Automated method of manufacturing oral appliances
AssigneeProsomnus Sleep Technologies, Inc.
InventorsSung Kim, David W. Kuhns, Leonard A. Liptak
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are methods of manufacturing an oral appliance, the method comprising the steps of: a) importing into a computer aided design (CAD) computer program a digitized data set obtained from a three-dimensional scan of a patient's dentition; b) preparing a three-dimensional electronic model of the patient's dentition; c) subtracting the three-dimensional electronic model of the patient's dentition from an image of a solid block to obtain an appliance data set; and d) manufacturing a dental appliance in accordance with the appliance data set. Also disclosed are devices made by the above method, and methods of treating a condition, for example a sleep breathing disorder, by using a device made by the above method.
Claims17
A method of manufacturing an oral appliance, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) preparing a three-dimensional electronic model of the a patient's dentition;
- b) determining a contour curve for the dentition, wherein the contour curve is placed at an offset distance at either buccal or lingual side of the dentition, wherein the offset distance for each tooth of the dentition is a fraction of visible buccal or lingual height of the respective tooth;
- wherein a solid block is obtained based on the contour curve;
- c) subtracting the three-dimensional electronic;
- model of the patient's dentition from an image of the solid block to obtain an appliance data set;
- and
- d) manufacturing a dental appliance in accordance with the appliance data set.
A method of manufacturing a splint for a mandibular advancement device, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) preparing a three-dimensional electronic model of a patient's dentition;
- b) superimposing an image of a solid block over the electronic model of one of the patient's upper or lower dentition,
- wherein the solid block has a “U” shape that approximates a curvature of the patient's dentition, and
- whereby a gingival surface of the solid block is at about a height of contour of a molar tooth of the dentition;
- c) determining a contour curve for the dentition, wherein the contour curve is placed at an offset distance at either buccal or lingual side of the dentition, wherein the offset distance is between about 20% to about 80% of visible tooth height of one of the posterior-most molars;
- d) moving the height of contour curve towards a gingival line by a distance of about between about 1% to about 50% of the visible tooth height of one of the posterior-most molars;
- e) subtracting the portion of the solid block below the height of contour curve to obtain a contoured block;
- f) subtracting the three-dimensional electronic model of the patient's dentition from the contoured block to obtain an appliance data set;
- g) manufacturing in an automated manner a dental appliance in accordance with the appliance data set.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.