U.S. patent number RE46,626 [Application Number 14/963,159] was granted by the patent office on 2017-12-12 for dental impression tray for use in obtaining an impression of a dental structure.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Nobel Biocare Services AG. The grantee listed for this patent is Nobel Biocare Services AG. Invention is credited to Jenny Faldt, Per-Olof Karlsson.
United States Patent |
RE46,626 |
Karlsson , et al. |
December 12, 2017 |
Dental impression tray for use in obtaining an impression of a
dental structure
Abstract
A dental impression tray, a kit, and method of using the same
are provided for taking an impression of at least a portion of a
dental structure of a patient. The tray can include a tray portion,
fiduciary markers, and can also have a holding section with two
opposing sides and fasteners disposed thereon. The kit can include
the tray and a handle portion. The handle can be removably secured
to the holding section of the tray. In some embodiments, the handle
can include a pair of handle portions. In other embodiments, a part
of the handle can be aligned with a facial feature of a patient
from whom a dental impression is to be obtained.
Inventors: |
Karlsson; Per-Olof (Alingsas,
SE), Faldt; Jenny (Molnlycke, SE) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Nobel Biocare Services AG |
Kloten |
N/A |
CH |
|
|
Assignee: |
Nobel Biocare Services AG
(Kloten, CH)
|
Family
ID: |
39324838 |
Appl.
No.: |
14/963,159 |
Filed: |
December 8, 2015 |
PCT
Filed: |
October 18, 2007 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/SE2007/000925 |
371(c)(1),(2),(4) Date: |
June 24, 2009 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO2008/051142 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
May 02, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
12447461 |
Oct 18, 2007 |
8602773 |
Dec 10, 2013 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Oct 27, 2006 [SE] |
|
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0602272 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61C
9/0006 (20130101); A61C 9/0093 (20130101); A61C
9/0006 (20130101); A61C 9/0093 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61C
9/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;433/37-49,72,73,53-68,80,82-87,118,119,215,216,6,77,79,126 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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602015 |
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Aug 1934 |
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DE |
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10061088 |
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Jun 2002 |
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DE |
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1957005 |
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Aug 2008 |
|
EP |
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1438237 |
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Apr 1966 |
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FR |
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441333 |
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Sep 1985 |
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SE |
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531381 |
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Mar 2009 |
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SE |
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WO 2005/046504 |
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May 2005 |
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WO |
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WO 2007/062658 |
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Jun 2007 |
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WO |
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WO 2008/051130 |
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May 2008 |
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WO |
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WO 2008/051141 |
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May 2008 |
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WO |
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Other References
International Search Report received in corresponding PCT
Application No. PCT/SE2007/000925, dated Feb. 6, 2008, 4 pages.
cited by applicant .
Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority for
International application No. PCT/SE2007/000925, dated Feb. 6,
2008, in 6 pages. cited by applicant .
International Preliminary Report on Patentability for International
application No. PCT/SE2007/000925, dated Apr. 28, 2009, in 7 pages.
cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Wehner; Cary
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear
LLP
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A kit for making a dental impression and holding the impression
for a scanning operation, the kit comprising: a dental impression
tray comprising a tray portion comprising a U-shaped impression
section adapted to be loaded with impression material, the tray
portion being contoured to fit over at least a part of both an
upper dental structure and a lower dental structure to
simultaneously obtain an impression of the part of the upper dental
structure and the part of the lower dental structure, the tray
portion comprising a holding section projecting from a curved
surface of the U-shaped impression section, the holding section
comprising a first side facing in a first direction and a second
side opposite the first side and facing in a second direction that
is opposite to the first direction, each of the first side of the
holding section and the second side of the holding section
comprising a plurality of fasteners, wherein each of the plurality
of fasteners is in the form of a hole or a recess; a holder
comprising an alignment part configured to secure the dental
impression tray stationary during scanning of the impression of the
part of the upper dental structure in a vertical and lateral
configuration and during scanning of the impression of the part of
the lower dental structure in the same vertical and lateral
configuration when the dental impression tray is turned
180.degree., the holder comprising a plurality of projections or
pegs having a shape that is complementary in shape to the fasteners
of the first side of the holding section and the fasteners of the
second side of the holding section, wherein the fasteners of the
first side of the holding section and the fasteners of the second
side of the holding section are configured to lock the holding
section to the alignment part of the holder, the fasteners of the
first side of the holding section and the fasteners of the second
side of the holding section each having a form lockable to the
holder; and a handle securable to the tray portion and removable
from the tray portion, the handle comprising a plurality of
fastening elements, wherein each of the plurality of fastening
elements is in the form of a projection or a peg, the plurality of
fastening elements being complementary in shape to the fasteners of
the first side of the holding section and the fasteners of the
second side of the holding section, the handle manipulable by a
user to align the tray portion in a patient's mouth with .[.eyes.].
.Iadd.at least one facial feature .Iaddend.of the patient, wherein
the holder is designed to cooperate with the same fasteners of the
holding section of the dental impression tray as the handle, and
wherein the handle has a different shape than the holder.
2. The kit of claim 1, wherein the handle comprises a first handle
part and a second handle part and wherein the first handle part and
the second handle part have a same shape.
3. The kit of claim 2, wherein, when the first handle part is
coupled to the second handle part, the first handle part includes a
first section overlapping the second handle part and a second
section not overlapping the first handle part.
4. The kit of claim 1, wherein the handle comprises a first handle
part and a second handle part and wherein the first handle part
comprises a first snap fit element and wherein the second handle
part comprises a second snap fit element configured to fit with the
first snap fit element.
.Iadd.5. The kit of claim 1, wherein the at least one facial
feature comprises eyes of the patient..Iaddend.
.Iadd.6. The kit of claim 1, wherein the at least one facial
feature comprises an eye and nose of the patient..Iaddend.
.Iadd.7. The kit of claim 1, wherein the tray portion comprises at
least one fiduciary marker configured to be detected during the
scanning of the impression..Iaddend.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application .Iadd.is a reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 8,602,773,
which issued Dec. 10, 2013 from U.S. patent application Ser. No.
12/447,461, filed Jun. 24, 2009, which .Iaddend.is a national stage
application under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.371 of PCT Application No.
PCT/SE2007/000925 designating the United States, filed on Oct. 18,
2007. The PCT Application was published in English as WO
2008/051142 A1 on May 2, 2008 and claims the benefit of the earlier
filing date of Swedish Patent Application No. 0602272-7, filed on
Oct. 27, 2006. The contents of PCT Application No.
PCT/SE2007/000925, including publication WO 2008/051142 A1, and
.[.Swedish Patent Application No. 0602272-7,.]. .Iadd.U.S. Pat. No.
8,602,773 .Iaddend.are incorporated herein by reference in their
entirety.
.Iadd.Notice: More than one reissue application has been filed for
the reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 8,602,773. The reissue applications
are application Ser. No. 14/963,159 (the present application) and
Ser. No. 15/400,821, which is a divisional reissue application of
application Ser. No. 14/963,159..Iaddend.
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Inventions
The present application relates to a dental impression tray for
making an impression of a dental structure such as, for example,
the dentition of a patient.
2. Description of Related Art
Dental impression trays are used to obtain an impression of a
dental structure, such as a patient's dentition. Such impressions
can be used, for example, in connection with procedures for making
a dental model. A dental impression tray generally includes a tray
portion that is contoured to fit over at least a part of a dental
structure of which an impression is to be obtained. Such a dental
structure may be, for example, a part of a patient's upper or lower
dentition. The dental structure may also be, for example, a cast of
a patient's dentition.
Techniques for obtaining a dental impression include the single
arch and the closed bite technique. In the closed bite technique, a
dental impression material is placed in the tray portion and the
tray portion is applied to a dental structure such as the dentition
of a patient. When the dental impression tray is applied to a
patient, the patient will then bite into the impression material to
create an impression of the patient's dentition. If the dental
structure is a model of a dentition, for example a cast, the dental
structure may be pressed into the impression material. Impressions
created in this way can be impressions of both a patient's upper
and lower dentition. However, it is also possible to make an
impression of only the lower dentition or only the upper
dentition.
An impression can also be an impression of, for example, only a
part of a patient's upper dentition or only a part of a patient's
lower dentition. The dental impression can be used for casting a
model of the dental structure. As an alternative to using the
dental impression for casting a model, a scanning operation can be
performed directly on the dental impression itself. Such a
procedure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,334.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,198, a dental modeling simulator is
disclosed. As described in that patent, a molded impression of a
patient's teeth is taken. The impression is placed on a support
table that defines an X-Y plane and a beam of laser light is
directed onto the impression to scan the impression with the beam.
The scanning is then used to generate a digital image. The tray may
be provided with predefined identification marks at upper and lower
sides.
SUMMARY
Accordingly, embodiments of the present inventions preferable seek
to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more deficiencies,
disadvantages or issues in the art, such as the above-identified,
singly or in any combination by providing a dental impression tray
that can be used to obtain an impression of at least a part of a
dental structure such as, for example, the dentition of a patient,
a method for making an impression, and a method for making a
virtual model according to the appended patent claims.
