Integrated Dental Implant Abutment with Titanium Inlay

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing dental implant systems face issues with unsatisfactory coupling between the intermediate element and the abutment, poor force distribution, difficult positioning of the intermediate element, increased manufacturing costs, and a higher risk of microbiological attack due to multiple interfaces with natural tissues.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a titanium or titanium alloy inlay with the abutment, which is made of plastic or ceramic materials, to enhance mechanical strength and durability, and to reduce the number of interfaces with natural tissues by integrating the inlay within the abutment and dental implant system.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If an intermediate element is used between the dental implant and the abutment, then the coupling reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoupling reliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the intermediate element and the abutment into a single integrated component. The abutment includes an integrated engagement structure that directly couples with the dental implant, eliminating the need for a separate intermediate element while maintaining coupling reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The abutment is designed with multi-functional capabilities: it provides both the structural support function and the coupling function through its integrated engagement structure, allowing a single component to perform multiple roles that previously required separate elements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Force

If a separate intermediate element is used, then the force distribution is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveforce distributionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ForceVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The engagement structure is integrated directly into the abutment body, eliminating the need for a separate intermediate element. This reduces the number of manufacturing steps, inventory requirements, and assembly operations while maintaining effective force distribution through the engineered engagement features

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Manufacturing precision

If multiple interfaces are provided between the intermediate element and natural tissues, then the positioning accuracy is improved, but the risk of microbiological attack increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidmicrobiological attack risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the intermediate element that created multiple tissue interfaces from the system. The abutment is designed to directly engage with the dental implant through engineered features, reducing the number of interfaces exposed to natural tissues and thereby minimizing microbiological attack risk while maintaining positioning accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS8540512B2Dental implant system

Publication Date: 2013.09.24 STRAUMANN HOLDING AG

AI summary

An abutment for dental implant systems of the kind suitable to be associated to a dental implant. The abutment has an inlay, and the inlay is provided at its upper part with an external profile having one or more shoulders for connecting and permanently jointing the inlay to the abutment. Further, the inlay may be shaped such that it is completely surrounded by the abutment in the assembled state of the dental implant system.