Mixed-Reality Dental Simulator With Haptic Handpiece Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dental simulators lack realistic simulation of dental procedures due to fixed U-shaped rails that do not mimic the natural hand positioning of dentists, and users cannot see their own hands during training, hindering visual feedback.
Innovation Solution
A dental simulator with a parallel robot providing haptic force feedback, a handpiece with rotational freedom, and a partially transparent reflective element that reflects virtual images while allowing the user to see their hands, creating a mixed reality experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed U-shaped rail is used as handrest, then the device structure is simple, but the simulation realism is poor because it does not mimic natural hand positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the fixed U-shaped rail with a dynamic handrest system that can move and adapt to the user's hand positioning. The handrest includes movable components that follow the natural movement of the dentist's hands during procedures, transforming the static structure into a dynamic one that mimics real-world hand positioning on patient teeth and jaw.
2Loss of information
If a display screen is placed between the user's eyes and handpieces, then virtual environment visualization is achieved, but the user cannot see their own hands, losing important visual feedback
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a semi-transparent reflective element (such as a beam splitter or partially reflective mirror) positioned in the user's line of sight. This intermediary component reflects the virtual environment from the display screen while simultaneously allowing the user to see through it to observe their own hands and the physical handpieces, combining both visual inputs without requiring the user to shift focus between separate displays.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a single fixed handrest is used, then the device is simple to operate, but it lacks adaptability to different hand positioning requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The handrest system incorporates movable components that can dynamically adjust their position and orientation based on the user's hand movements. Sensors detect the position of the user's hands and control the handrest to follow and support them, providing adaptability to different positioning requirements while maintaining ease of operation through automatic adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The handrest system automatically adjusts itself to match the user's natural hand positioning without requiring manual intervention. The system uses sensors to detect hand position and automatically moves the handrest components to provide appropriate support, making the complex adaptive functionality transparent to the user and maintaining operational simplicity.
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
Enhances user experience by providing realistic hand positioning and visual feedback, improving the overall simulation quality.
Implementation Method 1
a partially transparent reflective element arranged to reflect an image on the display screen to the eyes of the user
Data Source
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AI summary
A dental procedure simulator (1) is disclosed comprising a computer (80) configured to simulate a dental treatment, a parallel robot (40) providing haptic force feedback, and a handpiece (30) coupled to the robot by a mechanism offering multiple rotational degrees of freedom. A display screen (9) presents a virtual environment, the images of which are reflected to the user by a partially transparent reflective element (7) while simultaneously allowing direct viewing of a real workspace (W). This mixed-reality arrangement enables the user to see both virtual objects, including a virtual handpiece co-located with the real handpiece (30), and physical components such as phantom jaws (13, 14) or a phantom head (10). Sensors may detect movement and orientation of the handpiece and phantom jaws, allowing the virtual environment to be updated accordingly. The system supports realistic simulation through combined visual and haptic feedback and may additionally provide training using physical phantom teeth (22).