Patents by Inventor Huafeng Wen

Huafeng Wen 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: 10357336
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for cutting and trimming dental molds and oral appliances by receiving a digital model of teeth, determining a cutting loop path and applying a drape wall to the cutting loop to generate a simplified tooth base in a dental mold having an inner arch curve and an outer arch curve. The oral appliance may be formed on the dental mold and a cutter may be applied using a sweeping motion across the inner and outer arch curves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: uLab Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Huafeng Wen
  • Patent number: 10335250
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for fabricating an oral appliance are described for correcting malocclusions on a dentition of a subject. A three-dimensional representation of the dentition may be captured and a free-form structure having a lattice structure which matches at least part of a surface of the dentition is generated. The lattice structure defines a plurality of open spaces such that the free-form structure is at least partially transparent. The lattice structure may then be manufactured by impregnating or covering a coating into or upon the lattice structure such that the oral appliance is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: uLab Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Huafeng Wen
  • Publication number: 20190107932
    Abstract: A method for treating a subject's teeth. A target configuration for the subject's teeth is determined. Receiving features are produced on a dental base in response to the target configuration, the receiving features being configured to receive physical tooth models. The physical tooth models are assembled on the dental base to form a physical arch model. A dental aligner is produced using the physical arch model to move the subject's teeth to the target configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Huafeng WEN, Frank Zhenhuan LIU
  • Publication number: 20180250098
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to prevent interference between two physical tooth models in a physical dental arch model by acquiring the coordinates of a plurality of points on the surfaces of each of the two physical tooth models and digitally representing the surfaces of each of the two physical tooth models by a mesh of points in three dimensions using the acquired coordinates. The meshes representing the surfaces of the two physical tooth models intersect at least at one point to form an overlapping portion. The method also includes calculating the depth of the overlapping portion between the two meshes to quantify the interference of the two physical tooth models.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Inventor: Huafeng Wen
  • Patent number: 9943382
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to prevent interference between two physical tooth models in a physical dental arch model by acquiring the coordinates of a plurality of points on the surfaces of each of the two physical tooth models and digitally representing the surfaces of each of the two physical tooth models by a mesh of points in three dimensions using the acquired coordinates. The meshes representing the surfaces of the two physical tooth models intersect at least at one point to form an overlapping portion. The method also includes calculating the depth of the overlapping portion between the two meshes to quantify the interference of the two physical tooth models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventor: Huafeng Wen
  • Patent number: 9939999
    Abstract: A method for treating a subject's teeth. A target configuration for the subject's teeth is determined. Receiving features are produced on a dental base in response to the target configuration, the receiving features being configured to receive physical tooth models. The physical tooth models are assembled on the dental base to form a physical arch model. A dental aligner is produced using the physical arch model to move the subject's teeth to the target configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Huafeng Wen, Frank Zhenhuan Liu
  • Publication number: 20170300207
    Abstract: A method for treating a subject's teeth. A target configuration for the subject's teeth is determined. Receiving features are produced on a dental base in response to the target configuration, the receiving features being configured to receive physical tooth models. The physical tooth models are assembled on the dental base to form a physical arch model. A dental aligner is produced using the physical arch model to move the subject's teeth to the target configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Huafeng WEN, Frank Zhenhuan LIU
  • Publication number: 20170100210
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for fabricating a dental or oral appliance utilizing support structures. A three dimensional representation of the dentition of a patient may be captured and reconfigured for correcting one or more malocclusions. The oral appliance may be printed upon an inner structure which supports the oral appliance during fabrication. The inner structure may be subsequently removed once the oral appliance is completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventor: Huafeng WEN
  • Publication number: 20170100207
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for treating teeth to correct for malocclusions. This may be accomplished by applying a series of labels to a digital dental model and applying a rolling ball process to identify tooth boundaries separating one tooth from a neighboring tooth and to also determine the crown/gum margin. The user may further assign regions to the dental model to indicate hard regions and soft regions. With the dental model labeled and defined, the user may then generate a treatment plan for moving the labeled and defined tooth or teeth relative to one another to correct for any malocclusions. Upon approval of the treatment plan, a series of 3D printed dental appliances or aligners to be worn in series by the patient may be fabricated to ultimately move the tooth or teeth to a desired position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventor: Huafeng WEN
