Dental Articulator Reference Object for Virtual Model Registration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for creating virtual dental models require scanning connected dental arches with a dental articulator, which can be cumbersome and may not accurately capture the necessary registration and articulation axis information, especially for disposable articulators with hinge mechanisms that allow separation of the upper and lower dental arches.
Innovation Solution
A reference object with complementary articulation members is used to provide alignment with the articulator axis, allowing each dental arch to be scanned separately, facilitating the generation of a virtual dental model by capturing the necessary registration and articulation axis information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If disposable articulators with hinge mechanisms are used to separate upper and lower dental arches, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to difficulty in capturing articulation axis information
Solution Approach 1:
A reference object with a reference axis is introduced as an intermediary between the articulator and the scanning system. This reference object is attached to the movable member of the articulator and provides a known geometric reference that can be accurately scanned. The reference axis of the object serves as a mediator to transfer the articulation axis information from the physical articulator to the digital model, solving the measurement precision problem while maintaining the ease of using disposable articulators.
2Loss of information
If connected dental arches are scanned with the articulator, then registration information can be obtained, but device complexity increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The reference object is extracted as a separate, independent component from the complex articulator-dental arch system. By attaching this simple reference object to the movable articulator member, the system can obtain registration and articulation axis information without needing to scan the entire connected dental arch assembly. This extraction simplifies the scanning process and improves productivity while maintaining information quality.
3Ease of operation
If the articulator with separable members is used, then ease of operation is improved, but the complexity of capturing accurate articulation axis information increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reference object acts as a mediator that bridges the simple disposable articulator and the complex digital modeling requirements. The reference object contains a reference axis that aligns with the articulation axis, providing a straightforward geometric reference that can be easily scanned and used for registration. This intermediary approach maintains the simplicity and ease of use of disposable articulators while eliminating the complexity of capturing accurate articulation axis information.
Data Source
AI summary
A dental model articulator of the type that has separable complementary articulation members is connected to a registration object having compatible complementary articulation members. The dental arches of each dental model articulator half is scanned with the reference object to give the axis of the articulator model. This facilitates generating a virtual dental model.