# US 10,945,813 B2 · Providing a simulated outcome of dental treatment on a patient > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,945,813 B2 - Document ID: US10945813B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/020,550 - Filed: 2020-09-14 - Published: 2020-12-31 - Granted: 2021-03-16 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-29 - Assignees: Align Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Align Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Yingjie Li; Chao Shi; Zelko Relic; Michael Alan Stocks; Andrey Bushev; Ya Xue; Eric P. Meyer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10945813B2 ## CPC - A61C 7/002: {Orthodontic computer assisted systems} - A61C 9/0053: {Optical means or methods, e.g. scanning the teeth by a laser or light beam} - G16H 50/50: for simulation or modelling of medical disorders - A61C 13/0004: {Computer-assisted sizing or machining of dental prostheses} - A61C 2007/004: {Automatic construction of a set of axes for a tooth or a plurality of teeth} - B33Y 50/00: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - G09B 23/283: {for dentistry or oral hygiene (G09B23/286 takes precedence)} - A61C: DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE (non-driven toothbrushes A46B; {tongue scrapers A61B17/24;} preparations for dentistry A61K6/00; preparations for cleaning the teeth or mouth A61K8/00, A61Q11/00) - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B) ## Abstract Systems and methods of simulating dental treatments are disclosed. A method may include capturing a first 2D image of a patient's face, including the patient's teeth, building a parametric 3D model of the patient's teeth based on the 2D image, developing a simulated outcome of a dental treatment of the patient's teeth by rendering the 3D model with the patient's teeth in one or more positions and/or orientations corresponding to the treatment goals of the dental treatment plan, and rendering a second 2D image of the patient's face with teeth according to a simulated outcome of the dental treatment plan. As noted herein, the dental treatment plan may include orthodontic and/or restorative elements. The simulated outcome may correspond to estimated outcomes and/or intended outcomes of the dental treatment plan. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method of simulating orthodontic treatment, the method comprising: capturing a first 2D image of a patient's face, including their teeth; building a parametric 3D model of the patient's teeth based on the 2D image, the parametric 3D model including case-specific parameters for the shape of at least one of the patient's teeth; simulating a final orthodontic position of the patient's teeth by rendering the 3D model with the patient's teeth in a predetermined position; rendering a second 2D image of the patient's face with teeth in the final orthodontic position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein building the parametric 3D model includes: finding edges of teeth and lips in the first 2D image; and aligning a parametric tooth model to the edges of the teeth and lips in the first 2D image to determine the case specific parameters; and storing the case-specific parameters of the parametric tooth model that align the parametric tooth model with the edges of the teeth, gingiva, and lips in the first 2D image. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein rendering the second 2D image includes: rendering the parametric model of the patient's according to the position of the teeth in the first 2D image; projecting the 2D image onto the rendered parametric model of the patient's according to the position of the teeth in the first 2D image; mapping the color data from the 2D image to corresponding locations on the 3D model to generate textures for the 3D model; and rendering the second 2D image of the patient's face with teeth in the final orthodontic position with the generated textures. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein rendering the second 2D image further includes applying simulated treatments or viewing customizations to the second 2D image. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the simulated treatments or viewing customizations comprise one or more of changing an edge of the gingiva, replacing a tooth, adjusting a jaw position, or adjusting the color data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined position is based on an average position of a plurality of previous patients' teeth after orthodontic treatment. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined position is based on an average of position of a plurality of previous patients' teeth before orthodontic treatment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising: finding edges of teeth and lips in the first 2D image, and aligning the parametric 3D tooth model to the edges of the teeth, gingiva, and lips in the first 2D image. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first 2D image comprises a profile image representing a profile of the patient's face. ### Claim 10 A computer-implemented method of simulating orthodontic treatment, the method comprising: building a 3D parametric model of an arch, the 3D parametric model comprising generic parameters for tooth shape, tooth position, and tooth orientation; capturing a 2D image of a patient; constructing a case-specific 3D parametric model of the patient's teeth from the 2D image; determining the case-specific parameters of the constructed parametric model; rendering the 3D parametric model of the patient's teeth in a simulated final position; and inserting the rendered 3D model into a 2D image of the patient. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein constructing a 3D parametric model of the patient's teeth form the 2D image includes: finding edges of teeth, gingiva, and lips in the first 2D image; and aligning the 3D model parametric to the edges of the teeth, gingiva, and lips in the first 2D image. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising: applying textures to the rendered 3D parametric model of the patient's teeth in a simulated final position, wherein the textures are derived from the 2D image of the patient. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the textures are derived from the 2D image of the patient by: projecting the 2D image onto the rendered parametric model of the patient's according to the position of the teeth in the first 2D image; and mapping the color data from the 2D image to corresponding locations on the 3D model to derive the textures for the 3D model. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein rendering the 3D parametric model of the patient's teeth in the simulated final position comprises: generating a mean shape of teeth based on the 3D parametric model; adjusting the shape of the teeth in the 3D parametric model based on case-specific tooth shape parameters; position the teeth in a mean tooth location and orientation based on a mean location and orientation parameter such that the teeth have a case specific shape and a mean location and orientation; and scaling the arch based on a case specific arch scaling parameter. ### Claim 15 A system comprising: a photo parameterization engine configured to generate a 3D parametric arch model from a 2D image of a patient's face and teeth, the parametric 3D model including case-specific parameters for the shape of at least one of the patient's teeth; and a parametric treatment prediction engine configured to simulate orthodontic treatment of a patient based on the 3D parametric arch model and historic models of a plurality of patients. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, further comprising a treatment projection rendering engine configured to render the 3D parametric arch model.