Patents Assigned to Align Technology, Inc.
  • DENTAL APPLIANCES WITH REPOSITIONING JAW ELEMENTS
    Publication number: 20230346518
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides method, computing device readable medium, and devices for dental appliances with repositioning jaw elements. An example of a removable dental appliance includes a shell having a number of tooth apertures configured to receive and reposition a number of teeth of a patient along one jaw of a patient, a repositioning jaw element that extends from a buccal or lingual surface of the shell, the element having a first outer surface oriented to face the tongue of the patient surface and a second outer surface oriented to face the cheek of the patient, and a reinforcement member formed along at least one of the first and second outer surfaces to provide reinforcement of the repositioning jaw element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicant: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Rohit TANUGULA, Crystal TJHIA, Dennis TE
  • SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CORRECTING MALOCCLUSIONS OF TEETH
    Publication number: 20230346520
    Abstract: A system for correcting class III malocclusions is disclosed. The system may include a maxilla appliance having tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of the maxilla and a first coupling for receiving an elastic. The system may also include a mandibular appliance having tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of the mandible. In some embodiments, the system includes a class III corrective appliance having a first mount shaped to engage with the mandibular arch of the patient and having a second coupling shaped to receive the elastic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicant: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Mitra DERAKHSHAN, Crystal TJHIA, Rohit TANUGULA, Yaser SHANJANI, Ryan KIMURA, Bruce CAM, Eric YAU, Yuxiang WANG, Ken WU, Peter WEBBER, Jun SATO, John Y. MORTON
  • Methods for generating composite images of a patient
    Patent number: 11801121
    Abstract: Methods and systems for generating composite images of a patient and models of the patient's dentition are provided. In some embodiments, a method includes generating a plurality of 3D models, each comprising a virtual representation of the patient's dentition at different treatment stages of a treatment plan and obtaining an image of the patient's face and dentition. The method can include projecting the obtained image into a 3D space to create a projected 3D model of the patient's face and dentition. The method can also include generating a plurality of modified images, each representing the patient in a treatment stage of the treatment plan and formed by combining the patient's dentition of one of the 3D models with the patient's face of the projected 3D model. A modified image corresponding to a selected treatment stage and a corresponding 3D model can be provided for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dmitry Mednikov, Svetlana Makarenkova, Pavel Pokotilov, Aleksandr Zhulin, Boris Likhtman
  • Systems for generating digital models of patient teeth
    Patent number: 11803669
    Abstract: Systems for modeling a patient's teeth are provided. In some embodiments, a system includes a scanner operable to capture a scanned image of at least a portion of a surface of a first crown component of a first patient tooth, and to generate scanned image data representing a partial portion of the surface of the first crown component. The system can also include a processor configured to create a digital data set representing the scanned image data, select a digital tooth template that includes a second digital crown portion corresponding to the scanned image, create a morphed digital tooth crown model based on the selected digital tooth template, and merge the morphed digital tooth crown model with the digital data set representing the scanned image data of the first patient tooth to generate a complete digital patient tooth crown model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Kuo, Vadim Matov, Jihua Cheng
  • Occlusal blocks for mandibular relocation
    Patent number: 11801124
    Abstract: A plurality of occlusal blocks for a mandibular relocation may include a first occlusal block including a first engagement surface and a first side surface with a first undercut formed in the first side surface of the first occlusal block. A second occlusal block may include a second engagement surface to engage the first engagement surface and a second side surface with a second undercut formed in the second side surface of the second occlusal block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: James Nishimuta, Jun Sato
  • Image based orthodontic treatment refinement
    Patent number: 11800216
    Abstract: A method for dental treatment may include receiving photos capturing a state of a patient's dentition of a patient at a specific time, retrieving a first treatment plan to treat the patient's dentition, identifying an intended arrangement of the first treatment plan at the specific time, evaluating the photo parameters of the photos to generate alignment data to align the intended arrangement of the first treatment plan and the photos, generating an alignment mesh using the alignment data, the alignment mesh comprising a three-dimensional (3D) mesh representation of the patient's dentition at the specific time, performing an evaluation of the first treatment plan for modifications using the alignment mesh, and identifying proposed modifications to the first treatment plan based on the evaluation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Cramer, Rajiv Venkata, Leela Parvathaneni, Phillip Thomas Harris, Sravani Gurijala, Svetozar Hubenov, Sebastien Hareng, Guotu Li, Yun Gao, Chad Clayton Brown
