US 11,432,907 B2Granted

Method and a system usable in creating a subsequent dental appliance

AssigneeAlign Technology, Inc.

InventorEric Kuo

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Abstract

A current digital dental model is received that includes a representation of the set of physical teeth for the patient with the current dental appliance attached to the physical teeth or oral cavity. The current digital dental model is a direct digital scan of the set of physical teeth and the current dental appliance. The physical teeth are at a position in treatment when all or a part of the current dental appliance is desired to be removed from one or more of the set of physical teeth and it is desired to use a subsequent appliance. The current digital dental model is created based a new digital dental model that includes the representation of the set of physical teeth without including the current dental appliance.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method usable in creating a subsequent dental appliance comprising:

receiving a current digital dental model that includes a first representation of the set of physical teeth for the patient with a current dental appliance attached to the physical teeth or oral cavity;
creating, based on the current digital dental model, a new digital dental model that includes the first representation of the set of physical teeth without the current dental appliance by:
superimposing a second representation of all or a portion of the current dental appliance on the current dental appliance associated with the first representation;
determining a superimposed portion of the first representation based on the superimposing;
and
creating the new digital dental model by removing the superimposed portion of the first representation;
adjusting the new digital dental model by moving one or more teeth to a desired teeth arrangement;
and
providing digital data suitable for use in manufacturing a subsequent dental appliance based on electronic data included in the new digital dental model.

6 more elements

A method for creating a subsequent dental appliance prior to removal of a current dental appliance from a set of physical teeth for a patient, the method comprising:

receiving a current digital dental model that includes a representation of the set of physical teeth for the patient with the current dental appliance attached to the physical teeth or oral cavity;
creating, based on the current digital dental model, a new digital dental model that includes the representation of the set of physical teeth without including the current dental appliance by:
superimposing, by the computer processors, each of segmented digital teeth on corresponding digital teeth associated with the current digital dental model;
determining, by the computer processors, a non-superimposed portion of the current digital dental model based on the superimposing;
and
creating, by the computer processors, the new digital dental model by removing the non-superimposed portion of the current digital dental model or based on a superimposed portion without the non-superimposed portion;
adjusting the new digital dental model by moving one or more teeth to a desired teeth arrangement;
and
providing digital data suitable for use in manufacturing a subsequent dental appliance based on electronic data included in the new digital dental model.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/200,445Filed 26 Nov 2018 · continuation
Priority: 6 Sep 2012
Published: US 2019/0090982 A128 Mar 2019
Granted: 6 Sep 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

A61C 7/002
Orthodontics, i.e. obtaining or maintaining the desired position of teeth, e.g. by straightening, evening, regulating, separating, or by…:…
A61C 9/0046
Means or methods for taking digitized impressions: data acquisition means or methods
A61C 7/00
Orthodontics, i.e. obtaining or maintaining the desired position of teeth
A61C 7/008
Orthodontics, i.e. obtaining or maintaining the desired position of teeth, e.g. by straightening, evening, regulating, separating, or by…: using…

Family

Application13/605,949Parent of this continuation · filed 6 Sep 2012
US 2019/0090982 A1Pre-grant publication · published 28 Mar 2019
US 2014/0067334 A1Published application
US 11,432,907 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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