Adjustable guiding device for positioning dental implants, implantation system comprising it and method employing same

Claim 2

A guiding device (7) for positioning dental implants comprising a tubular guide (1, 41) made of a radio-opaque material, of a size suitable to guide a drill (23) for implant cavities, adapted for being mounted in a template (8) fitting the patient's dental arch or a portion thereof, in the position corresponding to the desired implant location, said guiding device (7) being characterised in that said tubular guide (1, 41) is pivotally connected to a first substantially radio-transparent supporting member (3, 43) so as to be rotatable relative to said first supporting member (3, 43) about an axis orthogonal to the axis of said tubular guide (1, 41), and in that said first supporting member (3, 43) is supported by a second substantially radio-transparent supporting member (4, 44) adapted for being fixedly mounted in said template (8), and said second supporting member is dimensioned with respect to said first supporting member (3, 43), such that said first supporting member is repositionable relative to said second supporting member (4, 44) to different drill guide positions along a straight line orthogonal to said rotation axis.

Claim 3

A guiding device (7) according to claim 1, wherein said first substantially radio-transparent supporting member (3, 43) is a substantially parallelepipedal casing open on two first opposite sides so as to allow access to said tubular guide (1, 41) mounted therein, said casing (3, 43) bearing a rotatable pivot (2, 42) providing said rotation axis, extending across it between two second opposite sides thereof.

Claim 4

A guiding device (7) according to claim 2, wherein said second substantially radio-transparent supporting member (4, 44) is a substantially parallelepipedal casing open on two first opposite sides corresponding to the open sides of said first supporting member (3, 43), and adapted to enclose said first supporting member (3, 43), while providing two opposed inner contact surfaces for contact with the relevant outer surfaces of said first supporting member (3, 43), on the sides corresponding to said two second opposite sides thereof, the length of said second supporting member (4, 44) in the direction orthogonal to said rotation axis and parallel to said open sides being greater than the length of said first supporting member (3, 43) in the same direction enough to allow a proper adjustment of said tubular guide (1, 41) in the vestibule-ral direction.

Claim 5

A guiding device (7) according to claim 3, wherein the contact between each of said inner surfaces of said second supporting member (4) and said outer surfaces of said first supporting member (3) is provided by two series of rib and groove engaging means, whereby said ribs (5) and grooves (6) run orthogonal to said open sides, said first supporting member (3) being shiftable relative to said second supporting member (4) by selective engagement of different ribs (5) and grooves (6) of said two series.

Claim 6

A guiding device (7) according to claim 3, wherein the contact between each of said inner surfaces of said second supporting member (44) and said outer surfaces of said first supporting member (43) is a friction contact, said first supporting member (43) being shiftable relative to said second supporting member (44) by frictionally sliding it within said second supporting member (43).

Claim 7

A dental implantation system comprising a guiding device (7) as defined in claim 1, a cylindrical guide housing (25) adapted for being mounted in a template (8) fitting the patient's dental arch or a portion thereof in the position corresponding to the desired implant location, and a series of interchangeable guide cylinders (26-29), all fitting into said cylindrical housing (25) but each having an axial hole of different diameter.

Claim 8

A dental implantation system according to claim 6, further comprising an instrument for rotating of a desired angle said tubular guide (1) about said rotation axis, comprised of a flat support showing an angular scale (19) at the periphery thereof, and having an elongated arm (20) pivoted in the rotation center of said angular scale (19), one end of said arm (20) providing a pointer along said angular scale (19) and the opposed end (21) thereof being insertable into said tubular guide (1) so as to coaxially connect said tubular guide (1) with said pointer.

Claim 9

A dental implantation system according to claim 7, wherein said flat support has a straight edge (22) opposed to the edge showing said angular scale (19), said edge being orthogonal to the position of said arm (20) whereby said pointer is on the zero.

Claim 10

A dental implantation system according to claim 6, further comprising a couple of elongated straight members (9) made of a radio-opaque material each adapted for being fixedly connected with one end to the labial margin of said template (8).