  • Image registration of intraoral images using non-rigid indicia
    Patent number: 11793610
    Abstract: A processing device receives intraoral scan data comprising a plurality of intraoral images of a dental site generated during scanning of the dental site by an intraoral scanner, one or more ink markings or other non-rigid indicia having been applied to the dental site prior to the scanning of the dental site, wherein at least two intraoral images of the plurality of intraoral images comprise representations of the one or more ink markings or other non-rigid indica. The processing device performs registration between the plurality of intraoral images and generates a three-dimensional (3D) model of the dental site using the plurality of intraoral images that have undergone registration, the 3D model of the dental site comprising a representation of the one or more ink markings or other non-rigid indica that were applied to the dental site prior to the scanning of the dental site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Avi Kopelman, Adi Levin, Ran Katz, Eric Kuo
  • Devices, systems, and methods for dental arch expansion
    Patent number: 11793606
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for generating a treatment plan for arch expansion where a polymeric shell appliance is utilized to generate one or more activation forces that facilitate tooth movement. The polymeric shell appliances may comprise one or more tooth receiving cavities, in which each of the plurality of tooth receiving cavities is shaped and arranged to provide a counter moment of each of the plurality of teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Cam, Peter Webber, Yuxiang Wang, Jun Sato, Jeeyoung Choi
  • Systems, methods, and devices for applying distributed forces for mandibular advancement
    Patent number: 11793667
    Abstract: Improved systems, methods, and devices for treating sleep apnea are provided herein. In one aspect, an intraoral appliance for treating sleep apnea in a patient comprises an appliance shell comprising a plurality of cavities shaped to receive teeth of a jaw of the patient. The appliance shell can comprise an advancement structure arranged to interact with an opposing jaw of the patient so as to displace the lower jaw anteriorly relative to the upper jaw. The plurality of cavities can comprise cavity geometries shaped to reduce repositioning of one or more received teeth elicited by displacement of the lower jaw anteriorly relative to the upper jaw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Bruce Cam, Crystal Tjhia, Chunhua Li, Vadim Matov, John Morton
  • Apparatus for measuring surface topography of a patient's teeth
    Patent number: 11793611
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a probe and a light source configured to output light. The apparatus includes a light focusing assembly comprising an image space lens, an object space lens and a focus changing assembly between the image space lens and the object space lens. The focus changing assembly is configured to focus the light to a plurality of external focal planes to illuminate a patient's teeth, wherein at least a portion of the focus changing assembly is located at a back focal length of the object space lens. The apparatus includes a detector to measure characteristics of incident light returning from an illuminated patient's teeth and a processor coupled to the detector and configured to generate data representative of a topography of the patient's teeth based on the one or more measured characteristics of the incident light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yossef Atiya, Tal Verker
  • Health-care systems and methods
    Patent number: 11798046
    Abstract: A virtual health-care electronic commerce community includes a network to communicate information relating to the community; one or more patients coupled to the network; one or more treating professionals coupled to the network; and a server coupled to the network, the server storing data for each patient and performing patient data visualization in response to a user request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Joe Breeland, Amir Abolfathi, David Etheridge, Jason Shelton
  • Systems and methods for correcting malocclusions of teeth
    Patent number: 11793608
    Abstract: A system for correcting class III malocclusions is disclosed. The system may include a maxilla appliance having tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of the maxilla and a first coupling for receiving an elastic. The system may also include a mandibular appliance having tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of the mandible. In some embodiments, the system includes a class III corrective appliance having a first mount shaped to engage with the mandibular arch of the patient and having a second coupling shaped to receive the elastic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Mitra Derakhshan, Crystal Tjhia, Rohit Tanugula, Yaser Shanjani, Ryan Kimura, Bruce Cam, Eric Yau, Yuxiang Wang, Ken Wu, Peter Webber, Jun Sato, John Y. Morton
  • Treatment of teeth by aligners
    Patent number: 11789594
    Abstract: A method for treating a subject's teeth. A target configuration for the subject's teeth is determined. Receiving features are produced on a dental base in response to the target configuration, the receiving features being configured to receive physical tooth models. The physical tooth models are assembled on the dental base to form a physical arch model. A dental aligner is produced using the physical arch model to move the subject's teeth to the target configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Huafeng Wen
