Patents Assigned to Align Technology, Inc.
  • Patent number: 12721700
    Abstract: Systems and methods for adjusting an arch of teeth. An upper dental appliance may include an arch element that is wider than a width of a patient's upper arch such that, when the patient wears the upper dental appliance. The upper dental appliance may apply a transverse expansion force on opposing posterior teeth of the patient's upper arch for widening the width of the patient's upper arch. A lower dental appliance may include a shell having cavities that are shaped to receive teeth of the patient's lower arch. The shell may be shaped to apply a force to reposition one or more of the teeth of the patient's lower arch from a first arrangement toward a second arrangement in accordance with a stage of a treatment plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Kimura, John Morton, Richard Shaw, Chunhua Li
  • Patent number: 12714541
    Abstract: Provided herein are systems and methods for determining hook and or positioning feature placements during dental treatment planning. A patient's dentition may be scanned and/or segmented. A target tooth may be identified. Hook and or positioning feature placement may be determined based on satisfying manufacturing and clinical constraints. The hook or positioning features can be input into a dental treatment planning system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Svetlana Makarenkova, Mikhail Yudashkin, Andrey Cherkas, Kristina Anikina, Viktor Sazhaev
  • Patent number: 12714539
    Abstract: A system for generating a treatment plan for repositioning a plurality of teeth comprises instructions to receive a digital data set representing the plurality of teeth, and determine a movement trajectory for repositioning, each tooth from an initial position and orientation towards a target position and orientation. The movement trajectory of at least one tooth comprises movement along a plurality of different directions. A movement velocity is determined for repositioning each tooth along the corresponding movement trajectory. The movement velocity is determined independently for each tooth, and the movement velocity for the at least one tooth is determined independently for each direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John Morton, James Nishimuta
  • Patent number: 12714540
    Abstract: A method for treating malocclusions of a patient's teeth is disclosed. The method includes receiving an initial position of a patient's teeth and a target position of the patient's teeth. The method also includes determining a treatment plan to reposition the patient's teeth towards the target position. The method also includes receiving treatment strategies for the patient's teeth based at least in part of the treatment plan and matching the initial position of the patient's teeth, the target position of a patient's teeth, and the treatment strategies for the patient's teeth with initial positions, target positions, and treatment strategies of a plurality of existing cases. The method also includes sending the matched cases to a dental practitioner including matched educational assets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2026
    Assignee: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Mitra Derakhshan, Sophie Acker, Susanne Reichart
  • Patent number: 12714542
    Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method for selecting locations of mandibular relocation features (MRFs) on oral appliances may include determining candidate locations for placing an MRF on a first oral appliance for a first stage of mandibular relocation (MR) treatment and determining candidate locations for placing an MRF on a second oral appliance for a second stage. The method may include selecting from the candidate locations for the first stage and the second stage based on decreasing a distance between the selected pair of candidate locations. The method may further include processing multiple MRFs in parallel. The method may also include increasing a number of initial candidate locations. Locations for intermediate stages may be selected based on interpolating between the first and second stages or based on decreasing a distance between the selected pair if the interpolation fails. The intermediate stages may be processed using a binary search or a linear search.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2024
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ping Liu, Luyao Cai
  • Patent number: 12710688
    Abstract: An apparatus for intraoral scanning comprises an elongate wand comprising a probe at a distal end of the elongate wand. The apparatus further comprises one or more structured light projectors disposed within the probe, each structured light projector comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a light source disposed within the housing and comprising: a semiconductor laser die; and a beam shaping optical element; and (c) a pattern generating optical element. A distance D between an emission point of the semiconductor laser die and an input face of the beam shaping optical element is 50-250 microns. Each structured light projector is configured to project a pattern of light onto an intraoral surface when the light source of the structured light projector is activated to emit light through the pattern generating optical element of the structured light projector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yossef Atiya, Ofer Saphier, Noam Shekel
  • Patent number: 12708494
