Patents Assigned to Align Technology, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11246689
    Abstract: A processing device receives one or more images of an intraoral cavity of a patient generated by measuring one or more characteristics of returning light, the returning light having been reflected off one or more surfaces within the intraoral cavity. The processing device subsequently receives an additional image of the intraoral cavity of the patient. The processing device compares the additional image to the one or more previously received images and determines, based on a result of the comparing, that a criterion is not satisfied. The processing device displays image data from at least one of a) the one or more images or b) the additional image. The processing device further displays one or more visual indicators, the one or more visual indicators comprising a warning indicator indicating a potential problem associated with the criterion not being satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Adi Levin
  • Patent number: 11241758
    Abstract: Laser cutting systems and methods are described herein. One or more systems include a laser generating component, an optical component, a fixture for holding a support with a part positioned on the support, and a control mechanism for adjusting at least one of the laser generating component, the optical component, and the fixture such that a ratio of a laser energy applied to the part and a part material thickness is maintained within a predetermined acceptable range at each point along a cut path to cut through the part while maintaining the integrity of the support. Other systems and methods are disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: James C. Culp
  • Patent number: 11238586
    Abstract: A method includes processing an input comprising data from an intraoral image using a trained machine learning model that has been trained to classify regions of dental sites, wherein the trained machine learning model outputs a probability map comprising, for each pixel in the intraoral image, a first probability that the pixel belongs to a first dental class and a second probability that the pixel belongs to a second dental class, wherein the first dental class represents excess material, the excess material comprising material other than teeth or gums. The method further includes determining, based on the probability map, one or more pixels in the intraoral image that are classified as excess material. The method further includes hiding or removing from the intraoral image data for the one or more pixels that are classified as excess material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Mikhail Minchenkov, Ran Katz, Pavel Agniashvili, Chad Clayton Brown, Jonathan Coslovsky
  • Patent number: 11234794
    Abstract: The present disclosure provide for methods of planning restorative procedures. Methods may involve identifying an initial position of a patient's teeth based on a digital representation of the patient's teeth, and determining one or more candidate orthodontic positions for the patient's teeth, wherein each of the one or more candidate orthodontic positions is a target position of the patient's teeth being considered. Methods may further involve virtually modeling a first restorative object at a first evaluated restorative object position on one of the patient's teeth, evaluating a first amount of tooth mass removal corresponding to the first restorative object based on the first evaluated restorative object position and one of the candidate orthodontic positions, and determining a final orthodontic position and a final restorative object position based on the first amount of tooth mass removal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Pavel Pokotilov, Dmitry Yurievich Chekh, Dmitriy Konstantinovich Ten, Samuel Blanco, David Patrick Lopes, Jason Ramos, Rene M. Sterental, Evgenii Vladimirovich Karnygin
  • Patent number: 11232573
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses (including systems and devices) for modifying a three-dimensional (3D) model of a subject's oral cavity to determine individual components such as teeth, gingiva, tongue, palate, etc. In some implementations one or more automated machine learning agents may modify one or more subsets of 3D models of the subject's oral cavity using height map data to identify, segment and/or modify to mesh regions of a 3D model constructed from a plurality of 2D images of the subject's dental cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chad C. Brown, Yun Gao, Pavel Agniashvili, Avraham Zulti, Jonathan Coslovsky, Christopher E. Cramer, Roman Gudchenko, Ofer Saphier, Adi Levin, Maayan Moshe, Doron Malka
  • Patent number: 11232867
    Abstract: Various methods and systems for designing a restored smile are provided. One method includes receiving scan data of a patient's teeth, developing a digital model of the patient's teeth via a computing device, where the model represents the patient's teeth based upon the scan data, creating a dental treatment plan to restore one or more teeth from an initial condition to a successive condition, and wherein a final condition of the one or more is based on the one or more teeth having at least one planned additional restorative tooth structure provided therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michelle Stone-Collonge, Eric E. Kuo, Rick M. Matty, Fabio Pettinati, Thomas Maurer, Dzmitry Sanko
  • Patent number: 11227074
    Abstract: System and method for developing a treatment plan for achieving a treatment goal including creating a virtual model of a dental patient's dentition; transforming the virtual model of the dentition using virtual prosthodontics to facilitate achievement of the treatment goal; transforming the virtual model of the dentition using virtual orthodontics to facilitate achievement of the treatment goal; iterating on the transforming steps until substantially achieving the treatment goal; and generating an orthodontic treatment plan and a prosthodontic treatment plan based upon the substantially achieved treatment goal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Kuo, Jihua Cheng, Vadim Matov, Juan Carlos Alvarez, Ali Kakavand
  • Patent number: 11219506
    Abstract: Detection of a state of an oral appliance (such as an aligner, palatal expander, mandibular repositioning device, etc.) to determine if the oral appliance is functioning properly and/or if it has developed a defect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yaser Shanjani, Bruce Cam, Jun Sato
  • Patent number: 11213369
    Abstract: Multilayer polymer sheets are provided, as well as related methods, systems, and appliances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chunhua Li, Yan Chen, Heinz Pudleiner, Klaus Meyer, Joerg Nickel, Craig Pehlert
  • Patent number: 11213368
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for modeling a complete tooth of a patient to facilitate dental and/or orthodontic treatment. The method includes generating a first set of digital data representing a clinical crown; generating a second set of digital data representing a plurality of digital tooth models of a particular tooth type each having a first parameterization; processing the second set of digital data to obtain a third set of digital data representing an average tooth model of the particular tooth type having a second parameterization which is less than the first parameterization; fitting the third set of digital data to the first set of digital data to create a set of digital data representing an interim tooth model; and morphing the set of digital data representing the interim tooth model to substantially mimic the anatomical shape of the clinical crown of the first set of digital data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Fedor Chelnokov, Roman A. Roschin, Petr Ushanov
