Automated method and system for case matching assessment based on geometrical evaluation of stages in treatment plan

A system for characterizing a dentition of a patient, comprising:

• a central controller unit configured to:
• generate an initial profile representing the initial dentition of the patient;
• compare at least a portion of the initial profile with a plurality of reference profiles of reference dentitions from a database, wherein said plurality of reference profiles each include
• a treatment outcome reference dentition;
• calculate a value of closeness of the initial profile and each of the plurality of reference profiles based on differences in one or more dentition parameters for the initial profile and each of the plurality of reference profiles wherein the value of closeness is calculated using a distance function wherein the distance function includes:
• the initial profile;
• one of the plurality of reference profiles;
• the one or more dentition parameters;
• a predetermined weight of the one or more dentition parameters;
• a distance definition of the one or more dentition parameters;
• and
• a summation function extended to the set of all of the dentition parameters;
• select at least one of the plurality of reference profiles as a best match for the initial profile based on the calculated value of closeness;
• and
• provide a target dentition for a treatment outcome of the patient based on the related treatment outcome reference dentition of the selected at least one reference profile.

A method for finding a reference dentition profile match, comprising:

• receiving an initial dentition of a patient using a computing device;
• generating an initial profile representing the initial dentition of the patient using the computing device;
• identifying a first set of dentition parameters in the initial profile using the computing device;
• comparing the first set of dentition parameters to a corresponding first set of dentition parameters for a plurality of reference profiles using a computing device, wherein the plurality of reference profiles each include
• a treatment outcome reference dentition;
• determining an initial set of reference profiles with the first set of dentition parameters matching the first set of dentition parameters in the initial profile using the computing device;
• calculating a value of closeness of the initial profile and each reference profile in the set of reference profiles with a first set of dentition parameters matching the first set of dentition parameters in the initial profile using the computing device wherein the value of closeness is calculated based on differences in one or more dentition parameters for the initial profile and each of the plurality of reference profiles using a distance function wherein the distance function includes:
• the initial profile;
• one of the plurality of reference profiles;
• the one or more dentition parameters;
• a predetermined weight of the one or more dentition parameters;
• a distance definition of the one or more dentition;
• and
• a summation function extended to the set of all of the dentition parameters;
• selecting a best match reference profile based on the calculated value using the computing device;
• and
• providing a target dentition for a treatment outcome of the patient based on the treatment outcome reference dentition of the best match reference profile using the computing device.

A method of calculating a value for the closeness of an initial dentition profile and a reference dentition profile, comprising:

• determining an importance of each of a plurality of dentition parameters using a computing device;
• assigning a weight to the importance of each of the plurality of dentition parameters using the computing device wherein the weight is predetermined;
• calculating a value for the closeness of a first dentition parameter of an initial profile to a corresponding first dentition parameter of a reference profile taking into account the weight for the importance of the first dentition parameter using the computing device wherein the value of closeness is calculated based on differences in the first dentition parameter of the initial profile and the corresponding first dentition parameter of the reference profile using a distance function wherein the distance function includes:
• the initial profile;
• the reference profile;
• one or more dentition parameters;
• the predetermined weight of the one or more dentition parameters;
• a distance definition of the one or more dentition parameters;
• and
• a summation function extended to the set of all of the dentition parameters;
• calculating a value for the closeness of each of the remaining of the plurality of dentition parameters of an initial profile to the corresponding remaining dentition parameters of the reference profile, taking into account the weight for the importance of each of the remaining dentition parameters using the computing device wherein the value of closeness is calculated using the distance function;
• and
• calculating a sum of values for the closeness of the plurality of dentition parameters using the computing device.

An apparatus for performing a reference dentition profile match, comprising:

• a storage unit;
• and
• one or more processors operatively coupled to the storage unit to store data or retrieve data from the storage unit, the one or more processors configured to:
• retrieve an initial dentition of a patient,
• generate an initial profile representing the initial dentition of the patient,
• identify a first set of dentition parameters in the initial profile,
• compare the first set of dentition parameters to a corresponding first set of dentition parameters for a plurality of reference profiles, wherein the plurality of reference profiles each include
• a treatment outcome reference dentition,
• determine an initial set of reference profiles with the first set of dentition parameters matching the first set of dentition parameters in the initial profile,
• calculate a value of closeness of the initial profile and each reference profile in the set of reference profiles with a first set of dentition parameters matching the first set of dentition parameters in the initial profile wherein the value of closeness is calculated based on differences in the first set of dentition parameters in the initial profile and the first set of dentition parameters in the set of reference profiles using a distance function wherein the distance function includes:
• the initial profile;
• one of the plurality of reference profiles;
• one or more dentition parameters;
• a predetermined weight of the one or more dentition parameters;
• a distance definition of the one or more dentition parameters;
• and
• a summation function extended to the set of all of the dentition parameters;
• select a best match reference profile based on the calculated value, and
• provide a target dentition for a treatment outcome of the patient based on the related treatment outcome reference dentition of the reference profile.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a memory for storing data;
• and
• a processing unit operatively coupled to the memory, the processing unit configured to:
• determine the importance of each of a plurality of dentition parameters,
• assign a weight to the importance of each of the plurality of dentition parameters wherein the weight is predetermined,
• calculate a value for the closeness of a first dentition parameter of an initial profile to a corresponding first dentition parameter of a reference profile taking into account the weight for the importance of the first dentition parameter wherein the value of closeness is calculated based on differences in the first dentition parameter of the initial profile and the corresponding first dentition parameter of the reference profile using a distance function wherein the distance function includes:
• the initial profile;
• the reference profile;
• one or more dentition parameters;
• the predetermined weight of the one or more dentition parameters;
• a distance definition of the one or more dentition parameters;
• and
• a summation function extended to the set of all of the dentition parameters;
• calculate a value for the closeness of each of the remaining of the plurality of dentition parameters of an initial profile to the corresponding remaining dentition parameters of the reference profile, taking into account the weight for the importance of each of the remaining dentition parameters wherein the value of closeness is calculated using the distance function, and
• determine a sum of values for the closeness of the plurality of dentition parameters.