Patents Assigned to LIGHTFORCE ORTHODONTICS, INC.
  • Publication number: 20220039917
    Abstract: Embodiments may provide improved techniques for creating custom lingual or labial ceramic orthodontic brackets, and which provides the capability for in-office fabrication of such brackets. For example, a method of manufacturing customized ceramic labial/lingual orthodontic brackets by ceramic slurry-based AM may comprise measuring dentition data of a profile of teeth of a patient, based on the dentition data, creating a three dimensional computer-assisted design (3D CAD) model of the patient's teeth using reverse engineering, and saving the 3D CAD model on a computer, designing a 3D CAD bracket structure model for a single labial or lingual bracket structure, importing data related to the 3D CAD bracket structure model into a ceramic slurry-based AM machine, directly producing the bracket (green part) in the ceramic slurry-based AM machine by layer manufacturing, and processing the brackets in a sintering and debinding oven prior to direct use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Applicant: Lightforce Orthodontics, Inc.
    Inventors: Dylan Winchell, Samuel VanNoy, Kelsey Fafara, Alfred Charles Griffin, III
  • Publication number: 20210077224
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing pre-formed, customized, ceramic, labial/lingual orthodontic clear aligner attachments (CCAA) by additive manufacturing (AM) may comprise measuring dentition data of a profile of teeth of a patient, based on the dentition data, creating a three dimensional computer-assisted design (3D CAD) model of the patient's teeth using reverse engineering, and saving the 3D CAD model, designing a 3D CAD structure model for one or more CCAA on various parts of each tooth, importing data related to the 3D CAD CCAA structure model into an AM machine, directly producing the CCAA in the ceramic slurry-based AM machine by layer manufacturing, enabling the provider to deliver patient-specific CCAA's by an indirect bonding method to the patient's teeth to improve the efficacy and retention of the clear aligners.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: LightForce Orthodontics, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfred Charles Griffin, III, Kelsey A Fafara
  • Publication number: 20210077227
    Abstract: Embodiments may provide Bite Opening Devices (BODs) that are quicker and easier to place and provide improved accuracy. For example, a method may comprise using a computer system to perform: receiving data relating to teeth and jaws of a person, identifying a hinge axis of the jaw in three dimensional space using the data relating to teeth and jaws of a person, rotating the jaw to provide a desired clearance of the teeth, placing at least one Bite Opening Device on the teeth so as to provide the desired clearance of the teeth, and generating data defining a bonding tray to fit over the teeth, the bonding tray including a void corresponding to each Bite Opening Device, the generated data defining the bonding tray to be used for manufacturing the bonding tray using additive manufacturing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: LightForce Orthodontics, Inc
    Inventors: Alfred Charles Griffin, III, Dylan Winchell, Alexander Yarmarkovich
  • Publication number: 20200401104
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing customized ceramic labial/lingual orthodontic brackets by digital light processing, said method comprises measuring dentition data of a profile of teeth of a patient, wherein measuring dentition data is performed using a CT scanner or intra-oral scanner, based on the dentition data, creating a three dimensional computer-assisted design (3D CAD) model of the patient's teeth using reverse engineering, and saving the 3D CAD model on a computer, designing a 3D CAD bracket structure model for a single labial or lingual bracket structure, importing the 3D CAD bracket structure model into a Digital Light Processing (DLP) machine, directly producing the bracket by layer manufacturing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2020
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Applicant: LightForce Orthodontics, Inc
    Inventor: Alfred Charles Griffin, III
  • Patent number: 10786334
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing pre-formed, customized, ceramic, labial/lingual orthodontic clear aligner attachments (CCAA) by additive manufacturing (AM) may comprise measuring dentition data of a profile of teeth of a patient, based on the dentition data, creating a three dimensional computer-assisted design (3D CAD) model of the patient's teeth using reverse engineering, and saving the 3D CAD model, designing a 3D CAD structure model for one or more CCAA on various parts of each tooth, importing data related to the 3D CAD CCAA structure model into an AM machine, directly producing the CCAA in the ceramic slurry-based AM machine by layer manufacturing, enabling the provider to deliver patient-specific CCAA's by an indirect bonding method to the patient's teeth to improve the efficacy and retention of the clear aligners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: LightForce Orthodontics, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfred Charles Griffin, III, Kelsey A Fafara
  • Patent number: 10754325
