Motion capturing, bite registration and positioning made easy

Product concept

Dentures that fit and follow your jaw’s motions.

Start into the 4th dimension:

To avoid straining the stomatognathic system and resulting „chipping“ as well as disorders of the TMJ, Freecorder®BlueFox provides simple, rapid and reliable detection of individual jaw motion and jaw alignment. Once collected, the patient data can be used conventionally or in the digital workflow. This procedure elevates the comfort level and life expectancy of the denture.

The trend towards digitization in dentistry and dental technology shows no signs of abating. And yet, isolated solutions still prevail. Both conventionally and digitally, the manufacture of dental prostheses and orthodontic therapy devices almost exclusively relies on mean values:

• Models are transferred into the virtual articulator by means of a face-bow in relation to the skull base, not in relation to the individual kinematic axis.
• The virtual articulator - although generally adjustable - is typically used to generate mean values.
• Static rather than dynamic analysis of the bite relationship between lower and upper jaw is done.
• As a result, condyle positions do not receive adequate consideration in prosthetic and orthodontic therapy.

The use of mean values instead of individual patient parameters reveals a considerable discrepancy between the fundamentals used by dental technicians - whether analogue or digital - and the situation in the patient’s oral cavity. This often results in the need for extensive reworking of dentures within the oral cavity, or worse, in the need to start from scratch.

The Freecorder®BlueFox allows for accurate simulation of mastication using a conventional articulator or a CAD/CAM system in analogy of the patient.

Functionality principle

Freecorder®BlueFox accurately captures jaw motions and positions, informing the manufacture of dentures, therapeutic and orthodontic splints.

• Radiation-free

Freecorder®BlueFox is an opto-electronic registration device or 4D video recording system consisting of three high-resolution cameras. This LED light measuring system doesn’t use X-rays, making it suitable for patients of all ages and use during pregnancy.

• Comfortable

The entire measurement technology is aranged outside the patient. Patients are only temporarily inconvenienced by having markers in the form of a reference bracket attached to the skull base or maxilla and a measuring bracket to the mandible. Ultra-light carbon brackets render patients relaxed under C-arm fluoroscopy.

• Quick and safe

No attachment made by dental lab is required; setup time is minimal. There is no danger of ingestion or aspiration, as no small parts are used within the oral cavity. The high recording speed of 100 frames per second detects fast movements and TMJ clicking within a short amount of time.

• Multifunctional precision

By recording chewing/swallowing and/or individual movements (e.g. opening, protrusion, mediotrusion right and left), Freecorder®BlueFox identifies all parameters for prosthetics, orthodontics and gnathology:

• Hinge axis/kinematic axis
• Mandibular position in realtion to the hinge axis
• Maxillary and mandibular alignment (bite relationship)
• Articulator values (condylar inclination, Bennett angle, immediate side shift etc.)
• Joint spaces/condyle positions

Interfaces

The individual parameters for programming a real articulator and setting for the FastLink® assembly table can be determined from the motion data, ensuring the transfer of the models into the articulator in relation to the hinge axis (analogue). The data can also be used for programming a virtual articulator or the motion data can be generated as a file for implementation in CAD/CAM systems (digital).
 

ANALOGUE        DIGITAL

At a minimum, the following measurements are taken for programming all commonly used arcon articulators in the analogous procedure:

1. Hinge axis
2. 2Protrusion
3. 3Mediotrusion left
4. Mediotrusion right
5. Opening
6. Bite registration
7. If applicable, protrusion with anterior teeth in contact

The Freecorder®BlueFox software generates a technology data sheet from these recordings, using the following patient-specific parameters:

a. Settings for axis position points of the FastLink® assembly table

b. Bite fork position of FastLink®assembly table

c. Settings for all common arcon articulators

d. Settings for surtrusion, retrusion and translation (SRT top piece)

Of course, the values of the Freecorder®BlueFox technology data sheet can also be used for programming a virtual articulator. For positioning the lower jaw model in relation to the hinge axis, appropriate scan adapters can be used. What parameters will be applied to motion simulation depends largely on the CAD software being used.

As an alternative to a virtual articulator, the patient’s real functional motions can be visualized with the aid of suitable virtual CAD software by generating corresponding position data for the maxilla and mandible. This approach has the advantage of not being subject to the limitations of a (virtual) articulator.

Hardware/accessories

• Hardware/software-upgrade

In addition to an extended warranty, the optional hardware upgrade includes optimized camera technology and modified measuring utensils, elevating existing Freecorder®BlueFox systems to the current state of the art. The resulting improved lighting and marker detection makes for a larger field of view and greater freedom of motion for the patient when measurements are taken along with improved measurement precision.

• Computer Assisted Repositioning (CAR)

A Computer Assisted Repositioning system has been developed for the controlled correction of malocclusions and/or condyle positions detected by Freecorder®BlueFox. Replacing the headrest, it can be suspended in the C-arm of Freecorder®BlueFox along with the models which were transferred into the articulator in relation to the hinge axis, allowing for occlusion and condyle positions to be changed under screen monitoring.

• SRT articulator top piece

Since even fully adjustable articulators can only perform limited simulations of surtrusion, retrusions and translational motions, the SRT articulator top piece was designed for use with all common arcon articulators. In terms of dynamic occlusion, all jaw motions recorded by Freecorder®BlueFox can thus be analyzed not only in virtual reality but also in conventional articulators.

Target groups and benefits

Prosthetics

Instead of transferring a skull-oriented, mean value-based digital cast of the upper jaw into a mean-value articulator and aligning the lower jaw with the upper jaw based on flawed static bite registration, Freecorder®BlueFox provides the following advantages:

>> Determines and adjusts for patient-specific kinematic axis

>> Allows for anatomically correct, axis-oriented positioning of the lower jaw within the articulator

>> Programs articulator with patient-specific parameters for

• condylar inclination
• Bennett angle
• immediate side shift
• incisal table

The result is precisely fitting dentures with functional occlusal surfaces which appropriately utilize dynamic instead of static occlusion and meet holistic standards to boot.

Orthodontics and orthognathic surgery (Maxillo)

Using Computer Assisted Repositioning, Freecorder®BlueFox allows for early measurement of children and early functional therapy as much as it ensures an anatomically and physiologically correct condylar position during and after orthodontic treatment of adults.

Gnathology

The determination of the kinematic axis, repeated determination of habitual bite position, TMJ space measurement and registration of functional movements provides strong evidence for the existence of a TMJ disorder and allows for its therapy in combination with Computer Assisted Repositioning.

Implantology

Given the reduced balancing capacity of the stomatognathic system in implant-borne prosthetics, implantology benefits from including dynamic occlusion and elevated safety by having Freecorder®BlueFox data inform „backward planning“.

Dental technology

Use of Freecorder®BlueFox and Computer Assisted Repositioning benefits dental technology through improved results in prosthetic and orthodontic therapy and yields service benefits in the form of customer retention and acquisition.


Source: Orangedental