Abstract: Systems and methods for performing automated quality control for 3D printed molds for orthodontic aligners are described. A method includes generating a plurality of images of the 3D printed mold for the orthodontic aligner using one or more imaging devices, wherein each image of the plurality of images depicts a distinct region of the 3D printed mold for the orthodontic aligner; processing the plurality of images by a processing device to identify one or more types of manufacturing defects of the 3D printed mold for the orthodontic aligner, wherein for each type of manufacturing defect a probability that an image comprises a defect of that type of manufacturing defect is determined; and classifying, by the processing device, the 3D printed mold for the orthodontic aligner as defective based on identifying the one or more types of manufacturing defects.
Abstract: A system comprises an image capture device, an augmented reality (AR) display to display, and a processing device. The processing deice receives image data of a dental arch from the image capture device and processes the image data using a plurality of detection rules, where each detection rule detects one or more dental conditions. The processing device determines a dental condition for the dental arch based on the processing, determines a position of an area of interest on the dental arch, wherein the area of interest is associated with the dental condition, generates a visual overlay comprising an indication of the dental condition at the position of the area of interest, and outputs the visual overlay to the AR display, wherein the visual overlay is superimposed over a view of the dental arch on the AR display at the position of the area of interest.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 6, 2023
Date of Patent:
August 27, 2024
Assignee:
Align Technology, Inc.
Inventors:
Avi Kopelman, Adi Levin, Eric Paul Meyer, Elad Zeiri, Amir Ashkenazi, Ron Ganot, Sergei Ozerov, Inna Karapetyan
Abstract: The present disclosure describes devices, systems, and methods for monitoring use of an oral appliance in an oral cavity using extra-oral sensor(s). One method includes sensing one or more physical properties of an oral appliance using an extra-oral sensor, providing a compliance signal from the extra-oral sensor, identifying one or more patient compliance factors based on the compliance signal, the one or more patient compliance factors providing a basis to identify an extent of compliance of usage of the oral appliance with an orthodontic treatment plan, determining the extent of compliance, and outputting the extent of compliance.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 17, 2021
Date of Patent:
August 20, 2024
Assignee:
Align Technology, Inc.
Inventors:
Bruce Cam, Yaser Shanjani, Edi Fridman, Sergey Vinnichenko, Jun Sato
Abstract: The present disclosure provides computing device implemented methods, computing device readable medium, and molds for filling undercut areas of teeth relative to an axis of placement. Filling undercut areas of teeth relative to an axis of placement can include calculating an undercut area of a tooth relative to an axis of placement of part of a dental appliance over a number of teeth and a height of contour that is defined based on the axis of placement. Filling undercut areas of teeth relative to an axis of placement can also include filling in a part of the undercut area of the tooth with a virtual filler wherein the undercut is filled to within a threshold distance from the tooth that is defined relative to the axis of placement and the height of contour.
Abstract: Orthodontic devices such as aligners, palatal expanders, retainers, and dental implants can be used to adjust the position of teeth and to treat various dental irregularities. To help the clinician or doctor (i.e., orthodontist) design and plan the subject's treatment plan, a 3D digital model of the subject's teeth, dentition, and gingiva can be constructed from a 3D scan of the subject's mouth, teeth, dentition, and gingiva. The 3D model of the subject's teeth and dentition can be displayed graphically to the doctor on a display using a computing system with memory and software.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 21, 2023
Date of Patent:
August 20, 2024
Assignee:
Align Technology, Inc.
Inventors:
Svetlana Makarenkova, Artem Kuanbekov, Aleksandr Zhulin, Boris Likhtman, Vladimir Grenaderov
Abstract: In embodiments, a processing device generates a three-dimensional model of a dental site from scan data, the three-dimensional model comprising a representation of a tooth, wherein a portion of the three-dimensional model comprises an interfering surface that obscures a portion of the tooth. The processing device receives or generates an image of the tooth, wherein the image depicts the interfering surface. The processing device processes the image to generate a modified image, wherein the portion of the tooth that was obscured by the interfering surface in the image is shown in the modified image. The processing device updates the three-dimensional model of the dental site by replacing, using the modified image, the portion of the three-dimensional model that comprises the interfering surface that obscures the portion of the tooth, wherein the portion of the tooth that was obscured in the three-dimensional model is shown in an updated three-dimensional model.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 16, 2020
Date of Patent:
August 13, 2024
Assignee:
Align Technology, Inc.
