Patents by Inventor Eric E. Kuo

Eric E. Kuo 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: 20160287355
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides computing device implemented methods, computing device readable medium, and molds for filling undercut areas of teeth relative to an axis of placement. Filling undercut areas of teeth relative to an axis of placement can include calculating an undercut area of a tooth relative to an axis of placement of part of a dental appliance over a number of teeth and a height of contour that is defined based on the axis of placement. Filling undercut areas of teeth relative to an axis of placement can also include filling in a part of the undercut area of the tooth with a virtual filler wherein the undercut is filled to within a threshold distance from the tooth that is defined relative to the axis of placement and the height of contour.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventor: Eric E. Kuo
  • Patent number: 9433479
    Abstract: A dental template to position an object on a patient's tooth includes digitizing the patient's tooth; adding virtual objects to predetermined locations on the digitized tooth; and fabricating the dental template to locate the object on the patient's tooth. The template can be used for etching or for positioning brackets on teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Loc X. Phan, Peter G. Knopp, Eric E. Kuo, Amir Abolfathi, Huafeng Wen
  • Publication number: 20160175070
    Abstract: Embodiments are provided for utilizing metallic portions in dental positioning appliances. One embodiment includes a removable dental positioning appliance having a shell having one or more cavities shaped to receive and reposition one or more teeth from a first orientation to a successive orientation and where at least a portion of the shell is formed from a metallic mesh material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventor: Eric E. Kuo
  • Patent number: 9364296
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides computing device implemented methods, computing device readable medium, and molds for filling undercut areas of teeth relative to an axis of placement. Filling undercut areas of teeth relative to an axis of placement can include calculating an undercut area of a tooth relative to an axis of placement of part of a dental appliance over a number of teeth and a height of contour that is defined based on the axis of placement. Filling undercut areas of teeth relative to an axis of placement can also include filling in a part of the undercut area of the tooth with a virtual filler wherein the undercut is filled to within a threshold distance from the tooth that is defined relative to the axis of placement and the height of contour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric E. Kuo
  • Publication number: 20160095668
    Abstract: Embodiments are provided for using an individualized orthodontic treatment index. One method embodiment includes receiving an initial virtual dental model from a first scan of a patient's dentition, modifying the initial virtual dental model to create a target virtual dental model according to a treatment goal, assigning a number of dental references to the target virtual dental model, receiving a treatment outcome virtual dental model from a second scan of the patient's dentition, mapping the number of dental references from the target virtual dental model to a treatment outcome virtual dental model, and calculating an individualized treatment index score for the treatment outcome virtual dental model according to one or more differences between the target virtual dental model and the treatment outcome virtual dental model based on the number of dental references.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Eric E. Kuo, Vadim Matov, Larry Lai, Fuming Wu, Jihua Cheng
  • Publication number: 20160081768
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides method, systems, and devices for expanding arch of teeth. A device for expanding an arch of teeth of a patient can include a removable shell formed of a first material having a number of cavities formed therein. The number of cavities are shaped to receive teeth of a patient. A device for expanding an arch of teeth of a patient can include an arch element extending from the removable shell in a lingual direction and across an arch width of the removable shell. The arch element can be formed of the first material and a second material that is a different material than the first material, can be designed to expand an arch of the teeth of the patient, and can have a width specific to a stage of a treatment plan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: Avi Kopelman, Shiva Sambu, Rene M Sterental, Eric E. Kuo, Mauricio de Alancar Casa
  • Publication number: 20160051342
    Abstract: A dental template to position an object on a patient's tooth includes digitizing the patient's tooth; adding virtual objects to predetermined locations on the digitized tooth; and fabricating the dental template to locate the object on the patient's tooth. The template can be used for etching or for positioning brackets on teeth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: Loc X. Phan, Peter G. Knopp, Eric E. Kuo, Amir Abolfathi, Huafeng Wen
  • Patent number: 9211166
    Abstract: Embodiments are provided for using an individualized orthodontic treatment index. One method embodiment includes receiving an initial virtual dental model from a first scan of a patient's dentition, modifying the initial virtual dental model to create a target virtual dental model according to a treatment goal, assigning a number of dental references to the target virtual dental model, receiving a treatment outcome virtual dental model from a second scan of the patient's dentition, mapping the number of dental references from the target virtual dental model to a treatment outcome virtual dental model, and calculating an individualized treatment index score for the treatment outcome virtual dental model according to one or more differences between the target virtual dental model and the treatment outcome virtual dental model based on the number of dental references.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric E. Kuo, Vadim Matov, Larry Lai, Fuming Wu, Jihua Cheng
  • Patent number: 9204942