  • Patent number: 11207208
    Abstract: Systems, methods, devices, and apparatus for positioning a patient's mandible in response to sleep apnea status are provided herein. In one aspect, a system for monitoring and treating sleep apnea in a patient comprises one or more sensors configured to monitor the patient for symptoms associated with sleep apnea; an intraoral appliance worn by the patient, one or more processors, and memory comprising instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to: receive a set of sensor data from the one or more sensors, detect, using a machine learning algorithm, onset of a sleep apnea event based on the set of sensor data, and transmit a control signal to the intraoral appliance to cause the intraoral appliance to displace a lower jaw of the patient from a first position to a second position in order to treat the sleep apnea event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Avi Kopelman
  • Patent number: 11207156
    Abstract: A virtual model of an intraoral cavity is provided, wherein this process is initialized by a dental clinic, and the design and manufacture of a suitable dental prosthesis for the intraoral cavity is shared between a dental lab and a service center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eldad Taub, Avi Kopelman
  • Patent number: 11202574
    Abstract: An apparatus for dental imaging comprises a light source for generating light, an optics system for focusing the light, and a probe head. The light source, the optics system and the probe head are arranged such that the light passes through the optics system, passes through the probe head, and exits the probe head. The optics system is configured such that, upon entering the probe head, an outermost chief ray of the light with respect to an optical axis of the optics system is divergent to the optical axis and an outermost marginal ray of the light with respect to the optical axis is parallel or divergent to the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yossef Atiya, Tal Verker, Nir Makmel
  • Patent number: 11202691
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods and systems including orthodontic tooth positioning appliances. An exemplary appliance can include teeth receiving cavities shaped such that, when worn by a patient, repositioning the patient's teeth from a first arrangement toward a subsequent or target arrangement. Appliances can include a cavity having one or more shaped features or protrusions shaped and/or positioned so as to apply a desired force to a patient's tooth received in the cavity and move the tooth along a desired path or direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Heng Cao, Vadim Matov, John Y. Morton, Jon Moss, Ryan Kimura
  • Patent number: 11197739
    Abstract: A dental prosthesis is made by externally machining successive layers of wax, each of which is formed on a previous prosthesis layer and/or on a coping. Each wax layer is used to form a mold in situ over the previous prosthesis layer/coping, and the appropriate prosthesis material is cast or otherwise molded to conform to the wax layer by the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Avi Kopelman, Eldad Taub
  • Patent number: 11194312
    Abstract: The example systems, methods, and/or computer-readable media described herein help with design of highly accurate models of un-erupted or partially erupted teeth and help fabricate of aligners for un-erupted or partially erupted teeth. Automated agents that use machine learning models to parametrically represent three-dimensional (3d) virtual representations of teeth as 3D descriptors in a 3D descriptor space are provided herein. In some implementations, the automated agents described herein provide instructions to fabricate aligners for at least partially un-erupted teeth using representative 3D descriptor(s) of a tooth type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Eric Cramer, Jeeyoung Choi
  • Patent number: 11189021
    Abstract: Implementations describe systems and methods for machine based defect detection of three-dimensional (3D) printed objects. A method of one embodiment of the disclosure includes providing a first illumination of a 3D printed object using a first light source arrangement. A plurality of images of the 3D printed object are then generated using one or more imaging devices. Each image may depict a distinct region of the 3D printed object. The plurality of images may then be processed by a processing device using a machine learning model trained to identify one or more types of manufacturing defects of a 3D printing process. The machine learning model may provide a probability that an image contains a manufacturing defect. The processing device may then determine, without user input, whether the 3D printed object contains one or more manufacturing defects based on the results provided by the machine learning model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Paren Indravadan Shah, Anatoliy Parpara, Andrey Cherkas, Alexey Kalinichenko
  • Patent number: 11185233
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for 3D imaging to measure the shape of orthodontic aligners, teeth, and other oral structures simultaneously, in-vivo or in-vitro. These methods and apparatuses may be used to determine contact locations of aligners with teeth and/or teeth with other teeth with very high precision, including determining the size of gaps where they are not in contact. These measurements may be used design, modify or replace an aligner and/or to verify aligner fit. 3D models of the whole aligner and teeth may be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Sato, Allen Boronkay, Yaser Shanjani, Reza Shirazi Aghjari, Avi Kopelman, Andrew Jang, Jihua Cheng, Eric Kuo, Vladimir Shelbakh, Bastien Pesenti
  • Patent number: 11174338
    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: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Liska, Christian Gorsche, György Harakaly, Markus Kury, Jürgen Stampfl, Peter Dorfinger, Yan Chen, Chunhua Li, Srinivas Kaza
  • Patent number: 11166788
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for improved orthodontic treatment of a patient's teeth are provided herein. In some aspects, a method for fabricating an orthodontic appliance for treating a patient's teeth is disclosed. The method may comprise determining a movement path to move a tooth from an initial arrangement towards a target arrangement; determining a force system to move the tooth along the movement path; determining a variable gable bend to produce the force system; determining a geometry for a tooth receiving cavity of the appliance based on the variable gable bend; and generating instructions for fabricating the appliance having a tooth receiving cavity formed according to the geometry for the tooth receiving cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Webber