Patents by Inventor Chunhua Li

Chunhua Li has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240024155
    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: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicant: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Bruce CAM, Crystal TJHIA, Chunhua LI, Vadim MATOV, John MORTON
  • Publication number: 20240016592
    Abstract: Dental appliances having ornamental designs and associated methods are provided. In some embodiments, a method of providing a design on a dental appliance having a geometry configured to receive teeth includes providing the appliance, and altering an appearance of at least a portion of the appliance to provide the design on the appliance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Inventors: David Mason, Shiva Sambu, Chunhua Li, Yan Chen
  • Publication number: 20240016581
    Abstract: A series of a palatal expanders increasing width can be used to gradually expand a patient's palate. Each palatal expander may have a palatal region flanked by teeth regions. The palatal region can have a plurality of anchor-receiving features (e.g., anchor interfaces) that allow the palatal expander to be attached to temporary anchorage device anchors that have been implanted into the patient's maxilla.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Inventors: Jeremy RILEY, Eric KUO, Chunhua LI
  • Publication number: 20240016578
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for manufacturing medical devices, such as implants, joint replacements, graft materials, augmentation materials, prosthetic materials, etc., from solid material reinforced curable resins. Methods of repositioning a patient's teeth using such medical devices are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Inventors: Jürgen STAMPFL, Yan CHEN, Chunhua LI, Peter DORFINGER, Alexander HOCHWALLNER
  • Publication number: 20240008958
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are curable resins comprising solid reinforcement materials and solid material reinforced polymeric materials formed by curing the curable resins using additive manufacturing. In various implements, the solid material reinforced polymeric materials may be used in medical devices such as implants, joint replacements, graft materials, augmentation materials, prosthetic materials, etc. to treat a patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Jürgen STAMPFL, Yan CHEN, Chunhua LI, Peter DORFINGER, Alexander HOCHWALLNER
  • Publication number: 20230414325
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides method, systems, and devices for adjusting an arch of teeth. An appliance includes a removable shell formed of a first material having a number of cavities formed therein, wherein the number of cavities are shaped to receive teeth of a patient, and an arch element extending from the removable shell in a lingual direction and across at least a portion of the arch width of the removable shell, wherein the arch element is designed to expand an arch of the teeth of the patient, wherein the arch element has a width specific to a stage of a treatment plan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: Ryan KIMURA, John MORTON, Richard SHAW, Chunhua LI
  • Patent number: 11826221
    Abstract: A series of a palatal expanders increasing width can be used to gradually expand a patient's palate. Each palatal expander may have a palatal region flanked by teeth regions. The palatal region can have a plurality of anchor-receiving features (e.g., anchor interfaces) that allow the palatal expander to be attached to temporary anchorage device anchors that have been implanted into the patient's maxilla.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy Riley, Eric Kuo, Chunhua Li
  • Publication number: 20230355353
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides method, systems, and devices for adjusting an arch of teeth. An appliance includes a removable shell formed of a first material having a number of cavities formed therein, wherein the number of cavities are shaped to receive teeth of a patient, and an arch element extending from the removable shell in a lingual direction and across at least a portion of the arch width of the removable shell, wherein the arch element is designed to expand an arch of the teeth of the patient, wherein the arch element has a width specific to a stage of a treatment plan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2023
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Ryan KIMURA, John MORTON, Richard SHAW, Chunhua LI
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20230302777
    Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-layer, preferably co-extruded, plastic film with improved modulus properties, which is suitable, in particular, for producing three-dimensionally shaped articles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: Heinz Pudleiner, Klaus Meyer, Juergen Winkler, Wolfgang Bräuer, Joerg Nickel, Craig Pehlert, Chunhua Li, Yan Chen
  • Patent number: 11766313
    Abstract: A multilayer sheet comprising first, second, and third layers is provided. The first layer consists of a co-polyester having an elongation at break of greater than 70%. The second layer consists of a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer having an elongation at break of greater than 200% and a hardness of about 60 A to about 85 D. The first layer has a hardness greater than the hardness of the second layer. A mold is provided and the multilayer sheet is thermoformed over the mold to form a plurality of tooth-receiving cavities configured to receive and position a patient's teeth from a first arrangement toward a second arrangement. Excess material is trimmed from the thermoformed multilayer sheet to form the multilayer dental aligner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chunhua Li, Yan Chen, Heinz Pudleiner, Klaus Meyer, Joerg Nickel, Craig Pehlert
  • Patent number: 11766314
    Abstract: A multilayer sheet comprising first and second layers is provided. The first layer consists of a co-polyester. The second layer consists of a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer having an elongation at break of greater than 200%, a hardness of 60A to 85D, an ultimate tensile strength of greater than about 5000 psi, and a light transmission between 400 nm and 800 nm of greater than about 75%. A mold is provided and the multilayer sheet is thermoformed over the mold to form a plurality of tooth-receiving cavities configured to receive and reposition a patient's teeth from a first arrangement toward a second arrangement. Excess material is trimmed from the thermoformed multilayer sheet to form a multilayer dental aligner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chunhua Li, Yan Chen, Heinz Pudleiner, Klaus Meyer, Joerg Nickel, Craig Pehlert
