Mandibular repositioning device
An intra-oral device includes an upper splint, a lower splint and a pair of lateral connecting rods. Each connecting rod has a first rod end that connects to the lower splint and a second rod end that connects to the upper splint. The connecting rods are configured to maintain the mandible in an advanced position relative to the maxilla. The upper splint includes at least one upper gutter portion that retains the upper splint on the maxilla. The lower splint includes at least one lower gutter portion that retains the lower splint on the mandible. The thickness of the at least one upper gutter portion and/or the at least one lower gutter portion may vary across the profile of the teeth.
1 . An intra-oral device designed to fit in a patient's mouth, comprising:
an upper splint, configured to engage with at least a portion of one or more teeth on the patient's maxilla, wherein the upper splint includes at least one upper gutter portion configured to engage said at least the portion of one or more teeth on the maxilla to retain the upper splint on the patient's maxilla; and
a lower splint configured to engage with at least a portion of one or more teeth on the patient's mandible, wherein the lower splint includes at least one lower gutter portion configured to engage said at least the portion of one or more teeth on the mandible to retain the lower splint on the patient's mandible,
wherein a thickness of the at least one upper gutter portion and/or the at least one lower gutter portion varies, and a retention portion of the at least one upper gutter portion and/or a retention portion of the at least one lower gutter portion has a varied thickness profile,
wherein the upper splint comprises an upper band portion between two upper gutter portions of said at least one upper gutter portion and the upper band portion is configured to extend across a front portion of upper central incisor teeth,
wherein the lower splint comprises a lower band portion between two lower gutter portions of said at least one lower gutter portion and the lower band portion is configured to extend across a front portion of lower central incisor teeth while the two lower gutter portions are configured to engage said at least the portion of one or more teeth on the mandible, and
wherein the lower band portion is configured to be positioned directly in front of the front portion of the lower central incisor teeth when the intra-oral device is worn by the patient,
wherein a surface of the lower band portion is configured to be inclined relative to a first plane that is perpendicular to a lower sliding plane surface when the intra-oral device is worn by the patient, the lower sliding plane surface being configured to be parallel to the patient's occlusal plane,
wherein the surface of the lower band portion is configured to angle outwardly from a bottom to a top of the lower band portion to form an acute angle with the lower sliding plane surface when the intra-oral device is worn by the patient, and
wherein the surface of the lower band portion forming the acute angle is configured to be positioned in front of the lower central incisor teeth when the intra-oral device is worn by the patient.
2 . The intra-oral device according to claim 1 , further comprising a pair of connecting rods, each connecting rod having a first rod end configured to connect to the lower splint and a second rod end configured to connect to the upper splint, wherein the pair of connecting rods are configured to maintain the mandible in a set position relative to the maxilla, wherein the set position includes a neutral position or an advanced position relative to the maxilla.
3 . The intra-oral device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one upper gutter portion is profiled to match a contour of the portion of one or more teeth on the maxilla to improve retention of the upper splint and/or the at least one lower gutter portion is profiled to match a contour of the portion of one or more teeth on the mandible to improve retention of the lower splint.
4 . The intra-oral device according to claim 1 , wherein
the retention portion of the at least one upper gutter portion is configured to match a profile of the at least a portion of one or more teeth on the maxilla and the retention portion of the at least one upper gutter portion is configured to extend along a crown region of the at least a portion of one or more teeth on the maxilla, wherein the retention portion of the at least one upper gutter portion is configured to be located at a side portion of the crown region of the at least a portion of one or more teeth on the maxilla; and/or
the retention portion of the at least one lower gutter portion is configured to match a profile of the portion of one or more teeth on the mandible and the retention portion of the at least one lower gutter portion is configured to extend along a crown region of the at least a portion of one or more teeth on the mandible, wherein the retention portion of the at least one lower gutter portion is configured to be located at a side portion of the crown region of the at least a portion of one or more teeth on the mandible.
5 . The intra-oral device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one upper gutter portion and/or the at least one lower gutter portion is configured to clip on at least one tooth that the respective gutter portion is configured to engage.
6 . The intra-oral device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one upper gutter portion and/or the at least one lower gutter portion comprises at least one undercut portion configured to hold the respective gutter portion on at least one tooth located in the respective gutter portion.
7 . The intra-oral device according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one undercut portion is configured to extend along a side wall of one of the at least one tooth from an apex of said side wall of one of the at least one tooth in an inward direction towards the gingival part of said one of the at least one tooth, wherein the undercut portion defines an undercut.
8 . The intra-oral device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one upper gutter portion and/or the at least one lower gutter portion comprises an upper sliding plane surface and/or the lower sliding plane surface, respectively, and wherein the upper sliding plane surface and/or the lower sliding plane surface is configured to extend along a major part or the entire width of at least one tooth located in the respective gutter portion in a cross sectional view of said respective gutter portion.