The present application relates to a dental impression tray for use
in obtaining an impression of at least a part of a dental structure
such as, for example, the dentition of a patient. As used herein,
the term "dental structure" should be understood as including not
only dentitions or models thereof, but also structures covered by
soft tissue that may be found in the mouth of patients that have
lost their teeth and models of such structures.
In some embodiments, the dental impression tray comprises a tray
portion adapted to be loaded with impression material. The tray
portion is contoured to fit over at least a part of a dental
structure (for example a dentition). In some embodiments, the
dental impression tray further comprises a handle connected to the
tray portion or adapted/shaped to be connected to the tray portion.
The handle has a first end at which the handle is connected to the
tray portion or adapted to be connected to the tray portion. The
handle also has a second end that is a distal end in relation to
the tray portion when the handle is connected to the tray
portion.
In some embodiments of the invention, the second end of the handle
has an edge facing away from the tray portion. In such embodiments,
the edge may form a visible line when it is seen from the side
facing away from the tray portion. The straight line has a length
of at least 30 mm. In some embodiments, the line that is formed by
the edge when seen from the side facing away from the tray portion
may be a straight line that has a length of at least 60 mm. In some
embodiments, the line formed by the edge may have a length of at
least 80 mm.
In some embodiments, the handle may be removably secured to the
tray portion.
In some embodiments, the handle may comprise two separate parts
that are adapted to be connected to each other such that the
separate handle parts overlap each other partially, but not
completely. In such embodiments where the handle comprises separate
parts, the separate handle parts may be adapted to be connected to
each other by a snap-on catch formed by the handle parts. However,
the connection could also be something else than a snap-on
connection. In embodiments where the handle comprises separate
parts, the separate parts may be identical in shape. Embodiments
are also possible where separate handle parts are not identical in
shape.
In embodiments where the handle comprises separate handle parts,
each of the separate handle parts may be designed to cooperate with
a complementary part of the tray portion in such a way that the
handle is locked to the tray portion as long as the separate handle
parts are connected to each other.
In some embodiments, the handle may be shaped to define a slot
having a length extending at least 30 mm in a direction from the
second end of the handle towards the first end of the handle. Such
a slot should have a width of at least 10 mm such that objects
having a width of up to 10 mm may be moved along the length of the
slot.
Possibly, the slot may extend all the way to the edge of the second
end of the handle such that the slot divides the edge in two
parts.
The tray portion has a shape that defines a cavity with an inner
wall. In some embodiments, the dental impression tray may also
comprise at least one pad that fits into at least a part of the
cavity of the tray portion. In such embodiments, the inner wall may
optionally be provided with a first guide structure and the pad may
be provided with a second guide structure that fits the first guide
structure. Thereby, the first and second guide structures may
cooperate with each other. For example, the guide structures may
permit the pad to move in the tray portion in a movement guided by
the cooperating guide structures and be pressed against a lower
part of the tray portion. In this way, the at least one pad can be
placed in the tray portion, pushed down guided by the guide
structure and finally held in place by the guide structure. The
first guide structure may comprise projecting parts forming rails
and the second guide structure comprises grooves adapted to receive
the projecting parts of the first guide structure. An alternative
possibility could be, for example, that the second guide structure
comprises rails that interact with grooves in the inner wall.
The pad can be made of many different materials. In some
embodiments, the pad is made of an elastic material.
In some embodiments, the tray portion may be contoured to fit over
a part of both the upper and lower dentition of a patient and an
outer surface of the dental impression tray may be provided with at
least one fiduciary marker that can be detected in a scanning
operation. Such a fiduciary marker can take many different shapes
and may be accomplished in many different ways. In some
embodiments, such a fiduciary marker can be made in a material that
is opaque to radio waves.
The tray portion may optionally have a wall with a slot to
accommodate a patient's upper frenum when the tray portion is
fitted over an upper dentition of a patient.
In some embodiments, the dental impression tray may be provided
with a machine readable marking such as, for example, an RFID tag.
The machine readable marking could also be accomplished in other
ways, for example as a bar code.
In some embodiments, the tray portion may be contoured to fit over
at least a part of both the upper and lower dental structure of a
patient such that an impression can be obtained simultaneously from
both the upper and the lower dental structure. In such embodiments,
the tray portion may optionally have a holding section with a first
side facing in a first direction and a second side placed opposite
the first side and facing in a second direction that is opposite to
the first direction. Each of the first and second side of the
holding section has at least one fastener by means of which the
holding section can be locked to a holder having a part with a
shape that is complementary in shape to the fasteners on the
holding section. The fasteners on both sides of the holding section
have the same form such that each side of the holding section can
be locked to one and the same holder.
In such embodiments, the holding section may be formed by a
projecting part on the tray portion and the fasteners on the
opposite sides of the holding section may be shaped by parts of the
holding section that define recesses in the holding section.
Alternatively, the fastener or fasteners on each side of the
holding section may be formed by one or several male elements such
as pegs.
In embodiments having a holding section with sides facing in
opposite direction and having fasteners on the opposite sides of
the holding section, the dental impression tray may further also
comprise a handle that can be secured to the tray portion and
removed from the tray portion. The handle may then be provided with
fastening elements that are complementary in shape to the fasteners
on at least one of the opposite sides of the holding section.
In some embodiments, a removable handle for the dental impression
tray may comprise at least a first and a second handle part that
can be pressed together to form a complete handle. The handle may
then optionally have a locking device that can placed in a first
position to lock the handle parts to each other and in a second
position where the handle parts can be moved away from each
other.
The locking device and the first handle part may be shaped such
that the locking device is a movable on the first handle part, but
cannot be separated from that part. The second handle part may then
have a first section corresponding to the second position of the
locking device and having such dimensions that the handle parts can
be pressed together or moved away from each other when the locking
device is in the second position. The second handle part may
further have a second section corresponding to the first position
of the locking device and having such dimensions that the first and
second handle part will be locked to each other when the locking
device is placed in its first position and the handle parts are
pressed against each other.
In one embodiment, the dental impression tray may form part of a
kit used for making a dental impression and holding the impression
for a scanning operation. Such a kit may comprise a dental
impression tray with a tray portion adapted to be loaded with
impression material and contoured to fit over at least a part of
both the upper and lower dental structure of a patient such that an
impression can be obtained simultaneously from both the upper and
the lower dental structure. The tray portion has a holding section
with a first side facing in a first direction and a second side
placed opposite the first side and facing in a second direction
that is opposite to the first direction. Each of the first and the
second side of the holding section has at least one fastener by
means of which the holding section can be locked to a holder having
a part with a shape that is complementary in shape to the fasteners
on the holding section. The fasteners on both sides of the holding
section have the same form such that each side of the holding
section can be locked to one and the same holder. The dental
impression tray further comprises a handle that can be secured to
the tray portion and removed from the tray portion and the handle
is provided with fastening elements complementary in shape to the
fasteners on at least one of the opposite sides of the tray portion
such that the handle can be secured to the tray portion. The kit
further comprises a holder having a part with a shape that is
complementary in shape to the fasteners on the holding section of
the tray portion and which is identical to the shape of the
fastening elements on the handle.
The kit with the dental impression tray and the holder may be used
together with scanning equipment in a method for making a dental
impression of an upper and a lower dental structure and scanning
the impression. In such a method, the handle is secured to the tray
portion by means of the fasteners on the holding section and the
fastening elements on the handle. The tray portion is loaded with
impression material. This can be done after the handle has been
secured to the tray portion, but may also be done before the handle
has been secured to the tray portion. The tray portion is then
placed in the mouth of a patient while the tray portion is guided
by means of the handle. An impression is then made of at least a
part of the patient's upper and lower dental structure. When the
impression has been made, the tray portion is removed from the
mouth of the patient and the handle is removed from the tray
portion.
The method of making a dental impression and scanning the
impression further includes providing a holder having a part that
is complementary in shape to the fasteners on the holding section
and which is identical to the shape of the fastening elements on
the handle. The tray portion is secured to the holder by connecting
the first side of the holding section of the tray portion to the
holder. A first side of the tray portion is then scanned to obtain
a scanning of one of the dental impressions obtained (i.e. an
impression of a part of a patient's upper or lower dental
structure). The tray portion is removed from the holder and turned
180.degree.. The tray portion is then secured to the holder again
which is done by connecting the second side of the tray portion to
the holder. After this, a second side of the tray portion is
scanned to obtain a scanning of the second dental impression.
It should be emphasized that the term "comprises/comprising" when
used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of
stated features, integers, steps or components, but does not
preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,
integers, steps, components or groups thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The abovementioned and other features of the inventions disclosed
herein are described below with reference to the drawings of the
preferred embodiments. The illustrated embodiments are intended to
illustrate, but not to limit the inventions. The drawings contain
the following figures:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dental impression tray, according
to an embodiment of the inventions.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a dental impression tray that has
been placed in the mouth of a patient.
FIG. 3 is a front view corresponding to FIG. 2 and illustrates a
principle underlying one of the embodiments.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a dental
impression tray in use when a patient is biting into the tray
section to create a dental impression in a dental impression
material.
