Orthodontic Appliance with Nested Biasing Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing removable orthodontic appliances face issues with biasing member clogging, irritation, and limited design flexibility due to exposed springs and complex structures, which affect hygiene, comfort, and treatment efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A removable orthodontic appliance design featuring biasing members housed within sleeves, allowing for anterior and posterior directional forces without exposing them to the mouth environment, enabling easier replacement and more complex shaping of lingual and labial bows for enhanced treatment options.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If biasing members (springs) are exposed on the orthodontic appliance, then the appliance can apply force to teeth, but the springs become clogged with food debris and cause irritation to oral tissues
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing members (springs) are housed within hollow sleeves that are embedded in the acrylic body portions. The springs are nested inside the sleeves, which protect them from direct exposure to the oral environment while allowing the springs to function. The sleeves have open ends that allow the springs to engage with the lingual bow while preventing food debris from entering and clogging the spring mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow sleeves act as intermediary structures between the biasing members and the oral environment. The sleeves transmit the force generated by the springs to the lingual bow while shielding the springs from direct contact with food debris and oral tissues, thereby preventing clogging and irritation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the orthodontic appliance uses a complex structure with multiple components, then it can provide customized treatment, but the appliance becomes difficult to clean and maintain hygiene
Solution Approach 1:
The appliance is divided into separable components: acrylic body portions, hollow sleeves, biasing members, and lingual bows. The lingual bows can be removed from the appliance, and the biasing members can be accessed through the open ends of the sleeves. This segmentation allows for easier cleaning of individual components and maintenance of hygiene while preserving customized treatment capabilities.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the appliance uses fixed components, then it provides stable treatment, but adjustment of force levels requires replacing the entire appliance
Solution Approach 1:
The appliance is designed with dynamic adjustability. The biasing members (springs) can be independently accessed and replaced through the open ends of the hollow sleeves without removing the lingual bows or dismantling the entire appliance. This allows for easy adjustment of force levels by simply replacing the springs while maintaining the stability of the overall appliance structure and treatment plan.
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
This design reduces clogging and irritation, improves patient comfort, allows for more efficient tooth alignment, and enables easier adjustment of force levels during treatment, leading to faster treatment times and broader treatment capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
A pair of biasing members is housed within the sleeves. The biasing members are arranged to bias the lingual bow in an anterior direction
Data Source
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AI summary
Appliances (200) for orthodontic treatment comprising a support structure are disclosed. The appliances may include body portions (12) provided with anchoring devices (16) for anchoring to the posterior teeth. In one example, an appliance includes a removable lingual bow (140) having a pair of distal parts (79a), and the body portions (12) have sleeves (81) for receiving the distal parts (79a). A pair of removable biasing members (82) may be housed within the sleeves (81) to bias the lingual bow (140) in an anterior direction. The appliance (200) may include a labial bow (220) comprising a pair of elastic distal parts (89) to bias a medial part (124) in a posterior direction. A labial bow comprising a pair of side members that are biased in a posterior direction to urge a medial part into engagement with the anterior teeth is also disclosed. The appliance may include an adjustable connector disposed to apply an adjustable retraction force to draw the body portions together to close gaps between the teeth.