Patents by Inventor Duane Milford Durbin

Duane Milford Durbin 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: 20140329204
    Abstract: A method is provided for enhancing the results of an optical scan of the surface of an object such as human dentition in which the surface may be dry or wet. The method includes the step of applying a composition to the surface, wherein the composition includes a volatile component that rapidly evaporates resulting in the transformation of the residual composition to a durable, water insoluble, non sticky film on the surface, whether applied in a dry-field or in a wet-field environment. The composition generally includes an agent that improves the quality of the optical return signal to a 3D optical scanner. The method further includes the steps of scanning the surface having the film with an optical scanner and then, once scanning has been completed, using an organic solvent, such as a mouthwash containing alcohol, to remove the film from the object's surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Inventors: Duane Milford Durbin, Dennis Arthur Durbin
  • Publication number: 20110171604
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for manufacturing a dental restorative prosthesis by capturing 3D dental data from a patient; sending the 3D dental data to a laboratory for fabricating a restoration blank, the blank having material below a preparation area; receiving the restoration blank from the laboratory; determining a reduction area from the patient during an in office visit and fabricating the reduction area from the restoration blank to match the patient dentition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Inventors: Duane Milford Durbin, Laurence Warden, Cory McCluskey
  • Publication number: 20090133260
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to fabricate a restorative prosthesis. The system includes a scanner to intra orally capture color and translucency information along with a three dimensional (3D) shape of the dentition being reconstructed. The system also includes a computer aided design (CAD) module to receive the color and translucency information and the 3D shape to render a color accurate representation of the prosthesis for review, wherein the color, translucency and surface information is combined in a single digital prescription which is electronically transferred to a laboratory or CAD/CAM system for fabrication. The system provides the capability for 3D shape, color and translucency characteristics of the final prosthesis to be measured and quantitatively compared to the prescribed requirements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2007
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Inventors: Duane Milford Durbin, Dennis Arthur Durbin, Marty J. Dymek, Laurence Warden
  • Publication number: 20090061381
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to preview a scan includes placing a three dimensional (3D) scanner probe near an object to be scanned; scanning a portion of the object to generate a 3D model of the scanned portion of the object; and displaying the 3D model of the portion as a live 3D preview of the 3D model, wherein the live 3D preview provides feedback on the probe's position and orientation relative to the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Duane Milford Durbin, Dennis Arthur Durbin
  • Patent number: 7328077
    Abstract: Methods and systems for treating teeth include capturing a digital dental model taken within an oral cavity; modifying the digital model in planning a dental treatment or in designing a tooth die model for a dental prosthetic; creating physical models from the original or modified digital models: and using the physical models as a pattern for fabrication and fit check of a dental prosthetic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Inventors: Duane Milford Durbin, Dennis Arthur Durbin
  • Patent number: 7118375
    Abstract: Systems and methods for imaging a dental occlusal registration impression; developing a digital 3D surface contour model of the occlusal registration impression from the image data; electronically transferring the data representing the digital 3D surface contour model of the occlusal registration impression; fabricating a physical replicate of the occlusal registration impression; correlating features on upper and lower jaw dental models with features on the replicate occlusal registration impression model; and determining occlusal alignment of the upper and lower jaw dental models using the replicate occlusal registration impression model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Inventors: Duane Milford Durbin, Dennis Arthur Durbin
  • Patent number: 6882894
    Abstract: Methods and systems for treating teeth include capturing a digital dental model taken within an oral cavity; modifying the digital model in planning a dental treatment or in designing a tooth die model for a dental prosthetic; creating physical models from the original or modified digital models: and using the physical models as a pattern for fabrication and fit check of a dental prosthetic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Inventors: Duane Milford Durbin, Dennis Arthur Durbin
  • Publication number: 20040133293
    Abstract: Methods and systems for treating teeth include capturing a digital dental model taken within an oral cavity; modifying the digital model in planning a dental treatment or in designing a dental prosthetic; and creating a physical model from the original or modified digital models.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventors: Duane Milford Durbin, Dennis Arthur Durbin
  • Publication number: 20020064752
    Abstract: Systems and methods optically image a dental structure within an oral cavity by: directing air at a tooth-gum interface of the dental structure through at least one air nozzle movably coupled to an intra-oral track; coating the dental structure with a substance to enhance the image quality; and capturing one or more images of the dental structure through at least one image aperture, the image aperture movably coupled to the intra-oral track.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Publication date: May 30, 2002
    Inventors: Duane Milford Durbin, Dennis Arthur Durbin
  • Publication number: 20020064759
    Abstract: Methods and systems for treating teeth include capturing a digital dental model taken within an oral cavity; modifying the digital model in planning a dental treatment or in designing a dental prosthetic; and creating a physical model from the original or modified digital models.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Publication date: May 30, 2002
    Inventors: Duane Milford Durbin, Dennis Arthur Durbin
  • Patent number: 6386867
    Abstract: Systems and methods optically image a dental structure within an oral cavity by: directing air at a tooth-gum interface of the dental structure through at least one air nozzle movably coupled to an intra-oral track; coating the dental structure with a substance to enhance the image quality; and capturing one or more images of the dental structure through at least one image aperture, the image aperture movably coupled to the intra-oral track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Inventors: Duane Milford Durbin, Dennis Arthur Durbin
  • Patent number: 6364660
    Abstract: A system optically images a dental structure within an oral cavity. The system includes an intra-oral track adapted to be inserted inside the oral cavity; an image aperture movably coupled to the intra-oral track and adapted to capture one or more images of the dental structure; and an image processor coupled to the image aperture to generate a three-dimensional (3D) model of the dental structure based on the images captured by the image aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Inventors: Duane Milford Durbin, Dennis Arthur Durbin