Claim 11

A method of producing a drill template (8) for implant cavities comprising the following steps: a) making a template (8) fitting the patient's dental arch or a portion thereof, which template (8) incorporates one or more of the guiding devices (7) according to claim 1 in one or more edentulous jaw sites, each of said guiding devices (7) having the rotation axis of said tubular guide (1, 41) oriented along the mesiodistal line; b) placing the template (8) produced by step a) in its correct position on the patient's dental arch, with said tubular guide(s) (1, 41) in a reference position both as concerns the inclination and as concerns the shift thereof in the vestibule-oral direction, and obtaining radiographs of the interested jaw sections, taken along the vestibule-oral direction parallel to the geometrical axis of the tubular guide(s) (1, 41), showing said tubular guide(s) (1, 41) as well; c) for each dental implant to be inserted, considering the desired position (14) of the implant within the jaw bone (10) with the help of said radiographs, and measuring the linear shift (45) and the rotation angle (15) needed to bring the corresponding tubular guide (1, 41) in a position exactly coaxial with the desired position of the implant (14); d) for each dental implant to be inserted, correcting the vestibule-oral location and inclination of the corresponding tubular guide (1, 41) respectively by the linear shift (45) and by the rotation angle (15) as measured in step c), and blocking said guiding device (7) in the configuration so obtained by pouring a filler or adhesive material within the said supporting members (3, 43, 4, 44), so as to obtain a template (8) with a tubular guide (1, 41) in the desired position and inclination.

Claim 12

A method according to claim 10, wherein after step d) the position and inclination of said tubular guide (1, 41) as blocked is further checked radiographically.

Claim 13

A method according to claim 10, wherein the template (8) produced by step a) further includes a couple of elongated members (9), fixedly connected with one end to the labial margin of said template (8), both orthogonal to the geometrical axis of said tubular guide (1, 41).

Claim 14

A method according to claim 10, wherein the correction of the vestibule-oral inclination of said tubular guide (1) as recited in step d) is carried out by means of an instrument comprising an arm, by inserting an end (21) of said arm (20) in the tubular guide (1) and by sliding said guiding device (7) relative to said instrument along a straight edge (22) thereof until a desired angle (15) is pointed at on a scale (19) of said instrument.

Claim 15

A method according to claim 10, further comprising the following steps, for each implant to be inserted: e) employing the template (8) as obtained from step d) to produce on a model (24) of the patient's dental arch a pilot hole with the desired position and inclination; f) cutting away from said template (8) a section incorporating said guiding device (7), and placing again on said model (24) the two remaining sections; g) inserting a guide cylinder (29), fitting a drill (23) employed for said pilot hole, on a drill tip, together with a cylindrical guide housing (25), and inserting the drill (23) with said guide cylinder (29) and housing (25) in the hole obtained from step e); h) fixedly connecting said guide housing (25), in the position and inclination imposed by the coupling of said drill (23) with said hole, with said two remaining sections of the template, so as to produce a new template (8) having said cylindrical guide housing (25) in place of said guiding device (7).

Claim 16

A guiding device (7) for positioning dental implants comprising a tubular guide (1, 41) made of a radio-opaque material, of a size suitable to guide a drill (23) for implant cavities, adapted for being mounted in a template (8) fitting the patient's dental arch or a portion thereof, in the position corresponding to the desired implant location, said guiding device (7) being characterised in that said tubular guide (1, 41) is pivotally connected to a first substantially radio-transparent supporting member (3, 43) so as to be rotatable relative to said first supporting member (3, 43) about an axis orthogonal to the axis of said tubular guide (1, 41), and in that said first supporting member (3, 43) is received within a second substantially radio-transparent supporting member (4, 44) adapted for being fixedly mounted in said template (8) and said first supporting member (3, 43) is releasably retained by said second supporting member to provide for relative adjustment of said first supporting member with respect to said second supporting member (4, 44) to different drill guide positions along a straight line orthogonal to said rotation axis.

Claim 17

A guiding device (7) for positioning dental implants comprising a tubular guide (1, 41) made of a radio-opaque material, of a size suitable to guide a drill (23) for implant cavities, adapted for being mounted in a template (8) fitting the patient's dental arch or a portion thereof, in the position corresponding to the desired implant location, said guiding device (7) being characterised in that said tubular guide (1, 41) is pivotally connected to a first substantially radio-transparent supporting member (3, 43) so as to be rotatable relative to said first supporting member (3, 43) about an axis orthogonal to the axis of said tubular guide (1, 41), and in that said first supporting member (3, 43) is received within a second substantially radio-transparent supporting member (4, 44) adapted for being fixedly mounted in said template (8) and said first supporting member (3, 43) is releasably retained by said second supporting member to provide for relative adjustment of said first supporting member with respect to said second supporting member (4, 44) to different drill guide positions along a straight line orthogonal to said rotation axis.

