Custom Oral Device Tray with Uniform Soft Liner Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for creating custom oral devices often result in inconsistent fit and material thickness, lacking predictability and uniformity, especially around the contours of teeth, which can lead to discomfort and inadequate protection or support.
Innovation Solution
A method involving CAD design and automated manufacturing processes, such as 3D printing, to create a tray and soft liner system where the tray has an occlusal channel with a uniform offset distance, allowing for a curable material to form a soft liner that replicates the wearer's dentition, providing a custom fit and uniform thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional methods (casting, thermoforming, or pressing) are used to make oral devices from dental arch models, then the devices can be manufactured, but the fit and material thickness are inconsistent and unpredictable, especially around tooth contours
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating a custom-made tray that precisely replicates the patient's dental arch and tooth contours before the final device is made. This pre-formed tray serves as a precision template that ensures consistent material thickness and accurate fit in the final oral device, eliminating the inconsistency problems of conventional direct fabrication methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediate tray as a mediator between the patient's mouth and the final oral device. This tray acts as a precision intermediary that captures exact dental contours and translates them into a reusable template, enabling consistent reproduction of the ideal fit across multiple devices or adjustments without repeatedly working directly on the patient's dentition.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional methods are used, then manufacturing is possible, but material thickness is non-uniform leading to discomfort and inadequate protection
Solution Approach 1:
The tray is fabricated in advance with built-in material thickness specifications, establishing uniform thickness parameters before the final device material is applied. This preliminary setup ensures that when material is added to create the oral device, it maintains consistent thickness throughout, providing uniform protection and comfort rather than the variable thickness produced by conventional methods.
3Adaptability or versatility
If custom-made devices are fabricated on dental arch models, then patient-specific fit is achieved, but the process lacks predictability and uniformity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies copying by creating an exact replica of the patient's dental arch and tooth structures in the form of a custom tray. This physical copy captures all unique anatomical features with precision, allowing the final device to be fabricated with predictable accuracy by working from this replicated model rather than directly from impressions or digital data alone.
Solution Approach 2:
By fabricating the custom tray in advance as a preliminary step, the patent establishes a stable, tangible reference that embodies the ideal fit parameters. This pre-formed template provides predictability by serving as a consistent guide for material application and device fabrication, eliminating the variability inherent in direct fabrication methods.
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 method ensures a precise, comfortable fit and enhanced protection by creating a uniform soft liner thickness that conforms to the wearer's dentition, addressing the issues of inconsistent fit and material distribution in traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
The tray and lid may be made by an additive or subtractive automated manufacturing process, such as 3D printing
Implementation Method 2
A method for making the oral device may first comprise making an apparatus for forming the oral device... a curable material to form a soft liner that may bond to the inner surface of the tray
Data Source
AI summary
A custom oral device is provided that fits on the maxillary or mandibular arch of a wearer. The oral device comprises a tray that corresponds with the shape and size of a wearer's oral anatomy. A soft liner is disposed within an occlusal channel of the tray having an upper surface that comprises an impression having features that correspond to at least a portion of the wearer's dentition and in which the wearer's teeth align. An apparatus and a method for making the custom oral device are provided.