Patents by Inventor Crystal Tjhia

Crystal Tjhia has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20210259810
    Abstract: A dental attachment placement device comprises a plurality of articulated registration elements shaped for placement on a plurality of teeth, which can facilitate placement, accommodate tooth movement, and improve alignment of the registration elements with the teeth, so as to accurately position an attachment for placement. An orthodontic device may include a plurally of registration element. A plurality of first flexible arms may extend from each registration element on a lingual side. The first flexible arm may have a connected end and a distal end. The distal end may be configured to extend at least part way over the tooth and apply a lingual force to bias the registration element against the tooth. A plurality of attachment supports may each be located on a buccal side of the plurally of registration elements and include an attachment frame that is releasably coupled to an attachment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Applicant: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Siobhan O'LEARY, Peter WEBBER, Jun SATO, Crystal TJHIA, Jessica H. SCHILTZ, Jeremy RILEY, Ken WU, Kangning SU, Yuxiang WANG, Zhaonan SUN, Andrei SOLDATOV
  • Publication number: 20210236242
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides method, computing device readable medium, and devices for dental appliances with repositioning jaw elements. An example of a removable dental appliance includes a shell having a number of tooth apertures configured to receive and reposition a number of teeth of a patient along one jaw of a patient, a repositioning jaw element that extends from a buccal or lingual surface of the shell, the element having a first outer surface oriented to face the tongue of the patient surface and a second outer surface oriented to face the cheek of the patient, and a reinforcement member formed along at least one of the first and second outer surfaces to provide reinforcement of the repositioning jaw element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Inventors: Rohit Tanugula, Crystal Tjhia, Dennis Te
  • Publication number: 20210161622
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, computing device readable medium, devices, and systems having a dental appliance binding structure. One method can include to create a treatment plan based on a virtual model of a jaw of a patient, wherein the treatment plan includes use of a dental appliance having a first surface that defines a plurality of cavities shaped to receive a plurality of teeth, modify the virtual model of the jaw in a first configuration to include a virtual binding structure on a second surface, the platform shaped to receive a specialized feature that provides one or more force characteristics, select a particular specialized feature as an attachment to the dental appliance, and adjust the virtual model of the jaw from a first configuration to a second configuration, based at least in part on a modeled force provided by the virtual binding structure and the particular specialized feature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Peter WEBBER, Jennifer C. CHEN, Yan CHEN, Bastien PESENTI, Crystal TJHIA
  • Publication number: 20210113304
    Abstract: A dental appliance includes an interior shape that substantially conforms to a dental arch of a patient, a hollow portion forming a cavity, and an object bonded to the dental appliance and inserted into the cavity. The object provides structural strength to the dental appliance at a location of the hollow portion and does not interfere with a fit of the dental appliance onto the dental arch of the patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Bruce Cam, Crystal Tjhia, Rohit Tanugula, Dennis Te
  • Patent number: 10973612
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, computing device readable medium, devices, and systems having a dental appliance binding structure. One method can include to create a treatment plan based on a virtual model of a jaw of a patient, wherein the treatment plan includes use of a dental appliance having a first surface that defines a plurality of cavities shaped to receive a plurality of teeth, modify the virtual model of the jaw in a first configuration to include a virtual binding structure on a second surface, the platform shaped to receive a specialized feature that provides one or more force characteristics, select a particular specialized feature as an attachment to the dental appliance, and adjust the virtual model of the jaw from a first configuration to a second configuration, based at least in part on a modeled force provided by the virtual binding structure and the particular specialized feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Webber, Jennifer C. Chen, Yan Chen, Bastien Pesenti, Crystal Tjhia
  • Patent number: 10912629
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides method, computing device readable medium, and devices for dental appliances with repositioning jaw elements. An example of a removable dental appliance includes a shell having a number of tooth apertures configured to receive and reposition a number of teeth of a patient along one jaw of a patient, a repositioning jaw element that extends from a buccal or lingual surface of the shell, the element having a first outer surface oriented to face the tongue of the patient surface and a second outer surface oriented to face the cheek of the patient, and a reinforcement member formed along at least one of the first and second outer surfaces to provide reinforcement of the repositioning jaw element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Rohit Tanugula, Crystal Tjhia, Dennis Te
  • Patent number: 10881487
