Dental Placement Guide for Multiple Elements with Divergent Insertion Directions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing placement guides for dental elements cannot accommodate multiple elements with different insertion directions, leading to incorrect placement and potential instability in supporting structures like bridges.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method for designing a digital control guide that uses 3D representations of a patient's jaw and dental elements to generate a unique placement key based on contact surfaces, ensuring accurate positioning and orientation of multiple dental elements with individual insertion directions, including rotatable abutments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a single placement guide is used for multiple dental elements, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates because it becomes impossible to insert dental elements with different insertion directions into respective implants

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplacement guide structureVSAvoiddental element placement accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The placement guide is divided into multiple separate guides, each designed for a specific dental element with its unique insertion direction. This segmentation allows each guide to precisely control the placement of its corresponding element without compromise, resolving the contradiction between device simplicity and placement accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the insertion parameters (direction, angle, position) of multiple dental elements by using individualized placement guides. Each guide is customized with specific geometric parameters matching the implant orientation and element insertion requirements, enabling precise placement despite varying directions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of manufacture

If traditional placement guides are used for rotatable abutments, then the ease of manufacture is maintained, but the reliability deteriorates because correct placement cannot be ensured for bridge-supported structures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplacement guide fabricationVSAvoidbridge support stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The placement guides are manufactured beforehand with pre-determined geometric features that correspond to the specific insertion requirements of each abutment. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the guides are used clinically, the abutments are placed with correct orientation and position, guaranteeing reliable bridge support.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates precise digital 3D models (copies) of the patient's jaw, implants, and dental elements. These digital copies are used to design custom placement guides that exactly replicate the required placement geometry, ensuring high reliability while maintaining ease of manufacture through digital fabrication processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Manufacturing precision

If individualized placement guides are created for each dental element, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the device complexity increases making the process more complicated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedental element placement accuracyVSAvoidmultiple placement guides
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Each placement guide is designed as a universal solution for its specific dental element type, incorporating all necessary positioning features, insertion guidance, and verification capabilities in a single integrated device. This multi-functionality reduces the need for multiple separate tools while maintaining high placement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3238652B1Control guide for checking placement of at least two dental elements
Publication Date: 2020.02.12 3SHAPE AS
  • EP3238652B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP3238652B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Disclosed is a computer-implemented method for providing a digital control guide design of a control guide for ensuring the position and orientation of at least two dental. The method comprises obtaining a digital 3D representation of at least a part of a patient's jaw comprising at least a first and second target location, providing a digital first dental element and a digital second element, respectively being digital 3D representations of a at least a first dental element for placement on the first target location and a second dental element for placement on the second target location, arranging the digital first dental element on the digital representation of the first target location and the digital second dental element on the digital representation of the second target location, determining contact surfaces of the at least first and second dental element based on an insertion direction of the digital control guide design, and generating a digital control guide design comprising a digital 3D representation of the gum facing surface of the control guide based on at least a part of the contact surfaces of both the at least first and second dental element. This provides a control guide design, which when manufactured facilitates positioning and orientation (in general referred to as placement herein) of multiple dental elements.