Dental Splint Production Using 3D Distance Mapping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing workflow for guided oral surgery is complex and costly due to the need for a radiographic guide, which requires external production, increases radiation exposure, and can lead to additional scanning if not fitted correctly, compromising accuracy and predictability.
Innovation Solution
A method to produce a dental splint without a radiographic guide by generating a virtual surgical template model from 3D surface data of the patient's oral situation, using techniques like distance mapping and additive manufacturing to create a physical template that guides implant placement with minimal radiation exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a radiographic guide is used to produce a surgical template, then the template can be produced with external expertise, but the treatment workflow becomes more complex and slower due to transportation and production time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the radiographic guide component from the workflow entirely. Instead of using a separate radiographic guide that needs to be produced externally and transported, the invention integrates all necessary guiding functions directly into the surgical template itself, which is produced additively from digital planning data without requiring external guide production
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of the radiographic guide and the surgical template into a single integrated template. The template contains both the surgical guidance features and the positioning elements that previously required a separate radiographic guide, eliminating the need for multiple components and reducing workflow complexity
2Manufacturing precision
If a radiographic guide is produced externally by a lab, then specialized production expertise is utilized, but production time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the surgical template to be produced self-sufficiently through additive manufacturing from digital planning data. The workflow allows the treating surgeon or facility to produce the template in-house without requiring external lab services, thereby eliminating transportation delays and accelerating the overall treatment workflow
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical production process (external lab fabrication of radiographic guides) with a digital additive manufacturing process. This substitution enables rapid production of surgical templates directly from digital planning data, significantly reducing production time and eliminating the need for external laboratory services
3Measurement precision
If a scan with the radiographic guide is performed, then the template fitting can be verified, but the patient's radiation dose increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the radiographic guide component from the workflow, thereby eliminating the need for additional radiographic scanning to verify template fitting. The surgical template is produced directly from existing digital planning data, avoiding the need for extra radiation exposure that would be required to scan and verify a separately produced radiographic guide
4Measurement precision
If the radiographic guide is not fitted correctly during scanning, then a rescan must be performed, but this further increases radiation dose and delays treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs all necessary template fitting verification and adjustments during the digital planning phase before physical template production. The surgical template is designed and validated in the digital environment using existing scan data, ensuring correct fit before manufacturing. This preliminary verification eliminates the need for post-production fitting checks and rescans, saving time and avoiding additional radiation exposure
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
A method of producing a dental splint comprising the steps of: obtaining a set of 3D surface data, the 3D surface data representing a surface of a patient's oral situation, and generating a support structure model in dependence on the 3D surface data, and producing the dental splint in dependence on the support structure model, wherein a 3D distance map image of the 3D surface data is used to generate the support structure model.