Direct fabrication of attachment templates with adhesive
AssigneeAlign Technology, Inc.
InventorAllen Boronkay
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems, methods, and devices for producing orthodontic appliances are provided. In one aspect, an orthodontic appliance comprises an outer shell comprising a plurality of cavities shaped to receive the patient's teeth and generate one or more of a force or a torque in response to the appliance being worn on the patient's teeth. The orthodontic appliance can comprise an inner structure having a stiffness different than a stiffness of the outer shell. The inner structure can be positioned on an inner surface of the outer shell in order to distribute the one or more of a force or a torque to at least one tooth received within the plurality of cavities.
Claims6
An appliance for placing attachments on teeth of a patient, the appliance comprising:
- a support, the support comprising a plurality of coupling structures composed of a first polymeric material;
- an attachment comprising a second polymeric material different than the first polymeric material, wherein the plurality of coupling structures are each joined to the attachment at a corresponding interface;
- and
- an alignment structure composed of a third polymeric material more flexible than the first polymeric material and at least a portion of a receptacle sized and shaped to receive a tooth, the alignment structure coupled to the support to receive at least a portion of a tooth and to position the attachment at a predetermined location on the tooth;
- wherein the at least the portion of the receptacle, the alignment structure comprises at least a portion of a receptacle sized and shaped to receive the tooth and wherein the support extends from the at least the portion of the receptacle to define a recess, the recess shaped to receive the attachment and comprising one or more coupling structures extending from the support into the recess to hold the attachment, and wherein the at least the portion of the receptacle, the support, and the coupling structures are directly fabricated together as a single continuous unit;
- wherein the support extends from the at least the portion of the receptacle to define a recess, the recess shaped to receive the attachment and comprising one or more of the plurality of coupling structures extending from the support into the recess to hold the attachment;
- and
- wherein each of the plurality of coupling structures are configured to detach from the attachment at the corresponding interface upon removal of the alignment structure from the tooth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.