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US 2026/0109084 A1Published application
Mechanisms to automate removal of aligner from mold
AssigneeAlign Technology, Inc.
InventorsMehdi Mojdeh, Shiva P. Sambu, Dennis McNamara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shell removal device includes a platform configured to secure a mold. An untrimmed shell is formed over the mold. The shell removal device further includes a drive mechanism configured to move the platform away from the untrimmed shell responsive to sensor data indicative that the untrimmed shell has begun to separate from the mold.
Claims20
A shell removal device comprising:
- a platform configured to secure a mold of a dental arch associated with a patient, a heated plastic sheet having been thermal formed over the mold to generate an untrimmed dental appliance secured to the mold;
- and
- a drive assembly configured to move the platform away from the untrimmed dental appliance to cause the mold and untrimmed dental appliance to separate from each other.
A method comprising:
- causing a mold of a dental arch associated with a patient to be secured to a platform of a shell removal device, a heated plastic sheet having been thermal formed over the mold to generate an untrimmed dental appliance secured to the mold;
- causing the untrimmed dental appliance to be secured between a cover of the shell removal device and a body of the shell removal device, the platform being disposed in the body;
- and
- causing, via a drive mechanism, the mold secured to the platform and the untrimmed dental appliance secured between the body and the cover to separate from each other.
1 more element
A system comprising:
- a memory;
- and
- a processing device coupled to the system, the processing device to:
- identify sensor data associated with an untrimmed dental appliance separating from a mold of a dental arch associated with a patient;
- and
- cause, based on the sensor data, a drive mechanism of a shell removal device to cause the mold secured to a platform of the shell removal device and the untrimmed dental appliance secured between a body of the shell removal device and a cover of the shell removal device to separate from each other.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.