Orthodontic Aligner Feature Encoding for Patient Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for identifying and tracking orthodontic appliances, such as QR codes and laser markings, increase manufacturing costs and complexity, and there is a need for a more efficient and cost-effective method to ensure each appliance is delivered to the correct patient.
Innovation Solution
A dental appliance with an arrangement of features like protrusions, depressions, or through-holes that encode unique identifiers, allowing for identification and tracking without additional support structures, reducing material requirements and manufacturing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If QR codes or laser markings are used to identify orthodontic appliances, then identification and tracking capability is improved, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the identification function with the existing structural features of the orthodontic appliance. The protrusions, depressions, and through-holes that are already part of the appliance body are used to encode identification data, eliminating the need for separate QR codes or laser markings. This integration reduces manufacturing steps and complexity while maintaining reliable identification capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural features of the orthodontic appliance serve multiple functions: they provide mechanical support for the appliance structure and simultaneously encode identification information. By making the identification system universal to all appliances through standardized feature arrangements, the patent eliminates the need for additional identification components and reduces overall manufacturing complexity.
2Reliability
If QR codes or laser markings are used to identify orthodontic appliances, then identification and tracking capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The identification system is merged into the appliance manufacturing process itself. The protrusions, depressions, and through-holes are created during the same manufacturing steps used to form the appliance body, eliminating the need for separate identification component production and application. This integration reduces material costs and manufacturing expenses while ensuring accurate identification.
3Reliability
If additional support structures are added for identification, then identification capability is improved, but material requirements and waste increase
Solution Approach 1:
The identification features are merged into the existing appliance structure without requiring additional support structures or materials. The protrusions, depressions, and through-holes are formed as integral parts of the appliance body during normal manufacturing, eliminating the need for separate identification components and reducing material consumption and waste.
Data Source
AI summary
A dental appliance for a patient includes a body including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The second surface defines a channel for receiving a plurality of teeth of the patient. The dental appliance further includes an arrangement of a plurality of features disposed on the first surface of the body. Each of the plurality of features includes a protrusion extending from the first surface opposite to the second surface; a depression extending partially from the first surface wards the second surface; or a through-hole extending from the first surface to the second surface. The arrangement of the plurality of features encodes a feature data representative of a dental appliance information of the dental appliance or a patient information of the patient.