Customized Ceramic Orthodontic Tubes for Predictable Debonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current orthodontic tubes, particularly ceramic ones, lack customizability and efficient debonding mechanisms, leading to inaccuracies, increased treatment time, and patient discomfort due to difficult removal, with no in-office fabrication options available.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing ceramic slurry-based additive manufacturing (AM) technologies like DLP and laser photopolymerization to create customized labial/lingual orthodontic tubes with integrated stress concentrators and fracture grooves for controlled debonding, along with precise 3D CAD modeling to match individual tooth morphology.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional orthodontic tubes are used for all patients, then manufacturing cost and inventory management are simplified, but individual patient anatomical variations cannot be accommodated leading to suboptimal treatment outcomes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the geometric parameters of orthodontic tubes based on individual patient anatomical data. The system varies tube position, orientation, and dimensional parameters to match each patient's unique tooth anatomy, achieving anatomical adaptation through parameter optimization rather than complete redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing optimal tube parameters in a database before actual treatment. Patient-specific parameters are determined in advance through digital scanning and simulation, allowing the system to quickly retrieve and apply pre-optimized configurations during manufacturing and treatment planning.
2Manufacturing precision
If patient-specific orthodontic tubes are manufactured for each patient, then treatment precision and effectiveness are improved, but manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies copying by creating digital replicas of patient-specific tooth anatomy through optical scanning. These digital models serve as templates for determining tube parameters, allowing precise reproduction of patient-specific geometries without manual measurement or trial-and-error fitting, thereby maintaining high precision while streamlining the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculations and parameter optimizations in advance, storing results in databases for rapid retrieval. This pre-computation approach eliminates time-consuming on-demand calculations during manufacturing, significantly improving production efficiency while maintaining customization precision.
3Loss of time
If traditional orthodontic treatment with standard tubes is used, then treatment process is simple, but treatment duration is extended due to frequent adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes treatment parameters including tube position, orientation, and bracket configuration based on individual patient anatomy and treatment requirements. This parameter optimization enables more effective force application and tooth movement, reducing the number of adjustment visits needed and shortening overall treatment duration despite increased initial planning complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where treatment progress is monitored and used to refine subsequent treatment parameters. Digital scanning and analysis provide continuous feedback on tooth movement, allowing real-time adjustments to tube and bracket configurations to optimize treatment efficiency and reduce total treatment time.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments relate to the methodology of direct manufacture of a customized labial/lingual orthodontic tube by using a ceramic slurry -based additive manufacturing (AM) technology. For example, a method of manufacturing customized ceramic labial/lingual orthodontic tubes by additive manufacturing may comprise measuring dentition data of a profile of teeth of a patient, based on the dentition data, creating a three-dimensional computer-assisted design (3D CAD) model of the patient's teeth, and saving the 3D CAD model, designing a virtual 3D CAD tube structure model for a single labial or lingual tube structure based upon said 3D CAD model, importing data related to the 3D CAD tube structure model into an additive manufacturing machine, and directly producing the tube with the additive manufacturing machine by layer manufacturing from an inorganic material including at least one of a ceramic, a polymer-derived ceramic, and a polymer-derived metal.