Abstract: A method for compact and descriptive representation of teeth shape, or other shapes, in terms of characteristic curves and its application to generation of automatic designs within dental CAD software or other software is provided. In an embodiment, a method includes capturing tooth shape by a network of characteristic curves, such as margin lines. In an embodiment, a method includes compactly encoding curves as strings, which then can be indexed and searched efficiently by similarity. In an embodiment, a method includes retrieving high quality crown design proposals from a case repository based on similarity of margin line.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for generating computer 3D models of an object, by registering two or more scans of physical models of an object. The scans may be 3D scans registered by a curve-based registration process. A method is provided for generating a 3D model of a portion of a patient's oral anatomy for use in dental restoration design. Also provided are scanning workflows for scanning physical models of an object to obtain a 3D model.

Abstract: A computer-aided design (CAD) model of an article for manufacture, together with user problem definition input including materials, constraints, load conditions, preferred manufacturing processes, etc. for an optimized design of the article or material microstructure are received via a prompt-and-response graphical user interface. Based on this information, one or more routines to iteratively optimize material distribution within said article or the material microstructure design are executed in order to achieve best performance for materials, loads, and constraints specified by the user. At the completion of the optimization process, the user is presented the optimized design in a CAD file describing the optimized design of the article for the preferred manufacturing process or a newly designed material microstructure, as appropriate.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of recognizing dental information associated with a dental model of dentition includes training a deep neural network to map a plurality of training dental models representing at least a portion of each one of a plurality of patients' dentitions to a probability vector including probability of the at least a portion of the dentition belonging to each one of a set of multiple categories. The category of the at least a portion of the dentition represented by the training dental model corresponds to the highest probability in the probability vector. The method includes receiving a dental model representing at least a portion of a patient's dentition and recognizing dental information associated with the dental model by applying the trained deep neural network to determine a category of the at least a portion of the patient's dentition represented by the received dental model.

Abstract: Methods and systems for designing an earpiece device are provided. The method includes receiving a plurality of images for a respective plurality of individuals. Each image includes at least one ear anatomy. For each image, a three-dimensional (3D) surface representing the at least one ear anatomy is extracted, to form a plurality of extracted surfaces corresponding to the plurality of images. At least one statistical measurement representative of at least a portion of the plurality of individuals is determined from among the plurality of extracted surfaces. At least one design parameter for the earpiece device is optimized based on the at least one statistical measurement, The earpiece device is formed using the optimized at least one design parameter.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for generating computer 3D models of an object, by registering two or more scans of physical models of an object. The scans may be 3D scans registered by a curve-based registration process. A method is provided for generating a 3D model of a portion of a patient's oral anatomy for use in dental restoration design. Also provided are scanning workflows for scanning physical models of an object to obtain a 3D model.

Abstract: A computer model of a physical object may be formed by registering multiple images of the physical object by using a registration process based on characteristic features of the physical object. Multiple images may be registered by aligning characteristic curves of the physical object that have been identified through imaging. A curve-based registration process may be used in dental applications to register multiple images of a patient's oral anatomy to form a computer 3D model from which a patient-specific dental restoration may be designed.

Abstract: A computer assisted method creates accurate CAD/CAM models of custom orthopedic implants is provided. Information about bone geometry is acquired through medical imaging such as CT image scans. The desired bone surface region is extracted as a polygonal mesh after processing the 3D images. A smooth and accurate B-Spline surface is fitted to the polygonal mesh that is thickened to a solid CAD model. A patient-specific customized implant is manufactured from the obtained CAD model. The patient-specific customized implant is implanted in a patient by a surgeon in an operating room. A processor based system to generate a CAD/CAM file of the patient-specific customized implant and a manufacturing system enabled to manufacture the implant from the CAD/CAM file are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for generating computer 3D models of an object, by registering two or more scans of physical models of an object. The scans may be 3D scans registered by a curve-based registration process. A method is provided for generating a 3D model of a portion of a patient's oral anatomy for use in dental restoration design. Also provided are scanning workflows for scanning physical models of an object to obtain a 3D model.

Abstract: A computer assisted method creates accurate CAD/CAM models of custom orthopedic implants is provided. Information about bone geometry is acquired through medical imaging such as CT image scans. The desired bone surface region is extracted as a polygonal mesh after processing the 3D images. A smooth and accurate B-Spline surface is fitted to the polygonal mesh that is thickened to a solid CAD model. A patient-specific customized implant is manufactured from the obtained CAD model. The patient-specific customized implant is implanted in a patient by a surgeon in an operating room. A processor based system to generate a CAD/CAM file of the patient-specific customized implant and a manufacturing system enabled to manufacture the implant from the CAD/CAM file are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method on a processor customizes a fixation plate for repairing a bone fracture. A digital CAD model of an implant contains smooth analytic geometry representations including NURBS. The CAD geometry is directly manipulated to generate a customized implant CAD model that conforms to the desired region of the bone surface of a patient. Direct manipulation of NURBS geometry is computationally fast and suitable for interactive planning. The patient specific customized implant is produced directly from the generated customized CAD model with a standard CNC machine before surgery. The patient customized implant is implanted in the patient.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods of designing dental restorations and systems for performing the described methods are provided. In an embodiment, a method includes providing a virtual three dimensional representation of at least a portion of the patient's dentition that includes at least one preparation tooth, identifying a preparation margin on the virtual three dimensional representation, placing an arch form of a virtual tooth library in alignment with the virtual three dimensional representation, and proposing an initial restoration design based upon a tooth design obtained from the virtual tooth library.

