Design and fabrication of a sleep apnea device using computer-aided design/additive manufacture technologies

The aim of this study was to analyze the latest innovations in additive manufacture techniques and uniquely apply them to dentistry, to build a sleep apnea device requiring rotating hinges. Laser scanning was used to capture the threedimensional topography of an upper and lower dental cast. The data sets were imported into an appropriate computeraided design software environment, which was used to design a sleep apnea device. This design was then exported as a stereolithography file and transferred for three-dimensional printing by an additive manufacture machine. The results not only revealed that the novel computer-based technique presented provides new design opportunities but also highlighted limitations that must be addressed before the techniques can become clinically viable.