Orthodontic bracket assemblies with torque-adjusting drums

Abstract

Orthodontic bracket assemblies with torque-adjusting drums. The drum defines at least a majority of the archwire slot of the corresponding bracket assembly, and the drum may be selectively rotated about its longitudinal axis to adjust the prescriptive force that is applied to a patient's tooth during orthodontic use of the bracket assembly. The bracket assembly includes a positioning assembly that selectively retains the drum in a selected orientation relative to the base of the bracket assembly, thereby defining a prescription to be imparted by the bracket assembly to a patient's tooth. In some embodiments, the bracket assembly includes a biasing mechanism that selectively urges the positioning assembly to a position in which the drum is, or is not, retained in a selected position. In some embodiments, the bracket includes a release mechanism that selectively disengages the positioning assembly to permit adjustment of the drum.

1 . A self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly, comprising:
 a base configured to be coupled to a patient's tooth;   a closure; and   a torque-adjusting drum that is coupled to the closure for rotational movement with respect to the closure within a range of retained positions; wherein the torque-adjusting drum defines an elongate archwire passage that (i) is sized to receive an archwire during orthodontic use of the bracket assembly, and (ii) includes an inlet through which the archwire is selectively inserted into the elongate archwire passage;   wherein the closure is pivotably coupled to the base and is configured to be selectively pivoted with the torque-adjusting drum relative to the base between:
 a closed configuration, in which the archwire is obstructed, by the base, from being inserted into or removed from the archwire passage through the inlet, and 
 an open configuration, in which the torque-adjusting drum and the closure are pivoted away from the base, and in which the archwire may be inserted into or removed from the archwire passage through the inlet. 
   
     
     
         2 . The self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the torque-adjusting drum includes a face that defines the inlet from which the archwire passage extends into the torque-adjusting drum from the inlet, and wherein the inlet faces the base when the closure and the torque-adjusting drum are in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the base includes a closure-engagement surface that obstructs the inlet when the closure and the torque-adjusting drum are in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly of  claim 3 , wherein when the closure and the torque-adjusting drum are in the open configuration, an archwire within the archwire passage may be removed from the archwire passage by moving the archwire toward the base. 
     
     
         5 . The self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the torque-adjusting drum includes a positioning receiver configured to engage with an adjustment tool, wherein when the adjustment tool is engaged with the positioning receiver and an adjustment force is exerted on the adjustment tool, the adjustment force causes the torque-adjusting drum to rotate with respect to the closure within the range of retained positions. 
     
     
         6 . The self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a latch mechanism that is coupled to the base and is configured to be selectively moved between:
 a locked configuration, in which, when the closure and the torque-adjusting drum are in the closed configuration, the latch mechanism exerts a retaining force on the closure that retains the closure and the torque-adjusting drum in the closed configuration, and   an unlocked configuration, in which the latch mechanism does not exert the retaining force on the closure.   
     
     
         7 . The self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly of  claim 6 , further including a latch biasing mechanism configured to bias the latch mechanism toward the locked configuration. 
     
     
         8 . The self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly of  claim 6 , wherein when the closure and the torque-adjusting drum are in the closed configuration and the latch mechanism is in the locked configuration, a surface of the latch mechanism engages with a corresponding surface of the closure to retain the closure in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly of  claim 8 , further including a closure biasing mechanism that biases the closure and the torque-adjusting drum toward the open configuration, and wherein the retaining force includes a reactionary force responsive to the closure biasing mechanism urging the corresponding surface of the closure to press against the surface of the latch mechanism. 
     
     
         10 . The self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the closure further includes an opening receiver configured to engage with an adjustment tool, wherein when the adjustment tool is engaged with the opening receiver, an opening force exerted on the adjustment tool causes the latch mechanism to transition from the locked configuration to the unlocked configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the torque-adjusting drum includes a positioning receiver configured to engage with an adjustment tool, wherein when the adjustment tool is engaged with the positioning receiver and an adjustment force is exerted on the adjustment tool, the adjustment force causes the torque-adjusting drum to rotate with respect to the closure within the range of retained positions. 
     
     
         12 . The self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the opening receiver is separate from the positioning receiver. 
     
     
         13 . The self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a closure biasing mechanism configured to bias the closure and the torque-adjusting drum to the open configuration. 
     
     
         14 . The self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the closure biasing mechanism is configured to bias an archwire within the archwire passage out of the archwire passage through the inlet. 
     
     
         15 . The self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the closure biasing mechanism includes a spring mechanism that, during orthodontic use of the bracket assembly, is configured to:
 be located between the torque-adjusting drum and the archwire, and   bias the archwire toward the base.   
     
     
         16 . The self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the archwire passage includes an archwire passage wall that is distal the inlet, and wherein the archwire passage wall faces the base when the closure and the torque-adjusting drum are in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         17 . The self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a positioning assembly configured to selectively retain the torque-adjusting drum within a selected retained position relative to the closure, wherein the positioning assembly is configured to:
 restrict rotation of the torque-adjusting drum away from the selected retained position when the closure and the torque-adjusting drum are in the closed configuration, and   permit rotation of the torque-adjusting drum away from the selected retained position and to another retained position within the range of retained positions when the closure and the torque-adjusting drum are in the open configuration.   
     
     
         18 . The self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly of  claim 1 , wherein in each retained position of the range of retained positions, the torque-adjusting drum defines a different prescriptive force to be applied to the patient's tooth during orthodontic use of the bracket assembly. 
     
     
         19 . The self-ligating orthodontic bracket assembly of  claim 1 , further including a connecting assembly that couples the closure and the torque-adjusting drum for pivotal movement relative to the base between a range of pivotal configurations. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled)