Orthodontic Bracket Library for Tooth Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional orthodontic bracket systems are designed based on average anatomy, requiring manual adjustments and modifications during treatment, leading to prolonged treatment times and increased costs due to the need for custom appliances that are often expensive and time-consuming to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
A bracket system with a combinatorial library of interchangeable brackets that provide incremental variations in tipping, in-out, and torqueing force moments, allowing for customized configurations to match individual patient anatomy, reducing the need for extensive modifications and enabling efficient tooth alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional brackets designed based on average anatomy are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but treatment time increases and individual patient precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket system is segmented into multiple interchangeable components including bracket bases with different orientations, bracket bodies with different archwire slot configurations, and adaptive elements. This segmentation allows selection of specific combinations to match individual patient anatomy precisely without requiring complete custom manufacturing of entire brackets.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes parameter changes by providing brackets with varying archwire slot orientations (e.g., 0°, 5°, 10°, 15°), different bracket base rotations, and adjustable adaptive elements. These parameter variations enable precise control of orthodontic forces for each tooth while using standardized manufactured components.
2Manufacturing precision
If custom orthodontic appliances are manufactured for each patient, then individual patient precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket system achieves universality through a modular design where standardized bracket bases, bodies, and adaptive elements can be combined in multiple configurations to treat different patient anatomies. A single set of standardized components serves multiple functions by being assembled in different combinations, eliminating the need for entirely custom-manufactured appliances for each patient.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs preliminary action by pre-manufacturing brackets with various predetermined archwire slot orientations and configurations. These pre-configured brackets are stored in a library and selected/combined based on patient needs, allowing customization without custom manufacturing during treatment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual adjustments and modifications are made during treatment, then adaptability to individual patient anatomy is improved, but treatment time and practitioner workload increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates dynamics through adaptive elements that can be adjusted during treatment to modify force characteristics. The archwire slot orientations are predetermined to provide dynamic force control as teeth move, reducing the need for manual bracket adjustments during treatment progression.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by designing brackets with archwire slot orientations that automatically adjust force vectors based on tooth position and movement stage. The predetermined slot angles provide built-in feedback mechanisms that guide teeth toward target positions without requiring continuous manual intervention.
4Ease of manufacture
If standard brackets are used without customization, then ease of manufacture is maintained, but force moment precision for individual teeth deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is segmented into standardized interchangeable components (base, body, adaptive elements) that can be manufactured using standard processes. Different combinations of these segments provide varied force moments, achieving precision without complex custom manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses counterbalancing principles through predetermined archwire slot orientations and bracket base rotations that compensate for individual tooth anatomy variations. The standardized components are designed with built-in geometric relationships that automatically provide correct force moments for each tooth position.
Data Source
AI summary
A bracket system for orthodontic appliances including a bracket combinatorial library having a plurality of brackets each interchangeably fixedly mountable to each of a plurality of teeth within a dentition group in a dental arch, whereby the plurality of brackets can be configured to provide incremental variation in tipping force moments, in-out force moments, and torqueing force moments over the entire useful range of orthodontic mechanics, allowing an orthodontic practitioner to prescribe a combination of tipping force moments, in-out force moments, and torqueing force moments unique for each tooth in relation to the plurality of teeth of a patient.