Automated Guided Bite Guard Design Using Virtual Articulator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing guided bite splints are time-consuming and prone to manual manufacturing errors, as guides are added later through mechanical step-by-step adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A method using 3D models of the upper and lower jaws integrated into a virtual articulator model, where guides are automatically constructed with computer support to create a guided bite splint that can be produced fully automatically via CAD/CAM or 3D printing, ensuring precise alignment and correction of jaw malocclusions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If guides are added later by manual post-processing, then the bite splint can be produced using traditional methods, but the production time increases and manual manufacturing errors occur
Solution Approach 1:
The guide geometry is pre-calculated and integrated into the bite splint design before manufacturing begins. The computer calculates the precise guide shape based on jaw movement data, and this design is then directly used in automated manufacturing, eliminating the need for subsequent manual adjustments and ensuring high precision from the start.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical process of gradually adjusting and removing material to create guides is replaced by computer-aided calculation and automated manufacturing systems. The computer automatically generates the guide geometry and controls the manufacturing process, substituting manual mechanical operations with computational and automated processes.
2Ease of manufacture
If guides are added later by manual post-processing, then traditional manufacturing equipment can be used, but manufacturing errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
Manual mechanical adjustment processes are replaced with computer-aided design and automated manufacturing. The computer calculates the exact guide geometry based on measured jaw movements and controls the manufacturing process, eliminating manual errors while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized automated processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The actual jaw movements are measured and copied into a digital model, which is then used to generate the precise guide geometry. This digital copying and simulation approach ensures that the manufactured guides accurately replicate the required jaw movement paths without manual intervention errors.
3Productivity
If automated computer-aided construction is used, then production time is reduced and precision is improved, but the complexity of the manufacturing process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The computer-aided manufacturing system performs multiple functions: it measures jaw movements, calculates guide geometry, simulates jaw movement, and controls the manufacturing process. This multi-functional integration increases productivity while managing complexity through a unified software platform that handles all these tasks in sequence.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is self-sufficient in that the computer automatically calculates guide geometry from measured jaw movements without requiring manual intervention at each step. The software autonomously processes the data, generates the design, and controls manufacturing, reducing the need for skilled manual operators and simplifying the overall process despite the advanced technology involved.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a guided bite guard (1) for a contact jaw (2), comprising at least one guide (3, 30, 31) for an opposing jaw (4). A 3D model (5) of an upper jaw (2) and/or a 3D model (6) of a lower jaw (4) are present, wherein the 3D models (5, 6) of the upper jaw and of the lower jaw are arranged relative to each other in an occlusal position (7) and are integrated in a virtual articulator model (8) which simulates an articulation movement (10, 11, 12) of the lower jaw (4) relative to the upper jaw (2), wherein a 3D model (13) of the bite guard (1) is constructed using the 3D model (5) of the upper jaw (2) and/or the 3D model (6) of the lower jaw (4), wherein the at least one guide (3, 30, 31) for the opposing jaw (4) is constructed automatically on the 3D model (13) of the bite guard (1) with the aid of a computer.