Robot and method for bending orthodontic archwires and other medical devices

US6755064B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Ora Metrix, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Werner Butscher · Berlin, DE
• Friedrich Riemeier · Berlin, DE
• Rudger Rubbert · Berlin, DE
• Thomas Weise · Berlin, DE
• Rohit Sachdeva · Plano, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 27, 2002
• Grant date: Jun 29, 2004
• Expiry date: Sep 27, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61C7/28
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A robotic bending apparatus for bending archwires and other types of elongate, bendable medical devices into a desired configuration includes a first gripping tool and a moveable gripping tool. The first gripping tool can be either fixed with respect to a base or table for the robot or positioned at the end of robot am. The moveable gripping tool is mounted to the end of a moveable robot arm having a proximal portion also mounted to the base. The robot preferably comprises a six axis bending robot, in which the distal end of the moveable arm can move relative to the fixed gripping tool about three translational axes and three rotational axes. The gripping tools preferably incorporate force sensors which are used to determine overbends needed to get the desired final shape of the archwire. The robot may also include a resistive heating system in which current flows through the wire while the wire is held in a bent condition to heat the wire and thereby retain the bent shape of the wire. A magazine for holding a plurality of straight archwires needing to be bent and a conveyor system for receiving the wires after the bending process is complete are also described. The robot bending s…