  • Patent number: 11744677
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides method, systems, and devices for adjusting an arch of teeth. An appliance includes a removable shell formed of a first material having a number of cavities formed therein, wherein the number of cavities are shaped to receive teeth of a patient, and an arch element extending from the removable shell in a lingual direction and across at least a portion of the arch width of the removable shell, wherein the arch element is designed to expand an arch of the teeth of the patient, wherein the arch element has a width specific to a stage of a treatment plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Kimura, John Morton, Richard Shaw, Chunhua Li
  • Publication number: 20230263599
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides method, computing device readable medium, and devices for dental appliances with repositioning jaw elements. An example of a method can include identifying a misaligned jaw of a patient from a virtual image of the patient’s jaw, providing a treatment plan for the patient including a virtual model of a dental appliance having a first shell and a second shell configured to reposition at least one tooth of the parent, and adjusting the position of the repositioning jaw elements on the first shell and the second shell to comply with a number of constraints.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Applicant: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Ken WU, Eric E. KUO, Mitra DERAKHSHAN, Crystal TJHIA, Eric YAU, Allen R. BORONKAY, Chunhua LI, Gleb KRIVOVYAZ
  • Publication number: 20230255728
    Abstract: Methods for designing orthodontic appliances are provided. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a treatment plan for a patient's dentition and generating an aligner model representing an aligner configured to implement a treatment stage of the treatment plan. The aligner model can include a thickness map having a thickness parameter for each location of the aligner model. The method can include adjusting the thickness map by using the aligner model to evaluate an outcome when the aligner is applied to the patient's dentition, and iteratively reducing the value of each thickness parameter of the thickness map based on the evaluation until a resulting thickness is determined for each thickness parameter. The method can also include providing instructions to manufacture the aligner based on the aligner model with the resulting thickness for each thickness parameter of the thickness map.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Yuxiang Wang, Andrew Jang, Bruce Cam, Rohit Tanugula, Chunhua Li, Jun Sato, Luyao Cai, Pavel Pokotilov, Kangning Su, John Y. Morton
  • Patent number: 11723753
    Abstract: Methods for generating orthodontic models having bite adjustment structures may include generating orthodontic treatment plan comprising a plurality of stages by positioning a plurality of digital bite adjustment structures on a corresponding plurality of anterior digital teeth of a digital model of a jaw at a first stage of a treatment plan, adjusting the position of the plurality of digital bite adjustment structures on the corresponding plurality of anterior digital teeth of the digital model of the jaw at a second stage of the treatment plan according to changes to the digital model of the jaw between the first stage of the treatment plan and the second stage of the treatment plan, and providing the digital model of the jaw for fabrication of physical models corresponding to the jaw at the first and the second stages of the treatment plan for formation of appliances thereover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Rohit Tanugula, John Morton, Chunhua Li, Bastien Pesenti, Jihua Cheng, Jeeyoung Choi
  • Publication number: 20230240810
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, computing device readable medium, and devices for dental appliances with repositioning jaw elements. An example of a method can include moving at least one tooth with a dental appliance having a first shell configured to receive a plurality of teeth of a patient's upper dentition and separating an upper dentition of a patient from a lower dentition of the patient utilizing the dental appliance. The dental appliance may interface a first surface of a first repositioning jaw element of the first shell with a second surface of a second repositioning jaw element of a second shell of the dental appliance. The dental appliance separates occlusal surfaces of the plurality of teeth of the patient's upper dentition from occlusal surfaces of the plurality of teeth of the patient's lower dentition as the patient moves to a fully engaged sagittal jaw position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Applicant: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Ken WU, Eric E. KUO, Mitra DERAKHSHAN, Crystal TJHIA, Eric YAU, Allen R. BORONKAY, Chunhua LI
  • Patent number: 11712411
    Abstract: Lip compositions including at least one semi-crystalline acrylate copolymer, wherein the compositions include at least two components prior to mixing and application to lips and are capable of forming a multilayer structure after application to lips, are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: L'OREAL
    Inventors: XianZhi Zhou, Tsang-Min Huang, Jody Ebanks, Mariko Hasebe, Hy Si Bui, Chunhua Li, Rita Jaky El-Khouri, Rabia Ahmad
  • Publication number: 20230210635
    Abstract: Provided herein are curable compositions for use in a high temperature lithography-based photopolymerization process, a method of producing crosslinked polymers using said curable compositions, crosslinked polymers thus produced, and orthodontic appliances comprising the crosslinked polymers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Inventors: Robert LISKA, Christian GORSCHE, Gyorgy HARAKALY, Markus KURY, Jurgen STAMPFL, Peter DORFINGER, Yan CHEN, Chunhua LI, Srinivas KAZA
  • Patent number: 11691399
    Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-layer, preferably co-extruded, plastic film with improved modulus properties, which is suitable, in particular, for producing three-dimensionally shaped articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Covestro Intellectual Property GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Heinz Pudleiner, Klaus Meyer, Jürgen Winkler, Wolfgang Bräuer, Joerg Nickel, Craig Pehlert, Chunhua Li, Yan Chen