Dental Mill Blank Visual Layer Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dental mill blanks for CAD/CAM applications lack visual identifiability of their multi-layer structure, leading to errors in milling direction and layer placement, which can result in incorrect milled products and inefficient production processes.
Innovation Solution
A dental mill blank with a visual identifying portion, either by color or structure, to clearly distinguish individual layers, such as through surface coloring or forming macroscopic irregularities, allowing for accurate identification of layer orientation and placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a multi-layer structure is formed by laminating layers of pastes having different colors, then the color matching with natural teeth is improved, but the visual identifiability of individual layers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color changes by incorporating visual identifying portions with distinct colors (such as yellow, red, blue, green, or black) into specific layers of the multi-layer mill blank. These colored portions create clear visual contrast between layers, enabling easy identification of layer boundaries and orientation while preserving the aesthetic color matching of the dental restorative material layers themselves.
2Loss of information
If letters are printed on the mill blank to indicate direction, then the orientation information is provided, but the information may be overlooked and the solution is not reliable
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying on printed letters that can be overlooked, the patent uses prominently colored visual identifying portions integrated into the layer structure itself. These color-coded portions provide inherent, hard-to-miss orientation information that is visually apparent and reliably indicates the correct placement direction of the mill blank.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces visual identifying portions as an intermediary element that mediates between the multi-layer structure and the user's need for orientation information. These portions serve as a reliable visual mediator that clearly communicates layer boundaries and orientation without being overlooked, solving the reliability issue of printed letters.
3Illumination intensity
If the number of layers is increased to achieve better aesthetics, then the color matching is improved, but the difficulty of ascertaining the number of layers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies visual identifying portions with distinct colors to specific layers within the multi-layer structure. This allows each layer or specific layers to be visually distinguished, making it easy to ascertain the total number of layers and their individual identities even when the overall layer count is increased for aesthetic purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the visual identification function by placing distinct visual identifying portions in specific layers rather than treating the multi-layer structure as a uniform whole. This segmentation of visual cues enables easy counting and identification of individual layers even when the total number of layers is large.
4Illumination intensity
If gradations of color with unclear boundaries are used, then the aesthetic quality is improved, but the direction of layer transition becomes difficult to ascertain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces distinct color changes through visual identifying portions that create clear boundaries between layers. These prominent color differences override the subtle gradations, providing unambiguous visual cues for determining layer transition directions while allowing the subtle color gradations to remain for aesthetic purposes within each layer.
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 visual identifying portion enhances the accuracy of layer identification, reducing errors in milling and automated processes, improving production efficiency by ensuring correct placement and orientation of the mill blank, thereby producing the intended dental restorative material.
Implementation Method 1
using a forming die having a portion with different inner surface roughness so as to form microscopic irregularities in the surface of the formed article to provide identifiability utilizing the light reflection effect
Data Source
AI summary
In color reproduction for a dental restorative material, in order to achieve a color that closely matches the color of the natural tooth, one technique that is used is to form a mill blank by laminating layers of materials having different colors. However, misidentification of layers frequently occurs. The present invention is a dental mill blank having a plurality of layers and the dental mill blank has a visual identifying portion by which the plurality of layers are visually identifiable. The visual identifying portion may be provided by color or by structure. Providing the visual identifying portion by color refers to coloring the surface of a layer of the dental mill blank and providing the visual identifying portion by structure refers to forming microscopic or macroscopic irregularities in the entire periphery or part of a layer surface.