  • Occlusal block design for lateral locking
    Patent number: 11786341
    Abstract: A first appliance and a second appliance comprise engagement surfaces that provide mandibular relocation forces and forces to limit lateral movement of the jaw, such as opposing inclined surfaces on opposite sides of the mouth. In some embodiments, engagement surfaces between oral appliances comprise a curvature difference, which allows engagement at differing angles and positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: James Nishimuta, Jun Sato
  • Deep learning for tooth detection and evaluation
    Patent number: 11790643
    Abstract: A method includes receiving an image of a face of a patient, the image including a depiction of teeth; processing the image of the face using one or more trained machine learning model, wherein the one or more trained machine learning model outputs a pixel-level classification of pixels in the image, the pixel level classification comprising a first set of pixels classified as being inside of a bounding shape that bounds a first plurality of teeth depicted in the image and a second set of pixels classified as being outside of the first bounding shape; cropping the image of the face of the patient, wherein the cropped image comprises depictions of the first plurality of teeth; and performing one or more operations on the cropped image of the face of the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ya Xue, Yingjie Li, Chao Shi, Aleksandr Anikin, Mikhail Toporkov, Aleksandr Sergeevich Karsakov
  • Processing color information for intraoral scans
    Patent number: 11792384
    Abstract: A method includes receiving scan data of a tooth during a first mode of operation, the scan data of the tooth having been generated by an intraoral scanner. The method includes invoking a second mode of operation and presenting, in a GUI, an image of the tooth. The method includes presenting, in the GUI, indications of a plurality of color zones of the tooth, the indications comprising, for at least one color zone of the plurality of color zones, an indication that insufficient color information has been received, wherein each color zone represents a separate region of the tooth for which an approximately uniform color is to be used. The method includes categorizing, for one or more color zones of the plurality of color zones for which sufficient color information has been received, each of the one or more color zones according to a color pallet used for dental prosthetics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gilad Furst, Tal Verker, Ofer Saphier
  • Treatment of temperomandibular joint dysfunction with aligner therapy
    Patent number: 11779437
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing and generating a treatment plan for temporomandibular joint dysfunction where a polymeric shell appliance is utilized to generate one or more activation forces that facilitate tooth movement. The polymeric shell appliances may comprise one or more tooth receiving cavities, in which each of the plurality of tooth receiving cavities is shaped and arranged to provide a counter moment of each of the plurality of teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Cam, John Y. Morton, Vadim Matov, Jun Sato
  • Customized aligner change indicator
    Patent number: 11779243
    Abstract: According to the techniques herein, one or more sensors coupled to an aligner are used to sense one or more physical qualities of the aligner to determine whether the physical qualities indicate that the aligner material has relaxed and has, e.g., reduced the force systems applied to teeth and/or that the teeth movement for the stage has slowed down. The sensors may provide a signal that represents whether or not the physical qualities fall below a threshold value. A treatment plan may be modified if needed. These techniques have the potential to make treatment plans faster and more effective by speeding up some stages while making sure some, perhaps other, stages are implemented only after the teeth are near the appropriate position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Huizhong Li, Andrew Jang, Michael Christopher Cole, Yuxiang Wang, Jun Sato, Allen R. Boronkay
  • Methods and systems for dental procedures
    Patent number: 11779444
    Abstract: A device including a coded pattern for use in dental procedures is provided. Related methods and systems are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Avi Kopelman
  • Systems and methods for nonlinear tooth modeling
    Patent number: 11771526
    Abstract: Systems and methods of generating an orthodontic model are disclosed. The method may include: generating an initial model of a patient dentition; generating a target model of the patient dentition; defining a plurality of caps and a plurality of links, wherein each link connects two of the plurality of caps; generating a relaxed model of a dental appliance from the plurality of caps and the plurality of links; generating a deformed model of a dental appliance from the plurality of caps and plurality of links; and determining a plurality of movements, wherein the plurality of moments transform the relaxed model to the deformed model and wherein the moments are configured to direct the patient dentition from the initial model to the target model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Vadim Matov, Sergei Brodsky, Bastien Pesenti, Yuri Syrov, Ping Tang, Manlio Fabio Valdivieso Casique, Olga Matusevich, Igor Kvasov