Surgical Drill Guide for Dental Implants in Edentulous Patients

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for placing dental implants in edentulous patients lack precision due to the absence of natural teeth, making it difficult to achieve correct anatomical orientation and angularity, relying heavily on the skill and experience of the dental provider.

Innovation Solution

A surgical drill guide with a metal or rigid material stent shaped like the upper or lower jaw, featuring slot channels and mounting points to mimic natural teeth, providing stability and accuracy for drilling protocols, and a U-shaped design for the lower jaw and fan-shaped design for the upper jaw to match anatomical contours.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional drilling methods are used without a surgical guide, then the procedure is simpler and faster, but the precision and accuracy of implant placement deteriorates significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimplant placement precisionVSAvoidsurgical guide complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The surgical guide uses a 3D printed model that copies the patient's jaw anatomy and tooth positions to create an accurate template for implant placement. This digital copy allows precise reproduction of anatomical structures without requiring complex manual measurement and marking procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The surgical guide acts as an intermediary tool between the dentist and the drilling process. It provides a physical template that mediates the transition from planning stage to execution stage, ensuring accurate implant placement by serving as a reference framework during the surgical procedure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the surgical guide is made from flexible material, then it can adapt to different jaw shapes, but the stability and accuracy during drilling deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveguide adaptability to jaw shapeVSAvoidguide stability during drilling

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The surgical guide uses selective material placement where rigid materials are positioned in areas requiring stability during drilling, while flexible materials are used in regions needing adaptation to the jaw shape. This local differentiation allows the guide to simultaneously achieve both adaptability and stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The surgical guide combines multiple materials with different properties - rigid materials for structural stability and flexible materials for anatomical adaptation. This composite construction allows the single guide to fulfill multiple functional requirements that would be impossible to achieve with one material type.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Manufacturing precision

If the surgical guide is customized for each patient, then the precision of implant placement improves, but the time required for preparation and manufacturing increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimplant placement precisionVSAvoidguide preparation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The surgical guide is prepared in advance using digital planning and 3D printing technologies. The customized guide is manufactured before the surgical procedure, allowing the dentist to simply attach and use the pre-prepared guide during the operation, thereby reducing intraoperative time while maintaining high precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The manual processes of measuring, marking, and fabricating custom surgical guides are replaced with digital scanning, virtual planning, and automated 3D printing. This substitution of mechanical processes with digital technologies significantly reduces preparation time while enhancing the precision of the customized guides.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Stability of the object's composition

If the surgical guide is made from rigid metal, then the stability and accuracy improve, but the ease of manufacture and adaptability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveguide stability during drillingVSAvoidguide manufacturing ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The material properties of the surgical guide are optimized by selecting rigid materials that provide necessary stability during drilling while maintaining manufacturability. The rigidity parameter is adjusted to achieve the minimum required stability without excessive complexity in manufacturing processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11510754B2Surgical drill guide aimed at locating ideal position for dental implants in edentulous patients

Publication Date: 2022.11.29 ROSHKOVAN IGOR

AI summary

This document describes a set of surgical drill guides for the upper and lower jaw, the guides aimed at locating the ideal position for dental implants in edentulous patients. The guides are made up of a surgical stent material from metal or other rigid material that is aligned to provide support and stability of fully edentulous upper and lower jaw to orient surgical drills in the area of operation. The present embodiment comprises a U-shape metal plate provided form or shaped resembling a toothless upper or lower jaw and containing a top surface of the surgical stent that is contacting the soft tissue of maxilla or mandibula and the bottom surface of the stent that has the same shape as a top one.