide further defines an irrigation port between a base of the socket and a convex surface of the bone reduction guide.

10. The dental implant surgical guide assembly of claim 1, wherein the first arcuate guide is a surgical guide and the second arcuate guide is a bone reduction guide.

11. The dental implant surgical guide assembly of claim 1, wherein second arcuate guide defines drill apertures, proximal to the protrusions, having a parallel axial configuration, wherein the drill apertures are configured to accommodate a surgical drill.

12. The dental implant surgical guide assembly of claim 11, wherein the protrusions are configured to extend laterally from the drill apertures to a position that aligns the drill apertures with a patient's bone tissue.

13. The dental implant surgical guide assembly of claim 1, wherein the protrusions have a length sufficient to form a gap of greater than 1 mm between the first arcuate guide and the second arcuate guide.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an oral implant guide according to an embodiment of the present invention, shown in use;

[0013] FIG. 2 is another perspective view thereof;

[0014] FIG. 3 is an exploded view thereof;

[0015] FIG. 4 is a sectional view thereof, taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

[0016] FIG. 5 is another sectional view thereof; and

[0017] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

[0019] Broadly, one embodiment of the present invention is an oral implant guide with a male-to-female connection that securely fits together without a pin or latch.

[0020] The male and female connection generally utilizes an isosceles trapezoid shape that has a very small angle divergence (e.g., between about 0.1 and 10 degrees) and minimal space between the two (e.g., less than about 1 mm). They may fit together with friction or may secure together with water. The shallow angle divergence and minimal space between the two parts allows for secure fit, dry or wet. The connector components may have rounded edges and corners.

[0021] The male-to-female connection may be utilized by many different devices, depending on patient needs. Several male-to-female connections may be provided in a single surgical appliance depending, for example, on spacing or stability. The surgical appliance may comprise a bone-supported guide with additional surgical components indexed thereto.

[0022] The female receiver may have an outward-facing (i.e., facial, buccal) irrigation port. The irrigation port enables the provider to cleanse the female receiver connection of any debris to ensure a very intimate fit. The port also enables excess water to exit the female connection when indexing the male component.

[0023] The inventive guide may be manufactured by any suitable method, such as 3D printing or milling. Preferably, the guide may be manufactured via 3D printing. Computer aided designcomputer aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) software may be used to align the geometries of surgical components. The male and/or female connection sizes may be adjusted to match patient anatomy, to accommodate spacing restrictions, and/or for physical manufacturing tolerances. The connector components may be adjusted to be shorter or taller and/or wider or narrower, with minor angle adjustments to match each patient individually and to meet the manufacturing minimum tolerances.

[0024] The male connection components may have a leg spacing the connector component from a longitudinal body, configured to form a gap between the bone reduction guide and the surgical guide, such as a vertical spacing between longitudinal components of the bone reduction guide and the surgical guide. The vertical spacing may be greater than 1 mm. For example, the gap between the guides may be at least about 2 mm, at least about 3 mm, at least about 4 mm, at least about 5 mm, at least about 6 mm, at least about 7 mm, at least about 8 mm, or at least about 9 mm. In some embodiments, the gap between guides may be between about 2 mm and about 10 mm.

[0025] The guide assembly disclosed herein may be manufactured of any suitable material, such as a carbon-based polymer or a silicon-based polymer.

[0026] In some embodiments, a platform or bone reduction guide may have female sockets, while connecting components, such as a seating jig and a surgical guide, may have male protrusions mated to the female sockets.

[0027] In alternate embodiments, a platform or bone reduction guide may have male protrusions, while connecting components, such as a seating jig and a surgical guide, may have female sockets mated to the male protrusions.

[0028] Without limiting the scope of the present invention, the male-to-female connected surgical apparatus, also referred to herein as the isosceles platform bone reduction guide, may be used during oral surgery on a patient's maxilla or mandible as described in the following example. A pin guide to predrill the bone fixation pins and/or a seating device may be used to ensure the correct positioning of a bone platform foundation guide. This seating device may be removed after the platform is secured to the bone. Once the platform is anchored in place utilizing the doctor's pre-determined choice of fixation pins or screws, any anatomy including teeth or bone superior to the flat plane atop the platform guide may be removed. A surgical guide utilizing the isosceles platform connection may be indexed to the platform foundation. Water may be applied to cleanse the connections via the outward-facing ports to easily remove any debris present due to the removal of anatomy. The provider may drill osteotomies, place implants, and suture gingiva according to methods well known in the art.

[0029] Referring to FIGS. 1 through 6, FIG. 1 shows an oral implant guide placed in a patient's mouth 20. The guide comprises a male connector body 10 having male connectors 18 and a female connector body 12 having irrigation ports 14. As shown, the surgeon 24 may operate a drill 22 to perform an osteotomy through apertures in the male connector body 10, enabling accurate placement of a surgical implant.

[0030] As FIGS. 3 through 6 illustrate, the female connector body 12 has female connectors 16 defined therein that snugly accommodate the male connectors 18 of the male connector body 10. The female connectors 16 directly fluidly communicate with the irrigation ports 14. A space or gap 26 between the female connector body 12 and the male connector body 10 enables superior irrigation and visibility of surgical drills and implants as they enter the patient.

[0031] It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.