Claim 18

A guiding device (7) according to claim 15, wherein said first substantially radio-transparent supporting member (3, 43) is a substantially parallelepipedal casing open on two first opposite sides so as to allow access to said tubular guide (1, 41) mounted therein, said casing (3, 43) bearing a rotatable pivot (2, 42) providing said rotation axis, extending across it between two second opposite sides thereof.

Claim 19

A guiding device (7) according to claim 16, wherein said second substantially radio-transparent supporting member (4, 44) is a substantially parallelepipedal casing open on two first opposite sides corresponding to the open sides of said first supporting member (3, 43), and adapted to enclose said first supporting member (3, 43), while providing two opposed inner contact surfaces for contact with the relevant outer surfaces of said first supporting member (3, 43), on the sides corresponding to said two second opposite sides thereof, the length of said second supporting member (4, 44) in the direction orthogonal to said rotation axis and parallel to said open sides being greater than the length of said first supporting member (3, 43) in the same direction enough to allow a proper adjustment of said tubular guide (1, 41) in the vestibule-oral direction.

Claim 20

A guiding device (7) for positioning dental implants comprising a tubular guide (1, 41) made of a radio-opaque material, of a size suitable to guide a drill (23) for implant cavities, adapted for being mounted in a template (8) fitting the patient's dental arch or a portion thereof, in the position corresponding to the desired implant location, said guiding device (7) being characterised in that said tubular guide (1, 41) is pivotally connected to a first substantially radio-transparent supporting member (3, 43) so as to be rotatable relative to said first supporting member (3, 43) about an axis orthogonal to the axis of said tubular guide (1, 41), and in that said first supporting member (3, 43) is supported by a second substantially radio-transparent supporting member (4, 44) adapted for being fixedly mounted in said template (8), said first supporting member (3, 43) in frictional contact with said second supporting member such that said first supporting member is releasably supported by said second supporting member such that said first supporting member is repositionable relative to said second supporting member (4, 44) to different drill guide positions along a straight line orthogonal to said rotation axis.

Claim 21

A guiding device (7) for positioning dental implants comprising a tubular guide (1, 41) made of a radio-opaque material, of a size suitable to guide a drill (23) for implant cavities, adapted for being mounted in a template (8) fitting the patient's dental arch or a portion thereof, in the position corresponding to the desired implant location, said guiding device (7) being characterised in that said tubular guide (1, 41) is pivotally connected to a first substantially radio-transparent supporting member (3, 43) so as to be rotatable relative to said first supporting member (3, 43) about an axis orthogonal to the axis of said tubular guide (1, 41), and in that said first supporting member (3, 43) is supported by a second substantially radio-transparent supporting member (4, 44) adapted for being fixedly mounted in said template (8), said first supporting member (3, 43) in frictional contact with said second supporting member such that said first supporting member is releasably supported by said second supporting member such that said first supporting member is repositionable relative to said second supporting member (4, 44) to different drill guide positions along a straight line orthogonal to said rotation axis.

Claim 22

A guiding device (7) according to claim 18, wherein said first substantially radio-transparent supporting member (3, 43) is a substantially parallelepipedal casing open on two first opposite sides so as to allow access to said tubular guide (1, 41) mounted therein, said casing (3, 43) bearing a rotatable pivot (2, 42) providing said rotation axis, extending across it between two second opposite sides thereof.

Claim 23

A guiding device (7) according to claim 19, wherein said second substantially radio-transparent supporting member (4, 44) is a substantially parallelepipedal casing open on two first opposite sides corresponding to the open sides of said first supporting member (3, 43), and adapted to enclose said first supporting member (3, 43), while providing two opposed inner contact surfaces for contact with the relevant outer surfaces of said first supporting member (3, 43), on the sides corresponding to said two second opposite sides thereof, the length of said second supporting member (4, 44) in the direction orthogonal to said rotation axis and parallel to said open sides being greater than the length of said first supporting member (3, 43) in the same direction enough to allow a proper adjustment of aid tubular guide (1, 41) in the vestibule-oral direction.