Did You Know...
...that while attempting to develop a super strong glue, 3M employee Spencer Silver accidentally developed a glue that was so weak it would barely hold two pieces of paper together? However, his colleague Art Fry needed the glue. Fry sang with his church choir and marked the pages of his hymnal with small scraps of paper that often fell out. He used Silver's glue to hold the papers in place. Today we call this invention Post-it Notes.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8113826 | Biased palatal bone expander A biased palatal bone expander attaches directly to the palatal bone in the roof of the mouth of a patient. The expander has dual, biased, mutually parallel rods. The rods extend from coaxial tubes and have coaxial springs. The expansion of the springs urges the rod... | 02/14/2012 |
| 7955075 | Device for correction of the form of dental alveolar arch A device has a metal wireframe with two lateral fastening elements which are connected through metal lingual and vestibular springs to a frontal fastening element and executed in the form of metal wireframes clasping teeth of dentition's lateral segments and perform... | 06/07/2011 |
| 7887324 | Osteogenetic-orthodontic device, system, and method In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an osteogenetic-orthodontic appliance, device, system, and method optimizes craniofacial homeostasis by means of a 3-D axial spring that influences the patient's genome and thereby addresses problems existing prima... | 02/15/2011 |
| 7837465 | Orthodontic expansion screw An orthodontic expansion screw having two bodies whose distance from each other can be changed by means of a spindle that engages both bodies. The spindle includes an actuation part for effecting a torque for readjusting the spindle, and a straight-line guide for en... | 11/23/2010 |
| 7771196 | Orthodontic appliance An orthodontic appliance for distalizing opposed molars (2, 3) of the upper jaw of a patient, in which the device (4) has a bracing plate (5), which in its intended use rests on the palate of the patient, and which can be secured, via wire eleme... | 08/10/2010 |
| 7661955 | Dental appliance A removable dental appliance having a base adapted for locating inside of an arch of teeth of a wearer and an arch wire coupled to the base, wherein an outer surface of the base is contoured for contact with inner surfaces of the teeth, and wherein when in use the a... | 02/16/2010 |
| 7500851 | Maxillary arch expander unbanded to teeth An orthodontic arch expander joins to a mouthpiece proximate to the rear of the mouthpiece. The transparent mouthpiece has a desired arc that fits over the teeth of the upper jaw. The mouthpiece has two wings that join near the incisors and then become parallel and ... | 03/10/2009 |
| 7384265 | Orthodontic force module An orthodontic force mechanism includes a jack screw having a pair of ends, at least one of which is threaded, and a central spindle between the ends, which spindle has two intersecting radial through-holes therein. A pair of nut housings are mounted on the end port... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7357633 | Device for correction of the form of upper jaw The invention relates to the medicine, in particularly, in orthodontics, and can be used during the correction of the form of upper jaw, namely, dental, alveolar and basal arches. The task of the group of inventions is to ensure increased functionalities of the devi... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7357635 | System and method to bioengineer facial form in adults A method and apparatus are provided for changing the form of the jaw and facial bones of an adult patient that did not develop fully during childhood. The method utilizes a device having a plate body with an expansion screw that fits within the mouth of the patient;... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7354267 | Tubular orthodontic arch wire A length of tubular material of unitary construction is formed into the approximate shape of a human dental arch for use as an orthodontic arch wire. The tubular material is composed of a super-elastic nickel titanium alloy which may also have shape memory. The cros... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7347687 | Distraction apparatus for orthodontic, orthognathic and oral/maxillofacial surgery applications on the mandible The invention concerns a distraction appliance for orthodontic, orthognathic and maxillofacial surgery purposes on the mandible for the distraction of a frontal bone segment, wherein the appliance is formed by a first distractor module and a second distractor module... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7335021 | Methods and apparatus to facilitate orthodontic alignment of teeth An apparatus facilitates treatment of a tooth that is at least partially impacted. The apparatus includes a wire including a first end, a second end, and a substantially planar body extending therebetween. The first end is configured to couple to a tooth. The second... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7331781 | Orthodontic expander for increasing maxillary transverse dimension and method An orthodontic expander with opposing bodies interconnected by a shaft threaded on opposing ends in opposing directions so that rotation of the shaft by engagement of a rotation body with a tool moves the bodies together or apart on guide pins extending between the ... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7322987 | Maxillary distraction device A device for maxillary jawbone and dentition expansion and/or retraction is configured for mounting within the mouth and connects the right and left halves of the skull. The maxillary distraction device includes at least two implantable anchors configured to be impl... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7314372 | System and method to bioengineer facial form in adults A method and apparatus are provided for changing the form of the jaw and facial bones of an adult patient that did not develop fully during childhood. The method utilizes a device having a plate body with an expansion screw device that fits within the mouth of the p... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7300279 | Orthodontic retainer elements A dental retainer device for stabilization, so-called retention, of pairs of teeth or groups of teeth in a lower jaw and/or an upper jaws in orthodontic treatment. The retainer device is formed of a pair (2) of retainer elements, consisting of two preferably ... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7293987 | Adjustable bite ramps for deep bite correction and kits incorporating bite ramps An adjustable bite ramp includes a tooth-attachment element and ramp element. The tooth-attachment element is sized and configured for bonding to the lingual surface of a person's tooth, while the ramp element is hingedly or bendably adjustable relative to the tooth... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7243650 | Custom fitted mask configured for coupling to an external gas supply system and method of forming same According to one embodiment, a method of forming a custom fitted mask configured for coupling to an external gas supply system includes applying a first sheet of deformable material against a contact portion of a user's face surrounding the user's nostrils while the... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7226287 | Kits comprising a plurality of bite ramps having different angles for orthodontic treatment A bite ramp includes a tooth-attachment element and ramp element. The tooth-attachment element is sized and configured for bonding to the lingual surface of a person's tooth, while the ramp element may be either fixed or else hingedly or bendably adjustable relative... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7195481 | Orthodontic distractor An orthodontic distractor comprising a pair of telescopically interconnected channels, a drive screw operable to withdraw the inner channel from the outer channel and the outer channel being formed in the shape of a logarithmic curve. ... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7192281 | Method for stimulation of growth of missing tissues of jaw defects and a device for its realization The invention relates to medicine and could be used in orthodontics during the stimulation of growth and filling of defects of jaw's missing tissues, in particular, of palate cleft and alveolar process. According to a proposed method a defect is closed by a plate, e... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7182596 | Orthodontic device The invention comprises a jaw orthopedic device for the movement and/or correction of teeth in the tooth arch with a synthetic resin element and/or at least one mature element or tooth contacting or tooth movement, whereby the synthetic resin element is comprised of... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7160106 | Archwire assembly with stops An archwire assembly comprises an archwire with a crimpable sleeve adapted to slidably move along the archwire so as to be positioned between two adjacent brackets of orthodontic braces. The archwire assembly further includes a stop applied to the archwire and adapt... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7156654 | Self-locking power component for orthodontic appliances A force adjusting mechanism for an orthodontic appliance wherein the appliance functions to move teeth and/or to expand the dental arch. The mechanism includes a shaft operatively coupled at opposite ends between a first portion of the appliance which is anchored in... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7121825 | Tooth positioning appliances and systems An improved dental appliance system, and methods for using and fabricating the improved appliance, including a polymeric overlay or shell having a teeth-receiving cavity formed therein and a wire mounted on or embedded in the polymeric shell. The dental appliance ha... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7094051 | Orthodontic appliance A mandibular and maxillary arch expansion apparatus having a first and second forward orthodontic bands and first and second rear orthodontic bands. The respective forward and rear orthodontic bands are interconnected by an expansion sheath element. The two forward ... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7074036 | Palatal expansion device and methods The present invention relates to a palatal expansion device that has a screw having one or more activation arms wherein the screw connects two blocks, each block having an opening for receiving the screw; a stabilizer attached to the blocks; and a spring extension p... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7070410 | Orthodontic device for attachment to orthodontic wire An orthodontic device allows direct attachment to orthodontic wires. A force module central portion is coupled to upper and lower end caps. The end caps have clip members that permit direct clipping onto the orthodontic wires to thereby retain the force module on th... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7044929 | Hinged therapeutic mouthpiece This invention relates to devices for insertion into the mouth for the application of heat or cold to oral tissue to provide a therapeutic effect. The device 10 includes an upper member 11 substantially conforming to a contour of an upper gum line, a l... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7037107 | Orthodontic archwire, archwire elements and wire cutting tool The posterior segment 20 of the orthodontic archwire of the present invention has the connector 30 provided in advance on the free end 23 of a loop 22 formed by bending one end of the segment. The archwire 1 where the main wire por... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7011518 | Contoured palatal expander An orthodontic palatal expander appliance comprising an expansion screw, extensions leading from opposite ends of the expansion screw and contoured tooth engaging portions fixed to the ends of the extensions and being entirely of thermoplastic material and being sha... | 03/14/2006 |
| 6964566 | Adjustable tooth spreading and uprighting device An easy to install tooth spreading and uprighting device that is positioned on a temporary basis across an edentulous space between a pair of teeth in the mouth of a dental patient to correct and prevent the teeth from tipping and loosing their upright alignment whi... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6918915 | Maxillary bone extensor A maxilla extension apparatus that extends the maxilla in lower forward direction, wherein a band is installed on the maxilla dentition, fixed onto a slide rail, and an arm is fixed onto the zygomatic bone. With this embodiment, a maxilla extension apparatus can be ... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6913460 | Coupling for orthodontic assembly An orthodontic coupling includes a first portion and a second portion that are resiliently interconnected for movement toward and away from each other. The second portion is adapted for insertion into a passage of an orthodontic appliance, and the resilient connecti... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6908306 | Orthodontic distalizing apparatus An orthodontic distalizing apparatus comprises at least one force generating element positioned intermediate a force dissipating element secured to the hard palate and/or alveolar ridge and a first tooth (e.g., a molar) that is being distalized. The at least one for... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6877982 | Mandibular and maxillary arch expander having polygonal or ovoid rod and tube expanding elements An orthodontic appliance for expanding the mandibular or maxillary arch comprises a first forward orthodontic band; a second forward orthodontic band; a first spring-loaded rod and tube assembly between said first and second forward orthodontic bands; a first rear o... | 04/12/2005 |
| 6783361 | Orthodontic mechanical force module The present invention is generally directed to an orthodontic mechanical force module having a jack screw whose rotation is controlled by a ratchet. In one embodiment, a pair of housings are interconnected with the patient in any appropriate manner, and are further ... | 08/31/2004 |
| 6644967 | Process for making an expansion screw for orthodontics and screw thus made The present invention refers to a process for making an expansion screw and a screw thus made; the expansion screw (100, 100') has two bodies (1, 2) that can be spaced apart by acting on the driving portion (6) of a double screw (3) housed within threaded... | 11/11/2003 |
| 6626665 | Developed maxillary molar distalization appliance For maxillary molar distalization a newly developed maxillary molar distalization appliance is introduced. Maxillary first molars and first premolars were banded. On the palatal side of the Class II first molar bands 0.45 inch diameter tubes were soldered... | 09/30/2003 |
