WO2013186764A1

WO2013186764A1 - Triple lock abutment system

Info

Publication number: WO2013186764A1
Application number: PCT/IL2012/000224
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ilya Mushayev
Original assignee: Ilya Mushayev
Priority date: 2012-06-10
Filing date: 2012-06-10
Publication date: 2013-12-19

Abstract

The present invention is an abutment system (10) that is comprised of an implant anchor (200) with a socket (201) located at the attachment end (204) of the implant anchor (200), an annular protrusion (202) located inside the implant cavity (203) and below the socket (201), and an abutment (100) having a connector (101) located at the attachment end (102) of the abutment (100). The connector (101) is configured to be fitted into the socket (201) of said implant anchor (200). Said connector (101) is comprised of at least two bendable sections (103) separated from each other by a slot (105) and an annular groove (104) located on the outer surface of the connector end (108). The annular protrusion (202) of the implant anchor (200) is configured to be fitted into the annular groove (104) of the connector (101) thus forming a snap connection between said implant anchor (200) and the abutment (100).

Description

TRIPLE LOCK ABUTMENT SYSTEM

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Technical Field

The present invention relates in general to the field of dental implant technology, and more particularly to abutment systems used to connect the implant anchor to a prosthetic device. More specifically, the invention relates to retention features used by an abutment system to resist loosening of the abutment.

Description of the Related Art

Dental implants are commonly used as anchoring members in prosthodontic restorations to provide prosthetic teeth at one or more edentulous sites in a patient's dentition at which the patient's original natural teeth have been lost or damaged. Typically, known implant systems include a dental implant made from a suitable biocompatible material, such as titanium. The dental implant is typically threaded into a bore which is drilled into the patient's mandible or maxilla at the edentulous site. The implant provides an anchoring member for a dental abutment, which in turn provides an interface between the implant and a dental prosthesis.

These devices often employ threaded connections to fasten components of the prosthetic assembly together. However, threaded connections of the components of an implant assembly have inherent disadvantages. Some problems noted by practitioners are breakage of the screw and loosening of the screw fixating the.

Also, the small size of the components of abutment assemblies make it difficult to install the abutment screws in the assemblies, which can lead to over-torquing of the screws facilitating failure. Furthermore, yielding may lead to a loss of preload tension in the connection, causing relative motion between the joined components and compromising the function of the prosthesis. These stress concentrations are compounded by the physical size restraints placed on prosthetic components. The materials which are available to the implant designer such as, polymers, metals, and composites, quite often exhibit creep characteristics. The stress-raising factors encountered in implants aggravate the tendency of these materials to have time- dependent strain at stress levels below yield.

Current dental implant anchors are made from bio-compatible materials and are inserted into the bone of the mandible or maxilla. After an initial healing time to allow for osseointegration of the dental implant anchor, an abutment is attached to the implant anchor head. The abutment extends the implant through the soft tissue layers and provides an attachment site for the dental prosthesis, such as bridge work or a single tooth replacement.

The most common form of attachment currently in use is a small screw which passes through the abutment and threads into the implant anchor body. This abutment screw works in conjunction with a hex feature on the exterior or interior of the implant anchor body. The combination of the hex feature and screw fastening secure the abutment in place and provide for anti-rotation of the abutment in relation to the implant. The hex feature is also used as a wrenching surface to install externally threaded implants into the mandible or maxilla.

Gersberg in U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,892 discloses an internally splined implant anchor adapted for receiving a cooperatively splined prosthetic support structure .

A threaded fixation screw secures the abutment into the implant in a conventional manner.

Other examples of internal connectors utilizing a screw threaded through the abutment and into the implant body for securing the abutment are disclosed in Schulte et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,873 and Sulc U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,891. Sulc uses a slotted lower projection on an angled support allowing for rotation of the support in relation to the abutment to a desired angular position prior to permanent attachment of the abutment to the implant. Upon marking the desired position, the support and abutment are removed from the implant and cemented together in a conventional manner, then rethreaded into the implant. These references and all the prior examples utilize a screw that either passes through or is a part of the abutment and directly engages the implant body.

Internal connectors utilizing threaded screws to hold the abutment suffer from several fundamental problems. One problem is that the small abutment screws are difficult to install and often loosen or break after installation, which is one of the major problems reported with dental implants. Other problems include screw loosening problems which lead to increased patient visits for prosthesis maintenance and screw tightening, decreased abutment stability, and abutment screw breakage which sometimes results in the loss of the entire implant site. While the internal and external slot, hex, or spline features provide repeatability of abutment placement and provide a means to apply or resist torque, they do not in of themselves alleviate the associated problems with screw-type connectors. Furthermore, the external hex feature fails to add stability to the connection, since radial clearance must be provided for assembly of the components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the present invention to provide an abutment system with superior stability characteristics.