Inventors:
Assaf Weiss, Maxim Volgin, Pavel Agniashvili, Chad Clayton Brown, Alexander Raskhodchikov, Avi Kopelman, Michael Sabina, Moti Ben-Dov, Shai Farkash, Igor Makiewsky, Maayan Moshe, Ofer Saphier
Abstract: A system includes a carrier film including an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface is configured to contact rollers. The system further includes a first blade configured to form a layer of resin on the outer surface of the carrier film. The system further includes a second blade configured to prevent printed features from contacting the first blade. The system further includes a build platform. A portion of the layer of resin is to be added to an object being formed on the build platform.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 11, 2022
Date of Patent:
August 6, 2024
Assignee:
Align Technology, Inc.
Inventors:
Viswanath Meenakshisundaram, Peter Dorfinger, Umesh Upendra Choudhary, Michael Christopher Cole
Abstract: Orthodontic systems and related methods are disclosed for designing and providing improved or more effective tooth moving systems for eliciting a desired tooth movement and/or repositioning teeth into a desired arrangement. Methods and orthodontic systems include the generation of an overcorrection in the tooth-receiving cavities of an appliance worn in the dentition. The overcorrection may provide an improved and more accurately applied force or moment applied to a tooth. The overcorrected force or moment can move a tooth closer to a desired position than if not overcorrected as sufficient force can still applied to the tooth as it gets closer to the desired position. The overcorrected force or moment may also better target the root of the tooth where the biological response to tooth movement occurs. The overcorrection may be calculated in various ways as described herein.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 27, 2022
Date of Patent:
July 30, 2024
Assignee:
Align Technology, Inc.
Inventors:
Vadim Matov, Fuming Wu, Anton Terekhov, Tzishing Jesse Lim, Jihua Cheng, John Morton
Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring a subject's teeth during orthodontic treatment. An input 2D image of the subject's current teeth including a wide angle occlusal view of the subject's upper and/or lower jaw at a current treatment stage can be received. Virtual camera parameters corresponding to the input 2D image can be determined. A rendered 2D image of the subject's teeth can be generated from a 3D model of the subject's upper and/or lower jaw at a planned treatment stage with the virtual camera parameters. Differences between the subject's teeth from the input 2D image and the rendered 2D image using tooth centers can be determined. An indicator indicating the differences can be output.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 11, 2021
Date of Patent:
July 30, 2024
Assignee:
Align Technology, Inc.
Inventors:
Shai Farkash, Avi Kopelman, Maayan Moshe, Eliahou Franklin Nizard, Jonathan Coslovsky
Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for automatic treatment planning, including recommendation systems, quality assurance, error prevention, text mining, text matching, and treatment planning optimization.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 20, 2020
Date of Patent:
July 30, 2024
Assignee:
Align Technology, Inc.
Inventors:
Roman A. Roschin, Evgenii Vladimirovich Karnygin, Dmitry Kirsanov, Grigoriy Yazykov, Ilfat Sabirov, Ruslan Matvienko, Vasily Paraketsov
Abstract: An apparatus for intraoral scanning includes an elongate handheld wand comprising a probe at a distal end of the handheld wand, one or more light projectors coupled to the handheld wand, and one or more cameras coupled to the handheld wand. Each camera comprises a camera sensor and objective optics comprising one or more lenses. Each camera is configured to focus at an object focal plane that is located between 1 mm and 30 mm from the lens that is farthest from the camera sensor. The apparatus further includes a fluorescent transparent film deposited on a surface selected from the group consisting of: a window of the probe through which light exits and enters the probe, and a transparent surface that is not integral to the probe.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 19, 2020
Date of Patent:
July 23, 2024
Assignee:
Align Technology, Inc.
Inventors:
Arkady Rudnitsky, Eliahou Franklin Nizard, Shlomi Buganim
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:
Grant
Filed:
August 8, 2022
Date of Patent:
July 23, 2024
Assignee:
Align Technology, Inc.