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing customized ceramic labial/lingual orthodontic brackets by digital light processing, said method comprises measuring dentition data of a profile of teeth of a patient, wherein measuring dentition data is performed using a CT scanner or intra-oral scanner, based on the dentition data, creating a three dimensional computer-assisted design (3D CAD) model of the patient's teeth using reverse engineering, and saving the 3D CAD model on a computer, designing a 3D CAD bracket structure model for a single labial or lingual bracket structure, importing the 3D CAD bracket structure model into a Digital Light Processing (DLP) machine, directly producing the bracket by layer manufacturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: LightForce Orthodontics, Inc
    Inventor: Alfred Charles Griffin, III
  • Publication number: 20190377327
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing pre-formed, customized, ceramic, labial/lingual orthodontic clear aligner attachments (CCAA) by additive manufacturing (AM) may comprise measuring dentition data of a profile of teeth of a patient, based on the dentition data, creating a three dimensional computer-assisted design (3D CAD) model of the patient's teeth using reverse engineering, and saving the 3D CAD model, designing a 3D CAD structure model for one or more CCAA on various parts of each tooth, importing data related to the 3D CAD CCAA structure model into an AM machine, directly producing the CCAA in the ceramic slurry-based AM machine by layer manufacturing, enabling the provider to deliver patient-specific CCAA's by an indirect bonding method to the patient's teeth to improve the efficacy and retention of the clear aligners.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Applicant: LightForce Orthodontics, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfred Charles Griffin, III, Kelsey A. Fafara
  • Publication number: 20190374307
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing pre-formed, customized, ceramic, labial/lingual orthodontic clear aligner attachments (CCAA) by additive manufacturing (AM) may comprise measuring dentition data of a profile of teeth of a patient, based on the dentition data, creating a three dimensional computer-assisted design (3D CAD) model of the patient's teeth using reverse engineering, and saving the 3D CAD model, designing a 3D CAD structure model for one or more CCAA on various parts of each tooth, importing data related to the 3D CAD CCAA structure model into an AM machine, directly producing the CCAA in the ceramic slurry-based AM machine by layer manufacturing, enabling the provider to deliver patient-specific CCAA's by an indirect bonding method to the patient's teeth to improve the efficacy and retention of the clear aligners.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Applicant: LightForce Orthodontics, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfred Charles Griffin, III, Kelsey A. Fafara
  • Publication number: 20190374308
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing pre-formed, customized, ceramic, labial/lingual orthodontic clear aligner attachments (CCAA) by additive manufacturing (AM) may comprise measuring dentition data of a profile of teeth of a patient, based on the dentition data, creating a three dimensional computer-assisted design (3D CAD) model of the patient's teeth using reverse engineering, and saving the 3D CAD model, designing a 3D CAD structure model for one or more CCAA on various parts of each tooth, importing data related to the 3D CAD CCAA structure model into an AM machine, directly producing the CCAA in the ceramic slurry-based AM machine by layer manufacturing, enabling the provider to deliver patient-specific CCAA's by an indirect bonding method to the patient's teeth to improve the efficacy and retention of the clear aligners.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Applicant: LightForce Orthodontics, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfred Charles Griffin, III, Kelsey A Fafara
  • Publication number: 20190328493
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method of manufacturing customized ceramic labial/lingual orthodontic brackets by additive manufacturing may comprise measuring dentition data of a profile of teeth of a patient, based on the dentition data, creating a three-dimensional computer-assisted design (3D CAD) model of the patient's teeth, and saving the 3D CAD model, designing a virtual 3D CAD bracket structure model for a single labial or lingual bracket structure based upon said 3D CAD model, importing data related to the 3D CAD bracket structure model into an additive manufacturing machine, and directly producing the bracket with the additive manufacturing machine by layer manufacturing from an inorganic material including at least one of a ceramic, a polymer-derived ceramic, and a polymer-derived metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: LightForce Orthodontics, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfred Charles Griffin, III, Kelsey Petersen
  • Patent number: 10241499
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing customized ceramic labial/lingual orthodontic brackets by digital light processing, said method comprises measuring dentition data of a profile of teeth of a patient, wherein measuring dentition data is performed using a CT scanner or intra-oral scanner, based on the dentition data, creating a three dimensional computer-assisted design (3D CAD) model of the patient's teeth using reverse engineering, and saving the 3D CAD model on a computer, designing a 3D CAD bracket structure model for a single labial or lingual bracket structure, importing the 3D CAD bracket structure model into a Digital Light Processing (DLP) machine, directly producing the bracket by layer manufacturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: LIGHTFORCE ORTHODONTICS, INC.
    Inventor: Alfred Charles Griffin