US4227877A — Anatomical intra-orally moldable dental impressio…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 136 words

A dental impression tray consisting of a sheet of thermoplastic material having a glass transition temperature between about 100° F. and 135° F. having a contour approximating a section of a patient's oral cavity of which an impression is to be made and peripheral borders shaped to cover the adjacent tissue areas with relief for the functioning musculature and related attachments, whereby the tray may be heated above its glass transition temperature exteriorly of the oral cavity and placed into the patient's mouth at a temperature low enough to not cause discomfort where it can be manually molded to approximate intimacy with that oral section before the tray cools below its glass transition temperature in the mouth of the patient to form a rigid final impression tray which is self-supporting and accurately maintains the molded structure.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 136 words

A dental impression tray consisting of a sheet of thermoplastic material having a glass transition temperature between about 100° F. and 135° F. having a contour approximating a section of a patient's oral cavity of which an impression is to be made and peripheral borders shaped to cover the adjacent tissue areas with relief for the functioning musculature and related attachments, whereby the tray may be heated above its glass transition temperature exteriorly of the oral cavity and placed into the patient's mouth at a temperature low enough to not cause discomfort where it can be manually molded to approximate intimacy with that oral section before the tray cools below its glass transition temperature in the mouth of the patient to form a rigid final impression tray which is self-supporting and accurately maintains the molded structure.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 14 words

The dental impression tray of claim 1 in which the thermoplastic is an acrylic.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 12 words

The dental impression tray of claim 2 wherein the acrylic constitutes methylmethacrylate.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 17 words

The dental impression tray of claim 3 wherein the acrylic is a polymer of polymethylmethacrylate and monomethylmethacrylate.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 21 words

The dental impression tray of claim 1 including a handle fixed to or part of the tray at the labial point.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 45 words

The dental impression tray of claim 1 including tissue stops projecting from the concave surface of the tray at spaced points adapted to space the tray with respect to the oral surfaces to be recorded accurately by allowing proper thickness of a final impression material.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 35 words

The dental impression tray of claim 1 including a U-shaped trough having an apex and means depending from the apex of the trough adapted to engage and retain final impression material inserted into the trough.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 37 words

The dental impression tray of claim 7 wherein said means further provide spaced projections adapted to space the tray with respect to the oral surfaces to be recorded thereby insuring proper thickness of the final impression material.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 33 words

The dental impression tray of claim 8 wherein said means comprises a plurality of posts having a generally spherical structure at one end and coupled to the trough apex at the other end.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 15 words

The dental impression tray of claim 1 shaped to contour to a dentulous alveolar ridge.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 15 words

The dental impression tray of claim 1 shaped to contour to an edentulous alveolar ridge.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 69 words

The dental impression tray of claim 1 for a maxillary section having a U-shaped trough adapted to engage an alveolar ridge and a palatal vault engaging section extending from and supported within the trough, the vault having a pleat extending away from the vault engaging side to allow the lateral separation of the opposed trough sides to be adjusted when the tray is heated above its glass transition temperature.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 70 words

The method of forming a final dental impression tray comprising: heating an anatomically shaped thermoplastic impression tray having a glass transition temperature between about 100° F. and 135° F. above its transition temperature exteriorly of the mouth; placing the heated tray into position with respect to the area of which an impression is to be taken and manually molding the tray to conform closely to the anatomy of the mouth.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 70 words

The method of forming a final dental impression tray comprising: heating an anatomically shaped thermoplastic impression tray having a glass transition temperature between about 100° F. and 135° F. above its transition temperature exteriorly of the mouth; placing the heated tray into position with respect to the area of which an impression is to be taken and manually molding the tray to conform closely to the anatomy of the mouth.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 25 words

The method of claim 13 including the step of trimming the peripheral borders of the tray to conform to the oral tissues and muscle attachments.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 13 including the step of adding moldable border material to the peripheral borders of the tray and causing the material to be intimately molded within the mouth.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 170 words

