Dental abutment screw extractor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11576756-B2
Application number	US-201916690926-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2019
Priority date	Aug 12, 2014
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

Described herein are systems and methods for extracting a broken fragment of a dental abutment screw from a dental implant. One such system includes an extractor tool having a tubular outer body and a conductor positioned within the tubular outer body, and an applicator that receives and end of the extractor tool and also includes a heating element that converts electrical energy into heat that is conducted to the extractor tool to melt a thermoplastic adhesive in a cavity at the distal end of the extractor tool, such that the melted thermoplastic adhesive can conform to and engage with a broken fragment of a dental abutment screw within a dental implant when the adhesive cools. The extractor tool can then be rotated to unscrew the broken fragment from the dental implant.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for extracting a broken fragment of a dental abutment screw from a dental implant in a patient's mouth, the system comprising:
an extractor tool comprising a tubular outer body, a conductor positioned within the tubular outer body, and a cavity at a distal end of the extractor tool; and
an applicator having a receiver that receives a proximal end of the extractor tool, the applicator also having a heating element that converts electrical energy into heat;
wherein the extractor tool is configured to contain a thermoplastic adhesive in the cavity at the distal end of the extractor tool and the applicator is configured to conduct heat from the heating element to the extractor tool and to the thermoplastic adhesive to melt the thermoplastic adhesive such that the thermoplastic adhesive can conform to and engage with the broken fragment of the dental abutment screw within the dental implant.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the conductor located within the tubular outer body has a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end of the conductor forms a proximal end of the cavity and the distal end of the tubular outer body forms a distal end of the cavity, such that thermoplastic adhesive positioned in the cavity is in contact with the conductor.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a time-controlled circuit configured to provide a predetermined level of electrical power to the heating element for a predetermined period of time upon activation by a user.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the extractor tool includes an insulating grip positioned around the proximal end of the tubular outer body.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the extractor tool includes an elbow or bend along its longitudinal length.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the applicator comprises:
a rigid body shaped and sized to be hand-held by a user, the rigid body having a distal end and a proximal end and a longitudinal axis extending between the distal and proximal ends;
a collet positioned in the rigid body near the distal end and configured to receive and release the proximal end of the extractor tool;
the heating element being positioned in the rigid body adjacent to the collet, the heating element being coupleable to an electric power source and operable to convert electrical power into heat; and
an activator electrically coupled to heating element and configured to cause electrical power to be supplied to the heating element upon activation by athe user;
wherein the applicator is operable to conduct heat generated by the heating element to the extractor tool held in the collet such that the heat causes the distal end of the extractor tool to become adhesively secured to the broken fragment of the dental abutment screw in the dental implant in the patient's mouth.

7. The system of claim 6 , the applicator further comprising:
a shaft fixed to the collet and extending from the collet through the rigid body along the longitudinal axis;
a plunger fixed to a proximal end of the shaft; and
a spring mounted around the shaft between the plunger and the collet;
wherein a distal end of the spring is fixed relative to the rigid body of the applicator and a proximal end of the spring is fixed relative to the shaft, such that depressing the plunger distally relative to the rigid body moves the shaft and collet distally relative to the rigid body and compresses the spring, and such that releasing the plunger allows the spring to resiliently expand to move the shaft and collet proximally relative to the rigid body.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein moving the collet distally causes the collet to expand radially to receive or release the extractor tool, and moving the collet proximally causes the collet to contract radially to secure the extractor tool in the applicator.

9. The system of claim 6 , the applicator further comprising an indicator light and an electrical circuit mounted in the body, the electrical circuit configured to illuminate the indicator light when electrical power is being supplied to the heating element in response to the user activating the activator.

10. The system of claim 6 , the applicator further comprising a control circuit located remote from the rigid body and electrically coupled to the heating element and the activator.

11. A system for extracting a broken fragment of a dental abutment screw from a dental implant in a patient's mouth, the system comprising:
an extractor tool comprising a tubular outer body, a conductor positioned within the tubular outer body, and a cavity at a distal end of the extractor tool; and
an applicator having a receiver that receives a proximal end of the extractor tool, the applicator also having a heating element that converts electrical energy into heat;
wherein the extractor tool is configured to contain a thermoplastic adhesive in the cavity at the distal end of the extractor tool and the applicator is configured to conduct heat from the heating element to the extractor tool and to the thermoplastic adhesive to melt the thermoplastic adhesive such that the thermoplastic adhesive can conform to and engage with the broken fragment of the dental abutment screw within the dental implant; and
wherein the applicator further comprises a spring-biased plunger coupled to a collet, wherein depressing the spring-biased plunger causes the collet to open for receiving or releasing the extractor tool, and wherein releasing the spring-biased plunger causes the collet to close to secure the extractor tool to the applicator.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the conductor located within the tubular outer body has a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end of the conductor forms a proximal end of the cavity and the distal end of the tubular outer body forms a distal end of the cavity, such that thermoplastic adhesive positioned in the cavity is in contact with the conductor.

13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a time-controlled circuit configured to provide a predetermined level of electrical power to the heating element for a predetermined period of time upon activation by a user.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the extractor tool includes an insulating grip positioned around the proximal end of the tubular outer body.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the extractor tool includes an elbow or bend along its longitudinal length.

Assignees

• Univ Of Pittsburgh—Of The Commonwealth System Of Higher Education

Inventors

• Kukunas Steve J
• Smoots Ashley
• Smith Hannah M
• Kukunas Paul
• Sun Fanying
• Hughes Tyler

Classifications

• A61C3/16

  Dentists' forceps {or clamps} for removing crowns · CPC title

• A61B2017/00955

  thermoplastic · CPC title

• A61C8/0089 Primary

  Implanting tools or instruments · CPC title

• A61C8/00 Primary

  Means to be fixed to the jaw-bone for consolidating natural teeth or for fixing dental prostheses thereon; Dental implants; Implanting tools (fastening of peg-teeth in the mouth A61C13/30) · CPC title

• A61C8/0068

  with an additional screw · CPC title