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).

  • Patent number: 8738394
    Abstract: Clinical data file embodiments and methods for creating the same are provided. One embodiment includes treatment professional information in at least one of a number of treatment professional information data fields in a treatment professional section of the file, patient personal information in at least one of a number of patient personal information data fields in a patient profile section of the file, a number of patient medical information items, and an indicator associated with at least one of the treatment professional information data fields, at least one of the patient personal information data fields, and at least one of the patient medical information items, where the treatment professional information, patient personal information, and patient medical information items associated with an enabled indicator are hidden.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventor: Eric E. Kuo
  • Publication number: 20140142897
    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: November 19, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric E. Kuo
  • Patent number: 8731280
    Abstract: Virtual cephalometric imaging includes creating a first 3D virtual model and a second 3D virtual model of a patient's dentition. The first 3D virtual model is based on a first impression taken of the patient's dentition at a first time. The second 3D virtual model is based on a second impression taken of the patient's dentition at a second time. The first and the second 3D virtual models are correlated. A 2D image is generated including a first outline representing a position of at least one tooth of the patient's dentition according to the first 3D virtual model and a second outline representing a position of the at least one tooth according to the second 3D virtual model. Generating the 2D image includes positioning the first outline relative to the second outline according to the correlation of the first and the second 3D virtual models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric E. Kuo, Fabio Pettinati, Sherri Wilson
  • Patent number: 8545221
    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: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michelle Stone-Collonge, Eric E. Kuo, Rick M. Matty, Fabio Pettinati, Thomas Maurer, Dzmitry Sanko
  • Patent number: 8439674
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for intra-oral delivery of drugs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chunhua Li, Wenda C. Carlyle, Philippe De Smedt, Amir Abolfathi, Eric E. Kuo, Robert E. Tricca, Jennifer C. Chen, Benjamin M. Wu
  • Publication number: 20130058547
    Abstract: Virtual cephalometric imaging includes creating a first 3D virtual model and a second 3D virtual model of a patient's dentition. The first 3D virtual model is based on a first impression taken of the patient's dentition at a first time. The second 3D virtual model is based on a second impression taken of the patient's dentition at a second time. The first and the second 3D virtual models are correlated. A 2D image is generated including a first outline representing a position of at least one tooth of the patient's dentition according to the first 3D virtual model and a second outline representing a position of the at least one tooth according to the second 3D virtual model. Generating the 2D image includes positioning the first outline relative to the second outline according to the correlation of the first and the second 3D virtual models.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric E. Kuo, Fabio Pettinati, Sherri Wilson
  • Publication number: 20120290269
    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: March 1, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric E. Kuo, Igor Kvasov, Anna Egorova, Sergey Gagarin
  • Patent number: 8275180
    Abstract: Embodiments are provided for accurately characterizing a tooth's movement. One method embodiment includes associating an abnormal tooth shape with a model tooth shape from a reference library of model tooth shapes, mapping a predefined dental reference from the model tooth shape onto at least a portion of the abnormal tooth shape, and adding a location of the predefined dental reference to the abnormal tooth shape based on the mapped predefined dental reference from the model tooth shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric E. Kuo
  • Patent number: 8244028
    Abstract: Virtual cephalometric imaging includes creating a first 3D virtual model and a second 3D virtual model of a patient's dentition. The first 3D virtual model is based on a first impression taken of the patient's dentition at a first time. The second 3D virtual model is based on a second impression taken of the patient's dentition at a second time. The first and the second 3D virtual models are correlated. A 2D image is generated including a first outline representing a position of at least one tooth of the patient's dentition according to the first 3D virtual model and a second outline representing a position of the at least one tooth according to the second 3D virtual model. Generating the 2D image includes positioning the first outline relative to the second outline according to the correlation of the first and the second 3D virtual models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric E. Kuo, Fabio Pettinati, Sherri Wilson
  • Publication number: 20120189971
    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: March 27, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric E. Kuo
  • Publication number: 20120106812
    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: January 9, 2012
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michelle Stone-Collonge, Eric E. Kuo, Rick Matty, Fabio Pettinati, Thomas Maurer, Dzmitry Sanko
  • Patent number: 8152518
    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: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric E. Kuo
  • Publication number: 20120082950
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for intra-oral delivery of drugs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chunhua Li, Wenda C. Carlyle, Philippe De Smedt, Amir Abolfathi, Eric E. Kuo, Robert E. Tricca, Jennifer C. Chen, Benjamin M. Wu
  • Patent number: 8099268
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes dental appliances, devices, and methods of making and using such appliances. In one embodiment, a method for tooth modeling includes receiving a patient information file for a treatment plan patient and analyzing the patient information file to determine whether the patient is a non-adult patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Kitching, Eric E. Kuo
  • Patent number: 8099305
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed providing a database comprising a compendium of at least one of patient treatment history; orthodontic therapies, orthodontic information and diagnostics; employing a data mining technique for interrogating said database for generating an output data stream, the output data stream correlating a patient malocclusion with an orthodontic treatment; and applying the output data stream to improve a dental appliance or a dental appliance usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric E. Kuo, Philippe De Smedt, Cuong Van Nguyen, Christopher W. Overton
  • Patent number: 8092215
    Abstract: A method for designing a restored smile 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: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michelle Stone-Collonge, Eric E. Kuo, Rick Matty, Fabio Pettinati, Thomas Maurer, Dzmitry Sanko
  • Patent number: 8075309
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for intra-oral delivery of drugs. One method embodiment includes providing a dental device with one or more reservoirs, supplying at least one of the reservoirs with the one or more substances, and fluidly releasing the one or more substances from at least one reservoir into an oral structure at different preselected doses at different predetermined time periods and in a predetermined sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chunhua Li, Wenda C. Carlyle, Philippe De Smedt, Amir Abolfathi, Eric E. Kuo, Robert E. Tricca, Jennifer C. Chen, Benjamin M. Wu
  • Publication number: 20110270588
    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: April 30, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Eric E. Kuo, Vadim Matov, Larry Lai, Fuming Wu, Jihua Cheng
  • Publication number: 20110268326
    Abstract: Virtual cephalometric imaging includes creating a first 3D virtual model and a second 3D virtual model of a patient's dentition. The first 3D virtual model is based on a first impression taken of the patient's dentition at a first time. The second 3D virtual model is based on a second impression taken of the patient's dentition at a second time. The first and the second 3D virtual models are correlated. A 2D image is generated including a first outline representing a position of at least one tooth of the patient's dentition according to the first 3D virtual model and a second outline representing a position of the at least one tooth according to the second 3D virtual model. Generating the 2D image includes positioning the first outline relative to the second outline according to the correlation of the first and the second 3D virtual models.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Eric E. Kuo, Fabio Pettinati, Sherri Wilson
  • Patent number: 7987099
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed providing a database comprising a compendium of at least one of patient treatment history; orthodontic therapies, orthodontic information and diagnostics; employing a data mining technique for interrogating said database for generating an output data stream, the output data stream correlating a patient malocclusion with an orthodontic treatment; and applying the output data stream to improve a dental appliance or a dental appliance usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric E. Kuo, Philippe De Smedt, Cuong Van Nguyen, Christopher W Overton