Inventors:
Robert Liska, Christian Gorsche, Gyorgy Harakaly, Markus Kury, Jurgen Stampfl, Peter Dorfinger, Yan Chen, Chunhua Li, Srinivas Kaza
Abstract: A processing device receives a pre-treatment model of upper and lower dental arches of a person, the pre-treatment model comprising first positions of teeth, and further receives a post-treatment model of the upper and lower dental arches, the post-treatment model comprising second positions of the teeth. The processing device determines a first mapping between first positions of first landmarks in the pre-treatment model and second positions of the first landmarks in the post-treatment model, and receives an image of a face of the person, comprising at least the teeth and soft facial tissues. The processing device generates a second mapping between the first landmarks and second landmarks associated with the soft facial tissues from the image, and generates a facial model comprising the first mapping and the second mapping, wherein the facial model generates post-treatment images of the teeth and the soft facial tissues based on pre-treatment images.
Abstract: A scanner includes a lens assembly comprising a lens having a lens axis and a positioning system to adjust a focal plane of the lens assembly. The positioning system includes an outer element, an inner element coupled to the lens assembly, and a linear-motion bearing that couples the inner element to the outer element.
Abstract: Provided herein are systems and methods for determining if a 3D tooth model requires trimming or removal of incomplete or missing data (e.g., gingiva covering a portion of a tooth such as a molar). A patient's dentition may be scanned and/or segmented. Features of the patient's teeth can be determined, including a tooth center point of at least three of the patient's teeth. The features of the patient's teeth are used to access a parametric model. A trim plane normal vector is identified for a distal tooth. Trimming of the 3D tooth model is based on the trim plane normal vector.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 13, 2023
Date of Patent:
July 16, 2024
Assignee:
Align Technology, Inc.
Inventors:
Roman A. Roschin, Evgenii Vladimirovich Karnygin, Sergey Grebenkin, Dmitry Guskov, Dmitrii Ischeykin, Ivan Potapenko, Denis Durdin, Roman Gudchenko, Vasily Paraketsov, Mikhail Gorodilov, Alexey Vladykin, Roman Solovyev, Alexander Beliaev, Elizaveta Ulianenko, Leonid Trofimov, Anzhelika Son, Nikolay Zhirnov, Alexander Vovchenko
Abstract: Dental attachment placement apparatuses and related systems. An apparatus may include a body having attachments. The attachments, when worn at specified locations on the patient's dentition, may engage with one or more aligners to direct repositioning forces from the aligner(s) to the patient's dentition. The body of the apparatus may have contoured surfaces shaped in accordance with corresponding surfaces of the patient's teeth. The apparatus may also include supports extending from body and that support a corresponding attachment entirely within a corresponding aperture of the apparatus. The supports may include breakable regions to facilitate removal of the attachments from the body.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 14, 2023
Date of Patent:
July 16, 2024
Assignee:
Align Technology, Inc.
Inventors:
Peter Webber, Ryan Kimura, Chunhua Li, Srinivas Kaza
Abstract: Provided herein are crosslinked polymers useful in orthodontic appliances and light polymerizable liquid compositions and formulations useful for making crosslinked polymers. Also provided are methods of making an orthodontic appliance comprising a cross-linked polymer formed by a direct fabrication technique.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 19, 2021
Date of Patent:
July 9, 2024
Assignee:
Align Technology, Inc.
Inventors:
Yan Chen, Chunhua Li, Srinivas Kaza, Neil Brian Cramer, Mary Catherine Berard
Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for assessing oral health and automatically providing diagnosis of one or more oral diseases. Described herein are intraoral scanning methods and apparatuses for collecting and analyzing image data and to detect and visualize features within image data that are indicative of oral diseases or conditions, such as gingival inflammation or oral cancer. These methods and apparatuses may be used for identifying and evaluating lesions, redness and inflammation in soft tissue and caries and cracks in the teeth. The methods can include training a machine learning model and using the trained machine learning model to provide a diagnosis of an oral disease or condition based on image data collected using multiple scanning modes of an intraoral scanner.
Abstract: Methods and media for analyzing a patient's dental arches in order to generate a treatment plan for the dentition when the patient is missing one or more teeth. The methods and media can include indentifying one or more missing teeth, and estimating one or more dimensions of the one or more missing teeth.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 14, 2019
Date of Patent:
July 2, 2024
Assignee:
Align Technology, Inc.
Inventors:
Alexander Pimenov, Rene M. Sterental, Valery Prokoshev, Irina Ivanova, Dmitry Mednikov, Boris Likhtman, Alexander Strizhev, Svetlana Makarenkova