Patient-Specific Mandibular Implant with 3D Printed Dental Root
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mandibular implants are not patient-specific, leading to loss of masticatory function in edentulous jaw regions, as they cannot be aesthetically replaced and require separate surgeries, causing patient discomfort and damaging surrounding bone, with existing technologies relying on ready-made, non-customized solutions that do not account for dental roots.
Innovation Solution
A patient-specific mandibular implant with a dental-root restoration section formed using 3D printing technology, featuring a body made of titanium with a porous structure, and fixtures designed to restore tooth defects, incorporating dental-root supports or holes, and utilizing a standard mandible database for personalized manufacturing when specific patient data is unavailable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional ready-made mandibular implants are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but patient-specific customization and restoration of masticatory function are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by utilizing 3D printing technology to transform fixed manufacturing parameters into variable, patient-specific parameters. The system accepts different patient anatomical data, defect types, and restoration requirements as input parameters, then generates customized implant designs by adjusting geometric parameters, material properties, and structural configurations according to each patient's specific needs while maintaining the same manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs copying by creating a digital 3D model copy of the patient's mandible and defect region from scan data. This virtual copy serves as the basis for designing the customized implant, allowing the complex customization process to be performed on the digital model rather than requiring complex manual fabrication for each patient. The digital copy can be modified and optimized before manufacturing.
2Ease of operation
If separate surgeries are performed for implant installation and tooth restoration, then procedural flexibility is maintained, but patient discomfort and surgical complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the mandibular implant and tooth restoration components into a single integrated device. The implant body includes built-in tooth restoration sections (crowns, bridges, or single teeth) that are formed as one piece with the mandibular reconstruction portion, eliminating the need for separate surgical procedures. This integration simplifies the surgical process while maintaining the functional benefits of both components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the tooth restoration sections during the manufacturing process rather than requiring post-surgical fabrication. The tooth restoration portions are designed and manufactured in advance as part of the implant assembly, so that when the implant is installed, the tooth restoration components are already ready and properly positioned, eliminating the need for additional surgical steps.
3Reliability
If conventional implants are used without dental root consideration, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but durability and functional performance are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different structural characteristics at different locations within the implant. The mandibular reconstruction portion and tooth restoration portions have optimized local properties suited to their specific functions - the reconstruction portion has structures optimized for bone integration and load distribution, while the tooth restoration portions have geometries optimized for occlusion and chewing forces. Each region is designed with appropriate local quality rather than uniform structure throughout.
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
The solution enables rapid and effective manufacturing of patient-specific implants that restore masticatory function by providing a customized fit, reducing surgical complications, and ensuring proper bone integration, while minimizing patient discomfort and damage to surrounding tissues.
Implementation Method 1
the body is produced by a method of melting and laminating a metal material using an additive manufacturing process in which a metal material is melted and then manufactured in the same manner as a generated image
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a patient-specific mandibular implant inserted into a mandibular defect region and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a patient-specific mandibular implant inserted into a mandibular defect region, which can be easily and rapidly manufactured using personalized three-dimensional (3D) printing technology for a defect region, can provide an effect of preparing a later step for restoring a tooth in advance, and can be easily manufactured tooth restoration data based on the Korean standard database (DB), and a method of manufacturing the same.