Dental Impression Tray With Injected Subgingival Material Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dental impression techniques face challenges in achieving high accuracy, particularly below the gum line, often require gingival retraction cords, are time-consuming, and prone to gas and fluid inclusions, leading to flawed impressions and increased material consumption.
Innovation Solution
A dental impression tray with a cavity and aperture in the base element allows direct injection of a second dental impression material through a through-hole, eliminating the need for elastic space holders and reducing the process time to 3-4 minutes without retraction cords.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a two stage impression process with low viscosity material is used to improve accuracy below the gum line, then the quality of the impression is improved, but the process time increases and material consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base element is pre-formed with a cavity and aperture before use. This preliminary preparation allows the low viscosity impression material to be directly injected into the cavity through the aperture in a single stage process, eliminating the need for time-consuming two-stage application and premature curing issues while maintaining high impression accuracy below the gum line
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a vertical dimension by creating a cavity that extends underneath the base surface, allowing the low viscosity material to be injected from below through the aperture. This dimensional approach enables direct access to sub-gingival areas without requiring sequential layering, thereby reducing process time while maintaining precision
2Manufacturing precision
If gingival retraction cords are used to improve access for impression material, then the accuracy of the impression is improved, but the process time increases and patient comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for gingival retraction cords by using a pre-formed cavity with aperture in the base element. The low viscosity impression material can be directly injected through the aperture to access sub-gingival areas without requiring mechanical retraction of gum tissue, thereby maintaining impression accuracy while improving patient comfort and reducing procedure time
3Manufacturing precision
If elastic space holders are used to create cavities, then the accuracy of the impression is improved, but the device complexity increases and the process becomes more time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the cavity formation function directly into the base element structure itself, eliminating the need for separate elastic space holders. The base element is manufactured as an integrated component with the cavity and aperture already formed, reducing device complexity while maintaining the accuracy benefits of controlled cavity spaces
Solution Approach 2:
The base element with its pre-formed cavity and aperture is designed as a disposable component that is discarded after use. This eliminates the need for complex, reusable elastic space holders and their associated removal and cleaning procedures, thereby reducing device complexity and process time while maintaining impression accuracy
4Strength
If high viscosity material is used as base layer, then the structural integrity of the impression is improved, but the ability to penetrate small cavities and reproduce details is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the impression material application into two distinct phases: first, the high viscosity material is applied to the base element to provide structural integrity and form the bulk of the impression; second, the low viscosity material is injected through the aperture to penetrate small cavities and reproduce fine details. This segmentation allows each material to perform its optimal function while maintaining both structural integrity and detail reproduction
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an impression tray for creating a dental impression of at least one tooth, comprising: a base element with a base surface, a first boundary element, and a second boundary element, wherein the first boundary element and the second boundary element are arranged at the base element to form a receiving tray between the first boundary element, the base surface and the second boundary element, that is adapted to receive a first dental impression material, wherein the base element comprises a cavity that at least partially extends underneath the base surface so that the cavity and the receiving tray are separated by a base layer of the base element, and wherein the base element comprises an aperture that is in fluid communication with the cavity and adapted to allow the injection of a second dental impression material into the cavity.