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Formable sheets for medical applications and methods of manufacture thereofRelated Patent Categories: Dentistry, Orthodontics, By Mouthpiece-type RetainerFormable sheets for medical applications and methods of manufacture thereof description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070148608, Formable sheets for medical applications and methods of manufacture thereof. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/705,590 filed Nov. 10, 2003, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND [0002] This disclosure relates to formable sheets for medical applications and methods of manufacture thereof. [0003] Repositioning teeth for aesthetic or other reasons is generally accomplished by wearing devices called "braces". Braces comprise a variety of components such as brackets, archwires, ligatures, and O-rings. Attaching these components to a patient's teeth is a tedious and time-consuming procedure requiring many meetings with the treating orthodontist. This reduces the orthodontist's patient capacity and thus makes orthodontic treatment quite expensive. [0004] The primary force-inducing component in a set of braces is the archwire. The archwire is resilient and is attached to the brackets by way of slots in the brackets. The archwire links the brackets together and exerts forces on them to move the teeth over time. Twisted wires or elastomeric O-rings are generally used to reinforce attachment of the archwire to the brackets. Attachment of the archwire to the brackets is called "ligation" and wires used in this procedure are called "ligatures." The elastomeric O-rings are called "plastics." [0005] After the archwire is in place, periodic meetings with the orthodontist are required, during which the patient's braces will be adjusted by installing a different archwire having different force-inducing properties or by replacing or tightening existing ligatures. These meetings are generally scheduled every three to six weeks. [0006] As detailed above, the application of braces to patient's teeth is a tedious and time consuming process and requires many visits to the orthodontist's office. Further, the use of braces is unsightly, aesthetically unpleasing, uncomfortable, presents a risk of infection, and makes brushing, flossing, and other dental hygiene procedures difficult. For these reasons, it is desirable to provide alternative methods and systems for repositioning the teeth. SUMMARY [0007] Disclosed herein is an appliance for use in an oral cavity, wherein the appliance comprises a polymeric shell that comprises a polymeric mixture, and further wherein the polymeric shell has cavities designed to receive teeth. [0008] Disclosed herein too is a method for maintaining or repositioning teeth in the oral cavity comprising placing an appliance in a patient's mouth, wherein the appliance comprises a polymeric shell that comprises a polymeric mixture, and further wherein the polymeric shell has cavities designed to receive teeth. [0009] Disclosed herein too is a method for maintaining or repositioning teeth in the oral cavity comprising placing an appliance in a patient's mouth, wherein the appliance comprises a polymeric shell that comprises a polymeric mixture, and further wherein the polymeric shell has cavities designed to receive teeth. [0010] The above-described and other features will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, drawings, and appended claims. DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES [0011] FIG. 1 illustrates a patient's jaw and provides a general indication of how teeth may be moved by the appliance; [0012] FIG. 2 illustrates a single tooth from FIG. 1 and defines how tooth movement distances are engineered; [0013] FIG. 3 illustrates the jaw of FIG. 1 together with an incremental position adjustment appliance; [0014] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the steps for producing a system of incremental position adjustment appliances; and [0015] FIG. 5 illustrates alternative processes for producing a plurality of appliances utilizing digital data sets representing the intermediate and final appliance designs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0016] Disclosed herein is an appliance made from a sheet comprising a polymeric mixture that may be advantageously used for repositioning teeth from an initial tooth arrangement to a final tooth arrangement. In one embodiment, the appliance displays properties of optical clarity, stain resistance, and transparency, which makes the appliance invisible when used in the oral cavity. The appliance is also easy to install and is more comfortable to wear than braces. The polymeric mixture used in the appliance displays properties of toughness and creep resistance, which facilitates the incremental repositioning of individual teeth in a series of less than or equal to about 40 steps, preferably less than or equal to about 25 steps, more preferably less than or equal to about 10 steps, and even more preferably less than or equal to about 5 steps. [0017] The polymeric mixtures may also be advantageously used in other medical devices as well as in other dental applications such as dental retainer appliances that may be used for retaining teeth in a desired position and other devices that can be used to prevent patients from grinding their teeth during their sleep. In one embodiment, the polymer mixture may be used to manufacture an appliance for use in an oral cavity, wherein the appliance comprises a polymeric shell that has cavities designed to receive teeth. In another embodiment, the appliance is part of a system of appliances designed to reposition teeth in a series of steps. In yet another embodiment, the polymeric shell comprises two or more layers, wherein on layer comprises an elastomer. [0018] A "step" refers to one use of the appliance for a prescribed period of time on either the upper or lower teeth to facilitate either the repositioning of the teeth or the retaining of the teeth in a particular position. The term "teeth" as defined herein may apply to a single tooth or to a plurality of teeth. [0019] The successive use of a number of such appliances permits each appliance to be configured to move individual teeth in small increments. A desirable increment for movement of the teeth is less than or equal to about 2 mm, preferably less than or equal to about 1 mm, and more preferably less than or equal to about 0.5 mm. These increments refer to the maximum linear translation of any point on a tooth as a result of using a single appliance. The movements provided by successive appliances, may not be the same for any particular tooth. Thus, one point on a tooth may be moved by a particular distance as a result of the use of one appliance and thereafter moved by a different distance and/or in a different direction by the use of a later appliance. Continue reading about Formable sheets for medical applications and methods of manufacture thereof... 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