    Abstract: An intraoral scanner includes one or more structured light projectors, a camera, and control circuitry. The structured light projector(s) are to project a pattern of light onto an intraoral 3D surface. The camera comprises a focusing lens configured to focus at a plurality of different focal depths, each associated with a distinct optical distortion. The camera captures of at least a portion of the pattern of light projected onto the intraoral 3D surface at one or more of the different focal depths. The control circuitry is to change a focus position of the focusing lens to cause the camera to capture the images of the intraoral three-dimensional surface at the one or more different focal depths, wherein the change in the focus position causes a change in optical distortion for the camera and a corresponding change in a calibration of the camera associated with the change in the optical distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2024
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Ofer Saphier
  • Patent number: 12708489
    Abstract: Methods and systems for processing dental workflows. In a pre-routing module, a determination may be made as to whether process(es) in generating an output workflow performed on a digital dental model should be manually or automatically based on comparing patient-specific clinical parameters against clinical rules. In a post-routing module, a determination may be made as to whether the output workflow contains output parameter value(s) that is outside of a range of acceptable output parameter values. An indicator to manually perform the process(es) may be transmitted if the post-routing module determines that output parameters value(s) is outside of the range of acceptable output parameter values. The output workflow may be modified based on the process(es) being manually or semi- manually performed. Dental appliance(s) may be fabricated in accordance with the modified output workflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sergey Grebenkin, Victoria Bogina, Amarendra Thummeti, Mitra Derakhshan, Jeeyoung Choi, Christopher E. Cramer, Zalina Nurmukhametova, Ilfat Sabirov
  • Patent number: 12708490
    Abstract: A method of treating malocclusions of teeth may include receiving a scan of a patient's teeth and generating a treatment plan to move a patient's teeth from a first position toward a second position. The treatment plan may include moving a jaw from a first position towards a second position. The treatment plan may include a series of jaw movement stages to move the jaw from the first position towards the second position. The method may include generating a digital model of an aligner having mandibular relocation structures. A location of the mandibular relocation structures may be based on a set of location constraints. The method may include fabricating a physical aligner based on the digital model of the aligner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Rohit Tanugula, James Nishimuta, Nilesh Joshi, Thomas Jansen, Anna Gorelova, Ekaterina Menshova, Artem Trotsko, Andrey Prokopenko, Arina Yakshibaeva
  • Patent number: 12711702
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a video comprising a face of an individual, the video comprising a current condition of a dental site of the individual. The method includes determining or receiving an altered condition of the dental site and modifying the video by replacing the current condition of the dental site with the altered condition of the dental site in the video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Philipp Kopp, Dmitry Yurievich Chekh, Niko Benjamin Huber, Shipra Jain, Christopher E. Cramer, Chad Clayton Brown, Vladislav Andreevich Miryaha, Boris Aleksandrovich Vysokanov, Eric Paul Meyer, Maik Gerth, Sinan Ibrahim Bayraktar, Michael Seeber, Ritika Chakraborty, Andreea Maria Radoescu, Doruk Cetin
  • Patent number: 12708493
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described that use 2D images and intraoral scans to generate and/or augment 3D models of dental site. In one example a method includes receiving a plurality of intraoral scans of a dental site generated by an intraoral scanner and a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) images of the dental site generated by the intraoral scanner, generating a three-dimensional (3D) surface of the dental site from the plurality of intraoral scans, determining a correspondence between points on the 3D surface and points in one or more 2D images of the plurality of 2D images, and performing one or more operations using the correspondence between the points on the 3D surface and the points on the one or more 2D images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ofer Saphier, Assaf Weiss, Maayan Moshe, Maik Gerth, Evgeni Alesinskyy
  • Patent number: 12702528
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for customized retainers to prevent relapse. In particular, described herein are customized retainers, and methods and apparatuses for making customized retainers that specifically reenforce and prevent movement of one or more teeth having a higher likelihood of relapse following completion of an orthodontic treatment plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ken Wu, Huizhong Li, Mitra Derakhshan, Zhou Yu, James Nishimuta, Yuxiang Wang, Xi Cai, Rohit Tanugula, Jeeyoung Choi, Eric Yau, Jun Sato, John Y. Morton
  • Patent number: 12706202
