Butterfly Attachment for Clear Aligner Tooth Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current clear aligner attachments struggle to effectively manage complex tooth movements such as rotation, extrusion, and bodily movements due to unclear force/moment-transmission mechanisms and limitations in attachment design and placement for combined tooth movements.
Innovation Solution
A butterfly attachment formed by two quarter sphere units with a continuous convex front face and concave rear surface, tilted to match tooth contours, providing a V-shaped depression and flat sides for enhanced force distribution and customization for various teeth geometries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional attachments are used for clear aligners, then simple tooth movements can be achieved, but complex tooth movements such as rotation, extrusion, and bodily movements cannot be effectively managed
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment is divided into two separate quarter-sphere units that can be positioned at different locations on the tooth. This segmentation allows each unit to independently contribute to different aspects of tooth movement, enabling complex movements like rotation and extrusion while maintaining reliability through distributed force application.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment design transitions from traditional two-dimensional surface attachments to a three-dimensional configuration with protruding quarter-sphere units. This dimensional change enables the attachment to interact with the aligner in multiple spatial dimensions, providing the necessary force distribution for complex tooth movements while maintaining control and reliability.
2Ease of operation
If attachment design is simplified, then ease of placement is improved, but the ability to address combined tooth movements is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment design serves multiple functions simultaneously: the two quarter-sphere units can be positioned to address different tooth movement requirements (rotation, extrusion, bodily movement) while maintaining a relatively simple placement procedure. The universal design allows the same attachment configuration to handle various combined movements depending on positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment incorporates elements that can dynamically adapt to different tooth geometries and movement requirements. The quarter-sphere units can be positioned at different orientations and locations, allowing the attachment to dynamically adjust its force transmission characteristics to match the specific clinical scenario while maintaining ease of placement.
3Reliability
If the attachment geometry is customized for specific teeth, then fit and stability are improved, but the complexity of selection and placement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment design incorporates local quality variations through the two quarter-sphere units that can be positioned at different locations and orientations on the tooth. This allows customization for specific tooth geometries and movement requirements while maintaining a standardized basic design that simplifies selection and placement procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A butterfly attachment to guide a clear aligner to grip a tooth. The butterfly attachment is formed by two substantially quarter sphere units, wherein each unit has a convex surface and a concave surface. The two units are merged at their convex edge mid portions, such that the convex surfaces are continuous and forms a front face resembling a valley shape. The rear face of the butterfly attachment formed by the concave surfaces is also continuous and concave that corresponds to contours of the tooth.