Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
74 words
A shelf-stable plastic orthodontic bracket, comprising: a body portion, a bonding base made of a plastic material and having a tooth contact surface, and a monomeric adhesive primer layer adhered to and solvated into said tooth contact surface, said primer layer is shelf stable and retain to efficacy to enhance the bond strength of said bracket with a dental adhesive even after prolonged storage of said bracket for up to at least several weeks.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
74 words
A shelf-stable plastic orthodontic bracket, comprising: a body portion, a bonding base made of a plastic material and having a tooth contact surface, and a monomeric adhesive primer layer adhered to and solvated into said tooth contact surface, said primer layer is shelf stable and retain to efficacy to enhance the bond strength of said bracket with a dental adhesive even after prolonged storage of said bracket for up to at least several weeks.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
A plastic orthodontic bracket of claim 1 wherein said bonding base is polycarbonate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
A plastic orthodontic bracket of claim 2 wherein said monomeric primer layer comprises an acrylic material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
83 words
A shelf-stable plastic orthondontic bracket, comprising: a body portion, a bonding base integral with said body portion which is made of a plastic material and has a tooth contact surface, and a monomeric, acrylic adhesive primer layer, said primer layer is adhered to and solvated into said tooth contact surface, is shelf stable, and retains its efficacy to enhance the bond strength of said bracket with a dental adhesive even after prolonged storage of said bracket for cup to at least several weeks.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
83 words
A shelf-stable plastic orthondontic bracket, comprising: a body portion, a bonding base integral with said body portion which is made of a plastic material and has a tooth contact surface, and a monomeric, acrylic adhesive primer layer, said primer layer is adhered to and solvated into said tooth contact surface, is shelf stable, and retains its efficacy to enhance the bond strength of said bracket with a dental adhesive even after prolonged storage of said bracket for cup to at least several weeks.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
121 words
A method of making a shelf-stable plastic orthodontic bracket having an adhesive primer layer, comprising: applying a solvating mixture containing solvents and monomers to the tooth contact surface of a plastic bracket and allowing said mixture to solvate into said plastic tooth contact surface for a predetermined period of time, and heating the bracket and solvating mixture to volatilize solvents and lower molecular weight monomers in said solvating mixture to thereby form a monomeric adhesive primer layer adhered to and solvated into said tooth contact surface, said primer layer being shelf-stable and retaining is efficacy to enhance the bond strength of said bracket with a dental adhesive even after prolonged storage of said bracket for up to at least several weeks.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
121 words
A method of making a shelf-stable plastic orthodontic bracket having an adhesive primer layer, comprising: applying a solvating mixture containing solvents and monomers to the tooth contact surface of a plastic bracket and allowing said mixture to solvate into said plastic tooth contact surface for a predetermined period of time, and heating the bracket and solvating mixture to volatilize solvents and lower molecular weight monomers in said solvating mixture to thereby form a monomeric adhesive primer layer adhered to and solvated into said tooth contact surface, said primer layer being shelf-stable and retaining is efficacy to enhance the bond strength of said bracket with a dental adhesive even after prolonged storage of said bracket for up to at least several weeks.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method of claim 5 wherein said bracket bonding base is polycarbonate and said solvating mixture contains acrylic monomers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method of claim 5 wherein said predetermined period of time for allowing said solvating mixture to solvate and diffuse into said tooth contact surface is in the range of about 2-30 minutes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method of claim 5 wherein said bracket and solvating mixture is heated to a temperature in the range of about 60°-100° C. for a time period in the range of about 5 minutes to 2 hours.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
13 words
A shelf-stable plastic orthodontic bracket produced according to the method of claim 5.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
153 words
A method of making a shelf-stable, plastic orthodontic bracket having an adhesive primer layer, comprising: applying a solvating mixture containing solvents and acrylic monomers to the tooth contact surface of a polycarbonate plastic bracket and allowing said mixture to solvate into said plastic tooth contact surface for a predetermined period of time in the range of about 2-30 minutes, and heating the bracket and solvating mixture to a temperature in the range of about 60°-100° C. for a time period in the range of about 5 minutes to 2 hours to volatilize solvents and lower molecular weight monomers in said solvating mixture to thereby form a monomeric adhesive primer layer adhered to and solvated into said tooth contact surface, said primer layer being shelf-stable and retaining its efficacy to enhance the bond strength of said bracket with a dental adhesive even after prolonged storage of said bracket for up to least several weeks.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
153 words
A method of making a shelf-stable, plastic orthodontic bracket having an adhesive primer layer, comprising: applying a solvating mixture containing solvents and acrylic monomers to the tooth contact surface of a polycarbonate plastic bracket and allowing said mixture to solvate into said plastic tooth contact surface for a predetermined period of time in the range of about 2-30 minutes, and heating the bracket and solvating mixture to a temperature in the range of about 60°-100° C. for a time period in the range of about 5 minutes to 2 hours to volatilize solvents and lower molecular weight monomers in said solvating mixture to thereby form a monomeric adhesive primer layer adhered to and solvated into said tooth contact surface, said primer layer being shelf-stable and retaining its efficacy to enhance the bond strength of said bracket with a dental adhesive even after prolonged storage of said bracket for up to least several weeks.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
13 words
A shelf-stable plastic orthodontic bracket produced according to the method of claim 10.