3D-Printed Palatal Expander With Variable Thickness Bands
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing orthodontic appliances, such as palatal expanders, often fail to account for individual patient morphologies, leading to non-uniform force distribution and potential discomfort, with customization limitations affecting treatment efficacy.
Innovation Solution
Customizable orthodontic appliances designed using direct fabrication techniques, such as 3D printing, to optimize force distribution and patient comfort by accounting for unique patient anatomy, allowing for rapid production and precise control over appliance geometry and material properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional orthodontic appliances are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but force distribution uniformity and patient comfort deteriorate due to inability to account for individual patient morphology
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by customizing the appliance geometry, thickness, and material properties to match the specific anatomical features of each patient's palate. The appliance is designed with varying thickness distribution and curvature that corresponds to the individual patient's palatal morphology, ensuring uniform force distribution across different regions of the palate while accounting for local anatomical variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by adjusting key design parameters such as appliance thickness, material modulus, and geometric curvature based on patient-specific anatomical measurements. The system varies these parameters across different regions of the appliance to optimize force distribution, transitioning from conventional uniform designs to customized variable parameter designs that adapt to individual patient morphology.
2Ease of operation
If appliance thickness is reduced to improve patient comfort, then patient comfort and tongue space are improved, but appliance strength and force application capability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing variable thickness distribution across the appliance, with thicker regions positioned at areas requiring higher strength and force application, and thinner regions located where patient comfort and tongue space are priorities. This localized thickness optimization ensures that structural integrity is maintained in critical areas while maximizing comfort in patient-facing regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes composite materials by combining materials with different mechanical properties in a single appliance structure. The system employs composite construction that integrates materials optimized for different functions: higher strength materials in load-bearing regions and more compliant materials in patient contact areas, thereby achieving both comfort and structural strength simultaneously.
3Manufacturing precision
If customized appliance design is implemented, then treatment precision and patient-specific optimization are improved, but manufacturing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-computing and storing optimal appliance design parameters, thickness distributions, and material property configurations in databases before actual appliance manufacturing. The system performs preliminary optimization calculations based on patient anatomical data, and these pre-computed design solutions are then rapidly retrieved and used for manufacturing, significantly reducing the time required for custom appliance production while maintaining high treatment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes copying by creating accurate digital replicas or models of patient anatomy through scanning and imaging, which are then used as templates for appliance design and manufacturing. These digital copies allow for virtual testing and optimization of appliance designs before physical manufacturing, reducing the need for iterative physical prototyping and accelerating the manufacturing process while preserving treatment precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A dental device may include a body having first tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of a first side of an arch of a patient. The dental device may also include second tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of a second side of the arch of the patient and a palatal portion that extends between the first tooth receiving cavities and the second tooth receiving cavities. The palatal portion may be shaped to apply an expansion force to the teeth of the first side of the arch of the patient and the teeth of the second side of the arch of a patient. The palatal portion may also include a plurality of bands that extend between the first tooth receiving cavities and the second tooth receiving cavities. Each respective band may have a respective different thickness.