Patents by Inventor Rick M. Matty

Rick M. Matty 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: 20240285382
    Abstract: Methods of treatment of a dentition using a dental appliance including a scaled-up cavity to establish a space between an inner surface of the scaled-up cavity and a tooth. The space may be adapted to accept a chemical to chemically treat the tooth. The scaled-up cavity may have a spacer configured to maintain the space between the inner surface of the scaled-up cavity and the tooth. The dental appliance may also include a fitted cavity configured to snuggly fit on another tooth to create a fixed orientation of the dental appliance with respect to the dentition, for example, to ensure that the chemical within the space is in contact with the tooth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2024
    Publication date: August 29, 2024
    Inventors: Rick M. MATTY, Anthony W. MOREFIELD, Devin K. WEBB
  • Publication number: 20240261065
    Abstract: Methods of forming wire attachment appliances. Methods may include forming a shell having multiple cavities and an attachment material reservoir within a first cavity of the multiple cavities. The attachment material reservoir may be positioned such that, when the wire attachment appliance is positioned on a dental arch, an attachment material provided within the attachment material reservoir is arranged to contact a surface of a particular tooth for attaching a wire to the particular tooth. Forming the wire attachment appliance may further include forming at least two wire attachment members on an interior surface of at least two second cavities of the multiple cavities. The at least two wire attachment members may be shaped to hold the wire in position with respect to the particular tooth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2024
    Publication date: August 8, 2024
    Inventors: Douglas BRANDT, Rick M. MATTY
  • Patent number: 12011332
    Abstract: Methods of forming dental tooth positioning appliances. Methods may include identifying a portion of a first digital model corresponding to a portion of the dentition for chemical treatment. Methods may also include forming a second digital model with a scaled up cavity by scaling up a size of a tooth of the first digital model. Methods may further include forming a polymeric shell including a scaled up cavity having dimensions that are proportional to a corresponding surface of the second digital model. The polymeric shell may further include one or more spacers that protrude from an inner surface of the scaled up cavity. The spacer(s) may be arranged to maintain a uniform space between the polymeric shell and the portion of the dentition identified for chemical treatment, and for holding a chemical for treating the identified portion of the dentition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Rick M. Matty, Anthony W. Morefield, Devin K. Webb
  • Patent number: 11992386
    Abstract: Methods of attaching a wire to a dentition. The methods may include placing a shell on the dentition, where first cavity of the shell includes an attachment material reservoir for receiving an attachment material, and second cavity of the shell includes a wire attachment member having a slot for receiving the wire. The methods may also include placing the wire through the attachment material reservoir and through the slot of the wire attachment member to hold the wire in position with respect to a tooth within the first cavity. The methods may further include placing the attachment material within the attachment material reservoir to bond the attachment material and the wire to the tooth. Once the shell and the wire attachment member are removed from the dentition, the wire remains attached to the tooth via the attachment material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Brandt, Rick M. Matty
  • Patent number: 11972873
    Abstract: Methods for treating a patient are provided. These methods may include receiving scan data of a patient's teeth, forming a modified image of the teeth to simulate a dental treatment, combining the modified image of the teeth with an image of the patient's face to show an image of the patient's smile as it would appear according to the dental treatment, displaying the modified image to the patient, and treating the patient according to the simulated dental treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michelle Stone-Collonge, Eric E. Kuo, Rick M. Matty, Fabio Pettinati, Thomas Maurer, Dzmitry Sanko
  • Publication number: 20230083024
    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: November 4, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Michelle STONE-COLLONGE, Eric E. KUO, Rick M. MATTY, Fabio PETTINATI, Thomas MAURER, Dzmitry SANKO
  • Publication number: 20230043928
    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: August 15, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Inventors: Michelle STONE-COLLONGE, Eric E. KUO, Rick M. MATTY, Fabio PETTINATI, Thomas MAURER, Dzmitry SANKO
  • Patent number: 11417432
    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: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michelle Stone-Collonge, Eric E. Kuo, Rick M. Matty, Fabio Pettinati, Thomas Maurer, Dzmitry Sanko
  • Patent number: 11232867
    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: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michelle Stone-Collonge, Eric E. Kuo, Rick M. Matty, Fabio Pettinati, Thomas Maurer, Dzmitry Sanko
  • Publication number: 20210361391
    Abstract: Methods and devices utilizing a dental appliance for dental retainer wire attachment are disclosed. One such wire attachment appliance includes a shell having one or more cavities formed therein and shaped to receive one or more teeth, at least two wire attachment members provided on the shell, and at least one attachment material reservoir provided on the shell, wherein the attachment material is provided to attach a wire to a tooth adjacent to a particular reservoir of the at least one attachment material reservoir.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: Douglas Brandt, Rick M. Matty
  • Patent number: 11083545
    Abstract: Methods and devices utilizing a dental appliance for dental retainer wire attachment are disclosed. One such wire attachment appliance includes a shell having one or more cavities formed therein and shaped to receive one or more teeth, at least two wire attachment members provided on the shell, and at least one attachment material reservoir provided on the shell, wherein the attachment material is provided to attach a wire to a tooth adjacent to a particular reservoir of the at least one attachment material reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Brandt, Rick M. Matty
  • Publication number: 20210210211
    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: March 22, 2021
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Michelle STONE-COLLONGE, Eric E. KUO, Rick M. MATTY, Fabio PETTINATI, Thomas MAURER, Dzmitry SANKO
  • Publication number: 20210210210
    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: March 22, 2021
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Michelle STONE-COLLONGE, Eric E. KUO, Rick M. MATTY, Fabio PETTINATI, Thomas MAURER, Dzmitry SANKO
  • Patent number: 11024431
    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: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michelle Stone-Collonge, Eric E. Kuo, Rick M. Matty, Fabio Pettinati, Thomas Maurer, Dzmitry Sanko
  • Publication number: 20210045860
    Abstract: Embodiments include dental appliances, dental appliance systems, and methods of making and using such appliances. In one embodiment, a dental appliance includes a shell having a number of cavities to receive one or more teeth, each cavity having an inner surface. Fewer than all cavities are scaled-up in size by a first selected percentage over one or more dimensions of a corresponding tooth surface to provide a uniform space between the cavity inner surface and the corresponding tooth surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Rick M. MATTY, Anthony W. MOREFIELD, Devin K. WEBB
  • Patent number: 10896761
    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: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michelle Stone-Collonge, Eric E. Kuo, Rick M. Matty, Fabio Pettinati, Thomas Maurer, Dzmitry Sanko
  • Patent number: 10842601
    Abstract: Embodiments include dental appliances, dental appliance systems, and methods of making and using such appliances. In one embodiment, a dental appliance includes a shell having a number of cavities to receive one or more teeth, each cavity having an inner surface. Fewer than all cavities are scaled-up in size by a first selected percentage over one or more dimensions of a corresponding tooth surface to provide a uniform space between the cavity inner surface and the corresponding tooth surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Rick M. Matty, Anthony W. Morefield, Devin K. Webb
  • Patent number: 10758321
    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: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michelle Stone-Collonge, Eric E. Kuo, Rick M. Matty, Fabio Pettinati, Thomas Maurer, Dzmitry Sanko
  • Publication number: 20190290400
    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: June 11, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Michelle STONE-COLLONGE, Eric E. KUO, Rick M. MATTY, Fabio PETTINATI, Thomas MAURER, Dzmitry SANKO
  • Publication number: 20190290401
    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: June 11, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Michelle STONE-COLLONGE, Eric E. KUO, Rick M. MATTY, Fabio PETTINATI, Thomas MAURER, Dzmitry SANKO