A force-applying movable part, a removable orthodontic appliance and its preparation process

Abstract

The present invention discloses a force-exerting movable part, a removable orthodontic appliance, and a process for preparing the orthodontic appliance. A plurality of hollow structures are provided on the force-exerting movable part, and the force-exerting movable part forms a hollow part and a solid part; the solid part has a plurality of curved structures for releasing the correction force. Sufficient gap space can be provided between the force-exerting movable part and the bracket and the tooth surface, thereby ensuring the cleaning effect and difficulty of the oral cavity and reducing the oral cleaning burden of the patient. The connection between the force-exerting movable part and the bracket is stable, and the number of curved structures provided is greater, which can release sufficient correction force. Compared with two independent correction wires respectively assembled on the bracket, the integrated structure significantly improves the strength of the force-exerting movable part, and the force-exerting movable part is less likely to suffer from stress fracture, thereby increasing the service life of the correction wire; the integrated structure also reduces the risk of the force-exerting movable part sliding and loosening in the mouth.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of oral orthodontics, and in particular to a force-applying movable part, a removable orthodontic appliance comprising the force-applying movable part, and a preparation process of the removable orthodontic appliance. Background Art

[0002] Currently, the commonly used devices for correcting deformed dentition are fixed appliances and removable appliances. Among them, fixed appliances usually consist of two parts: brackets and correction arch wires. Mass-produced brackets are usually manufactured using milling, wire cutting, stamping, powder metallurgy and other processes. Customized brackets are usually made using 3D printed resin models and then lost wax casting. Arch wires are usually produced using mold drawing. During correction, the brackets are fixed on the tooth surface, and the force between the grooves and the correction arch wire is used to move the deformed teeth to achieve the purpose of correction. Fixed appliance technology has undergone more than a hundred years of development and accumulation, forming a mature mechanical correction system. It is currently the most commonly used orthodontic treatment method. However, fixed orthodontic technology also has certain defects. After the doctor bonds the brackets to the tooth surface, the patient usually needs to go to the hospital for a follow-up visit once every one to two months. The doctor adjusts the arch wire, brackets or applies force according to the diagnosis. A patient with a case of medium difficulty needs to follow up about ten times, which takes up a long time of medical treatment. In addition, the brackets are usually bonded to the side of the lip, which greatly affects the appearance. There are also brackets bonded to the side of the tongue, which improves the appearance. However, because the operating space in the mouth is narrow, the doctor's operation is more difficult, the comfort is relatively poor, the cost and fee are relatively high, and the popularity rate is not high.

[0003] In response to the above-mentioned technical defects, the applicant has combined the current correction concepts of fixed correction technology and removable correction technology to develop an orthodontic appliance, which can be referred to: Chinese invention patent application CN202110384149.4-An orthodontic appliance and its manufacturing method, and Chinese invention patent CN202120731359.1-An orthodontic appliance.

[0004] This orthodontic appliance mainly includes two parts: a fixing part and a correction wire. The fixing part plays the role of the bracket part of a traditional fixed appliance, and the correction wire plays the role of the arch wire part of a traditional fixed appliance. The correction wire has multiple curved structures for releasing the correction force. The fixing part and the correction wire are connected by a detachable snap-fitting action. The correction wire is pressed onto the fixing part through the snapping action to connect the two. It is only necessary to replace different correction wires at different correction stages. The patient can wear and replace the correction wire independently. However, in actual clinical applications, it was found that this appliance has the following problems: in order to facilitate snapping and simplify installation, the correction wire needs to be in the form of a single wire, that is, only one correction wire is used. In order to ensure sufficient correction force, the correction wire must be made thicker, otherwise the correction force will be weak and easy to break; the thick wire has a large diameter, occupies a lot of volume, and has a small gap between the fixing parts. For orthodontic patients, daily oral hygiene is already a problem, and the thick wire form undoubtedly increases the burden of oral hygiene for patients. During the long correction process, patients are more likely to develop oral diseases such as caries, tartar, and periodontitis due to inadequate cleaning.

[0005] Based on the problems existing in the above-mentioned lingual single-wire removable braces, the applicant further developed a removable braces with a double-wire structure, see Chinese invention patent application CN202210393172.4 - A removable braces and its manufacturing method. The braces of this brace are a double-wire split structure, using two small-diameter braces. The two independent braces are cross-wound and connected to the locking block at the same time, and the locking block is removably snapped into the bracket on the tooth surface. Since the number of curved structures of the double wire is significantly greater than that of the single wire, it can release more sufficient correction force, and the thin wire can provide sufficient gap space for the patient to clean the mouth, reducing the difficulty of cleaning. The preparation process of this brace is a conventional metal wire drawing process in the field of orthodontics. A hole is opened on the side of the metal raw material plate, and then a hollow piece with a straight structure is drawn out. The metal straight wire is then heat-set by a mold to shape the metal straight wire into a specific curved shape. The existing preparation process of lingual braces basically adopts this metal wire drawing process. Therefore, it is necessary to produce two corrective wires separately and then install them in the bracket in a mutually intertwined form so that they can work together to achieve the corrective effect. Due to the limitations of the metal wire drawing process, the existing corrective wire preparation can only draw out a single structural corrective wire at a time. Moreover, the diameter of the corrective wire is fixed, and the thickness of the entire corrective wire is uniform, which makes it difficult to achieve a targeted and enhanced corrective effect on a specific tooth position. In order to ensure that it can be smoothly installed in the bracket, the corrective wire cannot be too thick, which limits the corrective effect and is prone to breakage in actual clinical practice.

