Container for dental implants

Abstract

The invention relates to a container (1) for a dental implant (10), having a receiving body (11) comprising a first receiving space (12) into which the dental implant (10) can be introduced and having a second receiving space (13) into which a surgical screw (14) can be introduced, wherein a first cover element (15) is provided, by means of which the first receiving space (12) can be at least partly closed, a second cover element (16) is provided, by means of which the second receiving space (13) can be at least partly closed and which secures the surgical screw (14) in the second receiving space (13), and the surgical screw (14) has a longitudinal axis (17) which coincides with the main axis (18) of the receiving body (11). According to the invention, the second receiving space (13) for receiving the surgical screw (14) is designed such that the surgical screw (14) has an axial play (s) towards the inner face of the second cover element (16) in the main axis (18) of the receiving body (11).

Description

[0001] CONTAINER FOR DENTAL IMPLANTS

[0002] Description

[0003] The invention relates to a container for a dental implant, comprising a receiving body with a first receiving chamber into which the dental implant can be inserted, and comprising a second receiving chamber into which a healing screw can be inserted, wherein a first cover element is provided with which the first receiving chamber can be at least partially closed, and wherein a second cover element is provided with which the second receiving chamber can be at least partially closed and which secures the healing screw in the second receiving chamber, the healing screw having a longitudinal axis that coincides with a principal axis of the receiving body. Prior Art

[0004] The term dental implant refers to a replacement for a tooth root, which is screwed into the patient's jawbone. After a healing process, the prosthesis is completed with the crown and the connecting element, the abutment. Unlike the dental implant itself, these two components do not require sterile packaging and are therefore easier to handle. During the healing process, a healing abutment is screwed into a threaded hole on the top of the implant, into which the abutment is then screwed after healing is complete. The dental implant and the healing abutment are usually packaged together and therefore preferably stored in a single container.

[0005] The implantation procedure itself is discussed in more detail in the documents listed below, so it will not be repeated here. It should be noted that this is an operation on open tissue, bone, and blood vessels; therefore, sterility and extreme cleanliness are required when handling the dental implant at all times. The sterility of the dental implant itself, and consequently also of the container, is achieved through further sterile and germ-proof packaging in the form of a blister pack, as long as this remains unopened and the maximum storage period is not exceeded.

[0006] Historically, containers are known that consist of a so-called primary part, which, in contrast to a secondary part, has a germ-free sealed volume, thus enabling sterile storage of the implant. The secondary part is not sterile and offers only limited protection against environmental influences such as dust and moisture. In the simplest case, it merely forms an outer packaging whose purity is equivalent to that of the surrounding environment. Therefore, it is of only minor medical significance and is often either not described at all or not described in detail in subsequent patent specifications.

[0007] An older cylindrical container is described, for example, in US 5,558,230 A, which—like many other solutions—provides access to an axially removable implant at one end. The disadvantage here, as with all such solutions, lies in the risk of unintentional contact with the implant during removal due to the general uncertainty associated with manual handling. In particular, an angular misalignment between the longitudinal axes of the container and the implant is difficult to avoid, thus significantly increasing the risk of unintentional contact. This risk increases not only with the length of the implant but also with its thickness, as the distance to the constant diameter of the inner wall of the primary container decreases.

[0008] WO 02 / 30315 A1 aims to remedy this deficiency by means of axially guided implant removal. This document also describes in detail the risk of contamination with foreign material and its consequences. The disadvantage of this solution is the need to house the complex mechanism for guiding the implant within the primary container.

[0009] US Patent 8,292,075 B2 describes a container with a rectangular cross-section and a laterally pivoting lid, which is rotatably mounted about a vertical axis located at the rear. The implant is clamped to the front of the housing by means of an additional component. The advantage of this solution is the ability to remove the implant from the top via the shortest possible route, significantly reducing the risk of contact with the container's inner wall due to the short distance, which is also well away from any internal walls. The disadvantage of this solution is the considerable effort required to create an airtight and germ-proof seal for the interior. According to the patent, this should be achieved in a conventional manner, but is not described in detail, leaving the execution to the experienced professional. A sterile barrier in the form of a blister pack was not considered.

[0010] A new, improved generation of containers circumvents this fundamental problem and is disclosed in EP 2 745 800 B1. This new generation differs fundamentally from its predecessors not only in its deviation from a cylindrical shape and the method of implant attachment. A metallic insert ensures that the implant comes into contact exclusively with metal, specifically titanium. The receiving body is made of a plastic material, and it is essential to prevent microparticles from being abraded from the plastic and adhering to the implant, for example, at sharp edges on the implant.

