Spherical Knuckle Dental Screw Angulation Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current screw systems for fixing prostheses on dental implants face challenges such as unsterile handling, limited angulation correction (up to 20°), risk of over-tightening, and aesthetic issues due to intermediate parts, which can lead to increased costs and complications during check-ups.
Innovation Solution
A screw with a spherical knuckle-shaped head and a reusable surgical driver featuring a torque key with anchoring grips, allowing for up to 30° inclination and anti-loose design, enabling secure and sterile handling and correction of angulation without intermediate parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an Allen screw with traditional key is used, then the screw can be inserted through the prosthesis channel, but the channel inclination is limited to 20° and intermediate parts are required for greater angles
Solution Approach 1:
The screw head is designed with a spherical knuckle-shaped geometry that enables the torque key to engage at various angles. The spherical shape allows rotational movement and angular adjustment, permitting the channel to have inclinations of up to 30° with respect to the screw axis without requiring intermediate angular components.
2Ease of operation
If the screw is handled manually with gloves, then the screw can be positioned, but sterility is compromised and the screw may be dropped or lost
Solution Approach 1:
A surgical driver with a spherical head matching the screw's knuckle shape is introduced as an intermediary tool. The driver allows the screw to be held and manipulated without direct hand contact, maintaining sterility. The driver's design prevents the screw from being dropped or lost during handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The screw's spherical knuckle head is designed to self-align and self-lock with the surgical driver, eliminating the need for precise manual positioning. The spherical geometry allows the screw to be easily engaged and manipulated by the driver without requiring dexterous manual handling.
3Strength
If the Allen torque key is used to tighten the screw, then the screw can be secured, but the hexagon head can be overtorqued and the key may not be properly fitted
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical knuckle head design allows the torque key to engage at multiple angles, ensuring proper fitting even when the channel inclination varies. The spherical geometry provides a larger contact area and more forgiving engagement, reducing the risk of overtorquing and improper fitting compared to traditional hexagon heads.
4Adaptability or versatility
If intermediate parts like dynamic pillars are used to correct angulation, then up to 20° correction is possible, but aesthetics are affected and extraction becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical knuckle head enables direct connection between the screw and prosthesis channel even at 30° inclinations, eliminating the need for intermediate angular components. This maintains prosthesis aesthetics by avoiding additional thickness and simplifies extraction by removing intermediate parts that could break during removal.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 2C
AI summary
Screw (100), surgical driver (400), kit and torque wrench (500) to fix a prosthesis (200) on a dental implant (300). The screw (100) has a pin comprising fixing means arranged to fix the screw (100) in the implant (300) in a detachable way; a head, to house the prosthesis (200). The head comprises a protruding area which is mostly spherical and has curved-concave meridional sunken areas (110) to receive a grip (410, 510) of a handling tool (400, 500) for the screw (100); with a latitude between ±80°, with respect to the equator (E) of the head. The surgical driver (400) has a work part comprising fastening means with a shape which combines with the shape of the head of the screw (100). The kit comprises the surgical driver (400), the screw (100) and a protective cap (450). The torque wrench (500) has a similar configuration to that of the surgical driver (400).