3m Innovative Properties Company

Gopal B Haregoppa

Satinder K Nayar

Ronald W Gerdes

Donald S Oblak

Casey L Carlson

James D Hansen

Holger Hauptmann

Ming-Lai Lai

Jennifer L Trice

Joseph C Dingeldein

Bastian P Kirchner

Andrew W Chen

Till Meurer

Gareth A Hughes

Katie B Thompson

Armineh Khachatoorian

An additively manufactured dental crown with a wall having a bottom edge and an occlusal portion joined with the wall opposite the bottom edge. The wall and occlusal portion form an interior surface and an opposing exterior surface. By using additive manufacturing and materials for such, the dental crown can have thin walls with a thickness of less than 300 microns at the thinnest portion of it and can include fine printed features such as identifiers, internal ribs, slots, porous meshes, and retention elements.

Ceramic dental restorations made by additive manufacturing

Dispensing assemblies for dental articles such as orthodontic brackets include a supply tube having a generally omega-shaped configuration. The supply tube receives a carrier strip as well as a number of containers that are releasably connected to the carrier strip. A dispenser array includes a plurality of supply tubes that are coupled to a spline by connectors. A dispensing system includes a mechanism for selectively positioning an array of supply tubes in either an upright orientation for storage or alternatively in an inclined orientation for dispensing.

Dispensing assemblies, arrays and systems for dental articles

The invention is a mounting system for a vibrational element. The vibrational element has a longitudinal axis, an outer surface and an axial displacement node. The mounting system includes an isolation member which has an isolation surface, an isolating body, and an engaging portion. The engaging portion is immovably secured to the isolation member and extends radially inward from the isolation body at a point radially opposite the isolation surface. The engaging portion is disposed so as to engage the outer surface of the vibrational element. Radial displacements of the vibration element are substantially decoupled from the isolation surface through the engaging portion.

Mount for vibratory elements

Methods and apparatus for orthodontic treatment planning that involve determining an initial position of an orthodontic structure, determining an altered position, and generating response surface data using a mathematical relationship between the positions. The mathematical relationship may be defined by a number of parameters useful for determining one or more of the stress, strain, force, and moment associated with movement of the orthodontic structure. The mathematical relationship between the initial position and the altered position may be defined using a finite element analysis, empirically determined, or using other computational methodologies such as a finite difference methodology. The mathematical relationship may also be defined using an analytical methodology, such as elasticity and/or plasticity methodologies. Response surface data may be generated as a teaching aid, treatment planning aid, table, or other useful form, which may be useful, for example, for designing an orthodontic appliance, verifying an orthodontic prescription, and/or planning the prescription.

Response surfaces for orthodontic treatment planning

An ultrasonic welding assembly is disclosed. The assembly includes a vibratory horn and at least one mount securing the horn. The horn has a resonant frequency and the mount has a resonant frequency about the same as the horn. The mount includes an inner portion that holds the horn at a nodal region. The mount also includes an outer surface that is coupled to a support member, for example, a bearing. The mount vibrates in resonance with the horn at the resonant frequency, wherein the vibration amplitude of the outer surface of the mount is generally up to about 15 percent of the vibration amplitude of the inner portion.

Ultrasonic horn mount

Growing community of inventors

Woodbury, MN, United States of America

Gopal B Haregoppa