[0006] In clinical applications, the applicant has found that the above-mentioned double-wire split removable appliance still has some problems. Since two filaments are used, and the two correction wires are independent of each other, in order to ensure the cleaning effect, they must be made into filaments with small diameters. Therefore, the strength of the two correction wires will be insufficient, and stress fracture will still occur easily. In addition, the two filaments need to be assembled separately. As is known to all, during the orthodontic process, the correction wire will be subject to friction from all aspects of the oral cavity. This double-wire split structure increases the risk of sliding and loosening, and the connection stability of the correction wire is insufficient, which affects the correction effect. Furthermore, during the wire drawing preparation, the two correction wires need to be drawn out one after another and heat-set separately. The preparation time is long, and the possibility of dimensional error will also be greater. At the same time, the process is more complicated and the cost is relatively high. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a force-applying movable member. A second objective of the present invention is to provide a removable brace that can address the difficulty in cleaning existing single-filament removable braces, as well as the problems of easy breakage, loosening, and insufficient correction effect of existing double-filament split removable braces. A third objective of the present invention is to provide a preparation process for such a removable brace, enabling the preparation of a force-applying movable member of this structure.

[0008] The present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0009] A force-applying movable part, which is an integrally formed structure; a plurality of hollow structures are provided on the force-applying movable part, so that the force-applying movable part is formed into: a hollow portion and a solid portion surrounding the hollow portion; the solid portion is suitable for cooperating and fixing with a bracket; and the solid portion has a plurality of curved structures for releasing correction force.

[0010] Furthermore, the solid part includes: a first body part and a second body part; the first body part and the second body part both have a plurality of curved structures for releasing correction force; the first body part and the second body part are integrally formed; the cross-sectional shape of the first body part along the length direction is different, or the same; the cross-sectional shape of the second body part along the length direction is different, or the same.

[0011] A removable orthodontic appliance comprises: a bracket, and the force-applying movable part; the first body portion comprises a first mating segment along the length direction, and the second body portion comprises a second mating segment along the length direction; the side portion of the first mating segment is fixedly connected to the side portion of the second mating segment to form a snap-fit ​​structure for mating with the bracket; the bracket comprises a base plate for bonding to the tooth surface and a snap-fit ​​structure fixed to the base plate; the snap-fit ​​structure formed by the first mating segment and the second mating segment is detachably connected to the snap-fit ​​structure, so that the force-applying movable part can be detachably mounted on the bracket.

[0012] Furthermore, the slot structure has a receiving cavity, and the inner side wall of the slot structure is provided with an inner groove; the engaging structure is placed in the receiving cavity, and the outer side of the engaging structure is engaged with the inner groove of the slot structure.

[0013] Furthermore, a groove is provided on the outer side wall of the slot structure, and the inner side portion of the engaging structure is engaged in the groove of the slot structure.

[0014] Furthermore, the solid part also includes: a connector for connecting the first mating segment and the second mating segment; both ends of the connector are simultaneously connected to the first mating segment and the second mating segment; the first mating segment, the second mating segment and the connector form a snap-fit ​​structure for mating with the bracket; the first mating segment, the second mating segment and the connector are integrally formed.

[0015] Furthermore, the number of the connectors is two; a peripheral groove is provided on the periphery of the slot structure, and the first fitting section, the two connectors, and the second fitting section are all engaged in the peripheral groove of the slot structure.

[0016] Furthermore, the number of the connecting body is one; a accommodating cavity is provided on the slot structure, and an inner groove is provided on the inner side wall of the accommodating cavity; a peripheral groove is provided on the outer periphery of the slot structure; the connecting body is placed in the accommodating cavity and engaged with the inner groove; the first mating section and the second mating section are both engaged with the peripheral groove of the slot structure.

[0017] Furthermore, the connecting body has a protrusion for providing elasticity.

[0018] Furthermore, the first body portion includes a first fitting section and a first transition section arranged at intervals along the length direction; the second body portion includes a second fitting section and a second transition section arranged at intervals along the length direction; and both the first transition section and the second transition section have a curved structure for releasing the correction force.

[0019] Furthermore, the first transition section and the second transition section do not overlap each other on the plane where the tooth surface is located.

[0020] Furthermore, the first transition section and the second transition section are integrally formed to form a common transition body.

[0021] Furthermore, the first transition section and the second transition section are in an overlapping position on the plane where the tooth surface is located.

[0022] Furthermore, a traction hook is fixedly provided on the side of the first body or the second body.

[0023] Furthermore, the removable orthodontic appliance further comprises: a force-applying movable member positioning guide plate; the force-applying movable member positioning guide plate has a cavity, and the inner side wall of the cavity is in a shape that fits the patient's tooth surface.

[0024] Furthermore, the removable orthodontic appliance further comprises: a bracket positioning guide; the bracket positioning guide has a cavity, and the inner side wall of the cavity is in a shape that fits the patient's tooth surface.

[0025] Furthermore, the material of the force-applying movable part is any one of stainless steel, β-titanium alloy, nickel-titanium alloy, superelastic metal, and polymer material.

[0026] Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the force-applying movable member is any one of circular, elliptical, horseshoe-shaped, square, polygonal, and triangular, or a combination of any two or more thereof.

[0027] Furthermore, the side of the bottom plate of the bracket that is bonded to the tooth surface has a mesh structure or a dot structure.

[0028] A preparation process for the removable orthodontic appliance, comprising: a layout step: according to the shape of the force-applying movable part as claimed in claim 1 obtained by design, the data is imported into the layout software, and a plurality of force-applying movable parts are laid out on a raw material plate; the raw material plate is any one of a stainless steel plate, a β-titanium alloy plate, a nickel-titanium alloy plate, a superelastic metal plate, and a polymer plate; a cutting step: by any one of machine tool milling, laser cutting, water jet cutting, plasma cutting, wire cutting or stamping, a hollow part consistent with the layout shape is directly cut on the raw material plate; a grinding step: the cut hollow part is subjected to a grinding and polishing process to remove burrs and sharp corners on the surface of the hollow part; a shaping step: the polished hollow part is placed in the shaping cavity of a shaping mold, and the hollow part is shaped by heat treatment or electrification, so as to finally obtain a force-applying movable part of the desired shape.

