Dental Implant Angulation Device with Rotary Indicator
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for selecting the appropriate angulation of dental abutments for implants are cumbersome and require a large number of trial abutments, making it difficult for dentists to choose the correct one, especially considering the gingival height and type, leading to inefficiencies and challenges in maintaining sterility.
Innovation Solution
A device with a conical projection and a rotary body that can be locked into specific angular positions, allowing the dentist to determine the optimal angulation by aligning it with the adjacent teeth, and then selecting the corresponding abutment from a predefined set based on marked sectors on a display scale.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a large number of trial abutments are stocked to cover all possible variations, then the dentist can select from all possible abutment variations, but the device complexity and storage requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The selection system is segmented into three independent components: angulation determination (via the device with rotary body and indicator), gingival height selection (via housing height selection), and abutment type selection. This segmentation allows each component to be handled separately rather than requiring storage of all 120+ combinations simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The device acts as an intermediary measurement tool that determines the angulation parameter, which then guides the selection from the abutment set. The display scale with marked sectors serves as a mediator that translates the physical angulation measurement into a selectable abutment category.
2Loss of substance
If trial abutments are used instead of real abutments, then cost is reduced, but maintaining sterility becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The device is designed as a disposable or easily sterilizable tool that can be used once and then discarded or sterilized. The housing and internal components can be autoclaved or disposed of after a single use, eliminating the need to repeatedly sterilize trial abutments.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the dentist must be very experienced to select the suitable variation from many trial abutments, then all abutment variations can be covered, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The device provides immediate visual feedback through the display scale with marked sectors that directly indicate which abutment variation is suitable based on the measured angulation. The rod-shaped indicator's position relative to the marked sectors gives real-time guidance, eliminating the need for extensive dentist experience and trial-and-error selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The display scale uses visual markers and colored sectors to indicate different abutment categories. This visual coding system allows dentists to quickly identify the correct abutment type without requiring expert knowledge of all 120+ variations.
4Adaptability or versatility
If 120 different abutment variations are available, then complete adaptability is achieved, but the time required for selection increases
Solution Approach 1:
The abutments are pre-categorized into groups based on angulation ranges, and the device pre-determines which category is appropriate through the angulation measurement. This preliminary classification eliminates the need to individually evaluate all 120 variations during the clinical procedure.
Data Source
AI summary
A device is provided for determining the angulation of an abutment for a dental implant. The device includes a conical projection extending from a housing. The conical projection is adapted for insertion into a hole in the dental implant. A rotary body is disposed in the housing and is rotatable among a plurality of different angular positions relative to the conical projection. A rod-shaped indicator is connected to the rotary body. The rotary body can be secured to the housing in one of the angular positions by a locking device. The device may be part of an assembly that includes an indicator device having a receiving opening for accommodating the conical projection and an indicator scale that includes a plurality of marked sectors corresponding to a plurality of predefined abutments, respectively. The location of the rod-shaped indicator relative to the marked sectors indicates the predefined abutment that should be selected.