# US 11,897,201 B2 · Method for manufacturing dental implant components > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,897,201 B2 - Document ID: US11897201B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/334,003 - Filed: 2021-05-28 - Published: 2022-01-20 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2005-06-30 - Assignees: Biomet 3i, LLC - Applicants: Biomet 3I, LLC - Inventors: Zachary B. Suttin; Theodore M Powell; John T Amber; Bruce Berckmans, III - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897201B2 ## CPC - B29C 64/386: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing - A61C 8/00: Means to be fixed to the jaw-bone for consolidating natural teeth or for fixing dental prostheses thereon; Dental implants; Implanting tools (fastening of peg-teeth in the mouth A61C13/30) - A61C 8/0001: {Impression means for implants, e.g. impression coping} - A61C 9/0053: {Optical means or methods, e.g. scanning the teeth by a laser or light beam} - A61C 9/008: {Mechanical means or methods, e.g. a contact probe moving over the teeth} - A61C 13/34: Making or working of models, e.g. preliminary castings, trial dentures; Dowel pins [4] - B33Y 50/00: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - G05B 15/02: electric - G06F 30/00: Computer-aided design [CAD] - A61C 13/0013: {using stereolithographic techniques} - A61C 13/0018: {using laser} - G16H 20/40: relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - 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) - 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 - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract A method for making a rapid prototype of a patient's mouth to be used in the design and fabrication of a dental prosthesis. The method takes an impression of a mouth including a first installation site having a dental implant installed in the first installation site and a gingival healing abutment having at least one informational marker attached to the dental implant. A stone model is prepared based on the impression, including teeth models and model markers indicative of the at least one informational marker. The model is scanned. Scan data is generated from the scanning. The scan data is transferred to a CAD program. A three-dimensional model of the installation site is created in the CAD program. The at least one informational marker is determined to gather information for manufacturing the rapid prototype. Rapid prototype dimensional information is developed. The rapid prototype dimensional information is transferred to a rapid prototyping machine which fabricate a rapid prototype of the patient's dentition as well as a dental implant analog position. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of creating a three-dimensional virtual model of a patient's mouth, the method comprising: receiving scan data from a patients mouth, the scan data including at least an attachment member attached to an implant installed in the patient's mouth at an installation site, the attachment member including at least one informational marker for identifying physical characteristics of the attachment member; creating a three-dimensional virtual model of the installation site including a virtual attachment member using the scan data, the virtual attachment member corresponding to the attachment member in the patient's mouth; determining information from the at least one informational marker; and forming, based on the information, a modified three-dimensional virtual model by replacing the virtual attachment member with at least one of: (i) an implant analog receptacle, (ii) a three-dimensional model of a portion of an implant analog, and (iii) a three-dimensional model of a portion of a dental restoration. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the attachment member is a healing abutment. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the modified three-dimensional virtual model is used to develop a custom dental prosthesis. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the dental restoration is one of a patient-specific abutment, a stock abutment, and a crown. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further including: developing dimensional information based on the modified three-dimensional virtual model. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the dimensional information is an additive manufacturing dimensional information, the method further includes: transferring the additive manufacturing dimensional information to an additive manufacturing machine. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the dimensional information is a subtractive manufacturing dimensional information, the method further includes: transferring the dimensional information to a subtractive manufacturing machine. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the modified three-dimensional virtual model further includes a virtual contoured opening simulating tissue in the patient's mouth, the virtual contoured opening corresponding to a size and shape of subgingival geometry of the attachment member. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the modified three-dimensional virtual model further includes a virtual soft tissue element including a virtual contoured opening corresponding to a size and shape of subgingival geometry of the attachment member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further including: developing dimensional information based on the virtual soft tissue element, the virtual soft tissue element configured to be manufactured from a material different from the modified three-dimensional model. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein, when the modified three-dimensional virtual model includes either: (i) the implant analog receptacle and (ii) the three-dimensional model of a portion of an implant analog, the method further includes: developing a virtual three-dimensional dental restoration; determining dimensional information based on the virtual three-dimensional restoration; and transferring the dimensional information of the virtual three-dimensional restoration to a manufacturing machine. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein, when the modified three-dimensional virtual model includes (iii) the three-dimensional model of the portion of the dental restoration, the modified three-dimensional model includes an integrally formed virtual three-dimensional restoration. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein, when the modified three-dimensional virtual model includes (iii) the three-dimensional model of the portion of the dental restoration, the method includes a virtual three-dimensional dental restoration, wherein the virtual three-dimensional dental restoration is to be manufactured separate from the modified three-dimensional virtual model. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the information from the at least one informational marker includes data concerning a location of the implant installed within the patient's mouth. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the information from the at least one informational marker includes data concerning the implant includes an orientation of an anti-rotation -feature contained within the implant. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the information from the at least one informational marker includes data concerning at least one of a height of the attachment member and an outer contour of the attachment member. ### Claim 17 A system comprising: at least one processor; a storage device comprising instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, configure the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: receiving scan data from a patient's mouth, the scan data including at least an attachment member attached to an implant installed in the patient's mouth at an installation site, the attachment member including at least one informational marker for identifying physical characteristics of the attachment member; creating a three-dimensional model of the installation site including a virtual attachment member using the scan data, the virtual attachment member corresponding to the attachment member in the patient's mout; determining information from the at least one informational marker; and forming, based on the information, a modified three-dimensional model by replacing the virtual attachment member with at least one of: (i) an implant analog receptacle, (ii) a three-dimensional model of a portion of an implant analog, and (iii) a three-dimensional model of a portion of a dental restoration. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, further including: developing dimensional information based on the modified three-dimensional model. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the modified three-dimensional model is used to develop a custom dental prosthesis. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, configure the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: receiving scan data from a patients mouth, the scan data including at least a healing abutment attached to an implant installed in the patient's mouth at an installation site, the healing abutment including at least one informational marker for identifying physical characteristics of the healing abutment; creating a three-dimensional model of the installation site including a virtual healing abutment corresponding to the healing abutment in the patient's mouth; determining information from the at least one informational marker about the healing abutment; forming, based on the information, a modified three-dimensional model to be used to develop a custom dental prosthesis, wherein the modified three-dimensional model has the virtual healing abutment replaced with one of: (i) an implant analog receptacle, (ii) a three-dimensional model of a portion of an implant analog, and (iii) a three-dimensional model of a portion of a dental restoration.