FIG. 5a is a perspective view showing an embodiment where the
handle of the dental impression tray can be removed from the tray
portion.
FIG. 5b is a front view of the tray portion shown in FIG. 5a.
FIG. 5c is a side view of the tray portion shown in FIG. 5a.
FIG. 6a is a schematic top view illustrating how the tray section
of the dental impression tray may be placed in a scanner for a
scanning operation, according to an embodiment.
FIG. 6b is a side view of the scanning device shown in FIG. 6a.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a handle.
FIG. 8 is a top view of the handle shown in FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is a side view of the handle shown in FIG. 7.
FIG. 10 is a rear view of the handle shown in FIG. 7.
FIG. 11 is a front view of a handle placed on the tray portion,
according to an embodiment.
FIG. 12 is a side view of a handle comprising two separate parts
that are shown separated from each other, according to an
embodiment.
FIG. 13a is a perspective view of an embodiment of a dental
impression tray which is adapted for use in combination with an
incisal pin, according to an embodiment.
FIG. 13b is a perspective view of a dental impression tray being
mounted on a holder, according to an embodiment.
FIG. 13c is a perspective view of the holder shown in FIG. 13b.
FIG. 13d is a perspective view of the impression tray and the
holder shown in FIG. 13b, illustrating how the tray may be removed
from the holder and turned 180.degree., according to an
embodiment.
FIG. 14a is a top view of another embodiment of a dental impression
tray and a pad.
FIG. 14b is a top view of another embodiment of a pad for use in
the dental impression tray shown in FIG. 14a.
FIG. 14c is a top view of another embodiment of a dental impression
tray and a pad.
FIG. 15a is a side view of the embodiment of the pad shown in FIG.
14a.
FIG. 15b is a side view of an embodiment of a pad that is
substantially similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 14b.
FIG. 15c is a side view of an embodiment of a pad that is
substantially similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 14c.
FIG. 16 is a schematic top view illustrating how the pad shown in
FIG. 15a can cooperate with a respective dental impression tray,
according to an embodiment.
FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4 and gives a
schematic illustration of how the embodiment of FIG. 14 can be used
to get an impression on a patient who has no teeth at all,
according to an embodiment.
FIG. 18 is a top view of another embodiment of a dental impression
tray.
FIG. 19 is a top view of yet another embodiment of a dental
impression tray.
FIG. 20 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a
handle.
FIG. 21 is a view from above of yet another embodiment of a dental
impression tray.
FIG. 22 is a top view showing yet another embodiment of a handle
for a dental impression tray, the handle comprising two handle
parts.
FIG. 23 is a side view of the embodiment of the handle shown in
FIG. 22.
FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the handle shown in FIG. 22 in a
state where two handle parts have been placed together to form the
handle, according to an embodiment.
FIG. 25 is a top view of the handle shown in FIG. 24.
FIG. 26 is a side view of the handle shown in FIG. 24.
FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a locking device designed to lock
together the handle parts of the handle shown in FIGS. 22-26,
according to an embodiment.
FIG. 28 is a front view of the locking device shown in FIG. 27.
FIG. 29 is a top view of the locking device shown in FIG. 27.
FIG. 30 is a side view of the locking device shown in FIG. 27.
FIG. 31 is a perspective view of the handle shown in FIG. 22, but
wherein the handle parts are put together and not yet locked to
each other by a locking device, according to an embodiment.
FIG. 32 is a perspective view of the handle shown FIG. 31, from the
other side of the handle and with a locking device placed in a
position to lock the handle parts to each other, according to an
embodiment.
FIG. 33 is a perspective view of the handle and locking device
shown in FIG. 32.
FIG. 34 is a side view of the handle and locking device shown in
FIGS. 32 and 33.
FIG. 35 is a perspective view of a handle connected to a dental
impression tray, according to an embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
With reference to FIG. 1, a dental impression tray 1 is shown. The
dental impression tray can be used to obtain an impression of at
least a part of a dental structure such as, for example, the
dentition of a patient. The dental impression tray 1 comprises a
tray portion 4 adapted to be loaded with impression material. An
impression material that can be used with the inventive impression
tray 1 may be, for example, a silicon based material. Such
impression materials are sold by, for example, 3M ESPE Dental
Products, 3M Center, St. Paul Minn., United States. One such
material is sold by 3M ESPE under the name IMPRINT.TM. 3 VPS
Impression Material.
The tray portion 4 is contoured to fit over at least a part of a
dental structure such as the dentition of a patient. As can be seen
in FIG. 1, the dental impression tray 1 further comprises a handle
6 that is connected to the tray portion 4 or adapted to be
connected to the tray portion 4. The handle 6 has a first end 7 at
which the handle 6 is connected to the tray portion or adapted to
be connected to the tray portion 4. The handle 6 also has a second
end 8 that is a distal end in relation to the tray portion 4 when
the handle 6 is connected to the tray portion 4. The handle 6 can
be used to grip the dental impression tray 1 and manipulate the
dental impression tray 1 for purposes that will be explained in the
following.
With reference to FIG. 2, it can be seen how the dental impression
tray 1 has been placed in the mouth of a patient in order to create
an impression of the patient's dentition. In FIG. 2, a patient is
biting into the impression material placed in the tray portion 4 of
the dental impression tray 1 while the handle 6 remains outside the
mouth of the patient. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the tray portion 4
has an inner cavity 21 that may optionally be divided by a
partition 30 into an upper cavity 21a and a lower cavity 21b.
It should be understood that, as used herein, the terms "upper
cavity" and "lower cavity" refer to what is "upper" and "lower"
when the tray portion 4 is located inside the mouth of a patient.
The tray portion 4 may very well be designed such that both sides
of the tray portion may be applied to both the upper and the lower
dentition of a patient. The cavity that is regarded as the "upper"
cavity or the "lower" cavity is thus arbitrary. The upper part of
the tray portion 4 with its upper cavity 21a can be used to make an
impression of an upper dental structure 31, for example an upper
dentition 31. A part of the tray portion 4 with its lower cavity
21b can be used to make an impression of a lower dental structure
or dentition 32. The partition 30 may be, for example, an elastic
fabric such as a rubber fabric 30 or synthetic fabric 30. As can be
seen in FIG. 4, the upper and lower cavities 21a, 21b of the tray
portion 4 are filled with dental impression material 5 in which an
impression is made when the patient bites into the tray section 4,
as schematically indicated in FIG. 4.
When the patient has bitten into the tray portion 4, the tray
portion 4 can be removed from the patient's mouth and placed in a
scanning device, as shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b. In the scanning
device, a scanning operation can be performed on the impression
which is left in the impression material 5 that lies in the tray
portion 4. The scanning can be used to create a virtual image or
model of the dental structure of which an impression has been made.
The scanning operation can be performed, for example, in the way
that has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,198, incorporated
herein by reference.
Of course, the impression does not necessarily have to be scanned.
A possible alternative to a scanning operation could be, for
example, to use the impression as a mould to cast a representation
of the dental structure that the dental impression tray has been
applied to. In such a casting operation, plaster could be used to
create a cast representation of the dental structure in
question.
When the dental impression tray 1 is applied to the mouth of a
patient in order to create an impression of the dental structure of
the patient, it is desirable that the tray portion 4 be positioned
correctly such that the impression obtained can be used to create a
new dentition that corresponds to a symmetrical bite plane. In this
context, the "bite plane" should be understood as a plane where the
upper and lower dentitions meet each other when the patient
bites.
One way of achieving the desired symmetry can be to align the
handle 6 of the dental impression tray 1 with a feature of the
patient's face. This is illustrated in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and
FIG. 8. With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 8, the second end 8 or
8'' of the handle 6 or 6'' has an edge 9 or 9'' that is facing away
from the tray portion 4. As can be seen in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the
edge 9 forms a visible straight line 10 when the edge is seen from
the side facing away from the tray portion 4. The edge may
optionally be painted or otherwise marked to make the line 10 more
easily visible. The edge 9 can be made to be parallel with a plane
that divides the upper part of the tray portion 4 from the lower
part of the tray portion 4.
In the patient's face, one feature of the patient's face that can
be used for alignment is the eyes, i.e. a straight line defined by
the patient's own eyes. When the tray portion 4 is correctly
positioned in the patient's mouth, the edge 9 of the handle 6
should then be parallel with a straight line between the patient's
eyes. The handle 6 allows a user to manipulate the dental
impression tray 1 (and thereby also the tray portion 4 that is
connected to the handle 6). By gripping the handle 6 and aligning
the edge 9 of the handle 6 with the eyes of the patient, the person
making the impression can thus ensure that the tray portion 4 is
correctly positioned in the patient's mouth.
In FIG. 3, a front view of a patient with a dental impression tray
in his mouth is presented. In FIG. 3, the edge 9 of the handle
forms a visible straight line 10 to a person who is watching the
patient face-to-face. The edge 9 itself may possibly be straight,
but could also be curved inwards (i.e. towards the tray portion 4)
or outwards (away from the tray portion 4). What matters is only
that it appears as a straight line when regarded from the side
facing away from the tray portion 4. It should be understood that
the edge 9 extends in a plane. The straight line 10 formed by the
edge 9 is then visible when it is regarded in the plane in which
the edge 9 extends.