    Abstract: A plastic shell such as an orthodontic aligner has an interior shape that substantially conforms to a current or future dental arch of a patient. The plastic shell includes a hollow feature comprising a cavity. The plastic shell additionally includes an object inserted into the cavity, wherein the object provides structural strength to the plastic shell at a location of the hollow feature and does not interfere with a fit of the plastic shell onto the dental arch of the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Cam, Crystal Tjhia, Rohit Tanugula, Dennis Te
  • Publication number: 20200360117
    Abstract: A mold includes a first section, a second section, and a weakened region that joins the first section to the second section. The weakened region is breakable, deflectable, or deformable in response to a first threshold force to enable the first section to be removed from a shell independently of the second section after the shell is formed over the mold. The first threshold force is less than a second threshold force that would damage or permanently deform the shell. The first section is a first mold of at least a portion of one or more first teeth of a dental arch and the second section is a second mold of at least a portion of one or more second teeth of the dental arch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventors: Peter Webber, Rohit Tanugula, Shiva P. Sambu, Crystal Tjhia
  • Publication number: 20200331171
    Abstract: A method includes determining a first shape of a main body of a mold associated with a dental arch for a patient. The method further includes determining a second shape of a separable feature of the mold. The method further includes determining a third shape and configuration of a receiving element of the main body to receive the separable feature. The method further includes outputting instructions for fabricating the separable feature and the main body that includes the receiving element for receiving the separable feature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Rohit Tanugula, Dennis Te, Peter Webber, Shiva P. Sambu, Crystal Tjhia
  • Patent number: 10702357
    Abstract: A mold includes a first section, a second section, and a weakened region that joins the first section to the second section. The weakened region is breakable, deflectable, or deformable in response to a first threshold force to enable the first section to be removed from a shell independently of the second section after the shell is formed over the mold. The first threshold force is less than a second threshold force that would damage or permanently deform the shell. The first section is a first mold of at least a portion of one or more first teeth of a dental arch and the second section is a second mold of at least a portion of one or more second teeth of the dental arch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Webber, Rohit Tanugula, Shiva P. Sambu, Crystal Tjhia
  • Patent number: 10695956
    Abstract: A mold includes a main body and a separable feature. One or more first weakened regions join the separable feature to the main body. The one or more first weakened regions are breakable to enable the main body to be removed from a shell independently of the separable feature after the shell is formed over the mold. The main body includes a first section and a second section that are at least partially separable at one or more second weakened regions to enable the first section to be removed from the shell independently of the second section after the shell is formed over the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Rohit Tanugula, Dennis Te, Peter Webber, Shiva P. Sambu, Crystal Tjhia
  • Publication number: 20200155339
    Abstract: Improved systems, methods, and devices for treating sleep apnea are provided herein. In one aspect, an intraoral appliance for treating sleep apnea in a patient comprises an appliance shell comprising a plurality of cavities shaped to receive teeth of a jaw of the patient. The appliance shell can comprise an advancement structure arranged to interact with an opposing jaw of the patient so as to displace the lower jaw anteriorly relative to the upper jaw. The plurality of cavities can comprise cavity geometries shaped to reduce repositioning of one or more received teeth elicited by displacement of the lower jaw anteriorly relative to the upper jaw.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Bruce Cam, Crystal Tjhia, Chunhua Li, Vadim Matov, John Morton
  • Publication number: 20200146778
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides method, computing device readable medium, and devices for dental appliances with repositioning jaw elements. An example of a method can include identifying a misaligned jaw of a patient from a virtual image of the patient's jaw, providing a treatment plan for the patient including a virtual model of a dental appliance having a first shell and a second shell configured to reposition at least one tooth of the patient, and adjusting the position of the repositioning jaw elements on the first shell and the second shell to comply with a number of constraints. The virtual model of the dental appliance including repositioning jaw elements on the first shell and the second shell configured to move a position of the misaligned jaw of the patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Ken Wu, Eric E. Kuo, Mitra Derakhshan, Crystal Tjhia, Eric Yau, Allen R. Boronkay, Chunhua Li, Gleb Krivovyaz
  • Patent number: 10588776
    Abstract: Improved systems, methods, and devices for treating sleep apnea are provided herein. In one aspect, an intraoral appliance for treating sleep apnea in a patient comprises an appliance shell comprising a plurality of cavities shaped to receive teeth of a jaw of the patient. The appliance shell can comprise an advancement structure arranged to interact with an opposing jaw of the patient so as to displace the lower jaw anteriorly relative to the upper jaw. The plurality of cavities can comprise cavity geometries shaped to reduce repositioning of one or more received teeth elicited by displacement of the lower jaw anteriorly relative to the upper jaw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Bruce Cam, Crystal Tjhia, Chunhua Li, Vadim Matov, John Morton