[0029] Furthermore, in the layout step, the layout shape of the force-applying movable member is: the shape of the force-applying movable member with a preset curved structure.

[0030] Furthermore, in the typesetting step, the preset curved structure and the curved structure finally obtained by the force-applying movable part after heat setting have the same curvature, or the preset curved structure and the curved structure finally obtained by the force-applying movable part after heat setting have different curvatures.

[0031] Furthermore, in the layout step, the layout shape of the force-applying movable member is a straight line shape without a preset curved structure.

[0032] Furthermore, between the polishing step and the shaping step, a shaping mold manufacturing step is also included: exporting the data of the design shape of the force-applying movable part, 3D printing the entity of the shaping mold, and matching the shape of the shaping cavity in the shaping mold with the design shape of the force-applying movable part.

[0033] Furthermore, before the typesetting step, a design step is also included: according to the patient's dental condition and correction needs, a bracket is designed on the tooth surface, wherein the bottom surface of the bracket fits the shape of the tooth surface to obtain a data model of the bracket; according to the expected correction effect of each correction step, the shape of the force-applying movable part is calculated and designed by software.

[0034] Furthermore, before the design step, a tooth arrangement step is also included: the collected patient oral data is imported into computer software, and the movement trajectory of the teeth is determined according to the patient's correction plan; and according to the requirements of biomechanics, the movement trajectory of the entire mouth of teeth is disassembled into several correction steps.

[0035] Furthermore, after the design step, a bracket manufacturing step is also included: exporting the data model of the bracket, printing a metal or resin model through 3D printing, and then embedding, casting and grinding and polishing, or using traditional milling methods for manufacturing.

[0036] Furthermore, after the designing step, the method further includes a positioning guide plate manufacturing step:

[0037] Manufacturing a positioning guide for a force-applying movable part based on the patient's oral data and a data model of the force-applying movable part; manufacturing the positioning guide for the force-applying movable part through 3D printing technology, or pressing the positioning guide for the force-applying movable part out of a polymer material through a hot pressing process; and / or manufacturing a bracket positioning guide based on the patient's oral data and a data model of the bracket, manufacturing the bracket positioning guide through 3D printing technology, or pressing the bracket positioning guide out of a polymer material through a hot pressing process.

[0038] Furthermore, in the positioning guide plate manufacturing step: after printing out the force-applying movable part positioning guide plate, a vacuum lamination process is used to attach an elastic diaphragm to the guide plate surface, and finally the force-applying movable part positioning guide plate is shaped.

[0039] Furthermore, in the positioning guide plate manufacturing step: after the bracket positioning guide plate is printed, an elastic membrane is attached to the guide plate surface by using a vacuum lamination process, and finally the bracket positioning guide plate is shaped.

[0040] Compared with the prior art, the present invention can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0041] In the past, due to the limitations of conventional metal wire drawing processes, it was impossible to produce an integrated double-wire structure. The present invention can directly hollow out and cut out the force-applying movable parts in the raw material plate, making the integrated structure feasible for manufacturing and no longer subject to the limitations of the metal wire drawing process. The present invention also eliminates the need to prepare, assemble, and wind the two correction wires separately. At the same time, the integrated cutting process also reduces the possibility of dimensional errors in the correction wire.

[0042] The removable orthodontic appliance provided by the present invention has a force-applying movable part formed integrally from two small-diameter bodies. (1) Sufficient clearance space can be provided between the force-applying movable part and the bracket and tooth surface, ensuring the oral cleaning effect and cleaning difficulty, and reducing the oral cleaning burden on patients. (2) The force-applying movable part is an integrally formed structure, and the connection between it and the bracket is stable. Moreover, the solid part formed by the hollow structure can have a larger number of curved structures than conventional correction wires, and can release sufficient correction force. (3) Since the force-applying movable part is integrally formed, compared with two independent correction wires respectively assembled on the bracket, the integral structure significantly improves the strength of the force-applying movable part, and the force-applying movable part is less likely to suffer from stress fracture, thereby increasing its service life; the integrally formed structure also reduces the risk of the force-applying movable part sliding and loosening in the mouth, improves the connection stability of the force-applying movable part, and ensures the orthodontic correction effect. (4) Due to the limitations of the previous metal wire drawing process, only correction wires with consistent diameters can be drawn; the present invention can directly hollow out and cut on the material plate according to clinical needs to obtain a force-applying movable part with an integrally formed structure. Moreover, the solid part of the force-applying movable part can have multiple cross-sections of different sizes, that is, the thickness can be inconsistent. By setting different thicknesses on different length segments of the force-applying movable part, a targeted and enhanced correction effect can be achieved for a specific tooth position; at the same time, strengthening certain length segments can also effectively avoid stress fracture of the correction wire, which has higher clinical application significance. (5) Compared with conventional correction wires, the shape of the force-applying movable part in the present invention is not limited to the traditional round wire structure, but can be made into a sheet or other special-shaped structure by hollow cutting; at the same time, the cross-sectional shape of each length segment can also be different. For example, the force-applying movable part as a whole can be a combination of wire, sheet and other shapes, so as to more accurately meet the target correction effect and significantly improve the application range of the orthodontic appliance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Figure 1 The figure shows the wearing diagram of removable braces;

[0044] Figure 2 The figure shows the overall structure of the force-applying movable part;

