A near net shape medical device is described that is formed from a metal alloy mixture containing NiTiHf using additive manufacturing techniques. The medical device is aged to a desired ultimate tensile strength (UTS), presence of H-phase precipitate with an A.sub.f below body temperature.

A NiTi alloy root canal file with a flexibility gradient includes a tip segment (F1), a middle segment (F2) and a root segment (F3) divided along the axis of the NiTi alloy root canal file with the flexibility gradient. The internal microstructure of the tip segment (F1) of the root canal file is martensite M-phase, the internal microstructure of the middle segment (F2) is R-phase, and the internal microstructure of the root segment (F3) is austenite A-Phase. The present invention further provides a manufacturing method for the NiTi alloy root canal file with the flexibility gradient. The beneficial effect of the present invention is effectively improving safety in use.

An apparatus for fabrication of a multiple memory material including: a feeding assembly for feeding shape memory material; a processing station aligned with the feeding assembly to receive the shape memory material to be processed; at least one energy source aligned with an energy source aperture to provide energy to the shape memory material; a shielding gas provider attached to a shielding gas engagement portion to provide shielding gas; and a controller configured to control the feeding assembly, the shielding gas provider and the energy source according to predetermined parameters to form the multiple memory material. A method for fabricating a multiple memory material including: determining process parameters for the shape memory material, via a controller; receiving shape memory material at a feeding assembly; feeding the shape memory material, via the feed assembly, to a processing station; providing shielding gas to the processing station, via a shielding gas provider; and providing energy to the shape memory material, via at least one energy source, based on the process parameters to produce the multiple memory material.

Method for manufacturing a dental expander having a first attachment member intended to be fixed to a first fixation tooth of a patient and an active member rigidly connected to the first attachment member. The method includes: a) generating a three-dimensional digital model of a dental arch having the fixation tooth or “arch model”; b) using the arch model as a basis for generating: a three-dimensional digital model of the first attachment member, wherein the model of the first attachment member that has an inner surface that substantially reproduces a part of the surface of the first fixation tooth, and/or a three-dimensional digital model of the active member; and c) using the model of the first attachment member as a basis for manufacturing the first attachment member and/or using the model of the active member as a basis for generating the active member.

A method for forming a desired bend angle in an orthodontic appliance comprising: monitoring bending of the orthodontic appliance in a gripped state, the monitoring being continuous; in response to an initial bend angle in the orthodontic appliance in the gripped state being reached, causing the release of at least a portion of the orthodontic appliance so that orthodontic appliance is in a free state, measuring resultant angle of the bend in the free state; in response to resultant angle being within a predefined tolerance of the desired bend angle, determining that desired bend angle has been reached.

A method for altering an orthodontic archwire of a unitary piece of shape memory alloy having a composition and generally uniformly formed properties along its length to different stiffness profiles along the length of the archwire. In one embodiment, the method includes determining a stress profile for teeth at a location. The method may include calculating a force the archwire is to produce on the teeth to satisfy the determined stress profile and determining an altered stiffness of a section of the archwire based on the calculated force. The method may include changing the composition of the section based on the determined altered stiffness. The method may include determining a load for teeth and calculating a force the archwire is to produce on the teeth to satisfy the determined load.

Systems, methods, and devices for producing appliances for expansion of the palate of a patient are provided. A palate expanding orthodontic appliance comprises a teeth engagement portion comprising a plurality of teeth engagement structures and a force generating portion coupled to the teeth engagement portion and configured to apply force to cause the patient's palate to expand. The orthodontic appliances can be designed according to the specifications provided herein and manufactured using direct fabrication methods.

A dental bite block device includes a front wall, a flat lateral sidewall, and a concave lateral sidewall that define a longitudinal channel that extends through the device. The lateral sidewalls are connected by a crossbar, and the channel can be filled with polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) dental impression putty. When the device is positioned in the patient's mouth, the flat lateral sidewall faces the right inner check of the patient, the patient's tongue rests against the concave lateral sidewall, and the patient's upper and lower teeth rest open on the front wall. Once the PVS putty sets, it forms a solid half cylinder-shaped member that includes impressions of a plurality of the patient's upper and lower teeth, which assist to maintain the device in place. The front wall and concave sidewall further include an opening that defines a clip for a saliva ejector.

A method of determining an orthodontic treatment comprising: obtaining a 3D model of a simulated position of upper and lower teeth following a simulated orthodontic treatment, the 3D model comprising a point cloud representation comprising a plurality of vector points; in a 3D grid having cells onto which the plurality of the vector points have been mapped, identifying cells containing vectors points representative of the upper teeth and applying a first mask to these cells; identifying cells containing vectors points representative of the lower teeth and applying a second mask to these cells; determining the simulated orthodontic treatment as the determined orthodontic treatment if the 3D grid does not include at least one cell which includes both the first mask and the second mask.

A shaft for a dental screwdriver configured to be inserted into a bore cavity of a dental prosthetic. The shaft has a drive tip for driving a dental screw used to fix the dental prosthetic to the dental implant when the shaft is inserted into the bore cavity of the dental prosthetic. The drive tip is made of a shape memory smart alloy. The shaft also has an axial shaft portion made of a shape memory smart alloy with different material characteristics than the shape memory smart alloy of the drive tip. The axial shaft portion is configured to elastically bend from an original shape to a bent shape along the axial shaft portion without imparting a bending action and torqueing forces along the drive tip when the dental screwdriver is inserted into the bore cavity of the dental prosthetic.