  • Patent number: 10537406
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides method, computing device readable medium, and devices for dental appliances with repositioning jaw elements. An example of a method can include identifying a misaligned jaw of a patient from a virtual image of the patient's jaw, providing a treatment plan for the patient including a virtual model of a dental appliance having a first shell and a second shell configured to reposition at least one tooth of the patient, and adjusting the position of the repositioning jaw elements on the first shell and the second shell to comply with a number of constraints. The virtual model of the dental appliance including repositioning jaw elements on the first shell and the second shell configured to move a position of the misaligned jaw of the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ken Wu, Eric E. Kuo, Mitra Derakhshan, Crystal Tjhia, Eric Yau, Allen R. Boronkay, Chunhua Li, Gleb Krivovyaz
  • Publication number: 20190125494
    Abstract: A series of appliances including a first appliance and a second appliance. The first appliance can have a first shell having a plurality of cavities therein and each cavity configured to receive at least one tooth of a first jaw and having a first number of bite adjustment structures. The first number of bite adjustment structures can be formed as part of the first shell, the first number of bite adjustment structures extending from the lingual surface of at least one of the plurality of cavities. The first number of bite adjustment structures can have a first shape and location specific to a first stage of the treatment plan. The second appliance can have a second shell having a plurality of cavities therein and each cavity configured to receive at least one tooth of the second jaw and having a second number of bite adjustment structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Huizhong Li, Crystal Tjhia, Eric Yau, Rohit Tanugula, Jun Sato
  • Publication number: 20190125497
    Abstract: A system for correcting class III malocclusions is disclosed. The system may include a maxilla appliance having tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of the maxilla and a first coupling for receiving an elastic. The system may also include a mandibular appliance having tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of the mandible. In some embodiments, the system includes a class III corrective appliance having a first mount shaped to engage with the mandibular arch of the patient and having a second coupling shaped to receive the elastic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Mitra DERAKHSHAN, Crystal TJHIA, Rohit TANUGULA, Yaser SHANJANI, Ryan KIMURA, Bruce CAM, Eric YAU, Yuxiang WANG, Ken WU, Peter WEBBER, Jun SATO, John Y. MORTON
  • Publication number: 20190090983
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, computing device readable medium, devices, and systems having a dental appliance binding structure. One method can include to create a treatment plan based on a virtual model of a jaw of a patient, wherein the treatment plan includes use of a dental appliance having a first surface that defines a plurality of cavities shaped to receive a plurality of teeth, modify the virtual model of the jaw in a first configuration to include a virtual binding structure on a second surface, the platform shaped to receive a specialized feature that provides one or more force characteristics, select a particular specialized feature as an attachment to the dental appliance, and adjust the virtual model of the jaw from a first configuration to a second configuration, based at least in part on a modeled force provided by the virtual binding structure and the particular specialized feature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Peter Webber, Jennifer C. Chen, Yan Chen, Bastien Pesenti, Crystal Tjhia
  • Patent number: 10213277
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, computing device readable medium, devices, and systems having a dental appliance binding structure. One method can include to create a treatment plan based on a virtual model of a jaw of a patient, wherein the treatment plan includes use of a dental appliance having a first surface that defines a plurality of cavities shaped to receive a plurality of teeth, modify the virtual model of the jaw in a first configuration to include a virtual binding structure on a second surface, the platform shaped to receive a specialized feature that provides one or more force characteristics, select a particular specialized feature as an attachment to the dental appliance, and adjust the virtual model of the jaw from a first configuration to a second configuration, based at least in part on a modeled force provided by the virtual binding structure and the particular specialized feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Webber, Jennifer C. Chen, Yan Chen, Bastien Pesenti, Crystal Tjhia
  • Publication number: 20180200031
    Abstract: A mold includes a first section, a second section, and a weakened region that joins the first section to the second section. The weakened region is breakable, deflectable, or deformable in response to a first threshold force to enable the first section to be removed from a shell independently of the second section after the shell is formed over the mold. The first threshold force is less than a second threshold force that would damage or permanently deform the shell. The first section is a first mold of at least a portion of one or more first teeth of a dental arch and the second section is a second mold of at least a portion of one or more second teeth of the dental arch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventors: Peter Webber, Rohit Tanugula, Shiva P. Sambu, Crystal Tjhia