Multi-Material Orthodontic Appliance for Palatal Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dental appliances for expanding the arch or palate often face challenges in maintaining mechanical properties and durability during multiple insertion and removal cycles, necessitating the development of new compositions and methods for tailored mechanical properties.
Innovation Solution
A multi-material orthodontic appliance is designed, comprising a shell with a teeth-receiving portion and a palatal portion featuring a cavity, where the shell is made from a first material, such as a photo-cured or thermo-cured polymeric material, and filled with a second material, providing enhanced mechanical properties like high stiffness and toughness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a single-material appliance is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the mechanical properties (stiffness and toughness) are insufficient for multiple insertion and removal cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials by combining a rigid material (providing stiffness) with a tough material (providing toughness) to create a multi-material appliance. This composite structure enables the appliance to withstand multiple insertion and removal cycles while maintaining adequate mechanical properties, directly resolving the contradiction between strength and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different materials to different regions of the appliance based on functional requirements. The rigid material is placed in areas requiring stiffness (such as the expansion mechanism), while the tough material is used in areas requiring flexibility and impact resistance (such as the shell), thereby optimizing mechanical properties without excessive complexity.
2Force
If a rigid material is used to provide high stiffness, then the appliance can maintain structural integrity, but it becomes brittle and cannot withstand multiple insertion and removal cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines rigid and tough materials in a composite structure where the rigid material provides the necessary stiffness for structural integrity and force application, while the tough material provides brittleness resistance and flexibility. This composite approach allows the appliance to maintain structural integrity during multiple insertion and removal cycles, resolving the contradiction between force (stiffness) and reliability (durability).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent strategically places rigid material in regions where high stiffness is needed (such as the expansion screw mechanism) while using tough material in regions subject to impact and cyclic loading (such as the outer shell), thereby achieving both structural integrity and cycle durability without making the entire appliance overly complex.
3Reliability
If a tough material is used to withstand multiple cycles, then the appliance has good flexibility, but it lacks the stiffness required for effective palate expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials to combine the advantages of both tough and rigid materials. The tough material ensures the appliance can withstand multiple insertion and removal cycles with good flexibility, while the rigid material embedded in the composite structure provides the necessary stiffness for effective palate expansion, resolving the contradiction between reliability and force.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies tough material in regions requiring flexibility and cycle durability (such as the shell) while incorporating rigid material in regions requiring stiffness (such as the expansion mechanism), thereby achieving both cycle durability and effective expansion force without excessive complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If custom mechanical properties are tailored for individual patients, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the appliance into distinct components (rigid material portion and tough material portion) that can be manufactured separately and then assembled. This segmentation allows for customization of mechanical properties by adjusting the composition, ratio, and distribution of materials in each segment, while maintaining a standardized manufacturing process that does not become overly complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables individualized treatment by allowing different material compositions and ratios in different regions of the appliance to be tailored to patient-specific requirements. This local customization of material properties can be achieved through controlled manufacturing processes that adjust material distribution without fundamentally complicating the overall production methodology.
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 multi-material approach allows for appliances that deliver consistent forces during usage while being flexible enough to withstand multiple cycles, offering improved mechanical and user-friendly properties compared to conventional devices.
Implementation Method 1
a first portion of the first material is a photo-cured polymeric material
Implementation Method 2
a second portion of the first material is a thermo-cured polymeric material
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides multi-material orthodontic appliances useful for expanding a palate or arch of a patient, and, in some case, moving one or more teeth of the patient from a first to a second location according to a treatment plan. Further provided herein are methods for producing and using such multi-material orthodontic appliances on an individualized basis where each appliance is tailored to the specific treatment requirements of a patient.