Dental Implant with Internal Passageways for Sinus Augmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dental implant procedures for the upper jaw often require sinus augmentation, which can be complicated by the risk of tearing or puncturing the sinus membrane, and existing methods for introducing bone graft material are either invasive or require lengthy healing times.
Innovation Solution
A dental implant with a distal portion configured for direct implantation into the maxilla or mandible, featuring internal passageways for fluid communication and a sealing arrangement that allows for selective and reversible closure, enabling the introduction of bone graft material and medication post-implantation without damaging the sinus membrane.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a lateral incision is made and the sinus membrane is lifted to create space for bone graft material, then sufficient bone volume can be achieved for implant anchoring, but the membrane is at risk of tearing or puncturing which requires immediate repair and postpones the procedure
Solution Approach 1:
A balloon catheter is introduced as an intermediary device to inflate within the sinus cavity and displace the membrane, creating space for bone graft material without requiring direct manipulation or lifting of the membrane. This intermediary approach eliminates the risk of membrane tearing while achieving the necessary augmentation volume
Solution Approach 2:
The balloon catheter utilizes pneumatic inflation to expand within the sinus cavity, creating controlled pressure to displace the membrane and create space for bone graft material. This hydraulic/pneumatic mechanism provides controlled expansion without mechanical trauma to the membrane
2Reliability
If the sinus membrane is carefully lifted and repaired to maintain integrity, then membrane damage is avoided, but the procedure must be postponed until healing is complete, increasing treatment time
Solution Approach 1:
The balloon catheter is inserted and inflated before any bone graft material is introduced, creating the necessary space in advance. This preliminary action allows immediate placement of bone graft material without requiring membrane healing, eliminating the time delay associated with membrane repair protocols
3Ease of manufacture
If bone graft material is inserted through a lateral opening, then sinus augmentation can be performed, but the procedure requires complex surgical access and membrane manipulation
Solution Approach 1:
The balloon catheter serves multiple functions: it creates space for bone graft material, provides a delivery channel for the graft material, and can remain in place to maintain the created space. This multi-functionality simplifies the overall procedure by eliminating the need for separate space-creation and grafting steps
Solution Approach 2:
The complex lateral surgical approach with membrane lifting and repair steps is extracted and replaced by the simplified balloon catheter insertion method. The problematic membrane manipulation steps are completely removed from the procedure, leaving only the minimally invasive catheter insertion and inflation steps
Data Source
AI summary
A dental implant is provided. In some embodiments, the dental implant facilitates viewing an outside of a distal end of the dental implant via a proximal opening of the dental implant, and/or facilitates providing bone graft material via selectively closable one or more distal openings. A dental implant installation procedure is also provided in which a distal end of a dental implant is projected into a paranasal sinus cavity or a nasal cavity to displace the respective sinus membrane or nasal cavity membrane from the respective cavity floor, while minimizing risk of damaging the respective membrane. Bone graft material is introduced into the space created between the respective membrane and the respective cavity floor via a distal portion of the dental implant to form a desired sinus augmentation.