Automated Dental Drill Guidance Using FEA-Optimized Tooth Preparation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing dental restoration procedures lack the ability to optimize prosthetic geometries and tooth cuts, leading to inefficiencies and increased patient discomfort.

Innovation Solution

A system that uses finite element analysis (FEA) to determine optimal 3D preparation and prosthesis geometries based on material properties, bite forces, and displacement limits, iteratively adjusting these geometries until they meet predefined force and displacement thresholds, and instructs an automated dental drill to perform the cuts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If traditional dental restoration procedures are used, then the procedure can be completed with simple equipment, but the precision of prosthetic geometry and tooth cut optimization is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprecision of prosthetic geometry and tooth cutVSAvoidcomplexity of restoration system

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary finite element analysis (FEA) simulations to determine optimal 3D preparation and prosthesis geometries before the actual dental restoration procedure. This pre-calculation of stress distributions and force requirements allows the system to establish precise geometric parameters in advance, eliminating the need for complex real-time adjustments during the procedure while maintaining high precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical trial-and-error methods with computational FEA analysis. Instead of relying on mechanical adjustment and physical fitting of prosthetics, the system uses computer-based stress analysis to calculate optimal geometries, substituting mechanical complexity with computational precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If traditional dental restoration procedures are used, then the procedure is simple to perform, but patient discomfort increases due to suboptimal geometries

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient discomfort during masticationVSAvoidcomplexity of geometry optimization system

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary FEA simulations to determine optimal 3D preparation and prosthesis geometries before the actual dental restoration procedure. This pre-calculation of stress distributions and force requirements allows the system to establish precise geometric parameters in advance, eliminating the need for complex real-time adjustments during the procedure while maintaining high precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses FEA analysis to provide feedback on stress distributions and force requirements, iteratively optimizing the 3D preparation and prosthesis geometries. This feedback mechanism ensures that the final design minimizes harmful forces and displacements on the patient's tooth structure during mastication, clenching, and grinding.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Strength

If iterative geometry optimization is performed, then the strength and security of prosthesis attachment is improved, but the calculation time and processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestrength of prosthesis attachmentVSAvoidtime for geometry optimization calculations

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system optimizes geometric parameters (preparation geometry, prosthesis geometry) based on FEA analysis of stress distributions and force requirements. By systematically varying and evaluating different parameter combinations, the system identifies the optimal configuration that maximizes prosthesis attachment strength while meeting clinical time constraints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4208122B1System for directing an automated dental drill

Publication Date: 2026.02.11 PERCEPTIVE TECH INC

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AI summary

One aspect provided herein is a computer-implemented method of directing an automated dental drill (ADD) for preparation of a target tooth of a patient for a restoration with a prosthesis by a practitioner, the method comprising: receiving: a prosthesis material comprising material property; an applied bite force; a force limit; a displacement limit; and a three-dimensional (3D) tooth model of the target tooth comprising a removal portion; determining a first 3D preparation geometry and a first 3D prosthesis geometry based on the 3D tooth model and the prosthesis material; performing a finite element analysis (FEA) to determine the forces and displacements, instructing the ADD to cut the target tooth based on the first 3D preparation geometry.