Method: Initial trials were conducted using three needles with varying thicknesses synthetic bone block to establish a rage of tolerable force, qualitatively. Further quantification was done with Instron machine to establish exact forces required to pierce the synthetic bone. The hand-piece was designed with pressure gauge, a solenoid valve, timer and a pneumatic piston to deliver these forces. A prototype was made and was tested on a pig jaw. Micro-CT scan was used to measure the bone trauma, and FEM analysis was performed to ensure the durability of the external design.
Result: The qualitative examination proved that a needle of 0.23 mm thickness at the apex & 0.4 mm at the base can penetrate synthetic bone with tolerable forces. The Qquantitative measurement by Instron machine showed the forces ranged from 10-15 N. The prototype demonstrated its ability to pierce synthetic bone and pig jaw. This system penetrated through the gingival tissue and pierced the bone, which was confirmed by the micro-CT scan images. The FEM illustrated that 1 mm thick external casing and the needles above made of surgical SS 316L & Titanium can withstand the forces generated by this system.
Conclusion:The novel system developed in this study can effectively cause bone trauma with tolerable forces. This system will aid in establishing the “Cortipucture” technique in orthodontics.