    Abstract: A dental template to position an object on a patient's tooth includes digitizing the patient's tooth; adding virtual objects to predetermined locations on the digitized tooth; and fabricating the dental template to locate the object on the patient's tooth. The template can be used for etching or for positioning brackets on teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Loc X. Phan, Peter G. Knopp, Eric E. Kuo, Amir Abolfathi, Huafeng Wen
  • Publication number: 20150254420
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes methods, systems, and devices for prioritization of three dimensional dental elements. One method for prioritizing three dimensional dental elements includes receiving a virtual initial dental data set (IDDS) of teeth having spatial information regarding the positions of a number of teeth in the virtual IDDS with respect to each other for presentation of the teeth in a virtual three dimensional space to be viewed on a user interface, setting prioritization values of a number of elements of one or more of the number of teeth, and prioritizing the number of elements to be selected by a user based upon their prioritization values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Inventors: Eric E. Kuo, Igor Kvasov, Anna Egorova, Sergey Gagarin
  • Publication number: 20150238284
    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, and 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. 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: February 21, 2014
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ken Wu, Eric E. Kuo, Mitra Derakhshan, Crystal Tjhia, Eric Yau, Allen R. Boronkay, Chunhua Li
  • Publication number: 20150238280
    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: September 19, 2014
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Ken Wu, Eric E. Kuo, Mitra Derakhshan, Crystal Tjhia, Eric Yau, Allen R. Boronkay, Chunhua Li, Gleb Krivovyaz
  • Patent number: 9037439
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes methods, systems, and devices for prioritization of three dimensional dental elements. One method for prioritizing three dimensional dental elements includes receiving a virtual initial dental data set (IDDS) of teeth having spatial information regarding the positions of a number of teeth in the virtual IDDS with respect to each other for presentation of the teeth in a virtual three dimensional space to be viewed on a user interface, setting prioritization values of a number of elements of one or more of the number of teeth, and prioritizing the number of elements to be selected by a user based upon their prioritization values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric E. Kuo, Igor Kvasov, Anna Egorova, Sergey Gagarin
  • Publication number: 20150132708
    Abstract: Method and system including receiving one or more parameters associated with an orthodontic condition, receiving a treatment goal information associated with the orthodontic condition, and providing a predefined template associated with the received treatment goal information, wherein the predefined template includes at least one orthodontic condition related information, are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventor: Eric E. Kuo
  • Publication number: 20150078637
    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: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michelle Stone-Collonge, Eric E. Kuo, Rick M. Matty, Fabio Pettinati, Thomas Maurer, Dzmitry Sanko
  • Patent number: 8944812
    Abstract: Embodiments are provided for utilizing metallic portions in dental positioning appliances. One embodiment includes a removable dental positioning appliance having a shell having one or more cavities shaped to receive and reposition one or more teeth from a first orientation to a successive orientation and where at least a portion of the shell is formed from a metallic mesh material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric E. Kuo
  • Publication number: 20140322662
    Abstract: A dental template to position an object on a patient's tooth includes digitizing the patient's tooth; adding virtual objects to predetermined locations on the digitized tooth; and fabricating the dental template to locate the object on the patient's tooth. The template can be used for etching or for positioning brackets on teeth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Loc X. Phan, Peter G. Knopp, Eric E. Kuo, Amir Abolfathi, Huafeng Wen
  • Publication number: 20140280376
    Abstract: Personal data file embodiments and methods for creating the same are provided. One personal data file embodiment includes personal information about a subject of the personal data file, provided by a user that controls the personal data file, in at least one of a number of personal information data fields, and an image of the subject including a privacy region, where the privacy region hides a first area of the image and leaves a second area of the image visible. The hidden first area is accessible by a pass code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric E. Kuo
  • Patent number: 8788285
    Abstract: Embodiments are provided for a patient data file menu and methods for creating the same. One embodiment includes a number of patient medical information items including a data type label and a position in a data file menu, a sequence of one or more tabs, where each tab represents a stage in a procedure, and where the patient medical information items are associated with the tab corresponding to the stage in the procedure to which the patient medical information item corresponds, treatment professional information in a treatment professional profile section of the file, and patient personal information in a patient profile section of the file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric E. Kuo
  • Patent number: 8734149
    Abstract: A dental template to position an object on a patient's tooth includes digitizing the patient's tooth; adding virtual objects to predetermined locations on the digitized tooth; and fabricating the dental template to locate the object on the patient's tooth. The template can be used for etching or for positioning brackets on teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Loc X. Phan, Peter G. Knopp, Eric E. Kuo, Amir Abolfathi, Huafeng Wen