Method of manufacturing an orthodontic bracket having a laser shaped green body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016022383-A1
Application number	US-201514810796-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 28, 2015
Priority date	Jan 25, 2005
Publication date	Jan 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A green metal body includes metal particles and a binder in the shape of an orthodontic bracket and/or base plate. The green metal body is fabricated by being laser-cut with a laser to shape the green metal body into the shape of an orthodontic bracket and/or to carve recesses and/or undercuts into the bonding surface of the bracket. The green metal body is sintered to shrink its volume into a denser and less porous sintered metal body configured to be an orthodontic bracket. The resultant sintered orthodontic bracket includes recesses and/or undercuts in the bonding surface to provide a mechanical aspect when bonded to a tooth.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of manufacturing an orthodontic appliance comprising:
removing binder from a surface portion of a green body composed of particles held together by the binder; removing particles from the surface portion of the green body where the binder has been removed to yield a cut portion defined by the remaining particles of the green body, the cut portion having a shape that is related to the orthodontic appliance; removing additional binder from the green body following removal of the particles from the surface portion of the green body; and sintering the particles to form a sintered body including a sintered cut portion so as to form the orthodontic appliance.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein following sintering, the sintered cut portion has a negative shape of a lingual side or a buccal side of a tooth.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein removing binder from the surface portion includes removing binder according to a three-dimensional model of a particular patient's tooth.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to removing binder from the surface portion, the method further includes ascertaining a three-dimensional model of the tooth and inputting the three-dimensional model into a computer.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein removing binder from the surface portion is computer controlled according to a three-dimensional model of a particular patient's tooth.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein removing particles from the surface portion determines at least one of a signing angulation and a slot position of the orthodontic appliance.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cut portion includes identification indicia to identify a preselected tooth to which the cut portion is to be mated, and wherein removing particles from the surface portion defines the identification indicia.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the identification indicia include a numeral.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the orthodontic appliance is a base plate configured to be attached to an orthodontic bracket.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the orthodontic appliance is an orthodontic bracket configured to be attached to the tooth.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein removing binder from the surface portion includes guiding a beam to remove the binder at a point being hit by the beam.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein guiding a beam includes guiding a laser beam to vaporize, melt, and/or decompose the binder at a point being hit by the laser beam.

13 . A method of manufacturing an orthodontic appliance comprising:
removing binder from a surface portion of a green body composed of particles held together by the binder in the shape of the orthodontic appliance; removing particles from the surface portion of the green body where the binder has been removed to yield a cut portion defined by the remaining particles of the green body, the cut portion having a shape that is related to a negative shape of a lingual side or a buccal side of a tooth; and heating the green body to remove additional binder following removing particles from the surface portion of the green body where the binder has been removed.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein removing binder from the surface portion includes guiding a beam to remove the binder at a point being hit by the beam.

Assignees

• Ormco Corp

Inventors

• Abels Norbert
• Backes Claus H

Classifications

• B33Y70/00

  Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• Y10T29/49995

  Shaping one-piece blank by removing material · CPC title

• Y10T29/49568

  Orthodontic device making · CPC title

• A61C13/0022

  Blanks or green, unfinished dental restoration parts · CPC title

• B23K26/361

  for deburring or mechanical trimming (B23K26/351 takes precedence) · CPC title