[0045] Figure 3a Shown is a structural schematic diagram of a first embodiment of a force-applying movable member;

[0046] Figure 3b Shown is an assembly diagram of a first embodiment of a force-applying movable member;

[0047] Figure 4a Shown is a structural schematic diagram of a second embodiment of a force-applying movable member;

[0048] Figure 4bShown is an assembly diagram of a second embodiment of a force-applying movable member;

[0049] Figure 5a Shown is a structural schematic diagram of a third embodiment of a force-applying movable member;

[0050] Figure 5b Shown is an assembly diagram of a third embodiment of a force-applying movable member;

[0051] Figure 6a Shown is a structural schematic diagram of a fourth embodiment of a force-applying movable member;

[0052] Figure 6b Shown is an assembly diagram of a fourth embodiment of a force-applying movable member;

[0053] Figure 7a FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of the fifth embodiment of the force-applying movable member before heat setting;

[0054] Figure 7b FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of the fifth embodiment of the force-applying movable member after heat setting;

[0055] Figure 7c Shown is an assembly diagram of a fifth embodiment of a force-applying movable member;

[0056] Figure 8a FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of the sixth embodiment of the force-applying movable member before heat setting;

[0057] Figure 8b FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of the sixth embodiment of the force-applying movable member after heat setting;

[0058] Figure 8c Shown is an assembly diagram of a sixth embodiment of a force-applying movable member;

[0059] Figure 9a FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of the seventh embodiment of the force-applying movable member before heat setting;

[0060] Figure 9b FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of the seventh embodiment of the force-applying movable member after heat setting;

[0061] Figure 9c Shown is an assembly diagram of a seventh embodiment of a force-applying movable member;

[0062] Figure 10 Shown are schematic diagrams of the first or second layout of the raw material plate;

[0063] Figure 11a Shown is a schematic diagram of the third type of layout of the raw material plate;

[0064] Figure 11bShown is a schematic diagram of the raw material plate before and after heat setting in the third typesetting method;

[0065] Figure 12 Shown is a schematic diagram of the positioning guide plate of the force-applying movable member;

[0066] Figure 13 The figure shows the use of the bracket positioning guide;

[0067] Figure 14 Shown is a flow chart of the preparation process of the present invention.

[0068] In the figure: 10, bracket; 11, slot structure; 20, force-applying movable part; 200, hollow part; 21, first body; 211, first matching section; 212, first transition section; 22, second body; 221, second matching section; 222, second transition section; 23, engaging structure; 24, connector; 241, raised part; 30, tooth surface; 40, traction hook; 50, force-applying movable part positioning guide; 60, bracket positioning guide; 70, raw material plate; 80, preset curved structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0069] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods. It should be noted that, under the premise of no conflict, the various embodiments or technical features described below can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments.

[0070] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside" and "outside" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0071] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature identified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0072] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and may encompass internal communication between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0073] The present invention discloses a force-applying movable member 20, which can replace the traditional correction wire and exert correction force on the teeth. Figure 1-Figure 2 The force-applying movable part 20 is an integrally formed structure. Specifically, it is formed by cutting a strip, sheet, or strip-shaped structure from a material plate that can be used as a correction wire, hollowing out the strip structure, and finally heat-setting the hollowed-out part to the desired shape. The resulting integral structure is the force-applying movable part 20. The force-applying movable part is provided with a plurality of hollow structures. In this way, the force-applying movable part is formed into: a hollow portion 200 and a solid portion surrounding the hollow portion 200. The solid portion is suitable for being fixed with the bracket 10; the solid portion has a plurality of curved structures for releasing the correction force. The elasticity of the curved structures applies force to the bracket, thereby acting on the tooth.

[0074] See Figure 1-Figure 2 The solid part may include two parts, namely a first body part 21 and a second body part 22. The first body part 21 and the second body part 22 each have a plurality of curved structures for releasing correction force. The first body part 21 and the second body part 22 are integrally formed.

[0075] The present invention discloses a removable orthodontic appliance. Figure 1-Figure 2 , including: a bracket 10, and the above-mentioned force-applying movable member 20. Figure 3a-Figure 3b The first body 21 includes a first mating segment 211 along its length, and the second body 22 includes a second mating segment 221 along its length. The first mating segment 211 and the second mating segment 221 are fixedly connected to form a snap-fit ​​structure 23, which is used to cooperate with the bracket 10. The bracket 10 includes: a base plate for bonding to the tooth surface 30 and a slot structure 11 fixed to the base plate. The snap-fit ​​structure 23 formed by the first mating segment 211 and the second mating segment 221 is detachably connected to the slot structure 11, so that the force-applying movable member 20 can be detachably installed on the bracket 10.

[0076] The first body 21 and the second body 22 are integrally formed, so that the force-applying movable member 20 is an integral structure. The cross-sectional shape of the first body 21 along its length direction can be different, that is, the cross-sectional shape of the first body 21 along its length direction can vary, for example, part of the length section is sheet-shaped, part of the length section is filament-shaped (of course, the cross-sectional shape of each length section can also remain consistent), and the thickness of different length sections can also be inconsistent. Similarly, the cross-sectional shape of the second body 22 along its length direction can be different, for example, part of the length section is sheet-shaped, part of the length section is filament-shaped, and the thickness of different length sections can also be inconsistent.

[0077] It should be noted that the force-applying movable part 20 can be directly fastened to the bracket 10, or other easily understood deformations can be produced. For example, the force-applying movable part 20 can be pre-assembled on the locking block, and then the locking block is engaged with the bracket 10, so that the force-applying movable part 20 is indirectly assembled on the bracket 10.

