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US 9,433,479 B2Granted
Systems and methods for fabricating a dental template
AssigneeAlign Technology, Inc.
InventorsLoc X. Phan, Peter G. Knopp, Eric E. Kuo, Amir Abolfathi, Huafeng Wen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dental template to position an object on a patient's tooth includes digitizing the patient's tooth; adding virtual objects to predetermined locations on the digitized tooth; and fabricating the dental template to locate the object on the patient's tooth. The template can be used for etching or for positioning brackets on teeth.
Claims17
A system for fabricating a template for positioning orthodontic objects on a patient's teeth, the system comprising:
- one or more processors;
- and
- memory comprising program code that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
- receive a digital teeth model representing a patient's teeth;
- display one or more virtual orthodontic objects placed at respective locations and orientations on the digital teeth model;
- determine a geometry for a template adapted for placement over the patient's teeth and comprising one or more openings defining one or more object support edges, wherein the one or more object support edges are shaped to receive and position one or more orthodontic objects at respective locations and orientations on the patient's teeth corresponding to the respective locations and orientations of the one or more virtual orthodontic objects on the digital teeth model, and wherein the one or more openings each comprise a cut-out open to a gingival side of the template;
- and
- output fabrication data for fabricating the template having the determined geometry.
5 more elements
A method for fabricating a template for positioning orthodontic objects on a patient's teeth, the method comprising:
- receiving, with aid of a processor, a digital teeth model representing a patient's teeth;
- displaying, with aid of the processor, one or more virtual orthodontic objects placed at respective locations and orientations on the digital teeth model;
- determining, with aid of the processor, a geometry for a template adapted for placement over the patient's teeth and comprising one or more openings defining one or more object support edges, wherein the one or more object support edges are shaped to receive and position one or more orthodontic objects at respective locations and orientations on the patient's teeth corresponding to the respective locations and orientations of the one or more virtual orthodontic objects on the digital teeth model, and wherein the one or more openings each comprise a cut-out open to a gingival side of the template;
- and
- outputting, with aid of the processor, fabrication data for fabricating the template having the determined geometry.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.