Mandibular Plate Bender for Precise Pre-Surgical Angulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for bending mandibular plates during surgery are manual, leading to fatigue failures, increased surgery time, and potential infections due to multiple folding points, without ensuring precise final bending angles.

Innovation Solution

A semiautomatic, high-precision plate bender with a modular and transportable design, utilizing a feeding system with synchronic pulleys for accurate plate advancement and a 2:1 transmission ratio to enhance torque and accuracy, along with a bending die for improved titanium plate bending, minimizing human intervention and ensuring precise angulations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual bending is performed during surgery, then the plate can be bent to fit the patient's bone, but multiple folding points cause fatigue failures and loss of mechanical properties

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanual bending operationVSAvoidmechanical properties of plate
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The plate is pre-bent in the laboratory or manufacturing stage before surgery using precision equipment, so that during surgery the plate is already in its final configuration and only minor adjustments are needed. This eliminates multiple folding operations during surgery that cause fatigue failures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical bending with a semiautomatic precision bending machine that uses controlled mechanical systems with fixed axes and guided motion, eliminating the uncontrolled multiple folding operations that occur during manual surgical bending.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of operation

If manual bending is performed during surgery, then the plate can be adjusted to fit, but surgery time increases and infection risk rises

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplate adjustment during surgeryVSAvoidsurgery time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The plate is pre-bent in the laboratory or manufacturing stage before surgery using precision equipment, so that during surgery the plate is already in its final configuration and only minor adjustments are needed. This eliminates multiple folding operations during surgery that cause fatigue failures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical bending with a semiautomatic precision bending machine that uses controlled mechanical systems with fixed axes and guided motion, eliminating the uncontrolled multiple folding operations that occur during manual surgical bending.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional bending tools are used, then bending can be performed, but precise final bending angles cannot be guaranteed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebending capabilityVSAvoidfinal bending angle
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical bending with a semiautomatic precision bending machine that uses controlled mechanical systems with fixed axes and guided motion, eliminating the uncontrolled multiple folding operations that occur during manual surgical bending.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the bending process parameters by using a semiautomatic system with programmable control, fixed rotation axes, and controlled deformation parameters, ensuring precise and repeatable bending angles compared to manual variable-parameter bending.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Adaptability or versatility

If multiple folding operations are performed, then the plate can be shaped to fit, but fatigue failures increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplate shape customizationVSAvoidfatigue resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The plate is pre-bent in the laboratory or manufacturing stage before surgery using precision equipment, so that during surgery the plate is already in its final configuration and only minor adjustments are needed. This eliminates multiple folding operations during surgery that cause fatigue failures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical bending with a semiautomatic precision bending machine that uses controlled mechanical systems with fixed axes and guided motion, eliminating the uncontrolled multiple folding operations that occur during manual surgical bending.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11653964B2Plate bender for mandibular implants and bending process
Publication Date: 2023.05.23 ACUMED
  • US11653964B2 patent drawing
  • US11653964B2 patent drawing
  • US11653964B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Provided is a plate bender for mandibular implants and the method employing it, which is intended for improving the bending process of mandibular plates or implants, reducing the number of folds (bents) until obtaining the desired geometry, further reducing fatigue failures, costs and streamlining the process, by providing a high-precision, semiautomatic bender, with modular and transportable assembly.