[0011] US Patent 2007 / 0181446 A1 discloses a container for a dental implant comprising a receiving body and a receiving chamber formed therein, into which the dental implant is inserted, and a lid element that is pivotably arranged on the receiving body between a closed and an open position. The dental implant is clamped between a titanium base plate and an elastic polymer element in the lid, such that the clamping occurs along the longitudinal axis of the dental implant. The lid must therefore be fully opened to remove the dental implant. The elastic element that comes into contact with the dental implant must have specific material specifications, and it must be ensured that no microparticles can detach from the elastic element and adhere to the implant. Furthermore, it must be ensured that no particles adhere to the healing screw either.

[0012] REVELATION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The object of the invention is to improve and further simplify a container for a dental implant, so that the container is made up of as few components as possible and it is reliably prevented that microparticles adhere to the implant after the healing screw has been removed from the container.

[0014] This problem is solved starting from a container according to the preamble of claim 1 with the characterizing features. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0015] The invention includes the technical teaching that the second receiving space for receiving the healing screw is designed such that the healing screw has axial play in the main axis of the receiving body to the inside of the second cover element.

[0016] The core concept of the invention is a gap between the top of the mounting screw and the inside of the second lid element, so that when the lid element is slid laterally, no plastic material rubs against the top of the mounting screw and adheres to it. This is achieved by the axial play, whereby, in the sense of the invention, the axial play also describes an axial distance between the top of the mounting screw and the inside of the second lid element, and a stress-free mounting of the mounting screw in the container can be achieved, at least along the main axis, so that contact between the mounting screw and the lid element is avoided when the lid element is opened.The container can also be equipped with a lid element that can be slid off the side of the receiving body. The lateral movement for removing the lid element describes an axis of movement perpendicular to the main axis of the container. An operator, i.e., the doctor or an assistant, can orient the container vertically so that the healing screw is removed vertically upwards, against gravity.

[0017] Similarly, it can be provided that the receiving space for the dental implant is designed such that the dental implant has axial play to the inside of the cover element in the main axis of the receiving body.

[0018] This creates a container for a dental implant that consists of a minimal number of individual parts, but offers the advantage that not only the implant but also the healing screw can be easily removed when both cover elements are pulled off the receiving body one after the other, and it can be ensured that no microparticles from the plastic material of the cover element adhere to the dental implant or the healing screw.

[0019] For example, the axial play between the inside of the respective cover element and the top of the dental implant and / or the healing screw can have a value of 0.05 mm to 2 mm, preferably a value of 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm, and particularly preferably a value of 0.2 mm to 1 mm. An axial play of 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm would be particularly preferable. It must be explained that the axial and radial play of the dental implant within the receiving basket should not be considered solely in a static, i.e., at rest, but rather that a significant dynamic component comes into play during handling and especially during transport. This dynamic component arises as a result of external, undefined accelerations applied to the container, whereby the dental implant, in interaction with the spring plate that forms the receiving basket, can form an oscillating spring-mass system. Thus, it can, for example,For example, during transport, possibly accompanied by rough handling or vibrations, friction can occur between the dental implant and the receiving basket, which is difficult to measure and within which the dental implant may also be pre-tensioned. Most importantly, friction can occur on the inside of the cover, so that, according to another design variant, the cover element can also have a sheet metal element, especially titanium sheet, which can be inserted into the inside of the cover element and protects the dental implant from the plastic of the cover element.

[0020] While a certain amount of preload on the dental implant within the receiving basket is advantageous to prevent excessive movement, jamming of the implant within the basket should be avoided. This prevents the operator from accidentally pulling out the entire receiving basket when removing the implant from the container or receiving basket using the insertion key. Therefore, jamming of the dental implant within the receiving basket should not occur without applying finger pressure to the elastic spring sections of the receiving body. Nevertheless, a small amount of radial play is desirable, as otherwise, unimpeded removal of the dental implant without finger force cannot be guaranteed. In this sense, radial play of the dental implant within the receiving basket should be understood as referring to a slight radial preload.

[0021] The receiving body features a particularly advantageous integrated receiving basket in which the dental implant is held. The receiving body is a plastic component, manufactured, for example, using an injection molding process, while the receiving basket, which is inserted into the receiving body, is made of a metallic material, specifically titanium. The receiving basket is designed to hold the dental implant in such a way that the implant no longer comes into contact with the plastic material of the receiving body. At most, the implant may still come into contact with the inner surface of the cover element, but this contact is essentially forceless, preventing any microparticles of plastic debris from adhering to the implant.