The distance between the eyes is, of course, something that varies
between different individuals. However, 20-25 mm is a normal value
for the closest distance between the eyes of an adult person (the
distance between the corners of the eyes closest to the nose). This
value corresponds to the distance D.sub.3 in FIG. 3. If the length
of the straight line 10 is at least 30 mm, it will normally be
equal to or larger than the smallest distance between the eyes of
an adult person. For this reason, it is considered that the
straight line 10 should have a length of at least 30 mm to ensure
that it can easily be aligned with the eyes of the patient.
Instead of the shortest distance between the eyes, the length of
the straight line 10 could be based on the normal distance between
the pupils. For this distance, 60 mm can be mentioned as a
representative value for many adult individuals. This value
corresponds to the distance D.sub.2 in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the
length of the straight line 10 may be based on the largest distance
between the eyes, i.e. the distance between those corners of the
eyes that are most far away from the nose. That corresponds to the
distance D.sub.1 in FIG. 3. For this distance, 80 mm can be
mentioned as a representative approximate value for many adult
individuals.
To make the alignment more exact and reliable, the straight line
formed by the edge 9 when seen from the side facing away from the
tray portion 4 may therefore be given a length of at least 60 mm.
To further increase precision in the alignment, the length of the
straight line 10 can be chosen to be at least 80 mm.
A front view of the entire dental impression tray 1 is shown in
FIG. 11 where both the tray portion 4 and the handle 6''' are
visible as well as the straight line 10''' formed by the edge 9'''
of the handle 6'''.
It should be understood that the edge 9 at the second end 8 of the
handle 6 could be shaped in other ways to permit alignment with the
feature of the patient's face. For example, it could have an
L-shaped form for alignment with the patient's nose and only one of
the patient's eyes. The part of the handle that is used to align
the tray portion 4 with a part of the patient's facial features
could also be located elsewhere than at the second end 8 of the
handle 6.
The basic idea behind the embodiment with the edge that forms a
straight line can thus be generalized in terms of shaping the
handle in such a way that it can be used to align the tray portion
4 with a part of the patient's facial features. The same idea can
also be expressed in terms of a method of making an impression in
which a part of the handle 6 is used for alignment with a part of a
patient's facial features. By gripping the handle 6, and
manipulating the dental impression tray 1 such that the straight
line 10 becomes aligned with a part of the patient's facial
features, the person using the dental impression tray will thereby
automatically manipulate the tray portion 4 such that it will be
correctly positioned. The method may also be defined more generally
as a method for making an impression of at least a part of a
patient's dental structure as follows.
The method comprises providing a dental impression tray 1 having a
tray portion 4 contoured to fit over at least a part of a dental
structure, the dental impression tray 1 further has structure 6
that allows a user of the dental impression tray 1 to manipulate
the tray portion 4 when the tray portion 4 is placed in the mouth
of the patient. This structure 6 also defines a line 10 that is
visible when the tray portion 4 is placed in the mouth of a
patient. The tray portion 4 is placed in the mouth of a patient and
a comparison is made between the line 10 and a facial feature of
the patient. The tray portion 4 is then manipulated until the line
10 becomes aligned with said facial feature of the patient. The
structure 6 that allows a user to manipulate the tray portion 4 may
be a handle 6 connected to the tray portion (or adapted to allow
connection to the tray portion 4). The line 10 may be a straight
line 10 that is defined by an edge of the handle 6. Possibly, the
line 10 could have some other shape than just a straight line. For
example, it could be an L-shaped line that can be aligned with the
nose of a patient and an eye of the patient. A straight line can
easily be aligned with a straight facial feature such as a line
between the eyes. However, the line 10 could optionally be a curved
line.
Another embodiment will now be explained with reference to FIGS.
5a-11. With reference to FIG. 6a and FIG. 6b, the dental impression
tray 1 can be placed in a scanning device having a chamber 34 where
an impression can be scanned. The scanning can be performed by, for
example, a laser device such as a line laser device. In FIG. 6b, a
laser scanning device is shown schematically that has a laser light
source 35 and a detector 36. The tray portion 4 together with an
impression of a dental structure (for example a dentition) can be
placed on a table, carrier or platform 37 that can perform a
rotating movement while the scanning is performed.
When the dental impression tray 1 is placed in the chamber 34 of
the scanning device, the handle 6 could present an obstacle. This
is especially the case of the dental impression tray 1 is placed on
a platform that rotates and the chamber 34 is small. To prevent the
handle 6 from causing problems during scanning, it may be desirable
to remove the handle 6 from the tray portion 4. To ensure the
handle 6 can be quickly and easily removed from the tray portion 4,
some embodiments include the use of a handle 6 that is removably
secured to the tray portion 4.
With reference to FIG. 5a, an embodiment is schematically
illustrated where the handle 6' may be removably secured to the
tray portion 4. As shown in FIG. 5a, the handle 6' may have one or
several fastening elements 16, 17 adapted to fit one or several
corresponding fasteners 18 that may be areas of the tray portion 4
that have been shaped as one or more recesses. The fastening
element or elements 16, 17 may be projections, for example, pegs or
some other male elements. If the fasteners 18 on the tray portion 4
are shaped as recesses, they may be formed as holes or openings. By
pressing the fastening element(s) 16, 17 into such recesses in the
tray portion 4, it is possible to secure the handle 6' to the tray
portion 4. Of course, the handle 6' can also be removed from the
tray portion 4. This can be achieved by removing the fastening
element(s) 16, 17 from the recess or recesses in the tray
portion.
In FIG. 5a, an embodiment is shown where the fasteners 18 are
formed by recess(-es) in a projecting part 33 on the tray portion
4. Of course, it should be understood that such recesses could also
be formed elsewhere on the tray portion 4. It should also be
understood that, as an alternative, the fasteners 18 on the tray
portion 4 may also be formed as projections on the tray portion 4
and be adapted to fit one or several recesses on the handle 6'. The
fastening elements 16, 17 would then be formed by areas defining
one or more recesses.
Embodiments are possible where the handle 6 is made in one single
piece. However, the handle 6 can also be made in more than one
piece as indicated in FIG. 5a where the handle 6' comprises two
separate parts 12, 13. It should also be understood that the handle
6 may comprise more than two parts.
An embodiment where the handle 6 comprises two separate parts will
now be explained with reference to FIGS. 5a-5b and 7-10. As shown
in FIG. 5a, the handle 6' for the tray portion 4 may comprise a
first and a second part 12, 13 that may be separated. The separate
handle parts 12, 13 can be adapted to be connected to each other
such that the separate handle parts 12, 13 overlap each other
partially, but not completely. This is best seen in FIG. 7 and FIG.
8.
As indicated in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the first and second handle
parts 12'', 13'' are connected to each other in such a way that,
when connected, there is a part 38 on each of separate handle part
12'', 13'' that is not overlapped by the other handle part 12'',
13''. In FIG. 8, it can thus be seen that the second handle part
13'' has a part 38 that is not covered by the first handle part
12''. This makes it easy to grip the handle 6'' and pull or bend
the first and second handle parts 12'', 13'' apart from each
other.
As shown also in, for example, FIG. 7, the handle parts 12'', 13''
have been connected to each other to form a coherent handle 6''.
The handle parts 12'', 13'' may optionally be adapted to be
connected to each other by a snap-on catch formed by the handle
parts 12'', 13''. With reference to FIG. 12 and FIG. 8, the snap-on
catch may be formed by male elements 14 or 14.sup.iv and female
parts 15 or 15.sup.iv into which the male elements 14 or 14.sup.iv
may be pressed to a snap fit attachment. The male elements 14 or
14.sup.iv may be formed by, for example, pegs. The female parts 15
or 15 may be, for example, openings or through-holes. If the female
parts 15 or 15.sup.iv are through-holes 15 or 15.sup.iv, the male
elements 14 or 14.sup.iv (e.g. pegs) may be visible from the other
side. With reference to FIG. 8, it can be seen that pegs 14 have
been pressed through holes 15 to be visible from the outside when
the handle parts 12'', 13'' are connected to each other. One way of
achieving a snap-on catch may be to design the male elements 14 as
conical pegs while the female parts 15 may be holes with a conical
shape that corresponds to the conical pegs 14. With reference to
FIG. 12, it can be seen that the handle 6.sup.iv has handle parts
12.sup.iv and 13.sup.iv with an edge 9.sup.iv.
As indicated in FIGS. 7-10, the separate handle parts 12'', 13''
maybe identical in shape. If they are also unsymmetrical, they will
not overlap each other completely when they are put together and
connected to each other as indicated in FIGS. 7-10. When the handle
parts 12'', 13'' are put together, they can thus be put together
"belly-against-belly" with the back sides facing away from each
other. The handle parts 12'', 13'' will still not overlap each
other completely since they are unsymmetrical. If the handle parts
12'', 13'' are identical in shape, the cost of manufacturing the
handle parts can be reduced. Moreover, any two parts 12'', 13'' can
always be connected to each other to form a complete handle 6''.