  • Publication number: 20170100214
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for treating teeth to correct for malocclusions. This may be accomplished in one variation by receiving a scanned dental model of a subject's dentition, determining a treatment plan having a plurality of incremental movements for repositioning one or more teeth of the subject's dentition, and fabricating one or more aligners correlating to a first subset of the plurality of incremental movements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Applicant: uLab Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Huafeng WEN
  • Publication number: 20170100211
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for cutting and trimming dental molds and oral appliances by receiving a digital model of teeth, determining a cutting loop path and applying a drape wall to the cutting loop to generate a simplified tooth base in a dental mold having an inner arch curve and an outer arch curve. The oral appliance may be formed on the dental mold and a cutter may be applied using a sweeping motion across the inner and outer arch curves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Applicant: uLab Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Huafeng WEN
  • Publication number: 20170100208
    Abstract: A system includes a plurality of tooth models each including computer code controlling its movement. The system also includes a tooth movement control system (TMCS) with a processor executing a dental manager module and with memory scoring a different tooth movement plan for each of the tooth models. In practice, the tooth movement plans are stored in the memory of each of the tooth models (e.g., a different tooth movement plan for each tooth model). Then, during tooth movement operation, each of the local control modules independently controls the tooth model to execute the tooth movement plan stored in the memory of the tooth model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Applicant: uLab System, Inc.
    Inventor: Huafeng WEN
  • Publication number: 20170100209
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for fabricating an oral appliance are described for correcting malocclusions on a dentition of a subject. A three-dimensional representation of the dentition may be captured and a free-form structure having a lattice structure which matches at least part of a surface of the dentition is generated. The lattice structure defines a plurality of open spaces such that the free-form structure is at least partially transparent. The lattice structure may then be manufactured by impregnating or covering a coating into or upon the lattice structure such that the oral appliance is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Applicant: uLab Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Huafeng WEN
  • Publication number: 20170079749
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to prevent interference between two physical tooth models in a physical dental arch model by acquiring the coordinates of a plurality of points on the surfaces of each of the two physical tooth models and digitally representing the surfaces of each of the two physical tooth models by a mesh of points in three dimensions using the acquired coordinates. The meshes representing the surfaces of the two physical tooth models intersect at least at one point to form an overlapping portion. The method also includes calculating the depth of the overlapping portion between the two meshes to quantify the interference of the two physical tooth models.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventor: Huafeng Wen
  • Patent number: 9536020
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to prevent interference between two physical tooth models in a physical dental arch model by acquiring the coordinates of a plurality of points on the surfaces of each of the two physical tooth models and digitally representing the surfaces of each of the two physical tooth models by a mesh of points in three dimensions using the acquired coordinates. The meshes representing the surfaces of the two physical tooth models intersect at least at one point to form an overlapping portion. The method also includes calculating the depth of the overlapping portion between the two meshes to quantify the interference of the two physical tooth models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Huafeng Wen
  • Publication number: 20160324601
    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: July 21, 2016
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Inventors: Loc X. Phan, Peter G. Knopp, Eric E. Kuo, Amir Abolfathi, Huafeng Wen
  • 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: 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
  • Publication number: 20150351871
    Abstract: A computer is used to create a plan for repositioning an orthodontic patient's teeth. The computer receives an initial digital data set representing the patient's teeth at their initial positions and a final digital data set representing the teeth at their final positions. The computer then uses the data sets to generate treatment paths along which the teeth will move from the initial positions to the final positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: Muhammad Chishti, Kelsey Wirth, Andrew Beers, Huafeng Wen, Phillips Alexander Benton, Timothy N. Jones, Ross J. Miller, Brian Freyburger
  • 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