[0022] The receiving basket is designed with an internal receiving chamber and comprises a base section and two opposing leg sections, allowing the dental implant to rest on the underside of the base section while being held in place internally between the two leg sections. The dental implant is, for example, essentially cylindrical or frustoconical in shape and can thus be held between the two leg sections with slight radial play. The axial play along the main axis, which coincides with the longitudinal axis of the dental implant, is defined as the space between the base section and the inner surface of the lid section.

[0023] The second receiving chamber is designed for inserting the healing screw with axial play or for self-retaining insertion. The healing screw can move axially back and forth, or it can be pressed into the second receiving chamber and held slightly in place. It is also conceivable that the second receiving chamber is designed for screwing in the healing screw. In this case, the healing screw, which itself has an external thread, can be screwed into a section of the second receiving chamber, even though the wall of the second receiving chamber itself has no thread. This allows the healing screw to be screwed into the second receiving chamber in a self-tapping manner.

[0024] If the healing screw is not to be held in a fixed position within the second receiving chamber, it can have axial and / or lateral play, allowing the healing screw to be held directly in the plastic of the receiving body. It is also possible that the second receiving chamber contains an additional metal insert, for example made of titanium, so that the healing screw only comes into contact with this metal insert. This metallic lining is also conceivable for the inner surface of the first and second cover elements.

[0025] The second recording chamber can have a larger front diameter and a smaller rear diameter, the front section being defined by the fact that it points towards the exit of the second recording chamber and the rear section being closed off with the bottom side of the second recording chamber.

[0026] The first and / or second cover element can be mounted on the receiving body in a way that allows it to be laterally displaced relative to the main axis of the receiving body, so that a lateral displacement allows the cover element to be removed from the receiving body. For this purpose, retaining grooves can be incorporated into the outer contour of the receiving body, into which the cover element can be inserted laterally. Alternatively, a circumferential grip can be formed on the cover element to create a tongue-and-groove connection, and the cover element can be self-retainingly attached to the first end opening of the receiving body.

[0027] The receiving body preferably has an elongated shape along its main axis and terminates with a first end opening into which the receiving basket is inserted with a movement along the main axis. The receiving body can be designed such that receiving baskets of different dimensions can be inserted into the first end opening, the dimensions of which can be adapted to the dimensions of the dental implant to be received.

[0028] The receiving body can have a second end-side opening area to form the second receiving space in which the healing screw can be received, wherein the second end-side opening area is formed opposite the first receiving space.

[0029] Furthermore, the outer contour of the receiving body can incorporate retaining grooves corresponding to the cover elements, into which the cover elements can be inserted laterally. The cover elements can be made of a softer plastic than the plastic of the receiving body, resulting in an elasticity that allows the cover elements to be slid onto the receiving body and subsequently retain themselves.

[0030] A particular advantage is that the receiving basket can be inserted into the receiving body in such a way that it locks into place and is thus positively engaged along its main axis. This ensures that the receiving basket is not accidentally pulled out of the receiving body when the dental implant is removed. This can happen if the operator forcefully compresses the two movable spring sections of the receiving body, causing the dental implant to inadvertently pull the receiving basket out as well.

[0031] The leg sections of the receiving basket can, for example, have retaining tabs at their free ends into which locking lugs arranged on the receiving body can engage when the receiving basket is inserted into the first end-facing opening area. The retaining tabs can be designed in such a way that they form a positive-locking connection with the locking lugs, so that the receiving basket cannot slip out of the receiving body, at least along its main axis. In particular, the retaining tabs can have window-like openings into which the locking lugs can engage.

[0032] The receiving body has two opposing end openings, one for the dental implant and the other for the healing screw. The healing screw is not subject to the same sterility requirements, so it can also be screwed into the receiving body material for a self-retaining position. However, care should be taken to prevent debris from the second cover element from adhering to the healing screw. Therefore, contact between the healing screw and the second cover element must be avoided.

[0033] The healing screw can also extend longitudinally along the main axis of the receiving body, so that to remove the healing screw, the operator only needs to rotate the receiving body until the second end-facing opening is accessible. The healing screw is usually removed after the actual dental implant has already been removed from the container.