However, embodiments are of course also possible where the handle
parts 12'', 13'' are not identical in shape. The handle 6'' has a
first end 7''.
As shown in for example FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, each of the separate
handle parts 12'', 13'' may be provided with fastening element
16'', 17'', for example, some kind of projection/male element that
can cooperate with a complementary fastener 18 on the tray portion
4, e.g., a part shaped to define a recess as explained previously
with reference to FIG. 5a. When the separate handle parts 12'',
13'' are connected to each other by a snap connection, the handle
6'' is locked to the tray portion 4 as long as the separate handle
parts 12'', 13'' are connected to each other. The handle parts
12'', 13'' may be held together by the snap connection and the
fastening elements 16'', 17'' that connect the handle 6'' to the
tray portion 4 will thus be held in place until the first and
second handle parts 12'', 13'' are separated from each other.
The idea of using a removably secured handle 6 can be combined with
the idea of using a handle that can be used for alignment with a
facial feature of a patient. However, it can also be used
independently of how the handle is otherwise designed.
The idea of using a tray portion with a removably secured handle,
e.g., 6' or 6'' in FIGS. 5a and 7, may also be defined in terms of
a method in which a dental impression is made, the handle 6' or 6''
removed from the tray portion 4 and the tray portion 4 placed in
the scanning device and scanned.
The dental impression tray 1 may optionally be packaged with the
handle 6' or 6'' disconnected from the tray portion 4. This can
make the dental impression tray 1 shorter to make it fit into a
smaller space, e.g. for purposes of packaging.
While the idea of using a removable handle 6 has been described
above, it should be understood that embodiments are conceivable
that have a handle 6 that is fixedly connected to the tray portion
4. For example, the handle 6 can be made in one piece with the tray
portion 4.
Another embodiment will now be explained with reference to FIG.
13a. In some cases, the person handling the dental impression 1
tray may prefer to keep the handle 6 on the tray portion 4. This
may be the case, for example, if the dental impression tray 1 is
used to cast a plaster model of the impression. The same situation
applies if the handle is not detachable. In such cases, the dentist
or dental technician may want to use the dental impression tray 1
together with existing equipment that may interfere with the handle
6.sup.v. One way of solving this problem may be to provide a slot
in the handle 6.sup.v.
As can be seen in FIG. 13a, the handle 6.sup.v may be shaped to
define a slot 20.sup.v. Components of existing equipment may
include, for example, an incisal pin 50 for an articulator. An
incisal pin in an articulator is typically used to adjust the
distance between an upper and a lower model of a dentition. Incisal
pins for articulators may typically have a diameter of up to 10 mm
and it should be possible to move the handle relative to such
objects at least 20 mm. Therefore, the length of the slot 20.sup.v
may be chosen such that it extends at least 30 mm in a direction
from the second end 8.sup.v of the handle 6.sup.v towards the first
end 7.sup.v of the handle 6.sup.v.
The slot 20.sup.v may be given a width of at least 10 mm such that
objects having a width of up to 10 mm (e.g. incisals for
articulators) maybe moved along the length of the slot
20.sup.v.
In a different embodiment shown in FIG. 20, the slot 20.sup.vi
extends all the way to the edge 9.sup.vi of the second end 8.sup.vi
of the handle 6.sup.vi such that the slot 20.sup.vi divides the
edge 9.sup.vi in two parts. As a result, the handle 6.sup.vi can
more easily be made to fit such objects as the rod 50 shown in FIG.
13a. The handle 6.sup.vi has a first end 7.sup.vi and a male
element 14.sup.vi.
Another embodiment is shown in FIG. 13b and FIG. 13c. In FIG. 13b,
it is shown how the handle 6 has been removed from the tray portion
4 as a preparation for a scanning operation. The tray portion 4 has
been placed on a holder 39. As shown in FIG. 13c, the holder 39 has
a part 51 with a shape that is complementary to the in shape to the
fasteners 18 on the holding section 33 of the tray portion 4.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 13b and 13c, the holding section
33 is formed by a projecting part on the tray portion 4. The part
51 of the holder 39 that is complementary in shape to the fasteners
18 maybe shaped to define male elements such as pegs. Such male
elements or pegs can fit the corresponding fasteners 18 on the
holding section 33 when these fasteners 18 are areas of the holding
section 33 shaped as recesses. When the male elements of the holder
39 are pressed into the recesses of the holding section 33, the
tray portion 4 is secured to or held by the holder 39. The holder
39 can be placed in a scanning device and support the tray portion
4 during the scanning operation. The holder 39 together with the
tray portion 4 can then be placed on, for example, such a carrier
37 as is indicated in FIG. 6b. Since the holder 39 is designed to
cooperate with the same holding section 33 as the handle 6, the
equipment according to the embodiment of FIG. 13b and FIG. 13c is
versatile and easy to use. It is not necessary to have any separate
recess or other element on the tray portion 4 to fasten it to the
holder 39. The part 51 of the holder 39 that is complementary in
shape the fasteners 18 on the tray portion 4 may thus be male
elements having a shape that is similar to or identical to the
shape of the fastening elements 16.sup.iv, 17.sup.iv shown in FIG.
12.
With reference to FIGS. 13b-13d and FIGS. 6a and 6b, yet another
embodiment and further variations will now be explained in the
following. A possible method for making a dental impression of an
upper and a lower dental structure and scanning the impression may
be as follows. A tray portion 4 is provided that is contoured to
fit over at least a part of an upper and lower structure of a
patient. The tray portion may have a holding section 33 which may
be projecting from the rest of the tray portion 4 as in FIG. 5a,
but could also be designed in other ways such that it does not
project from the rest of the tray portion. The holding section 33
has a first side 61 (see also FIGS. 5b and 5c) facing in a first
direction and a second side 62 (see FIGS. 5b and 5c) opposite to
the first side 61 and facing in a second direction that is opposite
to the first direction. Each of the first and second side 61, 62 of
the holding section 33 has at least one fastener 18 that may be an
area of the holding section 33 that is shaped as a recess. The
fasteners 18 on both sides 61, 62 of the holding section 33 have
the same form. A handle 6' may be provided that can be secured to
and removed from the tray portion 4. The handle 6' has fastening
elements 16, 17 that are complementary to the fasteners 18 on at
least one of the opposite sides 61, 62 of the holding section 33.
The handle 6' is secured to the tray portion 4 by means of one or
several of the fasteners 18 on the holding section 33 and one or
several fastening elements 16, 17 on the handle 6'. The tray
portion 4 is loaded with impression material, either before or
after the handle 6' is secured to the tray portion 4.
When the tray portion 4 is loaded with impression material and the
handle 6' is secured to the tray portion 4, the tray portion 4 is
placed in the mouth of the patient and an impression is made of at
least a part of the patient's upper and lower dental structure.
During this part of the procedure, the handle 6' may optionally be
used to guide the tray portion 4.
After an impression has been made of the upper and lower dental
structures, the tray portion is removed from the mouth of the
patient. The handle 6' is removed from the tray portion 4, either
before or after the tray portion 4 is removed from the mouth of the
patient. The tray portion 4 is then secured to a holder 39. The
holder 39 has a part that is complementary in shape to the
fasteners on the holding section 33 and it is identical in shape to
the fastening elements 16, 17 on the handle 6'. The tray portion 4
is secured to the holder 39 by means of connecting the first side
of the tray portion 4 to the holder 39. A first side of the tray
portion 4 is then scanned such that a scanning of one of the dental
impressions is obtained, i.e. a scanning of either the impression
of the upper dental structure or the lower dental structure. At the
same time, a part of the surface of the tray portion 4 itself will
of course be scanned.
The tray portion is then removed from the holder as indicated
symbolically by arrow S in FIG. 13d and turned 180.degree. as
symbolically indicated by arrow C in FIG. 13d. The tray portion 4
is then once again secured to the holder 39 by means of connecting
the second side of the tray portion to the holder 39. After this,
the second side of the tray portion 4 is scanned to obtain a
scanning of the second dental impression as well as a further
scanning of the tray portion 4. This method entails that a scanning
can easily be obtained of both the upper and the lower dental
structure of a patient and, at the same time, of the tray portion
4. The fact that the tray portion 4 itself is also scanned can be
used to match the scannings of the dental impressions with each
other as will be explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. 4
and 17.
It should be understood that the dental impression tray that is
used for the above-described method may optionally be provided both
with and without a removable handle 6. Embodiments are thus
possible that include only a tray portion 4 adapted to be loaded
with impression material and contoured to fit over at least a part
of both the upper and lower dental structure 31, 32 of a patient
such that an impression can be obtained simultaneously from both
the upper and the lower dental structure 31, 32 while a scanning of
the tray portion 4 is also obtained which can later be used to
match the scanning of the lower dental structure with the scanning
of the upper dental structure. However, if the dental impression
tray is to be used in combination with a holder 39 that holds the
dental impression tray during scanning of both sides of the dental
impression tray, the tray portion 4 of the dental impression tray
should have a holding section 33 with a first side 61 facing in a
first direction and a second side 62 placed opposite the first side
61 and facing in a second direction that is opposite to the first
direction.
