Contoured Oral Shield System for Post-Surgical Site Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients post-oral surgery face discomfort and increased infection risk due to pain from contact with surgical sites during oral hygiene, which discourages adherence to necessary hygiene practices.
Innovation Solution
An oral shield system comprising a contoured molded body with extending wings and a flexible handle, allowing for adjustable positioning to prevent contact with surgical sites during brushing and flossing, featuring a detachable shield retainer assembly for versatile placement and easy replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If patients perform oral hygiene (brushing and flossing) to maintain good oral health and reduce infection risk, then oral hygiene quality improves, but pain and discomfort increase due to contact with surgical sites
Solution Approach 1:
The oral shield device serves as an intermediary barrier between the toothbrush/toothpick and the surgical site. The shield's contoured body with curved lower surface and extending wings physically blocks contact between hygiene tools and the vulnerable extraction area, allowing patients to continue oral hygiene routines without direct contact pain while maintaining hygiene effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The oral shield is designed as a segmented protective structure with a main contoured body and separate extending wings that can be positioned between teeth. This segmentation allows the shield to fit into specific anatomical spaces and provide targeted protection at the surgical site while leaving other areas accessible for normal oral functions.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If patients avoid contact with surgical sites during oral hygiene to reduce pain, then pain decreases, but oral hygiene quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shield acts as a mediator that enables hygiene activities to proceed without compromising either pain reduction or hygiene quality. By positioning the shield before hygiene tools can reach the surgical site, patients can brush and floss other areas normally while the shield prevents harmful contact, maintaining both comfort and hygiene standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield introduces a spatial dimension to the oral hygiene process by creating a physical barrier in three-dimensional space. The contoured body and extending wings occupy specific volumetric space that blocks the path of hygiene tools, allowing hygiene to continue in other dimensions while protecting the surgical site.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a protective barrier device is introduced to prevent contact with surgical sites, then protection from pain and infection improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The oral shield utilizes a thin, flexible contoured body made from materials like silicone or thermoplastic elastomer. This flexible shell design provides effective protection while maintaining simplicity in structure and ease of insertion/removal. The thin-film nature reduces complexity compared to rigid multi-component systems while achieving the same protective function.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield employs a contoured body with a curved lower surface and arcuate wings that follow the natural curvature of the oral cavity. This spherical/curved geometry simplifies the design by using continuous surfaces rather than angular joints or multiple flat panels, reducing manufacturing complexity while providing optimal fit and protection.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a contoured shield structure is used to effectively block contact with surgical sites, then protection effectiveness improves, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shield design uses parameter variations in the contoured body geometry, such as adjusting the radius of curvature of the lower surface and the angle of extending wings, to optimize protection effectiveness. These parameter changes are implemented through standard molding variations rather than requiring ultra-precise manufacturing tolerances, maintaining effectiveness while managing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
By using flexible materials for the contoured body, the design tolerates moderate variations in manufacturing precision. The material flexibility allows the shield to conform to individual anatomical variations, compensating for minor dimensional tolerances in the molded shape while maintaining effective protection.
Data Source
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AI summary
An oral shield system for protecting an area in a patient's mouth, the system including an oral shield device having a molded body that forms a contoured surface and a pair of wings that extend from the body, and an elongate handle attached to the oral shield device.