[0078] As a preferred embodiment, see Figure 3a-Figure 3b The connection relationship between the bracket 10 and the force-applying movable part 20 can be: the middle part of the card slot structure 11 has an accommodating cavity, and the inner side wall of the card slot structure 11 is provided with an inner groove; the engaging structure 23 is placed in the accommodating cavity, and at the same time, the outer side of the engaging structure 23 is engaged with the inner groove of the card slot structure 11, so that the force-applying movable part 20 is engaged and installed inside the bracket 10.

[0079] As a preferred embodiment, see Figure 4a-4b 、 Figure 5a-5b The connection relationship between the bracket 10 and the force-applying movable part 20 can be: a groove is provided on the outer wall of the slot structure 11, and the inner side of the locking structure 23 is locked in the groove of the slot structure 11, so that the force-applying movable part 20 is fitted on the outside of the bracket 10.

[0080] As a preferred embodiment, the solid portion further includes a connector 24 for connecting the first mating segment 211 and the second mating segment 221. Both ends of the connector 24 are connected to the first mating segment 211 and the second mating segment 221, so that the first mating segment 211, the second mating segment 221, and the connector 24 simultaneously form a snap-fit ​​structure 23 for mating with the bracket 10. The first mating segment 211, the second mating segment 221, and the connector 24 are integrally formed.

[0081] In the case where the force-applying movable member 20 has a connector 24 structure, the matching relationship between the force-applying movable member 20 and the bracket 10 can also be: Figure 6a-6b 、 Figure 7a-7cThe number of connectors 24 is specifically two, and the two connectors 24, the first mating segment 211 and the second mating segment 221 together form a closed-loop locking structure 23; an outer peripheral groove is provided on the outer periphery of the slot structure 11, and the first mating segment 211, the two connectors 24 and the second mating segment 221 are simultaneously engaged in the outer peripheral groove of the slot structure 11, so that the force-applying movable part 20 is fitted on the outside of the bracket 10.

[0082] In the case where the force-applying movable member 20 has a connector 24 structure, the matching relationship between the force-applying movable member 20 and the bracket 10 can also be: Figure 8a-8c The data of the connecting body 24 is specifically one, and the connecting body 24, the first matching segment 211 and the second matching segment 221 form a handle-shaped locking structure 23; accordingly, a accommodating cavity is opened on the card slot structure 11, and the inner side wall of the accommodating cavity is provided with an inner groove, and an outer peripheral groove is opened on the outer periphery of the card slot structure 11; the connecting body 24 is placed in the accommodating cavity of the card slot structure 11, and its two sides are engaged with the inner groove; at the same time, the first matching segment 211 and the second matching segment 221 are both engaged with the outer peripheral groove of the card slot structure 11, so that the connecting body 24 is embedded in the bracket 10.

[0083] More preferably, see Figure 7a-7c The connecting body 24 may further be provided with a protruding portion 241 for providing elasticity, thereby providing an installation margin for the connection between the force-applying movable member 20 and the bracket 10 .

[0084] Specifically, the first body 21 includes a first engagement segment 211 and a first transition segment 212 spaced apart along its length. The second body 22 also includes a second engagement segment 221 and a second transition segment 222 spaced apart along its length. The curved structure on the force-applying movable member 20 for releasing the corrective force is located on the first transition segment 212 and the second transition segment 222.

[0085] The planar position states of the first body portion 21 and the second body portion 22 can be expressed in three forms.

[0086] (1) See Figure 3a-Figure 3b 、 Figure 5a-5b 、 Figure 6a-6b , with the plane where the tooth surface 30 is located as a reference, the first transition section 212 and the second transition section 222 do not overlap with each other, that is, the extension paths of the two are independent of each other, and there is no overlapping positional relationship between the first body 21 and the second body 22.

[0087] (2) See Figure 4a-4b The force-applying movable member 20 only uses one integral transition body, that is, the first transition section 212 and the second transition section 222 are the same transition body.

[0088] (3) See Figure 7a-7c , Figure 8a-8c , Figure 9a-9c Taking the plane where the tooth surface 30 is located as a reference, the first transition section 212 and the second transition section 222 are in an overlapping position on the plane, and the extension paths of the two overlap on the plane.

[0089] The three positional relationships between the two parts mentioned above can be selected according to the correction needs, and can be prepared respectively through different layout forms during preparation (the preparation method will be mentioned in detail below).

[0090] Preferably, see Figure 9a-9c A traction hook 40 may also be fixedly provided on the side of the first body 21 or the second body 22 for traction of other oral orthodontic accessories.

[0091] Preferably, in order to facilitate the installation of the force-applying movable member 20 and improve the patient's autonomous operability, the present invention may further include a force-applying movable member positioning guide plate 50. Figure 12 The force-applying movable member positioning guide plate 50 has a cavity inside, and the shape of the inner side wall of the cavity fits the patient's tooth surface 30. When in use, the force-applying movable member 20 is placed into the guide plate cavity, and the guide plate cavity clamps the force-applying movable member 20. The force-applying movable member positioning guide plate 50 is pressed onto the tooth surface 30. Since the shape of the patient's tooth surface 30 is unique and the guide plate cavity matches the tooth surface 30, the position where the guide plate cavity brings the force-applying movable member 20 is also unique. Then, the guide plate is pressed to engage the force-applying movable member 20 with the bracket 10 to achieve slot fixation. By positioning the guide plate, the patient can independently install or replace different force-applying movable members 20 at different stages of correction, saving the doctor's clinical operation time.

[0092] Preferably, a positioning guide plate can also be used for the installation of the bracket 10. The present invention may also include a bracket positioning guide plate 60, see Figure 13 The bracket positioning guide 60 also has a cavity inside, and the inner sidewall of the cavity is shaped to fit the patient's tooth surface 30. During use, the bracket 10 is placed into the guide cavity, which holds the bracket 10 and presses the guide onto the tooth surface 30. Since the shape of the patient's tooth surface 30 is unique and the guide cavity fits the tooth surface 30, the position where the bracket 10 is placed by the guide cavity is also unique, thus achieving the positioning of the bracket 10.

