Fixation Tray Lock Mechanism for Stable Dental Implant Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dental implant placement in guided surgery requires precise anatomical accuracy to avoid nerve damage, bone resorption, and aesthetic issues, but existing methods lack reliable real-time tracking and stabilization of surgical instruments and implants within millimeter accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A stable affixation system comprising a customizable fixation tray with a flowable material that hardens to conform to teeth, a lock mechanism to secure the tray, and a tracking element for precise positioning and orientation during dental implantation, ensuring minimal movement and easy removal without damaging teeth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a fixation tray with flowable material is used to achieve precise implant placement, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to the lock mechanism and tracking elements
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation tray is divided into functional segments: the tray body holding flowable material, the lock mechanism with projecting members, and the tracking element. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while maintaining overall precision without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixation tray is customized and prepared in advance for the specific patient anatomy before surgery. The flowable material is selected and the tray is configured beforehand, allowing precise implant placement during surgery without complex intraoperative adjustments.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the lock mechanism is designed to secure the fixation tray firmly, then stability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in removal
Solution Approach 1:
The lock mechanism transitions between two dynamic states: engaged and disengaged. During surgery, the projecting members engage with recesses to provide firm stability. When removal is needed, the mechanism can be easily disengaged by applying force to overcome the locking action, allowing quick transition from stable to removable state.
Solution Approach 2:
The lock mechanism is designed with the anticipation of future removal. The projecting members create a preliminary lock that prevents movement during surgery, but the design inherently includes a release mechanism that applies counter-action to easily disengage the lock when needed.
3Manufacturing precision
If the flowable material hardens to conform to teeth for precision, then manufacturing precision is improved, but object-generated harmful factors increase due to potential tooth damage during removal
Solution Approach 1:
The flowable material acts as a flexible conforming layer that adapts to the tooth surfaces. Once hardened, it provides precise positioning but maintains a degree of flexibility in its bonding characteristic, allowing removal by breaking the material rather than forcing separation that would damage teeth.
Solution Approach 2:
The flowable material is designed as a temporary, disposable component that serves its purpose during surgery and is then discarded. Rather than creating permanent bonds that could damage teeth, the material is meant to be broken and removed, accepting its short service life in exchange for tooth safety.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides precise and stable placement of dental implants, reducing tissue damage and achieving accurate positioning within a quarter of a millimeter, facilitating minimally invasive surgery and improving aesthetic outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
a flowable or malleable material that hardens to conform to the shape of the teeth
Implementation Method 2
a squeezing force on the upper side portions flexes the lower side portions outward, the lower side portions configured to urge the flowable or malleable material, having hardened, against the teeth
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A
Figure 3B
AI summary
A stable affixation system for dental implantation includes a fixation tray having, for rapid placement, a housing defining a chamber whose inner surface is configured to house a flowable or malleable material and be placed over one or more teeth during guided dental implantation surgery. Housing side walls are joined to a cross member that has a flexion region on each side of the housing, each side wall having an upper side portion and a lower side portion. Without the lock a squeezing force on the upper side portions flexes the lower side portions outward. The lock urges the upper side portions outward so as to flex the lower side portions inward, thereby urging the material, once hardened, against the teeth. The lock reduces or eliminates freedom of movement of the tray. The system allows rapid removal and is sturdy enough to withstand forces including from various angles and leverage.