Methods for placing an implant analog in a physical model of the patient's mouth
AssigneeBiomet 3i, LLC
InventorsBruce Berckman, III, Zachary B. Suttin, Dan P. Rogers, T. Tait Robb, Alexis C. Goolik
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of placing a dental implant analog in a physical model for use in creating a dental prosthesis is provided. The physical model, which is usually based on an impression of the patient's mouth or a scan of the patient's mouth, is prepared. The model is scanned. A three-dimensional computer model of the physical model is created and is used to develop the location of the dental implant. A robot then modifies the physical model to create an opening for the implant analog. The robot then places the implant analog within the opening at the location dictated by the three-dimensional computer model.
Claims19
A method of locating a dental implant analog in a physical model of a patient's mouth for use in creating a tooth prosthesis, comprising:
- generating scan data corresponding to structures in the patient's mouth, the structures including at least one tooth and an informational marker indicating the location of a dental implant previously installed within the patient's mouth;
- creating a three-dimensional computer model of the patient's mouth using the scan data;
- fabricating a rapid-prototype implant-analog placement structure based on the three-dimensional computer model, the rapid-prototype implant-analog placement structure to be fitted on the physical model of the patient's mouth;
- coupling the dental implant analog to the rapid-prototype implant-analog placement structure;
- and
- registering the rapid-prototype implant-analog placement structure on the physical model of the patient's mouth, the registering directly causing the dental implant analog to be located within the physical model at a position corresponding to the location of the dental implant previously installed in the patient's mouth based on the scan data.
A method of locating a dental implant analog in a physical model of a patient's mouth using a three-dimensional computer model of the patient's mouth created from scan data corresponding to structures in the patient's mouth, the method comprising:
- fabricating a rapid-prototype implant-analog placement structure based on the three-dimensional computer model, the rapid-prototype implant-analog placement structure to be fitted on the physical model of the patient's mouth;
- coupling the dental implant analog to the rapid-prototype implant-analog placement structure such that when the rapid-prototype implant-analog placement structure is fitted on the physical model of the patient's mouth, the dental implant analog is positioned in the physical model at a location that corresponds with a location of a dental implant previously installed in the patient's mouth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.