Digital Dental Model Fabrication With Positioning Keys
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dentistry methods for fabricating dental objects are prone to human error, material degradation, and patient discomfort due to the use of physical impressions, which can lead to inaccuracies and increased costs in dental prosthetics fabrication.
Innovation Solution
A method employing a scanning system to capture highly detailed three-dimensional representations of dental structures for virtual modeling, using digital three-dimensional modeling and rapid fabrication technologies to create pre-indexed, pre-registered, and pre-cut components for dental articulators, reducing manual labor and errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If physical impression materials are used to capture dental impressions, then an initial accurate impression can be obtained, but the impression may degrade over time due to thermal fluctuations, plasticity, and rough handling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical impression materials with digital optical scanning to create virtual digital impressions. Instead of using physical materials that degrade, the system creates digital copies of the dental anatomy that can be stored and transmitted without degradation, eliminating the stability problem while maintaining measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the mechanical impression-taking process with an optical scanning system. The handheld three-dimensional scanner uses optical fields rather than mechanical contact to capture dental surface data, eliminating the physical degradation issues associated with traditional impression materials
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional physical casting and fabrication processes are used, then dental prosthetics can be manufactured, but the process is prone to human error and requires significant manual labor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical fabrication processes with computer-controlled automated manufacturing. The virtual digital impressions are used with computer-controlled milling or three-dimensional printing systems to fabricate dental prosthetics, eliminating human error while maintaining ease of manufacture through digital workflow
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary digital planning and virtual articulation before actual fabrication. The software allows for pre-positioning and pre-planning of prosthetic components in the virtual environment, enabling corrections to be made digitally before any physical manufacturing occurs, thereby improving reliability
3Productivity
If traditional impression materials are used, then dental impressions can be captured, but the process causes significant discomfort to the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical and chemical impression-taking process with a non-contact optical scanning system. The handheld scanner captures three-dimensional surface data using optical fields, eliminating the need for patients to retain bulky impression materials in their mouths, thereby removing the source of discomfort while maintaining efficient data capture
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a method comprising acquiring a digital surface representation of one or more intraoral structures, processing the digital surface representation to obtain a three-dimensional digital model of an arch including a plurality of components, each one of the plurality of components including a positioning key to uniquely position the component in an x-y plane of a mounting surface of a dental articulator, and fabricating the three-dimensional digital model to obtain a dental model fo the plurality of components, wherein the positioning key for each one of the plurality of components provides gross tactile feedback on proper alignment during assembly of the dental model onto the dental articulator.