Viscous Dental Paste Dispenser Platform
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current syringe-like packaging formats for viscous dental pastes are inefficient in dispensing small amounts, leading to waste and cross-contamination concerns due to their design, which is not optimal for handling the high viscosity of these materials.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing apparatus with a barrel, a tapered dispensing tip, and a platform that allows for the extrusion of a sheet or ribbon of viscous material, which is then supported on the platform for easy retrieval, minimizing waste and reducing cross-contamination risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional syringe format is used for dispensing viscous dental paste, then the initial volume of contained paste is relatively small for convenient hand operation, but most procedures require only a small portion of the packaged volume leading to waste of the unused amount
Solution Approach 1:
The syringe is segmented into a main barrel containing the bulk supply of dental paste and a separate dispensing tip that can be detached. This allows the dentist to use only a small portion from the dispensing tip for each procedure while the main barrel remains sealed and preserved for future use, eliminating waste of unused paste.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispensing tip is extracted as a separate, detachable component from the main barrel. This extraction allows the dentist to use only the necessary small amount of paste in the dispensing tip for each procedure, while the bulk supply in the main barrel remains intact and can be reused, thereby preventing waste.
2Ease of operation
If a relatively large opening is formed at the dispensing end of the syringe barrel, then manual extrusion of highly viscous paste is facilitated, but the amount of dispensed paste required is typically larger than actually needed for the procedure
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing tip has a localized small opening at its end, while the main barrel has a larger opening. This local quality difference allows the paste to be easily extruded from the large barrel opening during filling, but only a controlled small amount can be dispensed through the small tip opening during use, preventing excessive dispensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispensing tip acts as an intermediary component between the main barrel and the patient's mouth. It has a small opening that controls the amount of paste dispensed, allowing manual extrusion while limiting the quantity to what is actually needed for the procedure, thus preventing waste.
3Ease of operation
If the dispensing tip has a relatively large opening for manual extrusion, then viscous paste can be easily dispensed, but the dentist may inadvertently insert the spatula into the barrel opening causing cross-contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The syringe is segmented into a main barrel and a separate dispensing tip. The dispensing tip is the only component with an opening that contacts the paste during dispensing, while the main barrel opening is sealed. This segmentation eliminates the risk of cross-contamination by providing a dedicated, controlled interface for paste access.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispensing function is extracted into a separate detachable tip. This tip has a controlled opening that is specifically designed for paste dispensing, separating the dispensing interface from the bulk storage area. This extraction prevents cross-contamination by eliminating direct access to the main barrel interior during use.
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 apparatus enables precise dispensing and retrieval of small amounts of viscous dental paste, reducing waste and minimizing cross-contamination by supporting the extruded material on a platform, thus improving the handling and application of viscous dental pastes.
Implementation Method 1
The plunger is configured to force the supply volume toward the dispensing tip, causing a stream of the viscous paste to be extruded through the outlet opening
Implementation Method 2
the dental material is highly viscous immediately prior to application... These dental materials are thus packaged and provided to the dentist or other end user in a paste-like (i.e., a thickened yet extrudable or pliable solid paste) form
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for dispensing a viscous dental paste that includes a barrel member, a dispensing tip, and a platform. The barrel defines a chamber for containing a viscous material. The dispensing tip extends from the barrel member to a dispensing end and defines a passageway open to the chamber. The dispensing end forms an outlet opening open to the passageway and circumscribed by a continuous wall defining an interior surface and an exterior surface. The platform projects from the dispensing end and defines opposing first and second major faces. The first major face is aligned with the outlet opening. The second major face is contiguous with a section of the exterior surface. Viscous material is dispensed from the chamber and onto the platform as a ribbon or sheet.