Orthodontic Miniscrew Positioning Guide via Digital Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current orthodontic appliance construction methods using self-tapping miniscrews are inefficient due to anatomical difficulties, leading to inaccuracies and parallelism errors from the 'double step' of implanting and repositioning miniscrews, resulting in a lengthy and imprecise procedure.
Innovation Solution
A method involving digital scanning and software overlapping of CAT images to create a virtual image for 3D modeling of miniscrew positioning, followed by constructing a physical positioning guide via stereolithography or milling, which is used to accurately position miniscrew analogs on a plaster mold for precise appliance construction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a double-step procedure is used (implanting miniscrews then repositioning them for appliance construction), then the orthodontic appliance can be constructed, but parallelism errors and positioning inaccuracies occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the miniscrew implantation template and the appliance construction template into a single integrated template. This unified template allows both miniscrews and appliance references to be positioned simultaneously in one step, eliminating the double-step procedure and ensuring perfect parallelism between all elements without requiring separate positioning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary digital planning and template design before the clinical procedure. The template is pre-programmed with all miniscrew positions and appliance reference positions based on digital models, allowing the clinician to execute a single precise positioning operation rather than performing multiple adjustment steps during the procedure.
2Manufacturing precision
If digital scanning and 3D modeling are used to create a virtual positioning guide, then positioning precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a digital copy (virtual model) of the patient's anatomy through digital scanning, then uses this copy to design and simulate the positioning template before manufacturing. This allows precise positioning to be achieved through digital planning without requiring complex manual measurement and calculation procedures during the actual clinical application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical measurement and positioning methods with digital scanning, software modeling, and computer-aided design. This substitution of digital systems for mechanical systems enables higher precision while streamlining the overall process, as digital tools can calculate and visualize positioning requirements more efficiently than manual methods.
Data Source
AI summary
Method of identification of the positioning of references in the construction of orthodontic appliances; it contemplates the use of a single positioning body both for positioning the analogs and for guiding the fitting of miniscrews in the patient's mouth. The use of the positioning body as a positioning means of the analogs on the initial plaster mold is prior to the use as a reference guide for fitting the miniscrews in the patient's mouth. The positioning element is implemented starting from a virtual image obtained by digital scanning of a model of the arch or oral imprint and software overlapping of one or more CAT images (CBCT); said virtual image also containing one or more references for positioning virtual miniscrews, and wherein said virtual miniscrews also identify the position of the reference analogs on which the orthodontic appliance should be constructed.