Virtual dental articulator
AssigneeTesoro IP Holding, LLC
InventorDavid D. Richter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for creating a model of a patient's mandible and any teeth supported from the mandible and manipulating the mandible relative to anatomical features of the patient's maxilla. The system uses markers positioned on the mandible and on the maxilla to create a functional mandibular axis that approximates an axis through the condyles of the patient. The functional mandibular axis and geometric and anatomical information about the patient's upper and lower jaw are then used to create prostheses for the patient. The system is also used for making corrections to the prosthesis.
Claims16
A virtual dental articulator, comprising:
- a processor communicatively coupled to a non-transitory computer readable memory containing an application program executable to:
- track a lateral excursion of a mandible with a first condyle disposed within a corresponding first center fossa;
- establish a location of a first functional condyle;
- track a lateral excursion of said mandible with a second condyle disposed within a corresponding second center fossa;
- and
- define an axis of rotation of said mandible based on said location of said first functional condyle and said second functional condyle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.