Medical & Dental

Graphy debuts “world’s first” direct 3D printed aligner with shape memory

Graphy, a South Korean-based manufacturer of 3D printable photopolymer resins, has unveiled what it claims is the “world’s first” direct 3D printed aligner that features a shape memory function.

图形的3D打印对准器是reportedly当前市场上唯一具有此功能的产品,该公司表示,该功能将加速患者的治疗过程,并消除对替换器的需求。

The firm showcased its new product at this year’sInternational Dental Show (IDS) 2021in Cologne between 22-25th September.

Dental aligners 3D printed with Graphy's Tera Harz material. Image via Graphy.
Dental aligners 3D printed with Graphy’s Tera Harz material. Image via Graphy.

3D printing dental aligners

根据2019年美国国家健康和考试调查65 percent of Americans could benefit from orthodontic treatment, but many never receive it due to cost and accessibility barriers. The 3D printed dental market has seen a raft of new dedicated materials, hardware, and projects come to the fore over the past year, with潜在的应用程序越来越广泛.

几家3D打印机制造商最近推出了专门为牙科应用程序开发的新机器。例如,Stratasys launched its multi-material PolyJetJ5 DentaJet三月份的3D打印机Nexa3Dlaunched its resin-basedNXD200 3D printerin April, and in JuneUNIZlaunched its latest high-speed dental 3D printer,the NBEE.

Regarding materials,Liqcreate已经公布了两个新的dental-oriented photopolymer resins which feature ultra-low shrinkage and a matte finish suited to the production of orthodontic models, whileDesktop Metal’shealthcare subsidiaryDesktop Healthlaunched cobalt chrome on its Shop System to offer binder jet 3D printing capabilities to dental labs.

More recently,Formlabsrevealedseveral new dental-related updatesto its portfolio, including the dental validation of its Fuse 1 SLS 3D printer and reformulation of its Model Resin, andProdwaysannounced it has received a contract to produce up toa million dental aligners per year.

Graphy’s Tera Harz resins. Image via Graphy.
Graphy’s Tera Harz resins. Image via Graphy.

Graphy’s shape memory aligners

Since its founding in 2017, Graphy has been working to carve out its own niche in the dental 3D printing market. The firm has wonnumerous awardsregistered several patentsfor its technology, which ultimately aims to improve the safety and mass production of new materials for the 3D printing dental market.

In December last year, the company developed its own dental 3D printing material,Tera Harz. Exhibiting flexibility and heat-resistant properties, the photocurable resin has been designed with two carbon backbones which allow the material’s molecular formula to be closely controlled and customized to specific customer requirements.

如果变形或拉伸,当Tera Harz与热水接触时,Tera Harz的形状可以恢复,这是Graphy's Dental Aligners的形状记忆功能。根据该公司的说法,其他公司的牙科对准者在变形后无法恢复原始形状,因此失去了正畸力量,需要更换。

With Tera Harz’s shape memory property, a single dental aligner is capable of completing an entire treatment step, compared to an average requirement of two-to-three aligners. This therefore accelerates the treatment process while also reducing the amount of material used per patient.

3D printing a clear aligner with Tera Harz can reportedly take as little as one hour, whereas conventionally manufactured aligners can take between one and two weeks to be produced. The company also claims the material streamlines manufacturing operations and costs as film or vacuum forming processes are not required.

Regarding cleaning, Graphy’s 3D printed dental aligners are able to be brushed and sterilized due to the material’s scratch resistance and ability to remain in hot water of up to 100 degrees celsius for one to two minutes.

Functionally, the firm’s dental aligners have a couple of advantages over other aligners, such as the ability to move teeth backwards and rotate teeth by up to 35 degrees celsius, a feat reportedly unachievable by others on the market. Graphy’s dental aligners have received CE certification and are pending 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

最终,Graphy认为其Tera Harz材料可以使一日牙齿治疗成为患者的可能性,同时使牙科实验室能够以最少的工厂投资生产大量产品。

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特色图片显示dental aligners 3D printed with Graphy’s Tera Harz material. Image via Graphy.