Dental Mill Blank Positioning via Asymmetric Recesses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mill blanks for dental CAD/CAM systems lack directivity recognition in the circumferential direction, making it difficult to accurately install and further cut dental restorations from remaining mill blank portions after initial restorations are cut out.
Innovation Solution
A mill blank with a columnar shape featuring at least two recesses and a notched portion, allowing for precise engagement with a CAM device's holding portion, ensuring consistent positioning and direction during multiple cutting operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional mill blank without directivity features is used, then the mill blank can be universally applied to various cutting operations, but the directivity in the circumferential direction cannot be recognized, making it difficult to install at the same position and direction for subsequent cutting operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces asymmetric features (notched portions and recesses) on the otherwise symmetric cylindrical mill blank. These asymmetric elements create a unique orientation that allows the mill blank to be installed at the same position and direction for subsequent cutting operations, resolving the directivity recognition problem while maintaining universal applicability through standard mounting interfaces
2Device complexity
If the mill blank lacks positioning features, then the structure remains simple and manufacturing is easier, but the position and direction in the circumference direction cannot be recognized during installation
Solution Approach 1:
The notched portions and recesses are pre-formed on the mill blank during manufacturing, establishing the positioning features before the cutting operations begin. This preliminary action ensures that when the mill blank is installed, the position and direction can be immediately recognized without requiring additional measurement or adjustment steps
3Productivity
If multiple dental restorations are cut from one mill blank, then material utilization increases, but without directivity recognition it is impossible to add cutting data for subsequent restorations accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric positioning features (notched portions and recesses) provide visual and physical feedback about the mill blank's orientation. This feedback mechanism allows operators to verify that the mill blank is installed at the correct position and direction, ensuring that subsequent cutting data for additional restorations aligns accurately with the first restoration's cutting data, thereby enabling precise multi-restoration fabrication from a single blank
Data Source
AI summary
A mill blank for dental CAD/CAM for preparing a dental restoration by being installed in a CAD/CAM device, wherein, the mill blank for dental CAD/CAM has a columnar shape, has at least two recesses which includes a first recess opening to an upper surface of the mill blank and a second recess opening to a bottom surface of the mill blank and at least one notched portion in a circumference portion, the first recess and the second recess respectively include a first surface which is parallel to the upper surface and the bottom surface and a second surface which is a circumferential face concentric with the circumferential face of the mill blank and is vertical to the first surface, and the notched portion is composed of a surface parallel to the center axis of the columnar shape of the mill blank and contacts with the second surface.