Moreover, each of the first and second side 61, 62 of the holding
section 33 should have at least one fastener by means of which the
holding section can be locked to a holder 39 having a part with a
shape that is complementary in shape to the fasteners on the
holding section 33. The fasteners on both sides of the holding
section should then have the same form. When the fasteners on both
sides of the holding section have the same form, this entails that
each side of the holding section can be locked to one and the same
holder.
As previously explained with reference to FIG. 5a, the holding
section 33 may optionally be formed by a projecting part on the
tray portion 4 while the fasteners 18 on the opposite sides 61, 62
of the holding section 33 may be shaped by parts of the holding
section 33 that define recesses in the holding section 33.
In case the dental impression tray 4 comprises a removable handle
6', the handle 6' shall be provided with fastening elements 16, 17
that are complementary in shape to the fasteners on at least one of
the opposite sides of the holding section 33. Such a removable
handle may be designed, for example, as shown with reference to
FIGS. 7-12 or as shown in FIGS. 22-35, but a suitable removable
handle could also be designed in other ways.
One embodiment may also take the form of a kit for making a dental
impression and holding the impression for a scanning operation.
Such a kit may comprise a dental impression tray having a holding
section 33 and a removable handle 6' with fastening elements 16, 17
as described previously and a holder 39 having a part with a shape
that is complementary in shape to the fasteners 18 on the holding
section 33 of the tray portion. When a holder 39 is included that
has a part with a shape that is complementary to the fastener or
fasteners 18 on each side on the holding section 33 of the tray
portion 4, this entails that the tray portion 4 can easily be
placed in a position for scanning both sides of the tray portion 4
and thereby obtain a scanning of both the upper and lower dental
structure of a patient. When the handle parts 12, 13 have fastening
elements 16, 17 identical in shape to the part 51 of the holder 39
that is complementary in shape to the fasteners 18 on the tray
portion 4, this entails that the tray portion 4 can be easily
fitted to both the handle 6' and the holder 39.
Yet another embodiment will now be explained with reference to
FIGS. 14a-17. Some patients may lack teeth completely. If a patient
has been without teeth for a long period, the jawbone itself may
regress. If the patient is then asked to bite in the dental
impression tray 1, the patient may fail to bite together completely
since the regression of the jaw bone has gone too far. As a
consequence, the dental impression obtained may be insufficient.
The embodiment shown in FIGS. 14a-17 has been designed to deal with
that problem.
With reference to FIG. 14a, the tray portion 4 has a shape that
defines a cavity 21 with an inner wall 22. The dental impression
tray 1 further comprises at least one pad 23 that fits into at
least a part of the cavity 21 of the tray portion 4. A side view of
the at least one pad 23 is presented in FIG. 15a. Optionally, the
inner wall 22 may be provided with a first guide structure 24 and
the pad 23 can be provided with a second guide structure 25 that
fits the first guide structure 24. The first and second guide
structures 24, 25 may then cooperate with each other in a way that
permits that the pad 23 is pressed down into the tray portion 4 in
a movement guided by the cooperating guide structures 24, 25. The
at least one pad 23 is then held securely by the cooperating guide
structures 24, 25. A side view of the pad 23 is presented in FIG.
15a.
The first guide structure 24 may comprise projecting parts forming
rails 24 and the second guide structure 25 may comprise grooves 25
adapted to receive the projecting parts of the first guide
structure 24. This embodiment is shown in FIGS. 14a and 15a.
Alternatively, the pad 23 may have projecting elements that fit
grooves in the inner wall 22 of the tray portion 4. The guide
structures 24, 25 can cooperate with each other (engage each other)
as indicated in FIG. 16.
In FIG. 14b, an embodiment is illustrated where not one pad 23 is
used, but three separate pads 23'. A side view of such an
arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 15b. In some embodiments, one
pad is used for taking an impression of the upper jaw whereas
several pads are used for taking an impression of the lower jaw.
Hence, greater flexibility is achieved.
With reference to FIG. 14c, an embodiment is shown that is
basically similar to the embodiment of FIG. 14b. However, this
embodiment is without the projecting parts 24 and grooves 25 A side
view of such an arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 15c.
It will be noted that, in the embodiments shown in FIG. 15b and
FIG. 15c, the different pads 23' or 23'' are of different heights.
For example, in FIG. 15b, the pad 23' that is located in the middle
(the second pad from the left) is lower than the first pad from the
left. The reason for this will be explained in the following.
When a pad 23 is placed in the cavity 21 of the tray portion 4, the
dental impression tray 1 will be more suitable for a person whose
jaw bone has regressed. FIG. 17 presents a cross-sectional
schematic illustration of a dental impression tray applied to a
patient completely lacking teeth and having suffered regression of
the jaw bone. A first pad 23a and a second pad 23b have been placed
in the tray portion 4 and secured in the tray portion in such a way
that they reach the partition 30.
In FIG. 17, the first pad 23a is placed in an upper part of the
tray portion 4 while the second pad 23b is placed in a lower part
of the tray portion 4 (in this context, it should be understood
that "upper" and "lower" refers to how the tray portion is placed
in the mouth of a patient). As indicated in FIG. 17, the upper
dental structure 31 lacks teeth. This is also the case with the
lower dental structure 32. In spite of this, the patient is still
able to bite together properly thanks to the pads 23a, 23b that
have been placed in the tray portion 4. The impression material 5
has been placed over the pads 23 and the patient can now bite
directly into the impression material 5 which he or she might have
been unable to do without the pads 23. In FIG. 17, an embodiment
with two pads 23a, 23b is illustrated (an upper pad 23a and a lower
pad 23b). It should be understood that embodiments with only an
upper pad 23a may be possible or embodiments with only a lower pad
23b. This may be dependent on the dental structure of the
individual patient. As can be seen in FIG. 17, the partition 30
separates the upper part of the tray portion 4 from the lower part
of the tray portion 4. It should be understood that, as an
alternative to the guide structures 24, 25 that are illustrated in
FIGS. 14a and 16, the pads 23 can be held in the tray portion 4 by
an adhesive material, such as an adhesive tape or glue, that
secures the pads to the partition 30 or the inner wall 22 of the
tray portion. The adhesive tape could be a double-sided adhesive
tape.
In FIGS. 14a and 15a, the pad 23 is shown as a single piece, i.e.,
a single upper pad 23a or a single lower pad 23b. However, it
should be understood that, for both the "upper" part of the tray
portion 4 (it should be understood that "upper" refers only to what
is "upper" when the tray portion 4 is placed in the mouth of a
patient) and the "lower" part of the tray portion 4, the pad 23 may
be divided into several parts that are separate from each other as
indicated in FIGS. 14b, 14c, 15b, 15c. On, for example, the upper
dentition of a patient, it may be desirable to apply more than one
pad 23.
For example, it could be desirable to apply one pad 23 to a left
part of the patient's upper dentition and another pad 23 to the
right part of the patient's dentition. In such a case, two pads 23
may be used. One can also imagine cases where three pads 23 are
used on the upper or lower dentition of a patient. For example, one
separate pad 23 could be used on a front part of a dentition while
two other pads are used to the left and right side of the patient's
dentition. Of course, embodiments are also conceivable where four,
five or even more pads 23 are used on the upper or lower dentition.
Embodiments are also possible where a pad 23 is designed to be used
on just a part of a patient's upper or lower dentition. For
example, a pad 23 could be designed to be applied to only the left
part of the patient's upper dentition or the front part of the
patient's lower dentition.
If the patient's jawbone has suffered regression, it may be the
case that the regression of the jawbone has not been equally
damaging to all parts of the jawbone. It may thus be the case that
some parts of the patient's jawbone have suffered very extensive
regression while other parts have suffered only mild regression.
For this reason, pads 23 of different height may be used. For
example, let's assume that the left and right parts of a patient's
upper jaw bone have suffered serious regression, but that the front
part of the upper jawbone has suffered only a mild regression. A
dental technician or dentist can then place relatively high pads in
the left and right part of the tray portion 4 while a low pad is
placed in the front part of the tray portion 4. The height of each
pad 23 depends on the degree of regression of the jaw bone at the
place the pad 23 will be put to use. When the patient bites
together, it will thus be possible for the dentist or dental
technician to get a correct impression in the impression material
and to get the distance between the upper and lower jaw right. A
solution with more than one pad 23 may be applied in both the upper
and lower jaw (and thus on both sides of the partition 30).
It should be understood that, regardless of whether one or several
pads 23 are used, the pad(s) 23 does not necessarily fill the
entire cavity 21 of the tray portion 4. If a special guide or
holding structure 24 is used, it is possible that the pad(s) 23
cooperate(s) with guide structure 24 on only a part of the inner
wall 22. In some embodiments, the pad(s) 23 could cooperate with
guide structure 24 on only the front part of the inner wall 22,
i.e. the part adjacent the handle 6. In that embodiment, it may be
so that the pad(s) 23 is not even in contact with the rear part of
the inner wall 22.