The above mentioned object is achieved by providing an abutment system that is comprised of an implant anchor with a socket located at the attachment end of the implant anchor, an annular protrusion located inside the implant cavity and below the socket, and an abutment having a connector located at the attachment end of the abutment. The connector is configured to be fitted into the socket of said implant anchor. Said connector is comprised of at least two bendable sections separated from each other by a slot and an annular groove located on the outer surface of the connector end. The annular protrusion of the implant anchor is configured to be fitted into the annular groove of the connector thus forming a snap connection between said implant anchor and the abutment

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS By way of example, embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures of drawings in which:

FIG. 1 A is a sectional view of an abutment system of the present invention.

FIG. IB is sectional view of a snap lock mechanism of the abutment system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 A is a perspective view of an abutment of the abutment system of the present invention.

FIG. 2B is a side view of an abutment of the abutment system of the present invention.

FIG. 2C is a sectional view of an abutment of the abutment system of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of an implant anchor of the abutment system of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description of the invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the invention may be used without these specific details. In other instances well-known methods, procedures, components, and elements are not described here in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the invention.

It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the figures, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the apparatus and methods of the present invention, as represented in the figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, but is merely representative of selected embodiments of the invention.

Referring to the drawings for a better understanding of the function and structure of the invention, it can be seen in FIG. 1 A that the abutment system 10 is comprised of three main components: an implant anchor 200, an abutment 100, and a locking screw 300. Implant anchor 200 is generally osseointegrated into a targeted human bone as, for example, a jaw bone. The structure of the inferior end of the implant anchor 200 may be a root-form implant or a blade-form implant. The implant may be also manufactured in any of the following forms to promote bone growth and regeneration: threaded screw-type, cylindrical, stepped surface, hollow cylindrical baskets, or blades. The insertion end of the implant may be configured to be self- tapping or tapered to mate with a pre-tapped hole in the jaw bone.

Internally, the implant 200 is conformed for a mating engagement with the abutment 100. The attachment end of the implant 204 includes a hexagonal socket 201 having a depth of a hexagonal socket of a standard implant.

The abutment 100 includes a hexagonal connector 101, located at the attachment end 102 of the abutment 100. The hexagonal connector 101 tightly fits into a

corresponding hexagonal socket 201 of the implant 200. The connector 101 and the socket 201, however, may have a shape other than hexagonal.

The hexagonal connector 101 is comprised of at least two bendable sections 103, separated from each other by a slot 105. The sections 103 create the overall hexagonal shape of the connector 101.

Upon the insertion of the connector 101 into the socket 201, the abutment 100 is secured to the implant 200 by a snap lock mechanism activated between the socket 201 and the connector 101. The snap lock mechanism is comprised of an annular protrusion 202, located inside the implant cavity 203 and below the socket 201, and an annular groove 104 located on the outer surface of the connector end 108. The annular protrusion 202 is configured to be fitted into an annular groove 104 of the connector 101. The abutment 100 also includes a cavity 107 that has an extraction thread 106. A driver key is used for the extraction of the abutment 100 from the implant 200. The rotation of the threaded portion of the driver key inside the thread 106 forces driver key shaft against the bottom surface of the implant cavity 203, thus creating an opposite force acting upon the abutment 100 and causing its extraction from the implant 200.

It should be noted, that placing an annular protrusion inside the implant and placing an annular groove on the abutment, and not the other way around (i.e. a groove inside the implant and a protrusion on the abutment) reduces the shear stress applied to the abutment and prevents the structural failure of the abutment.

Additionally, the abutment 100 could be used with other standard implants, as the hexagonal connector 101 could be easily fitted into a hexagonal socket of the standard implant. Moreover, the implant 200 could be used with the standard abutments, because a hexagonal connector of the standard abutment could be easily fitted into the hexagonal socket 201.

Although illustrative embodiments have been shown and described, a wide range of modification change and substitution is contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances, some features of the embodiments may be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims are construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

An abutment system comprising:

a. an implant anchor comprising: a socket located at the attachment end of the implant anchor, an annular protrusion located inside the implant cavity and below the socket;

b. an abutment comprising: a connector located at the attachment end of the abutment and configured to be fitted into the socket of said implant anchor, and wherein said connector is comprised of at least two bendable sections separated from each other by a slot; an annular groove located on the outer surface of the connector end; and wherein the annular protrusion of said implant anchor is configured to be fitted into the annular groove of the connector , thus forming a snap connection between said implant anchor and the abutment.

An abutment system of claim 1, wherein said socket and said connector have a hexagonal cross-section.

An abutment system of claim 2, wherein said connector is comprised of six bendable sections.

An implant anchor comprising: a hexagonal socket located at the attachment end of the implant anchor, an annular protrusion located inside the implant cavity and below the socket.

An abutment comprising: a hexagonal connector located on the attachment end of the abutment, and wherein said connector is comprised of at least two bendable sections separated from each other by a slot; an annular groove located on the outer surface of the connector end.

An abutment of claim 5, wherein said connector is comprised of six bendable sections separated from each other by a slot.