# US 2024/0189079 A1 · Semi-automatic tooth segmentation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2024/0189079 A1 - Document ID: US20240189079A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/585,974 - Filed: 2024-02-23 - Published: 2024-06-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-31 - Assignees: James R. Glidewell Dental Ceramics, Inc. - Applicants: James R. Glidewell Dental Ceramics, Inc. - Inventors: Sergey Nikolskiy; Fedor Chelnokov - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240189079A1 ## CPC - A61C 13/0004: {Computer-assisted sizing or machining of dental prostheses} - A61C 9/004: {Means or methods for taking digitized impressions} - G06T 7/11: Region-based segmentation - G06T 2207/10028: Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds - G06T 2207/20104: Interactive definition of region of interest [ROI] - G06T 2207/30036: Dental; Teeth - 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) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A method and system provide segmenting a digital tooth in a 3D digital model of dentition. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method of segmenting a digital tooth in a 3D digital model of dentition, comprising: receiving a facial region and a lingual region of a digital tooth in a digital model; determining a separation region oriented through the facial region and the lingual region; determining a first segment path along the digital tooth on a first side of the separation region; determining a second segment path along the digital tooth on a second side of the separation region; and determining a digital surface of the digital tooth between the first segment path and the second segment path. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second segment path comprise a boundary loop. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the digital surface of the digital tooth comprises digital surface triangles within the boundary loop of the first segment path and the second segment path. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein determining the digital surface of the digital tooth comprises generating a dual-graph of original digital surface triangles. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the dual-graph comprises an inner dual-graph region and an outer dual-graph region separated by the boundary loop. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first segment path comprises a shortest path between a facial point in the facial region and a lingual point in the lingual region along a digital surface of the first side. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the second segment path comprises a shortest path between the facial point and the lingual point along a digital surface of the second side. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the separation region is a plane. ### Claim 9 A system for segmenting a digital tooth in a 3D digital model of dentition, comprising: a processor; a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by the processor to perform steps comprising: receiving a facial region and a lingual region of a digital tooth in a digital model; determining a separation region oriented through the facial region and the lingual region; determining a first segment path along the digital tooth on a first side of the separation region; determining a second segment path along the digital tooth on a second side of the separation region; and determining a digital surface of the digital tooth between the first segment path and the second segment path. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second segment path comprise a boundary loop. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the digital surface of the digital tooth comprises digital surface triangles within the boundary loop of the first segment path and the second segment path. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein determining the digital surface of the digital tooth comprises generating a dual-graph of original digital surface triangles. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the dual-graph comprises an inner dual-graph region and an outer dual-graph region separated by the boundary loop. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the first segment path comprises a shortest path between a facial point in the facial region and a lingual point in the lingual region along a digital surface of the first side. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the second segment path comprises a shortest path between the facial point and the lingual point along a digital surface of the second side. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the separation region is a plane. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing executable computer program instructions for segmenting a digital tooth in a 3D digital model of dentition, the computer program instructions including instructions for: receiving a facial region and a lingual region of a digital tooth in a digital model; determining a separation region oriented through the facial region and the lingual region; determining a first segment path along the digital tooth on a first side of the separation region; determining a second segment path along the digital tooth on a second side of the separation region; and determining a digital surface of the digital tooth between the first segment path and the second segment path. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The medium of claim 17, wherein the digital surface of the digital tooth comprises digital surface triangles within a boundary loop comprising the first segment path and the second segment path. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The medium of claim 17, wherein determining the digital surface of the digital tooth comprises generating a dual-graph of original digital surface triangles. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The medium of claim 19, wherein the dual-graph comprises an inner dual-graph region and an outer dual-graph region separated by the boundary loop.