Patents by Inventor Gregory P. Bala
Gregory P. Bala 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).
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Patent number: 7874837Abstract: Methods and corresponding apparatus for segmenting an orthodontic treatment path into clinically appropriate substeps for repositioning the teeth of a patient include providing a digital finite element model of the shape and material of each of a sequence of appliances to be applied to a patient; providing a digital finite element model of the teeth and related mouth tissue of the patient; computing the actual effect of the appliances on the teeth by analyzing the finite elements models computationally; and evaluating the effect against clinical constraints. The appliances can be braces, polymeric shells, or other forms of orthodontic appliance.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2007Date of Patent: January 25, 2011Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Muhammad Chishti, Elena I. Pavlovskaia, Gregory P. Bala, Brian Freyburger
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Publication number: 20080182221Abstract: Methods and corresponding apparatus for segmenting an orthodontic treatment path into clinically appropriate substeps for repositioning the teeth of a patient include providing a digital finite element model of the shape and material of each of a sequence of appliances to be applied to a patient; providing a digital finite element model of the teeth and related mouth tissue of the patient; computing the actual effect of the appliances on the teeth by analyzing the finite elements models computationally; and evaluating the effect against clinical constraints. The appliances can be braces, polymeric shells, or other forms of orthodontic appliance.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2007Publication date: July 31, 2008Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Muhammad Chishti, Elena I. Pavlovskaia, Gregory P. Bala, Brian Freyburger
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Patent number: 7320592Abstract: Methods and corresponding apparatus for segmenting an orthodontic treatment path into clinically appropriate substeps for repositioning the teeth of a patient include providing a digital finite element model of the shape and material of each of a sequence of appliances to be applied to a patient; providing a digital finite element model of the teeth and related mouth tissue of the patient; computing the actual effect of the appliances on the teeth by analyzing the finite elements models computationally; and evaluating the effect against clinical constraints. The appliances can be braces, polymeric shells, or other forms of orthodontic appliance.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2004Date of Patent: January 22, 2008Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Muhammad Chishti, Elena Pavlovskaia, Gregory P. Bala, Brian M. Freyburger
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Patent number: 7123767Abstract: A programmed computer is used to create a digital model of an individual component of a patient's dentition. The computer obtains a 3D digital mode of the patient's dentition, identifies points in the dentition model that lie on an inter-proximal margin between adjacent teeth in the patient's dentition, and uses the identified points to create a cutting surface that separates portions of the dentition model representing the adjacent teeth.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2002Date of Patent: October 17, 2006Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Timothy N. Jones, Muhammad Chishti, Huafeng Wen, Gregory P. Bala
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Patent number: 7110594Abstract: A programmed computer is used to create a digital model of an individual component of a patient's dentition. The computer obtains a 3D digital model of the patient's dentition, identifies points in the dentition model that lie on an inter-proximal margin between adjacent teeth in the patient's dentition, and uses the identified points to create a cutting surface that separates portions of the dentition model representing the adjacent teeth.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2002Date of Patent: September 19, 2006Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Timothy N. Jones, Muhammad Chishti, Huafeng Wen, Gregory P. Bala
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Patent number: 7063532Abstract: A computer or other digital circuitry is used to assist in the creation of a digital model of an individual component, such as a tooth or gum tissue, in a patient's dentition. The computer receives a data set that forms a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the patient's dentition, applies a test to the data set to identify data elements that represent portions of the individual component, and creates a digital model of the individual component based upon the identified data elements. Many implementations require the computer to identify data elements representing a 2D cross-section of the dentition lying in a 2D plane that is roughly parallel to or roughly perpendicular to the dentition's occlusal plane. The computer analyzes the 2D cross-section to identify dentition features that represent boundaries between individual dentition components.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 1999Date of Patent: June 20, 2006Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Timothy N. Jones, Muhammad Chishti, Huafeng Wen, Gregory P. Bala
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Patent number: 6802713Abstract: Methods and corresponding apparatus for segmenting an orthodontic treatment path into clinically appropriate substeps for repositioning the teeth of a patient include providing a digital finite element model of the shape and material of each of a sequence of appliances to be applied to a patient; providing a digital finite element model of the teeth and related mouth tissue of the patient; computing the actual effect of the appliances on the teeth by analyzing the finite elements models computationally; and evaluating the effect against clinical constraints. The appliances can be braces, polymeric shells, or other forms of orthodontic appliance.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2003Date of Patent: October 12, 2004Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Muhammad Chishti, Elena I. Pavlovskaia, Gregory P. Bala, Brian Freyburger
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Publication number: 20040175671Abstract: A computer or other digital circuitry is used to assist in the creation of a digital model of an individual component, such as a tooth or gum tissue, in a patient's dentition. The computer receives a data set that forms a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the patient's dentition, applies a test to the data set to identify data elements that represent portions of the individual component, and creates a digital model of the individual component based upon the identified data elements. Many implementations require the computer to identify data elements representing a 2D cross-section of the dentition lying in a 2D plane that is roughly parallel to or roughly perpendicular to the dentition's occlusal plane. The computer analyzes the 2D cross-section to identify dentition features that represent boundaries between individual dentition components.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2004Publication date: September 9, 2004Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Timothy N. Jones, Muhammad Chishti, Huafeng Wen, Gregory P. Bala
