Custom Orthodontic Bonding Tool with Interlocking Facial and Lingual Bodies

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current orthodontic appliance placement methods, such as indirect bonding, are time-consuming, technique-sensitive, and prone to errors, leading to poor bond reliability and increased patient treatment time, while direct bonding lacks precision and control over adhesive delivery.

Innovation Solution

Custom tools with patient-specific designs, comprising a facial body and lingual body that interlock to position orthodontic appliances accurately on teeth, allowing for precise placement and bonding, reducing the need for external templates and improving adhesive control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If indirect bonding is used with transfer trays, then precise placement of orthodontic appliances is achieved, but the process becomes time-consuming and technique-sensitive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplacement precisionVSAvoidtreatment time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The custom tool is divided into a facial body and a lingual body that can be separately manufactured and then assembled together. This segmentation allows for simplified manufacturing of each component while maintaining the overall precision function, reducing the complexity and time of the bonding process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The custom tool acts as an intermediary device between the orthodontic appliances and the patient's teeth. It provides a simplified interface that guides appliance placement directly onto the teeth without requiring complex transfer trays or multiple steps, thereby maintaining precision while reducing treatment time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If indirect bonding with external templates is used, then appliance placement accuracy is improved, but device complexity and susceptibility to damage increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplacement accuracyVSAvoidtool complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The facial body and lingual body are merged into a single integrated custom tool assembly that functions as one unit during appliance placement. This merging eliminates the need for separate external templates and transfer trays, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining placement accuracy through the interlocked design of the two bodies

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Productivity

If direct bonding is used, then treatment time is reduced, but placement precision and adhesive control are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetreatment efficiencyVSAvoidplacement precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The custom tool is designed to be self-aligning on the patient's teeth through the interlocking facial and lingual bodies. This self-service mechanism automatically ensures precise appliance placement without requiring complex external guidance systems, enabling direct bonding with both speed and precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4081163B1Custom tool for bonding orthodontic appliances, and methods of designing custom tools
Publication Date: 2024.10.16 SOLVENTUM INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES CO
  • EP4081163B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4081163B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP4081163B1 patent drawingFigure 7~9

AI summary

A custom tool for bonding orthodontic appliances in a mouth of a patient, the custom tool comprising: a facial body for a patient-specific, customized fit with the facial side of a plurality of teeth of the patient, a lingual body for a patient-specific, customized fit with the lingual side of the plurality of the teeth of the patient, wherein the lingual body. wherein the facial body and lingual body are configured to combine with the teeth of the patient to position orthodontic appliances on the plurality of teeth.