Disposable Dental Putty for Blockout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for creating dental impressions are time-consuming, costly, and prone to errors due to excess casting material, noise, debris, and hazards, with existing blockout materials often sticking to the cast, inhibiting proper setting, and requiring extensive cleanup or additional steps.
Innovation Solution
A putty material comprising a first stage with non-crosslinked polar polymeric resin, filler, thickening agent, humectant, and water, mixed with diluent and lubricant to create a putty that can be easily applied, separated, and reused, providing precise viscosity and tackiness to block out areas without sticking to the cast and allowing for efficient casting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional blockout materials (dough-like materials) are used to block out areas, then the areas can be blocked out, but the material sticks to the cast and requires extensive cleanup time
Solution Approach 1:
The putty is formulated as a disposable material that is discarded after use rather than cleaned and reused. This eliminates the time-consuming cleanup process while maintaining effectiveness as a blockout material. The putty is designed to be thrown away after serving its purpose, allowing the operator to move on to the next step without spending time on removal and cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The putty's physical parameters are specifically adjusted to achieve non-stick properties. By controlling the composition and rheological properties of the putty, it is designed to maintain its shape and position during application but easily separate from the cast model after setting, eliminating the need for extensive cleanup while maintaining blocking effectiveness.
2Productivity
If more impression material is mixed to fill in blocked out areas, then the areas can be blocked out, but the process becomes more time-consuming and messy
Solution Approach 1:
The putty is applied to the impression tray before the casting material is poured. This preliminary application of the blockout material ensures that the areas to be blocked out are prepared in advance, eliminating the need to mix and apply additional impression material after the casting process. The putty is already in position to prevent casting material from entering unwanted areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The putty serves as a single-use blockout material that is discarded after the casting process. This eliminates the need for complex removal and cleaning procedures that would be required if reusable blockout materials were used, thereby reducing overall process time while maintaining blocking effectiveness.
3Productivity
If wax is used to block out and box the impression, then the areas can be blocked out, but the process adds 15 minutes or more
Solution Approach 1:
The putty's rheological properties are specifically optimized to match the timing requirements of the casting process. It is designed to be applied, shaped, and set in a time frame that coincides with the casting material setting time, eliminating the need for separate lengthy blocking and unblocking steps. The putty reaches its functional state exactly when needed for the casting process.
Solution Approach 2:
The putty application and casting material pouring are combined into a single continuous process step. The putty is applied and shaped just before the casting material is poured, and both materials set simultaneously. This merging of operations eliminates the need for separate blocking, setting, and unblocking steps, thereby reducing total preparation time while maintaining blocking capability.
4Ease of manufacture
If the putty is made reusable and disinfectable, then cost is reduced, but the material must maintain its properties through repeated use
Solution Approach 1:
The putty's physical and chemical parameters are specifically designed to be stable through repeated use and disinfection. The formulation includes ingredients that resist degradation from moisture, heat, and chemical disinfectants, ensuring that the putty maintains its blocking properties and does not deteriorate after multiple cycles of use, cleaning, and storage.
Solution Approach 2:
While the putty is designed to be reusable, the formulation prioritizes cost-effectiveness and ease of disposal. The material is designed to be inexpensive enough that even if some degradation occurs over time, replacing it rather than attempting to restore it remains the more economical choice. This approach simplifies the reliability requirement while maintaining reusability.
Data Source
AI summary
A blockout putty for use in creating smooth finished molds, such as for use in creating a stone, gypsum, plaster, or other type cast of an impression such as, but not limited to, dental impressions of teeth and/or gums. The putty may comprise a first stage material, diluent, and lubricant. The first stage material may comprise: 0.10 to 30% by weight non-crosslinked polar polymeric resin; 1.25 to 75% by weight filler; 0.0125 to 7% by weight thickening agent; 0 to 45% by weight humectant; and 5 to 85% by weight water. For every 30 to 60 ounces of first stage material, the putty may comprise 4 to 12 fluid ounces of the diluent and 0.5 to 2.75 fluid ounces of the lubricant. The putty may further comprise dye, scent, antibacterial/antiviral/antimicrobial inhibitors, ingredients to control odor, and/or surface disinfection technologies.