Impression Tray with Integral Handle for Oral Jaw Advancement Appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oral jaw advancement appliances require cumbersome and risky handling with metal tongs to immerse in boiled water and accurately position for teeth impressions, often leading to user injury and appliance deformation.
Innovation Solution
An impression tray with an integral elongated flexible handle, featuring rear and front impression forming stops and position locking bumps, is removably attached to the appliance, allowing safe immersion and accurate positioning in boiled water, and subsequent secure handling for teeth impression creation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metal tongs are used to handle the oral appliance in boiled water, then the appliance can be safely heated, but the user may burn their fingers or damage the appliance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an impression tray as an intermediary tool between the user and the oral appliance. The tray includes a handle that extends into the user's mouth, allowing the user to grip and manipulate the tray rather than directly handling the appliance with metal tongs. This intermediary structure eliminates the harmful effects of metal contact with skin and prevents direct manipulation that could deform the appliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The handling function is segmented into two separate components: the impression tray and the oral appliance. The tray handle serves as the gripping interface for the user, while the appliance itself remains separate and is positioned within the tray. This segmentation allows the user to safely handle the tray without risking injury or appliance damage.
2Ease of operation
If the oral appliance is handled without a dedicated tool, then handling is simpler, but accurate positioning in the mouth for impression formation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The impression tray serves multiple functions: it acts as a handling tool with an external handle for easy gripping, a positioning device with internal structures that guide the appliance into correct position, and an impression-taking medium with bite blocks. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate tools while maintaining both ease of operation and positioning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The impression tray acts as an intermediary device that bridges the gap between simple handling and precise positioning. The handle portion provides easy gripping for the user, while the internal structures (bite blocks, positioning elements) ensure accurate placement of the appliance in the mouth. This intermediary structure resolves the contradiction between simplicity and precision.
3Strength
If the oral appliance is handled with metal tongs, then the appliance can be gripped securely, but the tongs may deform the appliance or cause user injury
Solution Approach 1:
The impression tray handle serves as a safe intermediary gripping interface. It provides a secure grip for the user through its extended handle structure that reaches into the mouth, eliminating the need for metal tongs. The tray itself acts as the medium through which force is applied to position the appliance, preventing direct contact between metal tongs and the appliance that could cause deformation.
4Device complexity
If conventional handling methods are used, then the process is simpler, but the user cannot accurately center their bite into the appliance for reliable impressions
Solution Approach 1:
The impression tray integrates multiple functions into a single device: handling (external handle), positioning (internal bite blocks and positioning elements), and impression formation (moldable material). This integration maintains relative simplicity while ensuring accurate bite centering and reliable impressions through its specialized internal structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The impression tray features localized functional elements at specific positions: the handle extends to one end for gripping, while bite blocks and positioning elements are strategically placed at the oral end to guide accurate positioning. This local differentiation of qualities allows the device to provide both simple handling and precise positioning without excessive complexity.
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
Enables safe handling and accurate impression formation of teeth without risk of user injury or appliance deformation, ensuring a reliable fit and effective reduction of snoring and sleep apnea symptoms.
Implementation Method 1
the oral appliance is initially dipped into a pot of boiled water to soften the upper and lower bite impression channels
Implementation Method 2
the user can then bite into the impression channels to create the impressions therein of his teeth
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is an impression tray to be removably attached to an oral jaw advancement appliance that is worn over the teeth of a user during sleep to reduce the effects of snoring and sleep apnea. The impression tray has a handle with a first end affixed to a curved rear impression forming stop and an opposite free end that is pushed through the oral appliance so as to extend outwardly from the front thereof. The curved rear impression forming stop of the handle is held flush against the rear of the appliance, and a curved front impression forming stop is detachably connected to the opposite free end of the handle and slidable therealong to lie flush against the front of the appliance. The handle of the impression tray permits the oral appliance to be lowered into and lifted out of boiled water so that an accurate impression of the user's teeth can be made therein.