Patient-Specific Guide Tracks for Physiological Mandibular Protrusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mandibular advancement splints (MAS) suffer from unphysiological biomechanics, causing discomfort and potential damage due to unaccounted-for torques and misalignments, especially in telescopic and engagement element designs, which hinder physiological jaw movements and increase the risk of detachment during sleep.
Innovation Solution
The design of the mandibular protrusion device incorporates patient-specific, individually measured guide tracks for the engagement elements that follow therapeutic protrusion and lateral movement paths, allowing unconstrained jaw positioning and minimizing torque, with optional spacer plates to correct misalignments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If telescopic or engagement element designs are used to achieve mandibular advancement, then therapeutic effect is improved, but unphysiological biomechanics cause discomfort and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The guide tracks are pre-designed and pre-positioned on the splint bodies according to individually measured physiological movement paths. This preliminary configuration ensures that the engagement elements automatically follow the correct biomechanical trajectory during jaw movement, eliminating unphysiological torques and misalignments before they can occur during therapy.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the guide tracks to match individually measured physiological movement paths. By adjusting the track geometry based on patient-specific measurements of jaw movement, the system transforms standard engagement element designs into customized solutions that replicate natural biomechanics, thereby maintaining therapeutic effectiveness while eliminating harmful unphysiological forces.
2Length of moving object
If engagement elements are used to control protrusion, then mandibular advancement is achieved, but torques and misalignments increase the risk of detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The guide tracks act as an intermediary mechanism between the engagement elements and the splint bodies. These tracks guide the engagement elements along the correct physiological path, mediating the interaction between the moving mandibular splint and the fixed maxillary splint. This intermediary guidance system ensures proper alignment and force distribution, preventing torques and misalignments that would otherwise cause detachment.
3Device complexity
If standard guide tracks are used in engagement elements, then device complexity is reduced, but physiological jaw movements are hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The guide tracks are pre-configured with the exact geometry of physiological jaw movement paths based on individual measurements. This preliminary design phase captures the complex physiological trajectories in advance, so that during actual use, the engagement elements simply follow these pre-established paths without requiring real-time adjustment or complex control mechanisms, thus maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transforms standard uniform guide track designs into customized tracks with specific geometric parameters matched to individual physiological movement patterns. By changing the track geometry parameters based on measured data, the system achieves physiological accuracy without adding operational complexity, as the customization is built into the static track structure rather than requiring complex dynamic controls.
Data Source
AI summary
A mandibular protrusion device for therapeutic mandibular protrusion in a patient, including a maxillary splint body on tooth crowns of lateral maxillary teeth and a mandibular splint body placed on tooth crowns of lateral mandibular teeth, both of which completely or partially cover the tooth crowns thereof. An advancement device arranged on the two splint bodies including front engagement elements in the two lateral areas of the mandibular splint body and rear engagement elements in the two lateral areas of the maxillary splint body. Rear-side guide tracks and front-side guide tracks that form protrusion-controlling guide tracks on the front engagement elements are rear engagement elements respectively. The protrusion-controlling guide tracks of are designed based on a protrusion path determined individually for each patient during the protrusion movement into the therapeutic protrusion at the position of the guide tracks of at least one of the pairs of engagement elements.