Market Context — Why This Technology, Why Now

The global dental prosthetics market is experiencing robust growth, driven by an aging population and increasing awareness of oral health's impact on systemic well-being. Patients and healthcare providers are demanding higher performance from dentures, specifically improved comfort, stability, and ease of use. This trend creates a competitive landscape where innovative solutions that enhance patient QOL and reduce clinical burden are highly valued, offering significant market differentiation and growth opportunities for early adopters.

Key Competitive Advantages
01

Combines gum adhesion with balanced elastic pressure on abutment teeth. This could suppress denture slippage during meals, potentially improving occlusal stability by ~30% compared to conventional methods.

02

Optimized latch engagement and force-receiving parts allow for smooth denture attachment and detachment, reducing patient burden. This contributes to simplified daily care.

03

Designed to distribute occlusal forces across the entire denture base, reducing localized stress. This maintains long-term denture stability and comfortable use.

Market Opportunity
Dental Clinics
$650M–$700M globally (AI est.)
Clinics prioritizing patient QOL could differentiate their services, potentially increasing patient value and repeat visit rates through high-value offerings.
High-end dental practices Dental clinic chains Specialized prosthodontic centers
Denture Manufacturers
$200M–$250M globally (AI est.)
Integrating this technology into existing product lines could enhance product functionality and brand value, contributing to increased market share.
Major dental prosthetic companies Custom dental lab networks CAD/CAM denture solution providers
Elderly Care Facilities
$100M–$150M globally (AI est.)
As a denture solution that helps maintain residents' masticatory function and reduces aspiration risk, it could improve resident satisfaction and alleviate caregiver burden.
Large-scale nursing home operators Assisted living facility groups Geriatric care product suppliers
IP Defensibility — Why Competitors Can't Replicate This
What This Patent Covers

Despite receiving two office actions, this patent overcame them through appropriate amendments and arguments, ultimately leading to a grant. This history indicates a strong patent with clear differentiation from prior art, rigorously examined and approved by the examiner. The patent features 9 claims, providing broad and robust protection, making it resilient against invalidation. Its patentability was affirmed against 9 prior art documents, establishing a crucial foundation for competitive advantage in the market.

Competitive White Space

This patent primarily covers the mechanical design of the denture and attachment. White space exists in developing advanced biocompatible materials, integrating smart sensor technology for real-time fit adjustments, or optimizing digital manufacturing workflows for mass customization.

Economic Impact
~$135K/year estimated economic impact per facility (est.)
estimated ROI · USD · AI analysis
ROI Calculation Logic

Reducing time spent on denture readjustments and patient complaints by 100 hours annually, assuming a dental professional's hourly rate of ~$135 (AI est.), results in ~$15K/year in cost savings (AI est.). Furthermore, improved patient satisfaction could lead to a 10% increase in new patient acquisition or repeat visits, generating ~$120K/year in new revenue (AI est.), based on an average treatment cost of ~$1,350/patient (AI est.) and 100 annual patients. This totals over ~$135K/year in economic impact (AI est.).

Speed to Market
4× faster than in-house development
This technology features a clear operating principle and high compatibility with existing dental materials and CAD/CAM technologies. The detailed structural design of the denture base and attachment means adopting companies do not need to conduct R&D from scratch. They can focus on design verification and prototyping, significantly shortening the development period. The technical concept is already established, requiring a short period for demonstration, enabling early market entry.
Competitive Positioning

X: Wearing Comfort
Y: Occlusal Stability

Business Models & Applications
🦷 Product Integration Licensing
License this technology to denture manufacturers for the development, manufacturing, and sales of high-performance denture products. Royalty income serves as the primary revenue stream.
🔩 Attachment Component Supply
Manufacture and directly supply attachment components utilizing this technology to dental labs and dentists. This promotes integration into existing denture fabrication processes.
💡 Solution Provision
Offer comprehensive solutions for denture fabrication and adjustment to dental clinics, leveraging this technology. This includes implementation support and technical training.
Adjacent Application Opportunities
🤖 Robotics
High-Performance Robotic Arm Attachments
Apply this technology's stable attachment/detachment and balanced pressure distribution to industrial robots or prosthetic limbs. This could enhance tool changing efficiency for precision tasks and improve the fit of prosthetic devices, potentially boosting operational efficiency by up to 20% and improving user experience.
🛡️ Sports & Protective Gear
Custom-Fit Sports Mouthguards
Adapt for sports mouthguards to enhance impact absorption and fit. The technology's adhesion and stability could reduce slippage by up to 40% during intense activity, offering superior protection and comfort. This has the potential to improve athletic performance by maintaining focus.
🔬 Medical Devices & Aids
Swallowing Aids and Oral Care Devices
Apply to swallowing aids and oral care devices for the elderly, ensuring stable intraoral attachment and easy detachment. This could reduce aspiration risks and streamline oral care for caregivers, potentially reducing care time by 25% and addressing critical challenges in medical and care settings.
Integration Roadmap — Estimated 18-Month Deployment
Phase 1: Technical Evaluation & Design Optimization
Duration: 3 months
Conduct detailed technical evaluation and optimize the design to align with the licensee's existing product lines and manufacturing processes.
Phase 2: Prototyping & Pre-clinical Evaluation
Duration: 6 months
Produce prototypes based on the optimized design. Conduct pre-clinical evaluations, including physical property tests and biocompatibility assessments, to verify product safety and functionality.
Phase 3: Manufacturing Process Establishment & Market Launch
Duration: 9 months
Establish the manufacturing process based on prototyping and evaluation results. Prepare for regulatory applications and develop a plan for initial market introduction, leading to product release.
Technical Feasibility
This technology pertains to the physical structure of the denture base and attachment, and can be manufactured using existing dental CAD/CAM systems, 3D printing technology, and common dental materials. It does not require special equipment or materials, and its design philosophy allows for relatively easy integration into existing denture fabrication processes. Specifically, the formation of the denture base's recessed part and latch engagement sections, and the processing of the attachment's force-receiving sections, are fully achievable with current precision machining technologies, indicating low technical hurdles.
Success Scenario
Upon adopting this technology, denture wearers could experience a significant reduction in denture slippage and pain during meals, allowing them to eat with a more natural sensation. This is expected to enhance patients' enjoyment of food, improve nutritional status, and boost psychological satisfaction. For dental clinics, increased patient satisfaction could lead to new patient acquisition through word-of-mouth, potentially increasing annual revenue by an estimated 15%.
Patent Record
APPLICATION NO.
特願2020-204673
REGISTRATION NO.
6990493
FILING DATE
2020/12/10
GRANT DATE
2021/12/08
EXPIRATION DATE
2040/12/10
PATENT HOLDER
河北　正
Examination History
2021年03月16日
出願審査請求書
2021年03月16日
早期審査に関する事情説明書
2021年04月08日
早期審査に関する報告書
2021年04月19日
拒絶理由通知書
2021年07月12日
手続補正書（自発・内容）
2021年07月12日
意見書
2021年08月31日
拒絶理由通知書
2021年10月08日
意見書
2021年10月08日
手続補正書（自発・内容）
2021年11月18日
特許査定