Orthodontic Aligner Seating Tool With Rippled Flexible Portion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tools for seating and removing orthodontic aligners are often bulky, uncomfortable, difficult to store, and require multiple devices, which are costly and have a short lifespan.
Innovation Solution
A tool with a handle and rippled seating portion, designed to seat and unseat orthodontic aligners, featuring a hook for easy removal, made from materials that are safe for oral use and durable, allowing it to fit within an aligner case.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If existing tools for seating aligners are used, then the aligner can be seated, but the tool is bulky and uncomfortable
Solution Approach 1:
The seating portion is made from a flexible material that can be chewed and deformed by the patient's teeth to seat the aligner. This flexible shell approach allows the tool to be thin and comfortable while still providing the necessary seating function through elastic deformation rather than rigid force.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool utilizes changes in the material's physical state through chewing action. The flexible seating portion deforms under the force of chewing, changing its shape and density to effectively seat the aligner. This parameter change allows a simple, thin structure to perform a complex seating function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If existing tools for seating and removing aligners are used, then the aligner can be seated and removed, but multiple devices are required
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is designed with dual functionality: the flexible seating portion can be chewed to seat the aligner, while the rigid handle portion with hook can be used to remove the aligner. This multi-functionality consolidates what were previously separate devices into a single versatile tool, reducing the number of devices the patient must manage.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the seating function and removal function into a single integrated tool. The handle portion serves both as the structural support for the flexible seating portion and as the removal mechanism through its hook. This combining of functions eliminates the need for separate seating and removal devices.
3Reliability
If existing tools are used, then the aligner can be seated, but the tool has short lifespan and is not durable
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is constructed from composite materials with different properties: a flexible, chewable material for the seating portion and a rigid, durable material for the handle portion. This composite structure allows the tool to withstand repeated chewing cycles and aligner seating/removal operations while maintaining its structural integrity and extending its lifespan.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the tool have different material properties optimized for their specific functions. The seating portion uses a soft, elastic material that can be repeatedly deformed by chewing, while the handle portion uses a rigid material that provides structural support and durability for the hook mechanism. This local differentiation of material quality extends the overall tool lifespan.
4Volume of moving object
If existing tools are used, then the aligner can be seated, but the tool is too large to fit in the aligner case
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is segmented into two distinct portions with different functions and material properties. The flexible seating portion can be compressed or deformed to fit within the compact aligner case, while the rigid handle portion maintains its structural form. This segmentation allows the tool to be stored compactly while remaining functional when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A tool and method for seating an orthodontic aligner, unseating the aligner, or both. In one aspect, the tool comprises a handle portion and seating portion. The seating portion is connected to the handle portion. The seating portion comprises a rippled structure having the shape of a series of waves, the waves having a direction of propagation directed away from the handle portion. In a second aspect, a handle portion of the tool comprises a hook adjacent to a recess in the handle portion, the hook being configured to unseat an aligner. In a third aspect, the method comprises seating an aligner by holding a handle portion of the tool, positioning the seating portion between sets of teeth and repeatedly biting the seating portion. In a fourth aspect, the method comprises unseating an aligner by holding the rippled seating portion and using the hook to apply force to the aligner.