Abstract: Methods and systems for designing an earpiece device are provided. The method includes receiving a plurality of images for a respective plurality of individuals. Each image includes at least one ear anatomy. For each image, a three-dimensional (3D) surface representing the at least one ear anatomy is extracted, to form a plurality of extracted surfaces corresponding to the plurality of images. At least one statistical measurement representative of at least a portion of the plurality of individuals is determined from among the plurality of extracted surfaces. At least one design parameter for the earpiece device is optimized based on the at least one statistical measurement, The earpiece device is formed using the optimized at least one design parameter.

Abstract: A method for compact and descriptive representation of teeth shape (or other anatomic shapes) in terms of characteristic curves and its application to generation of automatic designs within dental CAD software or other software is provided. In an embodiment, a method includes capturing tooth shape by a network of characteristic curves (i.e. margin lines). In an embodiment, a method includes compactly encoding curves as strings, which then can be indexed and searched efficiently by similarity. In an embodiment, a method includes retrieving high quality crown design proposals from a case repository based on similarity of margin lines.

Abstract: A method for compact and descriptive representation of teeth shape, or other shapes, in terms of characteristic curves and its application to generation of automatic designs within dental CAD software or other software is provided. In an embodiment, a method includes capturing tooth shape by a network of characteristic curves, such as margin lines. In an embodiment, a method includes compactly encoding curves as strings, which then can be indexed and searched efficiently by similarity. In an embodiment, a method includes retrieving high quality crown design proposals from a case repository based on similarity of margin line.

Abstract: A method on a processor customizes a fixation plate for repairing a bone fracture. A digital CAD model of an implant contains smooth analytic geometry representations including NURBS. The CAD geometry is directly manipulated to generate a customized implant CAD model that conforms to the desired region of the bone surface of a patient. Direct manipulation of NURBS geometry is computationally fast and suitable for interactive planning. The patient specific customized implant is produced directly from the generated customized CAD model with a standard CNC machine before surgery. The patient customized implant is implanted in the patient.

Abstract: A method of modeling an opening of a hearing aid vent includes defining a trimming surface through a tip of the vent as one of a planar surface or a non-planar surface, and trimming the shell along the trimming surface to the expose the interior of the shell to create the vent opening. The tip includes an endpoint of the vent and the hearing aid shell fits inside an ear of a patient.

Abstract: A method for specifying design rules for a manufacturing process includes providing a training set of 3D point meshes that represent an anatomical structure, for each 3D point mesh, finding groupings of points that define clusters for each shape class of the anatomical structure, calculating a prototype for each shape class cluster, and associating one or more manufacturing design rules with each shape class prototype. The method includes providing a new 3D point mesh that represents an anatomical structure, calculating a correspondence function that maps the new 3D point mesh to a candidate shape class prototype by minimizing a cost function, calculating a transformation that aligns points in the new 3D point mesh with points in the candidate shape class prototype, and using the rules associated with the shape class prototype, if the candidate shape class prototype is successfully aligned with the new 3D point mesh.

Abstract: A method for designing a prosthetic device includes acquiring a three-dimensional image of an anatomical surface. A rules script for automatically performing a plurality of image processing rules using a script interpreter is executed. For each particular rule of the plurality of rules, one or more anatomical features that are relevant to the particular rule using a surface shaping engine are determined, the one or more determined anatomical features are automatically segmented from the acquired three-dimensional image using a feature detector, and the particular image processing rule is performed on the acquired three-dimensional image based on the automatically segmented anatomical features using a CAD tool. A prosthetic device design is produced based on the three-dimensional image upon which the rules of the plurality of image processing rules have been performed.

Abstract: A method for detecting anatomical features in 3D ear impressions includes receiving a 3D digital image of a 3D ear impression, obtaining a surface of the ear impression from the 3D image, analyzing the surface with one or more feature detectors, the detectors adapted to detecting generic features, including peak features, concavity features, elbow features, ridge features, and bump features, and derived features that depend on generic features or other derived features, and forming a canonical ear signature from results of the detectors, where the canonical ear signature characterizes the 3D ear impression.