    Abstract: Systems and methods for segmenting dental scans. First and second segmented volumes of scan data may be formed, where the first segmented volume may have a lower resolution than the segmented volume. Segmenting scan data may be formed by merging the first segmented volume with the second segmented volume. Merging may include removing teeth labels from the first segmented volume, adjusting a resolution of the first segmented volume to be the same as a resolution of the second segmented volume, and replacing voxels in the first segmented volume with voxels from the second segmented volume. The segmented scan data may be aligned to a digital model of the patient's dentition. The digital model of the patient's dentition may be modified to include the tooth roots from the aligned segmented scan data to form a modified digital model. A treatment plan may be displayed or modified using the modified digital model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Vitaliy Vladimirovich Chernov, Dmitry Zubatkin, Aleksandr Sergeevich Karsakov, Mikhail Nikolaevich Rychagov, Yury A. Brailov, Ekaterina Tolstaya, Sergey Borisovich Surov, Dmitry Yurievich Chekh
  • Patent number: 12691611
    Abstract: A shell removal device includes a platform configured to secure a mold. An untrimmed shell is formed over the mold. The shell removal device further includes a drive mechanism configured to move the platform away from the untrimmed shell responsive to sensor data indicative that the untrimmed shell has begun to separate from the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Mehdi Mojdeh, Shiva P. Sambu, Dennis McNamara
  • Patent number: 12686178
    Abstract: Systems and methods for manufacturing objects are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for producing an additively manufactured object includes determining a viscosity of a curable material to be used to form the additively manufactured object. The method can include determining a temperature of the curable material, based on the viscosity. The method can further include adjusting one or more heat sources configured to heat the curable material, based on the temperature. The method can include applying energy to the curable material to form a portion of the additively manufactured object, after adjusting the one or more heat sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Paramjot Singh, Joanne L Lee, Viswanath Meenakshisundaram
  • Patent number: 12685615
    Abstract: Systems and methods for forming eruption compensation (EC) features in dental appliances for accommodating erupting teeth. Methods may include scaling a virtual tooth model by identifying a crown center line along a buccal-lingual axis of the virtual tooth model, enlarging a lingual side of the virtual tooth model relative to the crown center line by a first scaling factor, and enlarging a buccal side of the virtual tooth model relative to the crown center line by a second scaling factor, where the first scaling factor is greater than the second scaling factor. The scaled virtual tooth model may be added to a 3D dental model of the subject's dentition at an EC region to form a modified 3D dental model. The modified 3D dental model including the scaled virtual tooth model corresponding to the erupting tooth may be output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Maria Lvova, Vladimir Chistyakov, Mitra Derakhshan, Jeeyoung Choi, Xi Cai, Palak Mittal
  • Patent number: 12685616
    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: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jürgen Stampfl, Yan Chen, Chunhua Li, Peter Dorfinger, Alexander Hochwallner
  • Patent number: 12685620
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses (including devices and systems, such as intraoral scanners and software) for analyzing images of a subject's teeth. In some examples these methods may include examining the same teeth or tooth regions across different times and/or different imaging modalities, including but not limited to visible light, infrared, florescent, etc. Also described herein are methods and apparatuses for using a single, master, control for automatically or semi-automatically simultaneously adjusting multiple imaging parameters across multiple images of a region taken with different imaging modalities and/or at different times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Maayan Moshe, Ofer Saphier, Shai Ayal, Michael Lellouch, Ran Katz
  • Patent number: 12672943
    Abstract: Methods and systems for intraoral scanning and generation of 3D surfaces based on intraoral scans are described. In one example a system includes an intraoral scanner and a computing device operatively coupled to the intraoral scanner. The computing device receives an indication that a tool that provides supplemental surface data will be used during intraoral scanning. The computing device implements a supplemental surface data scanning mode in which a three-dimensional (3D) surface of a dental site that is generated from intraoral scan data is supplemented with additional surface data determined based at least in part on properties of the tool, wherein the additional surface data is for a first portion of the 3D surface that is hidden from direct viewing by the intraoral scanner during intraoral scanning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Ofer Saphier
  • Patent number: 12657707
    Abstract: Provided herein are apparatuses (e.g., systems) and methods for automatically assessing a segmented 3D dental model. The segmented 3D dental model may be classified by a trained machine learning classifier (a trained neural network). In some cases, the segmented 3D dental model may be classified as a passing (acceptable) or failing (unacceptable) model. The machine learning classifier may be trained with labeled 3D dental models that illustrate passing and failing segmented 3D dental models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrei Semenov, Denis Durdin, Jason Ramos, Sergio Santamaria Venegas