[0034] Finally, the receiving body can be slotted along a section of its main axis by means of recesses, thus forming two elastically movable spring sections on the receiving body. The leg sections of the receiving basket can rest against the inside of these spring sections, so that when external force is applied, for example between the thumb and forefinger of a hand, the spring sections, and thus the leg sections, can be elastically compressed together to clamp the dental implant. This allows the dental implant to be fixed in place, for example, to allow the insertion of the extraction tool into the implant, so that the implant can then be removed from the receiving body or receiving basket using the sterile extraction tool.

[0035] The bottom section of the receiving basket can be narrower than the distance between the inner sides of the spring sections, so that the bottom section allows for spring travel and does not prevent the compression of the two leg sections of the receiving body.

[0036] PREFERRED EXAMPLE OF THE INVENTION

[0037] Further measures improving the invention are described in more detail below, together with a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the figures. The figures show:

[0038] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container for dental implants, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the container for dental implants according to Figure 1.

[0039] Figure 3 shows a detailed view of the lower, second opening area of ​​the receiving body with a healing screw received therein, illustrating the invention and

[0040] Figure 4 shows an exploded view of the container for dental implants with a dental implant and a healing screw.

[0041] Figures 1 and 2 show, in a perspective view and a cross-sectional view, a container 1 which essentially comprises a receiving body 11, for example made of a plastic material processed by injection molding. The receiving body 11 extends along a principal axis 18 and has a first receiving chamber 12 on its upper side and a second receiving chamber 13 on its lower side, wherein the first upper receiving chamber 12 is closed by a first cover element 15 and the second lower receiving chamber 13 by a second cover element 16. A dental implant 10 is received in the upper, first receiving chamber 11 and a healing screw 14 is received in the lower, second receiving chamber 13.

[0042] The receiving body 11 is formed with two recesses 22 in its upper section, creating two resilient sections that can be pressed against each other and thus elastically moved towards one another. A receiving basket 19 has been inserted into the receiving body 11 in this upper region of the resilient sections, and subsequently, after the dental implant has been inserted into the titanium receiving basket 19, this first receiving chamber 12 of the receiving body 11 has been closed with the first cover element 15 to secure the dental implant 10 against falling out.

[0043] On the underside, in the second end-facing opening area, in which the second receiving chamber 13 is formed, the healing screw 14 has been inserted. The healing screw 14 can be screwed or pressed into the material of the receiving body 11 from the inside of the second receiving chamber 13, and the second receiving chamber 13 is then also closed with a second cover element 16, so that the healing screw 14 is also prevented from falling out.

[0044] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional detail view of the receiving body 11 in the area of ​​the lower second receiving chamber 13, in which the healing screw 14 is inserted and the lower second receiving chamber 13 is closed with the second cover element 16. The healing screw 14 is inserted in the lower second receiving chamber 13. In its inner area, the second receiving chamber 13 has a larger front diameter D1 and a smaller rear diameter D2. The healing screw 14 can be screwed into the area of ​​the smaller rear diameter D2, or it can be pressed into this area. It is also conceivable that the healing screw remains axially movable along its longitudinal axis 17 when it has been inserted into the receiving chamber 13. The healing screw can thus be held in a constrained position, or it is intended that the healing screw remains movable along its longitudinal and / or transverse axis (axial and / or radial).

[0045] The view shows an arrangement of the healing screw 14 in the second receiving space 13 with an axial play s against the inside of the second cover element 16, whereby the healing screw 14 can move slightly in its longitudinal axis 17, the longitudinal axis 17 coinciding with the main axis 18 of the receiving body 11.

[0046] If the second cover element 16 is slid to the right in the plane of the view shown and thus separated from the receiving body 11, the head of the embedding screw 14 cannot come into contact with the inside of the second cover element 16 in such a way that material from the second cover element 16 abrasion off and adheres to the embedding screw 14. This is achieved by the axial play s. This ensures that even when the embedding screw 14 is removed, no microparticles of the plastic material from which the second cover element 16 is formed adhere to the embedding screw 14 when the cover element 16 is pulled off from the lower end opening area.

[0047] The first and second cover elements 15, 16 are made of a slightly softer material compared to the receiving body 11 and must be pushed onto the receiving body 11 with a slight force so that the cover elements 15, 16 can be held in place on the receiving body 11 and can be pushed off the receiving body 11 with a minimum force in the direction of the arrow shown.

