Patient-Specific Dental Guidance Assembly with Constrained Handpiece Motion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dentists face challenges in accurately translating diagnostic images into precise handpiece operations during dental treatments due to the limited intraoral space and the need for exploratory drilling, which requires skill, stability, and concentration.
Innovation Solution
A patient-specific dental guidance assembly comprising a base that fits over the dental arch, a hinge, an arm to support a rotary handpiece, and exchangeable bur or file guides with channels to guide the handpiece along preplanned treatment paths, fabricated using computer-aided design and rapid manufacturing for customized fit and functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual operation with rotary handpiece is used, then dentist can perform dental treatment, but precision and accuracy of handpiece operation deteriorates due to limited intraoral space and need for exploratory drilling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a guidance assembly as an intermediary device between the dentist's manual control and the tooth structure. This assembly includes a base that fits over the dental arch, an arm that pivotally connects to the base, and a bur guide that interfaces with the handpiece. The guidance assembly translates the dentist's gross manual movements into precise, constrained handpiece motions along predetermined paths, thereby improving operational precision without compromising ease of use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the degrees of freedom parameter of the handpiece operation. By designing the bur guide with specific geometric constraints (channels, slots, or openings with defined orientations), the system limits the handpiece motion to predetermined paths and orientations. This parameter change from free manual movement to constrained guided movement resolves the contradiction by maintaining ease of operation while significantly improving precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If exploratory drilling is performed to determine exact areas to be removed, then treatment can proceed, but treatment time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-determining the exact treatment paths and areas to be removed before the actual drilling operation. The guidance assembly is custom-fabricated based on preliminary diagnostic imaging (such as CBCT scans), and the bur guide is designed with predetermined channels and openings that define the exact trajectories and cutting paths. This eliminates the need for exploratory drilling, as all necessary information about the treatment area is established in advance, thereby improving both precision and productivity.
3Measurement precision
If custom-fitted guidance assembly is fabricated for each patient, then precision of treatment path is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves a balance between customization and manufacturability by designing a modular guidance assembly with universal components. The base, arm, and bur guide are designed as separate, interchangeable components that can be manufactured using standard rapid prototyping techniques. The base fits over the dental arch in a standardized manner, while the bur guide can be customized for each patient's specific treatment needs. This modular universal design allows for precise custom fitting without excessive manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes in the manufacturing process, specifically employing rapid prototyping technologies that can quickly adapt to different geometric parameters. By changing the digital model parameters from diagnostic images and generating corresponding 3D-printed guidance assemblies, the system achieves high precision customization through automated manufacturing processes, thereby reducing the manual fabrication complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple bur guides with different channel configurations are provided, then adaptability to different treatment scenarios is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the guidance assembly into modular components: a base, an arm, and interchangeable bur guides. Each bur guide is a separate segment designed for specific treatment scenarios (e.g., different channel configurations for drilling, filing, or crown preparation). This segmentation allows the dentist to select and exchange only the necessary bur guide component for each specific treatment task, thereby achieving high adaptability without permanently increasing the overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A dental guidance assembly comprising: a rigid arcuate base sized and structuredconfigured to snugly fit over a dental arch of a specific human subject; a hinge fixedly mountable on relative to said rigid arcuate base; an arm having a proximal side and a distal side, said arm being pivotally connectable at its proximal side to said hinge, and connectable configured to support, at its distal side, to a dental rotary handpiece; and an exchangeable bur or file guide sized and structuredconfigured to snugly fit in said rigid arcuate base, said bur or file guide comprising a channel that is sized and structuredconfigured to guide a bur or a file mounted on the dental rotary handpiece along a preplanned treatment path in a treated tooth of the dental arch of the specific human subject.