9 . The intra-oral device according to claim 8 , wherein the upper sliding plane surface and/or the lower sliding plane surface joins a side wall of the respective gutter portion in a first joining section, and wherein said side wall of the respective gutter portion is configured such that a thickness of said side wall in the area of an apex of the at least one tooth the respective gutter portion is configured to engage is less than a thickness of the side wall in the first joining section.
10 . The intra-oral device according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one upper gutter portion and/or the at least one lower gutter portion includes an undercut portion that intersects with an inner receiving portion of a side wall of the respective gutter portion in a second joining section, wherein the inner receiving portion angles in an outward direction.
11 . The intra-oral device according claim 10 , wherein the side wall of the respective gutter portion is configured such that the thickness of the side wall in the area of the apex of the at least one tooth the respective gutter portion is configured to engage is less than a thickness of a side wall of the second joining section and/or a thickness of a side wall of the inner receiving portion.
12 . The intra-oral device according to claim 2 , wherein the lower splint includes a lower splint connection point configured to connect with the first rod end of one of the pair of connecting rods and the upper splint includes an upper splint connection point configured to connect with the second rod end of said one of the pair of connecting rods, wherein the lower splint connection point is elevated relative to the at least one lower gutter portion.
13 . The intra-oral device according to claim 12 , wherein
the lower splint connection point includes a slot and the first rod end of said one of the pair of connecting rods includes a pin configured to be received in the slot of the lower splint connection point and a longitudinal axis of the slot of the lower splint connection point and a longitudinal axis of said one of the pair of connecting rods are arranged in a an obtuse angle; and
the upper splint connection point includes a slot and the second rod end of said one of the pair of connecting rods includes a pin configured to be received in the slot of the upper splint connection point and a longitudinal axis of the slot of the upper splint connection point and the longitudinal axis of said one of the pair of connecting rods are arranged in another obtuse angle, wherein an angle of the longitudinal axis of the slot of the lower splint connection point relative to the lower sliding plane surface of the at least one lower gutter portion and/or an angle of the longitudinal axis of the slot of the upper splint connection point relative to an upper sliding plane surface of the at least one upper gutter portion is adjustable.
14 . The intra-oral device according to claim 13 , wherein the slot of the lower splint connection point is counter sunk on the lower splint connection point and/or the slot of the upper splint connection point is counter sunk on the upper splint connection point.
15 . The intra-oral device according to claim 1 , wherein the upper band portion is configured to engage across the front portion of the upper central incisor teeth without engaging the internal surface of the upper central incisor teeth.
16 . The intra-oral device according to claim 1 , wherein the upper band portion and/or the lower band portion comprises rounded edges on a top edge and/or a bottom edge, wherein the rounded edges are drop shaped.
17 . The intra-oral device according to claim 1 , wherein the upper band portion and/or the lower band portion is inclined to follow an angle of the patient's incisors.
18 . The intra-oral device according to claim 12 , wherein the lower splint connection point is located in a wing structure with a wing base extending laterally from the at least one lower gutter portion, wherein the wing structure comprises a filled portion connecting the wing base to the lower gutter portion, the filled portion being contoured to provide support to the patient's cheek and to avoid dead space between the wing structure and said cheek.
19 . The intra-oral device according to claim 18 , wherein the wing base and the filled portion are configured to avoid edges, curvatures with small radii and dead space between the wing structure and the patient's cheek.
20 . The intra-oral device according to claim 1 , wherein the lower band portion is configured to engage the front portion of lower central incisor teeth without engaging the internal surface of the lower central incisor teeth.
21 . The intra-oral device according to claim 1 , wherein the lower band portion is integrally formed as a single piece with the two lower gutter portions and the lower band portion is configured to engage the front portion of lower central incisor teeth and a front portion of lower lateral incisor teeth while the two lower gutter portions are configured to engage said at least the portion of one or more teeth on the patient's mandible.
22 . The intra-oral device according to claim 1 , wherein a top edge and/or a bottom edge of the lower band portion comprises a tear-drop shape.
23 . The intra-oral device according to claim 1 , wherein a front surface of the lower band portion angles outward from a bottom to a top of the front surface of the lower band portion.
24 . The intra-oral device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one upper gutter portion comprises an upper sliding plane surface and the lower sliding plane surface that is adjacent and parallel to the upper sliding plane surface, wherein a front surface of the upper band portion forms an acute angle with the upper sliding plane surface and a front surface of the lower band portion forms an acute angle with the lower sliding plane surface.
25 . The intra-oral device according to claim 1 , wherein the surface of the lower band portion forming the acute angle is configured to follow an angle of said lower central incisor teeth when the intra-oral device is worn by the patient.
26 . The intra-oral device according to claim 1 , wherein the surface of the lower band portion forming the acute angle is configured to be positioned directly in front of the lower central incisor teeth when the intra-oral device is worn by the patient.
27 . The intra-oral device according to claim 1 , wherein the surface of the lower band portion forming the acute angle is a front surface of the lower band portion.