Custom Tooth Clamp for Automated Dental Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dental treatment systems lack automation capabilities for procedures like tooth cutting, facing technical challenges and regulatory risks due to reliance on vision-based methods and expensive robotic arms, which are costly and unlikely to be fully approved by FDA.
Innovation Solution
The development of a tooth clamp system that connects a computer numerical control (CNC) directed system to teeth, using surface data to create a custom-fit clamp for precise positioning, eliminating the need for fiducial tracking and providing a mechanical coupling mechanism for accurate and reliable dental positioning, along with anchoring for irrigation and suction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If vision-based methods and robotic arms are used for automated dental treatment, then automation capability is improved, but system cost increases to above $100K and regulatory approval becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a disposable tooth clamp instead of expensive robotic arms. The clamp is a low-cost, single-use device that provides automated positioning capabilities without the high cost and regulatory burden of reusable robotic systems. This resolves the contradiction by achieving automation functionality through a cheap, disposable mechanism rather than expensive, complex robotic arms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex optical vision systems and robotic mechanical arms with a simpler mechanical clamp system that uses physical engagement with tooth anatomy. The clamp incorporates fiducial markers and mechanical coupling points that work with a CNC system, substituting the need for expensive vision-based tracking and robotic control mechanisms.
2Extent of automation
If expensive robotic arms are used for automated dental treatment, then automation capability is improved, but FDA approval becomes unlikely due to large working envelope damage risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the automation system into a localized tooth clamp that directly engages the tooth, rather than using a large robotic arm that moves through a wide working envelope. The clamp is divided into functional components (engagement surfaces, fiducial markers, coupling points) that work together in a confined space, reducing the risk of damage to surrounding structures while maintaining automation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The tooth clamp acts as an intermediary between the CNC system and the tooth. Instead of the robotic arm directly interacting with the tooth through a large working envelope, the clamp provides a stable, localized platform that mechanically couples the CNC system to the tooth, eliminating the damage risk associated with large robotic arm movements.
3Measurement precision
If fiducial tracking through optical means is used for dental positioning, then positioning accuracy is achieved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the fiducial tracking function directly into the tooth clamp structure. The fiducial markers are integrated into the clamp body, combining the positioning reference system with the mechanical clamping mechanism. This eliminates the need for separate optical tracking systems and reduces overall system complexity while maintaining positioning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a physical copy of the tooth surface geometry on the clamp's engagement surfaces. By fabricating the clamp to match the specific anatomy of the patient's tooth (through scanning and custom fabrication), the system establishes a precise mechanical replica that provides accurate positioning without requiring complex optical vision systems. The fiducial markers on the clamp serve as a simplified copy of the positioning reference system.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for automated dental treatment having a tooth clamp (48, 700) which connects an automated dental drill (10). The tooth clamp (700) has a rigid frame (704A, 704B) with a coupling point (703) for reversibly coupling the tooth clamp (700) to an automated dental drill (10) and a pair of jaws (701A, 701B) for coupling the clamp to a tooth of a user. A first jaw surface has a shape adapted to mate the tooth surface and is fabricated based on surface data or a three-dimensional model of the scanned tooth. The tooth clamp (700) has suction ports (702) and the system (900) has irrigation nozzles (903).