Palatal Plate with Vomer-Clearing Webs for Nasal Breathing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing treatments for cleft lip, jaw, and palate conditions fail to adequately straighten the vomer, leading to persistent nasal airway obstruction and respiratory issues.
Innovation Solution
A palatal plate with wings and webs designed to fit securely on the palate, creating a free space for the vomer, allowing therapeutic forces to gradually realign and straighten the vomer, while also addressing misalignments of the premaxilla and lateral jaw segments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional palatal plates are used to treat cleft lip, jaw and palate, then misalignment of the premaxilla can be reduced, but the vomer remains curved and nasal airway obstruction persists
Solution Approach 1:
The palatal plate is divided into functionally distinct components: wings for securing the plate and correcting premaxilla position, and webs for specifically addressing vomer alignment. This segmentation allows each component to target a specific anatomical structure and correction goal, resolving the contradiction by enabling simultaneous premaxilla stabilization and vomer straightening.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the plate are designed with different properties and functions. The wings are positioned to contact and stabilize the premaxilla, while the webs are positioned to contact and straighten the vomer. This local differentiation of function and structure allows the plate to address multiple alignment issues simultaneously without compromising either correction.
2Ease of operation
If a removable palatal plate is custom-made based on an impression of the maxilla, then misalignments of the premaxilla can be reduced through application of force, but correction or straightening of the vomer shape is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The plate is segmented into wings for premaxilla correction and webs for vomer straightening. The webs are specifically designed to extend into the nasal cavity and contact the vomer, enabling force application to straighten the vomer while the wings simultaneously address premaxilla misalignment. This segmentation resolves the limitation of conventional plates that cannot address vomer curvature.
Solution Approach 2:
The webs extend from the oral cavity into the nasal cavity, adding a dimensional element that reaches the vomer in its anatomical position. This three-dimensional extension allows the plate to apply corrective force to the vomer from multiple directions, enabling straightening that was not possible with conventional two-dimensional plate designs.
3Speed
If treatment occurs in the first few days after birth, then the maxilla can be displaced with a palatal plate, but just a few weeks after birth it becomes almost impossible to displace the premaxilla and vomer
Solution Approach 1:
The plate is designed to be inserted and adjusted in the critical early period when the maxilla is still malleable, establishing correct alignment of both premaxilla and vomer before growth solidifies the malposition. The segmented design with wings and webs allows comprehensive correction to be achieved during this limited window of opportunity, ensuring long-term effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a plate (1) for insertion into the palate, the plate (1) having wings (4) on both sides of an imaginary center plane (9) running perpendicular to the plate (1), the wings being designed such that they bear against the palate at least in regions. The two webs (3) run on both sides of the central plane (9), so that a free space (6) running between the webs (3) is formed for receiving the vomer (13).