[0093] Preferably, the material of the force-applying movable member 20 includes, but is not limited to, any one of stainless steel, β-titanium alloy, nickel-titanium alloy, superelastic metal, and polymer material. Of course, force-applying movable member 20 made of other elastic materials known in the prior art should also fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0094] Preferably, the cross-sectional shape of the force-applying movable member 20 is any one of circular, elliptical, horseshoe-shaped, square, polygonal, and triangular, or a combination of any two or more thereof, depending on the actual correction needs. Of course, other conventional cross-sectional shapes are also within the scope of protection of the present invention. To reduce the risk of archwire rotation and considering the manufacturing difficulty, the use of an elliptical cross-sectional wire is more effective.

[0095] In order to enhance the retention strength between the bracket 10 and the tooth surface 30 , preferably, the side of the bracket 10 base plate bonded to the tooth surface 30 has a mesh structure or a dot structure.

[0096] The removable orthodontic appliance provided by the present invention has a force-applying movable part 20 formed integrally from two small-diameter bodies. (1) Sufficient clearance space can be provided between the force-applying movable part 20 and the bracket 10 and the tooth surface 30, thereby ensuring the cleaning effect and difficulty of the oral cavity and reducing the oral cleaning burden of the patient. (2) The force-applying movable part 20 is an integrally formed structure, and the connection between it and the bracket is stable. Moreover, the solid part formed by the hollow structure can have a larger number of curved structures than conventional correction wires, and can release sufficient correction force. (3) Since the force-applying movable part is integrally formed, compared with two independent correction wires respectively assembled on the bracket 10, the integral structure significantly improves the strength of the force-applying movable part 20, and the force-applying movable part 20 is less likely to suffer from stress fracture, thereby increasing the service life of the force-applying movable part 20; the integrally formed structure also reduces the risk of the force-applying movable part 20 sliding and loosening in the mouth, improves the connection stability of the force-applying movable part 20, and ensures the orthodontic correction effect. (4) Limited by the previous metal wire drawing process, only correction wires with consistent diameter and thickness can be drawn out; the present invention can directly hollow out and cut the material plate according to clinical needs to obtain a force-applying movable part with an integrated structure. In addition, the solid part of the force-applying movable part 20 can have multiple cross-sections of different sizes, that is, the thickness can be inconsistent. Setting different thicknesses on different length segments of the force-applying movable part 20 can achieve targeted and enhanced correction effects on specific tooth positions; at the same time, strengthening certain length segments can effectively avoid stress fracture of the correction wire, which has higher clinical application significance. (5) Compared with conventional correction wires, the shape of the force-applying movable part in the present invention is not limited to the traditional round wire structure, but can be made into a sheet or other special-shaped structure by hollowing out and cutting; at the same time, the cross-sectional shape of each length segment can also be different. For example, the force-applying movable part as a whole can be a combination of wire, sheet and other shapes, so as to more accurately meet the target correction effect and significantly improve the application range of the orthodontic appliance.

[0097] In the past, due to the limitations of conventional metal wire drawing processes, it was impossible to produce an integrated double-wire structure. Instead, two correction wires with uniform diameters could only be drawn separately and assembled in a cross-wound manner. Figure 14 , including the following steps:

[0098] Teeth arrangement steps: The collected oral data of the patient is imported into the computer software to determine the movement trajectory of the teeth according to the patient's correction plan; and according to the requirements of biomechanics, the movement trajectory of the entire mouth of teeth is disassembled into several correction steps.

[0099] Design steps: Based on the patient's dental condition and correction needs, a bracket 10 is designed on the tooth surface, wherein the bottom surface of the bracket 10 fits the shape of the tooth surface 30 to obtain a data model of the bracket 10; based on the expected correction effect of each correction step, the shape of the force-applying movable part 20 is calculated and designed through software.

[0100] Typesetting step: According to the shape of the force-applying movable part 20 obtained by design, the data is imported into the typesetting software, and a plurality of force-applying movable parts 20 are typeset on the raw material plate 70; the raw material plate 70 is any one of a stainless steel plate, a β-titanium alloy plate, a nickel-titanium alloy plate, a superelastic metal plate, and a polymer plate; preferably, nickel-titanium alloy is used.

[0101] It should be noted that there are three different typeset methods in the typesetting step.

[0102] (1) See Figure 10 , the layout shape of the force-applying movable part 20 is the shape of the force-applying movable part 20 with a preset curved structure 80, that is, the curved structure shape of the force-applying movable part 20 has been arranged on the raw material plate 70 during layout. In this layout method, the curvature and shape of the preset curved structure 80 and the final curved structure of the force-applying movable part 20 are exactly the same, and the desired shape of the force-applying movable part 20 can be directly obtained after cutting. This embodiment can preset the bend in advance, but it generates more waste during cutting. At the same time, this layout method can produce a structural form in which the two force-applying movable parts 20 do not overlap each other on the plane, but it cannot produce a structural form in which the two force-applying movable parts 20 overlap each other on the plane.

[0103] (2) See Figure 10 The layout shape of the force-applying movable member 20 is also the shape of the force-applying movable member 20 with the preset curved structure 80. The difference from (1) is that the curvature and shape of the preset curved structure 80 and the final curved structure of the force-applying movable member 20 are different, and the curvature of the preset curved structure 80 is larger. This layout method can preset the curvature in advance, but more waste is generated during cutting. At the same time, since the curvature of the preset curved structure 80 is larger, this layout method can produce a structure in which two force-applying movable members 20 overlap each other on a plane after finalization.