In some embodiments, the pad 23 can be made of an elastic material
such as, for example, rubber. A material such as rubber is gentle
if it should come into contact with the tissue in the mouth of a
patient without teeth. Alternatives to rubber may also include, for
example, synthetic materials. However, embodiments having a pad
made of a more rigid material are also conceivable. Furthermore,
the pad 23 can be made of a material that is relatively easy to
adjust the shape of. Than, each pad can be precisely adjusted to
fit a specific patient. Such adjustable material is e.g. rubber or
plastic material.
The guide structures 24, 25 help to secure the pad(s) 23 to the
inner wall 22 of the tray portion when the pad(s) is (are) placed
in the tray portion 4. However, embodiments are conceivable where
the pad 23 and the inner wall 22 of the tray portion 4 lack guide
structure. As an alternative to the term "guide structure," the
projections 24 and grooves 25 may be called "fastening structure"
or "holding structure."
The guide structure 24 on the inner wall of the tray portion 4 can
also serve a different function, namely to prevent undesired
movement of the impression material 5. The guide structure 24 tends
to lock the impression material against such movement. The inner
wall 22 of the tray portion 4 may thus be provided with such a
structure independently of whether a pad 23 as described above is
used or not. FIG. 18 illustrates an alternative shape of the guide
structure 24. The shape indicated in FIG. 18 may be used to
interact with a pad 23, but can be used separately for the purpose
of preventing the impression material 5 from being moved in an
undesired way. As indicated, in FIG. 18, the guide structure 24'
may be formed by relatively thin projecting parts 40 that end with
a thicker head 41. In FIG. 18, a guide structure 24' is shown along
the entire periphery of the inner wall 22. However, embodiments are
also possible where only a part of the inner wall 22 is provides
with such elements. For example, embodiments are possible where
only that part of the inner wall 22 that is adjacent the handle 6
is covered by such a guide structure.
It should be understood that the idea of using a pad 23 that fits
the tray portion 4 can be combined with all other embodiments
disclosed in this application. For example, the use of a pad 23 in
combination with a handle that can be aligned with a patient's
facial features further improves the possibility of obtaining a
correct impression that can be used for making a successful dental
restoration. However, the idea of using a pad could also be used
independently of how the dental impression tray 1 is otherwise
designed. For example, it could be used independently of the shape
of the handle 6. Conceivably, it could also be used in embodiments
where the dental impression tray 1 does not have a handle.
The idea of using a pad for certain patients, e.g., patients
suffering from regression of the jaw bone, can also be defined in
terms of a method for making dental impressions, in which method a
dental impression tray 1 with at least one pad is inserted into the
mouth of such a patient and an impression formed.
Another embodiment will now be explained with regard to FIG. 19. As
indicated in FIG. 19, the tray portion 4 may have in its wall a
slot 28 to accommodate a patient's upper frenum when the tray
portion 4 is fitted over upper dentition 31 of a patient. This
makes the dental impression tray 1 more comfortable for the
patient. It should be understood that the embodiment of FIG. 19 is
entirely optional, but that it may be used independently of how the
dental impression tray 1 is otherwise designed. It can thus be used
in combination with other embodiments shown or it can be used in
isolation. Conceivably, the idea could be used independently of
whether the dental impression tray is provided with a handle or
not.
With reference to FIG. 21, it should be noted that the tray portion
4' does not necessarily have to be designed to extend along the
entire upper or lower dental structure of a patient, but could be
designed to extend along only a part of a patient's upper or lower
dental structure, e.g, as shown as 4', wherein the tray portion 4'
has an inner wall 22'' and a guide structure 24''.
Another optional feature will now be explained with reference to
FIG. 4 and FIG. 17. The tray portion 4 can be designed to fit over
only an upper or a lower dental structure (or a part of such a
structure). However, it can be designed and contoured to fit over a
part of both the upper and lower dental structure or dentition 31,
32 of a patient. When this is the case, an impression can
simultaneously be obtained from both the upper and the lower dental
structure. It is then desirable that one can match the upper
impression with the lower impression. To this end, an outer surface
of the dental impression tray 1 may be provided with at least one
fiduciary marker 26 that can be detected in a scanning operation.
When the dental impression tray 1 is subsequently scanned, the
upper and lower impressions may be scanned separately. When the
result of the scanning is fed to a computer, the at least one
fiduciary marker can serve to match the scanning of the upper
dental structure with the scanning of the lower dental structure.
The fiduciary marker 26 can be included in the scanning of both the
upper impression and the lower impression and it can thus serve as
a reference point such that the scanning of the upper impression
can be correctly combined with the scanning of the lower
impression. Instead of only one fiduciary marker, several fiduciary
markers 26 can be used. For example, there may be two, three, four
or five fiduciary markers 26 or even more than five fiduciary
markers 26. The fiduciary markers may optionally have some special
form to facilitate identification, e.g. square, triangular or
round.
With reference to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 5a-c and FIGS.
13b-c, it should be understood that fiduciary markers 26 may be
placed on the holding section 33 of the tray portion 4. As
previously explained, the holding section 33 may be shaped as a
projecting part on the tray portion 4. When one or several
fiduciary markers 26 are placed on such a projecting part, this may
be helpful when an upper and a lower impression are have been
scanned and the scannings are to be matched with each other. In
FIG. 5b, it is indicated how a fiduciary marker 26 has been placed
on the holding section 33 of a tray portion 4. Some parts of the
holding section 33 can be scanned both when the upper dental
impression and the lower dental impression are scanned. In
particular, one or several fiduciary markers 26 may be scanned in
both scannings. Since also the tray portion 4 and the fiduciary
marker (or markers) 26 thereon are scanned, this can be used to
match the scannings of the dental impressions with each other.
In some embodiments, the at least one fiduciary marker 26 can be
made in a material that is opaque to radio waves. This can be
useful if the scanning is done as, for example, a CT scanning
(computer tomographic scanning). In such a scanning operation,
X-ray is used. If the at least one fiduciary marker 26 is opaque to
radio waves, it can then be detected during such a scanning
operation. A CT scanning may be performed in, for example, the
following way.
Firstly, a dental impression tray 1 is placed in the mouth of a
patient after dental impression material has been placed in the
tray portion 4. The patient bites into the dental impression
material. A CT scanning is performed while the dental impression
tray is still in the mouth of the patient. The jaw bone of the
patient will be visible in the scanning together with the at least
one radiopaque fiduciary marker 26. It will thus be possible to see
how the jaw bone is located in relation to the fiduciary marker 26.
The dental impression tray 1 is then removed from the patient's
mouth. A scanning is now performed on either the upper or lower
dental impression obtained in the dental impression material. Also
in this scanning, the at least one fiduciary marker 26 will be
included. The dental impression that has been scanned can then be
linked to the fiduciary marker 26. The dental impression tray 1 can
then be turned over and the dental impression on the other side is
scanned. Once again, the at least one fiduciary marker 26 is
included in the scanning. The data from the separate scanning
operations is then fed into a computer. Through the at least one
fiduciary marker 26 that is radiopaque, the results of the three
scanning operations can be linked to each other.
It should be understood that the idea of using fiduciary markers 26
can be combined with all other embodiments described. For example,
the use of at least one fiduciary marker in combination with the
idea of using a part of the handle to align the tray portion 4 with
a part of the patient's facial features can help improve precision
when an impression is made. However, the idea of using one or
several fiduciary markers can also be used independently of how the
dental impression tray 1 is otherwise designed. For example, it can
be used independently of how the handle 6 is designed. Conceivably,
it could also be used on dental impression trays that do not have a
handle 6.
It should be understood that the idea of using one or several
fiduciary markers 26 can be defined in terms methods for making an
impression. For example, the idea of using at least one fiduciary
marker 26 made in a radiopaque material could be defined in terms
of a method where X-ray is used for the scanning operation.
Another embodiment will now be explained with reference to FIG. 1
and FIG. 13a. When a large number of impressions are made and/or
handled, there is a risk that different impressions are mixed up,
i.e. confused with each other. To prevent that, a dental impression
tray 1 can be provided with a machine readable marking 29 or 29'.
The machine readable marking comprises a coding that is unique for
each patient. The coding can be applied at the same occasion as the
impression is made and linked in, for example, a computer memory,
to the patient from whom the impression has been obtained. The
machine readable marking may be, for example, a bar code as
indicated in FIG. 1. However, in another embodiment, the machine
readable marking 29 comprises an RFID (Radio Frequency
Identification) tag 29' as symbolically indicated in, for example,
FIG. 13a. An RFID tag provides for, inter alia, quick and reliable
identification. An example of RFID technology is disclosed in, for
example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,053,775, incorporated herein by reference.
Another example of RFID technology is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
7,009,526, incorporated herein by reference. Yet another example of
RPID technology is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,693,539,
incorporated herein by reference.
The embodiment including the machine readable marking 29 could also
be understood in terms of a method including the steps of making an
impression with a dental impression tray 1, marking the dental
impression tray with a machine readable marking and linking the
marking to a unique patient. The idea may also be defined in terms
of a system that comprises a computer loaded with data linking
various individual dental impression trays to individual patients.
