Remote Orthodontic Impression Kit with Redundant Assemblies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional dental impressions made in a dental office are time-consuming and may require multiple visits if errors occur, while at-home kits can be difficult to administer and result in poor-quality impressions.
Innovation Solution
A dental impression kit with a container containing an initial and redundant dental assembly, along with instructions for mixing putty mixtures and creating impressions, allowing users to take impressions at home and upload photos to a web portal for remote orthodontic treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional dental impressions are made in a dental office, then the impressions can be made with professional supervision ensuring quality, but the process requires significant time and multiple visits
Solution Approach 1:
The dental impression process is segmented into two distinct phases: (1) professional assessment phase where the dentist evaluates the patient and prescribes the appropriate kit, and (2) patient-executed phase where the patient takes impressions at home using the provided kit. This segmentation allows quality control at the assessment stage while enabling convenient at-home execution, eliminating the need for multiple office visits for impression taking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service by providing patients with complete dental impression kits that contain pre-measured materials, detailed instructions, and necessary tools. Patients can independently mix the putty materials, load the trays, and take impressions at home without requiring a dentist or assistant present during the actual impression-taking process, thus saving time while maintaining quality through professional-grade materials and instructions.
2Loss of time
If at-home dental impression kits are used, then office visit time is reduced, but the kits can be difficult to administer and result in poor quality impressions
Solution Approach 1:
The kit contains pre-measured, pre-packaged materials with exact proportions required for successful mixing. The putty and activator components are pre-portioned in individual containers, eliminating the need for patients to measure or calculate ratios. Instructions are provided in advance with step-by-step guidance on mixing times, loading procedures, and impression-taking techniques, allowing patients to prepare properly before arriving at the appointment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes materials with specific rheological properties - thixotropic putty that becomes more fluid under mechanical stress during mixing and loading, then sets to a rigid state in the mouth. The kit is designed to work with these parameter changes, providing materials that are easy to manipulate during preparation but maintain dimensional stability during setting, thereby ensuring high-quality impressions even when administered by patients without professional training.
3Reliability
If redundant dental assemblies are included in the kit, then the need for repeat visits due to errors is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The kit includes redundant dental assemblies (additional trays and materials) as a preventive measure against potential failures. This redundancy cushions against errors in mixing, loading, or impression-taking by providing backup materials that can be used if the first attempt is unsuccessful, thereby ensuring that patients do not need to return to the office for additional impressions.
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
Enables efficient and effective at-home dental impressions with reduced need for office visits and improved quality, facilitating remote orthodontic treatment planning and delivery.
Implementation Method 1
The impression material sets to a solid leaving an imprint of the structures in the mouth
Implementation Method 2
a dental tray having a viscous, thixotropic impression material therein
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods of remote orthodontic treatment include receiving a plurality of images from a customer where the plurality of images represent teeth of the customer, receiving a first approval from a staff computing device where the first approval is indicative of a staff user approving the plurality of images for assessment by a dental professional, receiving a second approval from a provider computing device where the second approval is indicative of the provider approving a fitness of the customer for treatment, generating, in response to receiving the second approval, a treatment plan including a series of steps to reposition at least one tooth of the teeth of the customer, and manufacturing one or more aligners based at least in part on the treatment plan where the aligners are specific to the customer and are configured to reposition the at least one tooth of the teeth of the customer.