Orthodontic Aligner Design via Computer-Aided 3D Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for creating dental orthodontic aligners are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and costly, requiring manual collaboration between dentists and dental technicians, and do not allow for precise customization of shape, thickness, and inner surface gaps.
Innovation Solution
A computer program that directly designs transparent orthodontic aligners using 3D printing, allowing for optimal shape, thickness, and inner surface gap adjustments based on sequential tooth movements, eliminating the need for a dental model and simplifying the manufacturing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional methods using plaster dental models and press machines are used, then the orthodontic aligner can be manufactured, but the process is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional mechanical system of plaster model making and press machine forming with a computer-aided design and 3D printing system. The design program automatically generates aligner geometry based on tooth movement requirements, and 3D printing directly manufactures the aligner, eliminating manual labor and significantly reducing manufacturing time and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the manufacturing parameters from traditional mold-based physical processes to digital parameters including mesh density, wall thickness, and material properties. These parameter optimizations enable precise control over aligner characteristics while streamlining the manufacturing process through computational methods.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional press machine forming is used, then the orthodontic aligner can be produced, but precise customization of shape, thickness, and inner surface gaps is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the aligner design into discrete computational elements including mesh grids, thickness zones, and gap regions. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each parameter (shape, thickness, gaps) through the design program, enabling precise customization without increasing overall manufacturing complexity since all segments are integrated through automated 3D printing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from two-dimensional mold patterns to three-dimensional digital modeling, enabling precise control over thickness variations and inner surface gaps in all spatial dimensions. The 3D printing process then faithfully reproduces these multi-dimensional specifications, achieving high customization precision.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual collaboration between dentist and dental technician is required, then the orthodontic aligner can be customized, but the process becomes labor-intensive and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The design program enables the dentist to independently perform customization by inputting tooth movement requirements and selecting from pre-configured design parameters. The system automatically generates the complete aligner design without requiring external dental technicians, reducing process complexity while maintaining full customization capability through user-friendly interfaces and automated computational geometry generation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention is characterized by the following steps: Generating and storing multiple dental images sequentially configured according to each correction stage (S01), Displaying any one of the multiple dental images from the previous step (S02), After displaying the dental image in step S02, setting and displaying a reference line in the transverse direction for each tooth to determine the overall shape of the transparent orthodontic aligner (S03), Setting a cutting line corresponding to the end portion of the orthodontic aligner, which is spaced a certain distance from the gum direction based on the reference line, and displaying it on the dental image from step S02 (S04), Displaying the first treatment image, which shows the transparent orthodontic aligner partially covering both the upper and lower dental arches, based on the cutting line set in step S04(S05).