ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 21 -- United States Patent no. 12,685,617, issued on July 21, was assigned to Skarin Orthodontics (Naperville, Ill.).
"Orthodontic appliance and method for moving teeth" was invented by David A. Skarin (Winfield, Ill.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "Systems and methods for moving a tooth using a light, continuous force are disclosed. In examples, a bracket has a surface which is mounted to a tooth, and a pair of wings defining a slot having oppositely disposed upper and lower surfaces that converge at an apex. A wire runs through the slot at a distance from the apex. And a tensioning device presses the wire against a surface of the slot, the system is configured so that t...