[0104] (3) See Figure 11a-Figure 11b The layout shape is a straight line without a pre-set curved structure 80. The curved structure is achieved through post-heat setting. This layout method produces less waste during cutting, but has a higher risk of bending and breaking during heat setting.

[0105] Cutting step: directly cutting a hollow piece consistent with the layout shape on the raw material plate 70 by any one of machine tool milling, laser cutting, water jet cutting, plasma cutting, wire cutting or stamping; laser cutting is preferably used.

[0106] Grinding step: The hollowed-out piece obtained by cutting is subjected to a grinding and polishing process to remove burrs and sharp corners on the surface of the hollowed-out piece.

[0107] The steps of manufacturing the shaping mold are as follows: exporting the data of the design shape of the force-applying movable part 20 , and 3D printing the entity of the shaping mold. The shape of the shaping cavity in the shaping mold matches the design shape of the force-applying movable part 20 .

[0108] Shaping step: placing the polished hollow piece into the shaping cavity of the shaping mold, shaping the hollow piece through heat treatment or electrification, and finally obtaining the force-applying movable part 20 of the desired shape.

[0109] Preferably, after the design step, the method further includes a positioning guide plate manufacturing step and a bracket manufacturing step. The layout step, the positioning guide plate manufacturing step, and the bracket manufacturing step can be performed simultaneously without any order relationship.

[0110] Positioning guide manufacturing steps: manufacturing the force-applying movable part positioning guide 50 according to the patient's oral data and the data model of the force-applying movable part 20; manufacturing the force-applying movable part positioning guide 50 through 3D printing technology, or pressing the force-applying movable part positioning guide 50 of a polymer material through a hot pressing process; manufacturing the bracket positioning guide 60, manufacturing the bracket positioning guide 60 through 3D printing technology according to the patient's oral data and the data model of the bracket 10, or pressing the bracket positioning guide 60 of a polymer material through a hot pressing process.

[0111] Preferably, in the positioning guide manufacturing step: after printing the force-applying movable member positioning guide 50, a vacuum lamination process is used to attach an elastic film to the guide surface, and finally, the force-applying movable member positioning guide 50 is subjected to shape trimming. After printing the bracket positioning guide 60, a vacuum lamination process is used to attach an elastic film to the guide surface, and finally, the bracket positioning guide 60 is subjected to shape trimming.

[0112] Bracket manufacturing steps: export the data model of the bracket 10, print a metal or resin model through 3D printing, and then perform embedding, casting and grinding and polishing, or use traditional milling methods to manufacture.

[0113] At this point, the preparation process of the force-applying movable member 20, the bracket 10, and the positioning guide plate is completely completed.

[0114] The present invention allows the force-applying movable member 20 to be directly hollowed out from the raw material plate 70, making the one-piece structure feasible for manufacturing and freeing it from the limitations of metal wire drawing processes. This also eliminates the need for separate preparation, assembly, and winding of the two correction wires. Furthermore, the one-piece cutting process reduces the possibility of dimensional errors in the correction wires.

[0115] The above embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any non-substantial changes and replacements made by technicians in this field on the basis of the present invention fall within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

Claims

1. A removable brace, characterized in that: include: The bracket comprises a base plate for bonding to the tooth surface and a slot structure fixed to the base plate; A force-applying movable member is a hollowed-out member obtained by directly cutting and heat-setting a raw material plate, and comprises: a hollow portion, a first body portion, and a second body portion; the first body portion and the second body portion are integrally formed and together form a solid portion; the first body portion and the second body portion each have a plurality of curved structures for releasing correction force; The first body portion includes a first mating segment along the length direction, and the second body portion includes a second mating segment along the length direction; the side portion of the first mating segment is fixedly connected to the side portion of the second mating segment to form a snap-fit ​​structure for mating with the bracket; the snap-fit ​​structure formed by the first mating segment and the second mating segment is detachably connected to the snap-fit ​​structure of the bracket, so that the force-applying movable part can be detachably installed on the bracket.

2. The removable brace according to claim 1, wherein: The slot structure has an accommodating cavity, and the inner side wall of the slot structure is provided with an inner groove; the engaging structure is placed in the accommodating cavity, and the outer side of the engaging structure is engaged with the inner groove of the slot structure.

3. The removable brace according to claim 1, wherein: A groove is provided on the outer side wall of the slot structure, and the inner side portion of the engaging structure is engaged in the groove of the slot structure.

4. The removable brace according to claim 1, wherein: The solid part also includes: a connector for connecting the first mating segment and the second mating segment; both ends of the connector are simultaneously connected to the first mating segment and the second mating segment; the first mating segment, the second mating segment and the connector form a snap-fit ​​structure for mating with the bracket; the first mating segment, the second mating segment and the connector are integrally formed.

5. The removable brace according to claim 4, wherein: There are two connectors; a peripheral groove is provided on the periphery of the slot structure, and the first matching section, the two connectors, and the second matching section are all engaged in the peripheral groove of the slot structure.

6. The removable brace according to claim 4, wherein: The number of the connecting body is one; a receiving cavity is provided on the slot structure, and an inner groove is provided on the inner side wall of the receiving cavity; a peripheral groove is provided on the outer periphery of the slot structure; the connecting body is placed in the receiving cavity and engaged with the inner groove; the first mating section and the second mating section are both engaged with the peripheral groove of the slot structure.

7. The removable brace according to claim 4, wherein: The connecting body has a protrusion for providing elasticity.

8. The removable brace according to claim 1, wherein: The first body portion includes a first fitting section and a first transition section arranged at intervals along the length direction; the second body portion includes a second fitting section and a second transition section arranged at intervals along the length direction; both the first transition section and the second transition section have a curved structure for releasing correction force.

9. The removable brace according to claim 8, wherein: The first transition section and the second transition section do not overlap each other on the plane where the tooth surface is located.

10. The removable brace according to claim 8, wherein: The first transition section and the second transition section are integrally formed and form a common transition body.

11. The removable brace according to claim 8, wherein: The first transition section and the second transition section are in an overlapping position on the plane where the tooth surface is located.

12. The removable brace according to claim 1, wherein: A traction hook is fixedly provided on the side of the first body or the second body.

13. The removable brace according to claim 1, wherein: The removable orthodontic appliance further comprises: a force-applying movable member positioning guide plate; the force-applying movable member positioning guide plate has a cavity, and the inner side wall of the cavity is in a shape that fits the patient's tooth surface.

14. The removable brace according to claim 1, wherein: The removable orthodontic appliance further comprises: a bracket positioning guide plate; the bracket positioning guide plate has a cavity, and the inner side wall of the cavity is in a shape that fits the patient's tooth surface.

15. The removable brace according to claim 1, wherein: The material of the force-applying movable part is any one of stainless steel, β-titanium alloy, nickel-titanium alloy, superelastic metal, and polymer material.

16. The removable brace according to claim 1, wherein: The cross-sectional shape of the force-applying movable member is any one of circular, elliptical, horseshoe-shaped, square, polygonal, and triangular, or a combination of any two or more thereof.

17. The removable brace according to claim 1, wherein: The side of the bottom plate of the bracket that is bonded to the tooth surface has a mesh structure or a dot structure.

18. A process for preparing the removable orthodontic appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that: include: Typesetting step: Based on the shape of the force-applying movable part obtained by design, the data is imported into typesetting software, and a plurality of force-applying movable parts are typeset on a raw material plate; the raw material plate is any one of a stainless steel plate, a β-titanium alloy plate, a nickel-titanium alloy plate, a superelastic metal plate, and a polymer plate; Cutting step: Use any one of the processes of machine milling, laser cutting, water jet cutting, plasma cutting, wire cutting or stamping to directly cut out the hollow parts that are consistent with the layout shape on the raw material plate; Grinding step: The hollowed-out piece obtained by cutting is subjected to a grinding and polishing process to remove burrs and sharp corners on the surface of the hollowed-out piece; Shaping step: Place the polished hollow part into the shaping cavity of the shaping mold, shape the hollow part through heat treatment or electrification, and finally obtain the force-applying movable part of the desired shape.

19. The process for preparing a removable orthodontic appliance according to claim 18, wherein: In the layout step, the layout shape of the force-applying movable member is: the shape of the force-applying movable member with a preset curved structure.

20. The process for preparing the removable orthodontic appliance according to claim 19, wherein: In the typesetting step, the preset curved structure and the curved structure finally obtained by the force-applying movable part after heat setting have the same curvature, or the preset curved structure and the curved structure finally obtained by the force-applying movable part after heat setting have different curvatures.

21. The process for preparing a removable orthodontic appliance according to claim 18, wherein: In the layout step, the layout shape of the force-applying movable member is a straight line shape without a preset curved structure.

22. The process for preparing a removable orthodontic appliance according to claim 18, wherein: Between the polishing step and the shaping step, a shaping mold manufacturing step is also included: exporting the data of the design shape of the force-applying movable part, 3D printing the entity of the shaping mold, and matching the shape of the shaping cavity in the shaping mold with the design shape of the force-applying movable part.

23. The process for preparing a removable orthodontic appliance according to claim 18, wherein: Before the typesetting step, a design step is also included: according to the patient's dental condition and correction needs, a bracket is designed on the tooth surface, wherein the bottom surface of the bracket fits the shape of the tooth surface to obtain a data model of the bracket; according to the expected correction effect of each correction step, the shape of the force-applying movable part is calculated and designed by software.

24. The process for preparing a removable orthodontic appliance according to claim 23, wherein: Before the design step, a tooth arrangement step is also included: the collected patient oral data is imported into computer software to determine the movement trajectory of the teeth according to the patient's correction plan; According to the requirements of biomechanics, the movement trajectory of all teeth is broken down into several correction steps.

25. The process for preparing a removable orthodontic appliance according to claim 23, wherein: After the design step, the bracket manufacturing step is also included: exporting the data model of the bracket, printing a metal or resin model through 3D printing, and then embedding, casting and grinding and polishing, or using traditional milling methods to manufacture.

26. The process for preparing a removable orthodontic appliance according to claim 23, wherein: After the design step, the positioning guide plate manufacturing step is also included: Manufacturing a positioning guide plate for the force-applying movable part based on the patient's oral data and the data model of the force-applying movable part; manufacturing the positioning guide plate for the force-applying movable part by 3D printing technology, or pressing the positioning guide plate for the force-applying movable part from a polymer material by a hot pressing process; and / or, The bracket positioning guide is manufactured by 3D printing technology according to the patient's oral data and the bracket data model, or the bracket positioning guide is pressed out of a polymer material by a hot pressing process.

27. The process for preparing a removable orthodontic appliance according to claim 26, wherein: In the positioning guide plate manufacturing step: after printing the force-applying movable part positioning guide plate, a vacuum lamination process is used to attach an elastic diaphragm to the guide plate surface, and finally the force-applying movable part positioning guide plate is shaped.

28. The process for preparing a removable orthodontic appliance according to claim 26, wherein: In the positioning guide plate manufacturing step: after the bracket positioning guide plate is printed, an elastic membrane is attached to the guide plate surface by using a vacuum lamination process, and finally the bracket positioning guide plate is shaped.

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