Compressed Air Blower for Odontological Scanner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dental intraoral scanners face challenges in capturing accurate two-dimensional or three-dimensional images due to interference from saliva, bubbles, and blood, as existing air removal methods are ineffective in preventing new bubbles from forming during scanning.
Innovation Solution
A compressed air blower with paired cannulas connected to a conduction hose, featuring angled air outlets surrounding the scanner tip to continuously remove saliva, blood, and fluids, ensuring a distortion-free scanning area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional air hoses are used to blast bubbles, then some bubbles can be removed, but new bubbles form during scanning and the method is ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The compressed air blower is activated before and during the scanning process to preemptively remove bubbles and fluids, preventing them from interfering with the scan rather than reacting after they form. This preliminary action ensures the scanning area remains clear throughout the entire scanning duration.
Solution Approach 2:
The compressed air blower operates continuously during the scanning process, maintaining a constant flow of air to continuously remove bubbles and fluids. This continuous action ensures that no bubbles can form or persist in the scanning area, enabling uninterrupted and reliable scanning operations.
2Measurement precision
If the scanner tip is kept clean and dry, then image quality is improved, but the tip cannot function in the humid oral environment
Solution Approach 1:
The compressed air blower acts as an intermediary substance between the humid oral environment and the scanner tip. By introducing compressed air as a mediator, it creates a protective air barrier that prevents saliva and fluids from reaching the mirror and sensor components, allowing the tip to maintain cleanliness while operating in a humid environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful elements (saliva, bubbles, fluids) are extracted from the scanning area using the compressed air blower. The air flow removes these interfering substances from the vicinity of the scanner tip, separating them from the scanning process and preventing them from affecting image quality.
3Reliability
If air outlets are positioned to surround the scanner tip, then fluid removal is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air delivery system is segmented into multiple separate cannulas with individual air outlets positioned around the scanner tip. This segmentation allows each cannula to target specific areas where fluids may accumulate, providing comprehensive fluid removal coverage while maintaining a relatively simple individual component design that can be easily assembled.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively maintains a bubble-free and fluid-free region around the scanner tip, enabling the capture of precise three-dimensional and two-dimensional images by consistently eliminating interferences, thereby enhancing the accuracy of dental image data collection.
Implementation Method 1
compressed air conduction cannulas with an air inlet connected to the conduction hose or triple syringe or other compressed air source
Data Source
AI summary
A compressed air blower formed by a pair of cannulas is provided that is coupled to the body of the tip of the dental scanner composing a region around an opening devoid of salivary flow, blood or any other fluid. The compressed air blower is for data collection and obtaining distortion-free three-dimensional/two-dimensional images of the mouth region of a patient using air jets coming from openings of the cannulas.