Such a system might also comprise a plurality of dental impression
trays where individual trays have machine-readable markings linked
to the data in the computer. The system may also comprise at least
one reader for the machine-readable markings 29, for example, a
reader for RFID tags or a bar code scanner.
It should be understood that the idea of using a machine-readable
marking 29, can be combined with all embodiments described in this
application. For example, the idea can be combined with the
embodiment where a pad 23 is used or it can be combined with the
idea of using a removably secured handle 6. However, it should also
be understood that it is an idea that can be used independently of
how the dental impression tray 1 is otherwise designed. For
example, it could be used independently of how the handle 6 is
designed and independently of whether the dental impression tray 1
has a handle or not.
Yet another embodiment will now be explained with reference to
FIGS. 22-35. A dental impression tray 1 may be designed such that
the handle 6.sup.vii comprises at least a first and a second handle
part 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii that can be pressed together to form a
complete handle 6.sup.vii while the handle 6.sup.vii has a locking
device 52 that can placed in a first position to lock the handle
parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii to each other and in a second position
where the handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii can be moved away
from each other.
As illustrated in FIG. 22, the handle 6.sup.vii may be formed by
two handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii. These parts 12.sup.vii,
13.sup.vii can be combined to form the handle 6.sup.vii as
indicated in FIG. 24, FIG. 25 and FIG. 26. Each handle part
12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii may be divided into a grip part 58 and a
bridging part 59 for connection to the tray portion 4. In FIG. 22,
it is indicated that the handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii may
optionally be linked to each other at their grip parts 58 by a
flexible strip 57 that can optionally be formed in one piece with
the handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii. The material may be, for
example, a plastic material and the flexible strip 57 may be much
thinner than the handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii in order to
ensure that the flexible strip 57 can be bent easily (i.e. that it
is flexible) such that the handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii can
be folded together.
In the embodiment of FIGS. 22-35, the handle parts 12.sup.vii,
13.sup.vii are not adapted to be connected to each other by a
snap-on catch as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 12.
Instead, the handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii can be connected
to each other in another way that will now be explained with
reference to FIGS. 22-35.
As can be seen in FIG. 22, the handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii
are not identical. The second handle part 13.sup.vii has, on its
bridging part 59, a first section 53 that is relatively narrow and
a second section 54 that is relatively wide, i.e. wide compared to
the first section 53. The corresponding area of the first handle
part 12.sup.vii is not divided in this way. On the bridging part 59
of the first handle part 12.sup.vii, a locking device 52 has been
placed as can be seen in for example FIGS. 22 and 23. A possible
design of the locking device 52 is shown in FIGS. 27-30.
As indicated in FIG. 27 and in FIG. 28, the locking device 52 may
have the shape of a beam with hooks 56 at the ends of the beam. The
hooks 56 can be used to hold the handle parts 12.sup.vii,
13.sup.vii of the handle 6.sup.vii together. On an external surface
of the locking device 52, the locking device 52 is provided with a
high friction part 55 that can be achieved through, for example, a
serrated or uneven surface. The high friction part 55 may of course
also be achieved by other means. An internal wall 60 of the locking
device 52 will face the perimeter of the handle parts 12.sup.vii,
13.sup.vii when the locking device holds the handle parts
12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii together.
It should be understood that the idea of using a special locking
device as shown in FIGS. 22-35 for holding two handle parts
together could be combined with other embodiments, for example, a
handle having an edge that forms a visible straight line. However,
the idea of using a locking device 52 as shown in FIGS. 22-35 may
also be put to use for all embodiments having a removable handle
formed by different handle parts 12, 13, regardless of how the
dental impression tray is otherwise designed. The locking device
52, as exemplified in FIGS. 22-23 and FIGS. 27-35, entails that the
handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii can be easily connected to each
other in a reliable way and just as easily separated from each
other.
If one of the handle parts is made with a narrow section 53 as
shown in FIG. 22, this entails that it will be easier for the
locking device 52 to be moved between a first position where it
holds the handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii together and a second
position where the handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii can be
separated from each other.
If the locking device 52 is permanently locked on one of the handle
parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii, this entails that it is immediately
available and that it is not easily lost.
The locking device 52 and the first handle part 12.sup.vii are
shaped such that the locking device 52 is a movable on the first
handle part 12.sup.vii but cannot be separated from that part. One
way of achieving this may be to make the bridging part 59 of the
first handle part 12.sup.vii so wide that the locking device 52
cannot be separated from the first handle part 12.sup.vii without
deformation of either the first handle part 12.sup.vii or the
locking device 52 (or both). In other words, the distance between
the tips of the hooks 56 is always smaller than the width of the
first handle part 12.sup.vii. As a consequence, the locking device
52 is permanently locked to the first handle part 12.sup.vii.
In FIG. 22 and in FIG. 23, it can be seen how the locking device 52
is placed on the first handle part 12.sup.vii. In this position of
the locking device 52, the handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii can
be pressed tightly against each other without being impeded by the
locking device. The reason is that this position of the locking
device 52 matches the narrower first section 53 of the second
handle part 13.sup.vii. With reference to FIG. 31, it can be seen
how the handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii have been pressed
together while the locking device 52 is still in the same position
as in FIGS. 22 and 23. In this position, the locking device 52 does
not lock the handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii to each other
since the locking device contacts the second handle part 13.sup.vii
at its narrow section 53 where the hooks 56 of the locking device
do not extend over the handle part 13.sup.vii.
Reference will now be made to FIG. 32. In FIG. 32, the locking
device 52 has been moved to a position where the locking device 52
is placed over the second section 54 of the second handle part
13.sup.vii. The second section 54 is wider than the first section
53 and the hooks 56 of the locking device will now extend over the
second handle part 13.sup.vii such that the handle parts
12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii are locked to each other. This position can
also be seen in perspective in FIG. 33 and from the side in FIG.
34. This position of the locking device is a first position where
the locking device locks the handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii to
each other. The second position of the locking device is the
position shown in for example FIGS. 31 and 32. It can thus be seen
that the first section 53 of the second handle part 13.sup.vii
corresponds to the second position of the locking device 52 and it
has such dimensions (i.e. it is so narrow) that the handle parts
12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii can be pressed together or moved away from
each other when the locking device 52 is in the second
position.
Correspondingly, the second section 54 of the second handle part
corresponds to the first position of the locking device 52 and, as
explained, it has such dimensions that the first and second handle
part will be locked to each other when the locking device 52 is
placed in its first position and the handle parts 12.sup.vii,
13.sup.vii are pressed against each other. In order to keep the
locking device 52 in the first position, the internal walls 60 of
the locking device 52 may be slightly converging such that the
locking device 52 is pressed against the periphery of the handle
parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii when the locking device 52 is pushed
from the second position towards the first position. Alternatively,
the handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii (or one of them) could
become somewhat wider towards the first end 7.sup.vii of the
handle. Of course, it may also be so that both the handle parts
12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii and the inner walls 60 of the locking device
have a geometry that contributes to squeeze these parts against
each other when the locking device is pushed from the second
position towards the first position.
To connect the handle 6.sup.vii to the tray portion 4, the handle
6.sup.vii may initially be held in an open position as shown in
FIG. 22. The locking device 52 is placed in the second position as
indicated in FIGS. 22 and 23. The fastening elements 16.sup.vii,
17.sup.vii of the handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii are connected
to the fasteners 18 on the tray section 4 while the handle parts
12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii are pressed against each other. The locking
device 52 is then pushed to the first position of the locking
device as shown in FIG. 33. The locking device 52 will now hold the
handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii together and the handle will
hold the tray portion 4 as indicated in FIG. 35. It should be
understood that the fastening elements 16.sup.vii, 17.sup.vii on
the handle parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii may be projections and that
the fasteners 18 on the tray section may be recesses into which the
fastening elements 16.sup.vii, 17.sup.vii of the handle parts
12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii are pressed. However, it could also be so
that the fastening elements 16.sup.vii, 17.sup.vii on the handle
parts 12.sup.vii, 13.sup.vii are parts shaped to define recesses
and the fasteners 18 on the tray section could be projections.
While the various embodiments have been described above mainly with
reference to a dental impression tray 1, it should be understood
that all that has been described above could also be described in
terms of methods in connection with the making of dental
impressions.
The dental impression tray itself can be made of many different
materials. Plastic materials may be suitable, but other materials
could also be used, for example ceramic or metallic materials.
Although these inventions have been disclosed in the context of
certain preferred embodiments and examples, it will be understood
by those skilled in the art that the present inventions extend
beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative
embodiments and/or uses of the inventions and obvious modifications
and equivalents thereof. In addition, while several variations of
the inventions have been shown and described in detail, other
modifications, which are within the scope of these inventions, will
be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this
disclosure. It is also contemplated that various combination or
sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the
embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the
inventions. It should be understood that various features and
aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or
substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the
disclosed inventions. Thus, it is intended that the scope of at
least some of the present inventions herein disclosed should not be
limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described
above.
* * * * *