Jaw Bone Anchor Drilling Template for Precise Borehole Positioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone anchors for the jaw are difficult to position and maintain correctly in the limited space of the oral cavity during drilling, especially near the maxilla and arcus zygomaticus, due to the presence of muscle and other tissues, making it challenging to create precise boreholes for secure fixation.
Innovation Solution
A drilling template with identical shape and dimensions to the bone anchor, featuring a connecting element and drill guides, is designed using a three-dimensional digital model, allowing precise positioning and guiding drills for borehole creation, and can be manufactured using additive manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a drilling template is used to guide boreholes in predetermined positions, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for precise positioning and maintaining in limited oral cavity space
Solution Approach 1:
The drilling template is designed as an exact copy of the bone anchor device, with identical shape and dimensions of the anchor plate and connecting element. This copying approach ensures that the template automatically assumes the correct position and orientation when placed against the jaw, eliminating the need for complex positioning mechanisms while maintaining high manufacturing precision for borehole placement
Solution Approach 2:
The template is prepared in advance with pre-defined borehole positions that correspond exactly to the screw hole positions in the actual bone anchor. By performing the positioning action beforehand through the template design, the surgery itself requires only simple placement against the jaw bone, reducing intraoperative complexity while ensuring precise borehole creation
2Ease of operation
If the drilling template is designed with identical shape and dimensions to the bone anchor, then ease of operation is improved by simplifying positioning, but manufacturing cost increases due to additive manufacturing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The drilling template serves multiple functions: it acts as a positioning guide for boreholes, a verification model for the bone anchor fit, and potentially a reusable surgical aid. This multi-functionality justifies the initial manufacturing investment by eliminating the need for separate positioning devices and reducing surgical time, thereby improving overall ease of operation despite higher initial manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 2:
The template design allows for parameter optimization in the additive manufacturing process, such as material selection, layer thickness, and infill density, to balance manufacturing cost with operational benefits. By adjusting these parameters, the template can be produced at reduced cost while maintaining the identical geometric parameters needed for accurate positioning and borehole guidance
3Manufacturing precision
If drill guides are attached to the drilling template, then manufacturing precision is improved for borehole orientation, but device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The drill guides are integrated directly into the drilling template structure, merging the template and guide functions into a single unified device. This combination reduces the number of separate components and assembly steps while maintaining precise borehole orientation, as the guides are inherently positioned by the template's geometry rather than requiring separate attachment mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
Bone anchor for an upper or lower jaw and a corresponding drilling template for making drill holes in the jaw. The drilling template contains an anchor plate and a connecting element whose shape and dimensions are substantially the same as those of the anchor plate and the connecting element of the bone anchor. A drill guide is provided adjacent to recesses on the drilling template that allows a drill to be appropriately guided in order to make drill holes in the jaw.