A dental impression tray comprising: a sheet of thermoplastic material which can be molded when heated to a temperature above the temperature encountered in the oral cavity of which an impression is to be made, said sheet having a U-shaped trough adapted to engage an alveolar ridge and a palatal vault engaging section extending from and supported within the trough, said vault section having a pleat extending away from the vault engaging side, whereby the tray may be heated exteriorly of the oral cavity, placed into position relative to the oral section for which an impression is to be made and manually molded to approximate intimacy with that oral section before the tray cools to form a rigid final impression tray which is self-supporting, said pleat allowing the lateral separation of the opposed trough sides to be adjusted to accomodate different oral cavity widths without interfering with the fit of the tray vault section against the palate and aiding in preventing the tray from reverting back to its premolded shape.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 170 words

A dental impression tray comprising: a sheet of thermoplastic material which can be molded when heated to a temperature above the temperature encountered in the oral cavity of which an impression is to be made, said sheet having a U-shaped trough adapted to engage an alveolar ridge and a palatal vault engaging section extending from and supported within the trough, said vault section having a pleat extending away from the vault engaging side, whereby the tray may be heated exteriorly of the oral cavity, placed into position relative to the oral section for which an impression is to be made and manually molded to approximate intimacy with that oral section before the tray cools to form a rigid final impression tray which is self-supporting, said pleat allowing the lateral separation of the opposed trough sides to be adjusted to accomodate different oral cavity widths without interfering with the fit of the tray vault section against the palate and aiding in preventing the tray from reverting back to its premolded shape.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 42 words

The dental impression tray of claim 16 wherein said pleat is centrally located along the midsection of the vault section and tapers in depth from a maximum depth at the posterior border and blending into the vault section at the anterior portion.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 37 words

The dental impression tray of claim 16 wherein the thermoplastic material has a glass transition temperature above body temperature and below a temperature which would cause discomfort to the patient when placed into the mouth for molding.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 24 words

The dental impression tray of claim 18 wherein the glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic material is between about 100° F. and 135° F.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 165 words

In the method of forming a final impression of an alveolar ridge including the step of producing a male model of the desired oral tissues from a thermoplastic impression tray, the improvement comprising the steps of: heating said tray above its glass transition temperature outside of the mouth; placing the heated tray into position in the patient's mouth with respect to the area of which an impression is to be taken; manually molding the tray to conform closely to the tissues of the mouth; allowing the tray to cool below its glass transition temperature while in the patient's mouth; removing the tray from the mouth; filling the tray with a dental impression material; placing the filled try into the mouth to obtain a detailed impression of the mouth tissues; removing the tray from the mouth; and thereafter, forming a final male model from the impression in the tray, with said tray maintaining its molded structure so as to not disturb the accuracy of the impression.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 165 words

In the method of forming a final impression of an alveolar ridge including the step of producing a male model of the desired oral tissues from a thermoplastic impression tray, the improvement comprising the steps of: heating said tray above its glass transition temperature outside of the mouth; placing the heated tray into position in the patient's mouth with respect to the area of which an impression is to be taken; manually molding the tray to conform closely to the tissues of the mouth; allowing the tray to cool below its glass transition temperature while in the patient's mouth; removing the tray from the mouth; filling the tray with a dental impression material; placing the filled try into the mouth to obtain a detailed impression of the mouth tissues; removing the tray from the mouth; and thereafter, forming a final male model from the impression in the tray, with said tray maintaining its molded structure so as to not disturb the accuracy of the impression.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 21 words

The method of claim 20 wherein said tray has a glass transition temperature above body temperature and below about 135° F.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 28 words

The method of claim 21 which further includes the step of making the impression tray from an acrylic thermoplastic material comprised of a polymer of polymethylmethacrylate and monomethylmethacrylate.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 44 words

The method of claim 20 which further includes the additional step of reheating the tray above its glass transition temperature outside of the mouth and again inserting the tray back into the mouth to finish the molding of the tray around the mouth tissues.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1983-10-14	1984-04-14	1984-10-14	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1987-10-14	1988-04-14	1988-10-14	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1991-10-14	1992-04-14	1992-10-14	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Anatomical intra-orally moldable dental impression tray and method

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