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Patent number: 6682346Abstract: Methods and corresponding apparatus for segmenting an orthodontic treatment path into clinically appropriate substeps for repositioning the teeth of a patient include providing a digital finite element model of the shape and material of each of a sequence of appliances to be applied to a patient; providing a digital finite element model of the teeth and related mouth tissue of the patient; computing the actual effect of the appliances on the teeth by analyzing the finite elements models computationally; and evaluating the effect against clinical constraints. The appliances can be braces, polymeric shells, or other forms of orthodontic appliance.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2002Date of Patent: January 27, 2004Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Muhammad Chishti, Elena I. Pavlovskaia, Gregory P. Bala, Brian Freyburger
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Publication number: 20030039389Abstract: A programmed computer is used to create a digital model of an individual component of a patient's dentition. The computer obtains a 3D digital mode of the patient's dentition, identifies points in the dentition model that lie on an inter-proximal margin between adjacent teeth in the patient's dentition, and uses the identified points to create a cutting surface that separates portions of the dentition model representing the adjacent teeth.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2002Publication date: February 27, 2003Applicant: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.Inventors: Timothy N. Jones, Muhammad Chishti, Huafeng Wen, Gregory P. Bala
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Publication number: 20030003416Abstract: Methods and corresponding apparatus for segmenting an orthodontic treatment path into clinically appropriate substeps for repositioning the teeth of a patient include providing a digital finite element model of the shape and material of each of a sequence of appliances to be applied to a patient; providing a digital finite element model of the teeth and related mouth tissue of the patient; computing the actual effect of the appliances on the teeth by analyzing the finite elements models computationally; and evaluating the effect against clinical constraints. The appliances can be braces, polymeric shells, or other forms of orthodontic appliance.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2002Publication date: January 2, 2003Applicant: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.Inventors: Muhammad Chishti, Elena I. Pavlovskaia, Gregory P. Bala, Brian Freyburger
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Patent number: 6471511Abstract: Methods and corresponding apparatus for segmenting an orthodontic treatment path into clinically appropriate substeps for repositioning the teeth of a patient. The methods include providing a digital finite element model of the shape and material of each of a sequence of appliances to be applied to a patient; providing a digital finite element model of the teeth and related mouth tissue of the patient; computing the actual effect of the appliances on the teeth by analyzing the finite elements models computationally; and evaluating the effect against clinical constraints. The appliances can be braces, polymeric shells, or other forms of orthodontic appliance.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 1998Date of Patent: October 29, 2002Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Muhammad Chishti, Elena I. Pavlovskaia, Gregory P. Bala, Brian Freyburger
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Publication number: 20020102009Abstract: A programmed computer is used to create a digital model of an individual component of a patient's dentition. The computer obtains a 3D digital model of the patient's dentition, identifies points in the dentition model that lie on an inter-proximal margin between adjacent teeth in the patient's dentition, and uses the identified points to create a cutting surface that separates portions of the dentition model representing the adjacent teeth.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2002Publication date: August 1, 2002Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Timothy N. Jones, Muhammad Chishti, Huafeng Wen, Gregory P. Bala
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Patent number: 6409504Abstract: A programmed computer is used to create a digital model of an individual component of a patient's dentition. The computer obtains a 3D digital model of the patient's dentition, identifies points in the dentition model that lie on an inter-proximal margin between adjacent teeth in the patient's dentition, and uses the identified points to create a cutting surface that separates portions of the dentition model representing the adjacent teeth.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 1999Date of Patent: June 25, 2002Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Timothy N. Jones, Muhammad Chishti, Huafeng Wen, Gregory P. Bala
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Publication number: 20020037489Abstract: A programmed computer is used to create a digital model of an individual component of a patient's dentition. The computer obtains a 3D digital model of the patient's dentition, identifies points in the dentition model that lie on an inter-proximal margin between adjacent teeth in the patient's dentition, and uses the identified points to create a cutting surface that separates portions of the dentition model representing the adjacent teeth.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 1999Publication date: March 28, 2002Inventors: TIMOTHY N. JONES, MUHAMMAD CHISHTI, HUAFENG WEN, GREGORY P. BALA
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Patent number: 5967893Abstract: A method for ordering all of the possible hands into a particular sequence is presented. Due to the particular manner in which the hands are ordered and sequenced, any one of the hands can be accessed fairly quickly by the methods provided herein which simplifies complex calculations to table look-up operations. Given a particular hand (the first five cards given to the player in a five-card draw poker), all of the possible hands arising from the particular hand (as a result of the number of cards kept by the player) is iterated and the types of all possible resulting hands tabulated. The combination of hands resulting from the number of cards kept is considered in the iteration. After the iteration is completed, the results obtained is a tabulation of each combination of hands obtained.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 1997Date of Patent: October 19, 1999Assignee: Silicon Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Roger P. Lawrence, Eagle I. Berns, Gregory P. Bala
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Patent number: 5522019Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for generating isosurfaces, given input data that includes (1) the representation of a set of points in three-dimensional space; (2) connectivity information with respect to the set of points and (3) a scalar field. The methods and apparatus allow the desired isosurfaces to be produced efficiently on all hardware platforms, including those not equipped to rapidly generate such isosurfaces using normally computation intensive processes, by utilizing a precomputed isofacet configuration table and predefined tetrahedron component labeling data (preset relationships among the vertices, edges and faces of a tetrahedron). Further aspects of the methods and apparatus include (1) methods and apparatus which support the selective display of isosurface and contour line images, and (2) methods and apparatus which utilize parallel processing techniques to enhance the efficiency of the isosurface generation process.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 1995Date of Patent: May 28, 1996Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Gregory P. Bala, Koji Koyamada