I-Corps: Piezoelectric Actuation for Tooth Extraction and Dental Procedures

几十年来，拔牙程序相对不变，只涉及最小的创新，专注于工具的改进。 在改变提取工艺方面进展甚微。 传统的拔牙需要通过切割组织将牙齿与周围牙龈分离。 接下来是使用相邻牙齿作为支点将牙齿从牙槽中楔入的拔牙。 因此，可能会发生部分拔牙（留下牙根）和邻近牙齿断裂，从而造成局部创伤和额外的愈合时间。 在该提议中，已经提出了一种采用振动运动来使牙齿从牙龈组织松开而不切割并且随后使牙齿从牙槽振动的机构。 振动机制将集成到现有的牙科器械中。 其结果是减少了牙齿的创伤性去除和缩短了愈合时间。 与拔牙相关的牙科领域每年有80亿美元的市场，这些设备的引入是及时和可行的。 此外，在兽医领域中使用该技术，其中市场潜力可能是与人类拔牙相关的两倍，使得负担更轻，并且可以在FDA监管合规之前提供经验证的方法和过程。 通过采用压电致动器来实现齿的松动，压电致动器显示与所施加的电流成比例的位移。 这些致动器的位移特性可以通过改变通过装置的电流的频率和幅度来改变。 由于它们的小几何形状，它们可以被合并到目前在牙科领域使用的现有仪器中。 在新的拔牙过程中，使用固定在压电手柄（牙周刀）上的非切割振动刀片将牙齿与约束组织分离。 使用配备有压电装置的传统仪器（镊子）固定牙齿，并从牙槽中振动松动，而不是以传统方式拉动。 采用振动运动的新的拔牙过程减少了局部创伤，缩短了愈合时间，并最大限度地减少了相邻牙齿损伤的可能性，因为周围的牙齿通常用作杠杆臂来帮助拔牙过程。 将压电致动技术结合到传统的牙科器械中，可以减少学习曲线，提高临床医生接受的可能性，因为与传统实践的偏差最小。在I-Corps课程中，该团队将获得市场机会，改进最小可行产品，并概述能够改变现有60亿美元年市场的设备平台的商业化计划。

Tooth extraction procedures have gone relatively unchanged for decades involving only minimal innovation focused around instrument refinement. Little progress has been made in the changing of the extraction process. Traditional tooth extractions require separation of the tooth from the surrounding gums by cutting of the tissue. This is followed by the extraction that uses the neighboring teeth as a fulcrum to wedge the tooth from the socket. As a result, partial extraction (leaving the roots) and adjacent tooth breakage can occur, thereby causing local trauma and extra healing time. In this proposal, a mechanism employing vibratory motion to loosen the tooth from the gum tissue without cutting and subsequently vibrate the tooth from the socket has been proposed. The vibration mechanism will be integrated into existing dental instruments. The result is a less traumatic removal of the tooth and a reduced time for healing. With an annual market of 8 billion dollars in the dental field associated with tooth extractions, the introduction of these devices is timely and viable. Further, the use of this technology in the veterinary field where the market potential may be twice that associated with human tooth extractions makes for a less burdensome undertaking and can provide a validated method and process prior to FDA regulatory compliance.The proposal seeks to achieve tooth extraction via oscillatory motion. The loosening of the tooth is accomplished by employing a piezoelectric actuator which displays displacement proportional to the electric current applied. The displacement characteristics of these actuators can be altered by varying the frequency and magnitude of the current through the device. Due to their small geometry, they can be incorporated into existing instruments currently utilized in the dental field. In the new extraction process, the tooth is separated from the restraining tissues using a non-cutting vibrating blade secured to a piezoelectric handle (periotome). The tooth is secured using the traditional instrument (forceps) equipped with the piezoelectric device and vibrated loose from the socket rather than pulled in the traditional manner. The new extraction process employing vibratory motion reduces local trauma, reduces healing time, and minimizes the likelihood of adjacent tooth damage since surrounding teeth are often used as lever arms to aid in the extraction process. Incorporation of the piezo-actuation into the traditional dental instruments will permit a reduced learning curve and improve the likelihood of acceptance by clinicians as minimal deviations from conventional practice is involved.During the I-Corps curriculum, the team will access the market opportunity, refine the minimum viable product and outline commercialization plans for the device platform capable of transforming an existing 6 billion dollar annual market.