[0048] Figure 4 shows an exploded view of the container 1 with a dental implant 10 and a healing screw 14. The receiving body 11 is shown separated with the upper, first receiving chamber 12 for receiving the dental implant 10, so that the receiving basket 19, which is inserted into the upper side of the receiving body 11, is also visible. Two cover elements 15 and 16 are also shown, with the cover element 16 closing the underside of the receiving body 11 after the healing screw 14 has been inserted into the lower, second receiving chamber 13 of the receiving body 11.The perspective view of the receiving body 11 also shows improved views of the recesses 22, which cut into the receiving body 11 starting from the first end opening area, so that two spring-loaded sections are created on the receiving body 11, which can be compressed, for example, between the thumb and index finger, in order to clamp the dental implant 10 between the leg sections 20a of the receiving basket 19.

[0049] The receiving basket 19 has two opposing leg sections which are connected to each other in one piece via a common base section 20b. The dental implant 10 can be completely enclosed by the receiving basket 19, which is made of a metal, for example titanium, and thus kept away from the plastic material of the receiving body 11.

[0050] Retaining grooves 21 are provided under the respective collars of the first and second end openings. Grips 23 on the cover elements 15, 16 engage in these grooves when the cover elements 15, 16 are slid laterally onto the first and second end openings. This holds the cover elements 15, 16 on the receiving body 11. The cover elements 15, 16 are made of a softer, more compliant plastic material than the receiving body 11 and spring back slightly when slid laterally onto the openings, thus creating the self-retaining effect.

[0051] The invention is not limited in its embodiment to the preferred embodiment described above. Rather, a number of variants are conceivable, which utilize the solution presented even in fundamentally different designs. All features and / or advantages arising from the claims, the description, or the drawings, including design details or spatial arrangements, can be essential to the invention, both individually and in various combinations.

[0052] Reference symbol list:

[0053] 1 container

[0054] 10 dental implants

[0055] 11 recording bodies

[0056] 12 first recording room

[0057] 13 second recording room

[0058] 14 Healing screw

[0059] 15 first lid element

[0060] 16 second lid element

[0061] 17 Longitudinal axis

[0062] 18 Main axis

[0063] 19 Pickup basket

[0064] 20a thigh section

[0065] 20b Soil section

[0066] 21 Holding groove

[0067] 22 exceptions

[0068] 23 Scope s Axial play

[0069] D1 front larger diameter

[0070] D2 rear smaller diameter

Claims

Claims:

1. Container (1) for a dental implant (10), comprising a receiving body (11) with a first receiving chamber (12) into which the dental implant (10) can be inserted, and comprising a second receiving chamber (13) into which a healing screw (14) can be inserted, wherein a first cover element (15) is provided with which the first receiving chamber (12) can be at least partially closed, and wherein a second cover element (16) is provided with which the second receiving chamber (13) can be at least partially closed and which secures the healing screw (14) in the second receiving chamber (13), wherein the healing screw (14) has a longitudinal axis (17) which coincides with a principal axis (18) of the receiving body (11), characterized in that the second receiving chamber (13) is designed to receive the healing screw (14) such that the healing screw (14) is aligned with the principal axis (18) of the receiving body. (11) has an axial play (s) to the inside of the second cover element (16).

2. Container (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the axial play (s) has a value of 0.05mm to 2mm and / or a value of 0.1mm to 1.5mm and / or a value of 0.2mm to 1mm.

3. Container (1 ) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second receiving space (13) is designed for inserting the fusion screw (14) with an axial play (s) or for self-retaining insertion.

4. Container (1 ) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second receiving space (13) is designed for screwing in the sealing screw (14).

5. Container (1) of claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the second receiving space (13) has a front larger diameter (D1) and a rear smaller diameter (D2).

6. Container (1 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first lid element (15) and / or the second cover element (16) is laterally displaceable on the receiving body (11) with respect to the main axis (18) of the receiving body (11) and is removable from the receiving body (11) by a lateral displacement.

7. Container (1 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the receiving body (11) has an elongated shape along the main axis (18) and has a first end-side opening area for forming the first receiving space (12) into which a receiving basket (19) is inserted with a movement in the main axis (15) and in which the dental implant (10) can be received.

8. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that that the receiving body (11) has a second end-side opening area for forming the second receiving space (13) in which the healing screw (14) can be received, wherein the second end-side opening area is formed opposite the first receiving space (12).

9. Container (1 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that retaining grooves (21) are provided in the outer contour of the receiving body (11) into which the lid element(s) (15, 16) can be inserted laterally.

10. Container (1 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid elements (15, 16) are made of a softer plastic than the plastic of the receiving body (11).

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