Oral appliance for delivery of medicaments and/or other substances
Inventors
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10350039-B2
Publication Date
2019-07-16
Expiration Date
Abstract
An oral appliance is provided for delivering a medicament to at least a portion of teeth and/or soft tissue areas inside a mouth. The oral appliance contains an interior surface having a medicament disposed in or on at least a portion of and/or the entire interior surface of the oral appliance. The interior surface of the oral cavity is formed to fit contours of at least the portion of the teeth and/or soft tissue areas inside the oral cavity and is configured for holding the medicament in contact with at least the portion of the teeth and/or soft tissue areas inside the oral cavity to deliver the medicament to strategic areas in need of treatment. In some embodiments, computer, network and computer readable storage media are provided.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a computer implemented method of making an oral appliance for a patient by generating a baseline digital record of at least a portion of the patient’s teeth and/or soft tissue of the patient’s oral cavity using an imaging device. Based on the baseline digital image, the method creates a first digital image (Dig1) of an oral appliance and creates a second digital image (Dig2) by performing digital segmentation defining at least one treatment surface area including discrete regions of the oral cavity. The second digital image corresponds to at least a portion of the patient’s teeth and/or soft tissue in need of treatment.
The method combines the first digital image (Dig1) and the second digital image (Dig2) to form a third digital image (Dig3) of the oral appliance, where the oral appliance has an interior surface formed to fit contours of the treatment area. The third digital image includes the treatment area and interior surface fit, and is stored in the computer and used to instruct a 3D printer to produce the oral appliance.
The 3D printer produces the oral appliance having medicament disposed in or on at least a portion and/or all of the interior surface. The oral appliance is described as a custom-fit, monolithic 3D-printed appliance with an interior and/or exterior surface having medicament disposed in or on polymer gel/hydrogel, with the surface contours fitting targeted teeth, gingival, and soft-tissue regions to maintain contact and reduce leakage.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim identified is a computer implemented method that integrates baseline oral cavity imaging, generation of Dig1 and segmented Dig2 treatment-area imagery, combining to form Dig3 defining an interior surface fit, and using a 3D printer to produce an oral appliance with medicament disposed in or on the interior surface. The main inventive features are described below for this independent claim.
Baseline digital record of patient's oral cavity
Creating a digital record of a patient's oral cavity by obtaining a baseline digital image of at least a portion of the patient's teeth and/or soft tissue of the patient's oral cavity using an imaging device.
Dig1 oral appliance image based on baseline
Obtaining a first digital image (Dig1) of an oral appliance based on the baseline digital image corresponding to the at least a portion of the patient's teeth and/or soft tissue of the patient's oral cavity.
Dig2 segmented treatment surface areas
Creating a second digital image (Dig2) by performing digital segmentation defining at least one treatment surface area including discrete regions of the oral cavity, the second digital image corresponding to at least a portion of the patient's teeth and/or soft tissue of the patient's oral cavity in need of treatment.
Combine Dig1 and Dig2 into Dig3 fitting interior surface
Combining the first digital image and the second digital image to form a third digital image (Dig3) of the oral appliance, the oral appliance having an interior surface being formed to fit contours of the treatment area that comprises the treatment area for treatment with a medicament.
3D print medicament disposed on interior surface
Instructing a 3D printer to produce the oral appliance having the medicament disposed in or on at least a portion and/or all of the interior surface.
Overall, the claim coverage centers on a computer-implemented digital workflow that generates Dig1 and a segmented Dig2 treatment area from a baseline digital record, combines them into a Dig3 defining an interior surface fit for the treatment area, and uses 3D printing to form an oral appliance with medicament disposed in or on the interior surface.
Stated Advantages
Maintaining contact by forming contours of the interior surface to fit targeted teeth/gingival/soft-tissue regions.
Reducing leakage via the custom-fit interior surface of the oral appliance.
Documented Applications
Periodontal gum disease thickness staging configuration for treating gum disease.
Tooth whitening.
Halitosis treatment (scouring-pad texture described).
Oral fungal infection treatment.
Cleft palate graft concept, including tissue for grafting and surgical guide stent.
Diagnostics using an absorptive hydrogel for sampling (gingival crevicular fluid/saliva described).
Stereolithography with multi-print-head deposition of different compositions.
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