Patents by Inventor Tony Solarek
Tony Solarek 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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Publication number: 20240058100Abstract: A method of cutting a dental aligner includes identifying, for each tooth of a plurality of teeth of a model representative of a dentition of a user, a first point and a second point based on a line around tooth (LAT) for the tooth, determining a distance between the first point and a cut plane based on a characteristic of the dentition where the distance for a first is different than the distance for a second tooth, identifying a plurality of points on a first LAT of the first tooth based on the first cut plane and a plurality of points on a second LAT of the second tooth based on the second cut plane, and defining a cut line based on the plurality of points on the first LAT and the plurality of points on the second LAT.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2023Publication date: February 22, 2024Applicant: SDC U.S. SmilePay SPVInventors: Cherie Wilson, Josh Long, John Dargis, Tony Solarek
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Patent number: 11801120Abstract: Systems and methods for trimming dental aligners include a cut line system for identifying a first point and a second point based on a line around tooth (LAT) for a tooth of a model representative of a dentition of a user, where the first point is disposed on a tooth-gingiva interface of the tooth. The cut line system defines a cut plane at a distance from the first point toward the second point, where the cut plane intersects a line between the first point and the second point, identifies a plurality of points on the LAT based on the cut plane, defines a cut line based on the plurality of points on the LAT and the first point, and controls a cutting system to cut the dental aligner along the cut line.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2022Date of Patent: October 31, 2023Assignee: SDC U.S. SmilePay SPVInventors: Cherie Wilson, Josh Long, John Dargis, Tony Solarek
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Publication number: 20220192787Abstract: Systems and methods for trimming dental aligners include a cut line system for identifying a first point and a second point based on a line around tooth (LAT) for a tooth of a model representative of a dentition of a user, where the first point is disposed on a tooth-gingiva interface of the tooth. The cut line system defines a cut plane at a distance from the first point toward the second point, where the cut plane intersects a line between the first point and the second point, identifies a plurality of points on the LAT based on the cut plane, defines a cut line based on the plurality of points on the LAT and the first point, and controls a cutting system to cut the dental aligner along the cut line.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2022Publication date: June 23, 2022Applicant: SDC U.S. SmilePay SPVInventors: Cherie Wilson, Josh Long, John Dargis, Tony Solarek
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Patent number: 11288410Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for marking a dental aligner. A method for marking a dental aligner includes receiving a digital model corresponding to a dental aligner. The digital model includes a dental arch comprising a plurality of teeth. The method further includes determining whether a section of teeth on a right side or a left side of the dental arch includes flatter occlusal surfaces and selecting the section with the flatter occlusal surfaces, identifying surfaces on the teeth of the selected section that are flat relative to other surfaces on the teeth of the selected section, determining a line of best fit between the flat surfaces, and marking the dental aligner with a marking based on the line of best fit.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2019Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: SDC U.S. SmilePay SPVInventors: Josh Long, Christopher Yancey, Tony Solarek, Clete Culp
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Patent number: 11273009Abstract: Systems and methods for trimming dental aligners include a cut line system for identifying a first point and a second point based on a line around tooth (LAT) for a tooth of a model representative of a dentition of a user, where the first point is disposed on a tooth-gingiva interface of the tooth. The cut line system defines a cut plane at a distance from the first point toward the second point, where the cut plane intersects a line between the first point and the second point, identifies a plurality of points on the LAT based on the cut plane, defines a cut line based on the plurality of points on the LAT and the first point, and controls a cutting system to cut the dental aligner along the cut line.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2021Date of Patent: March 15, 2022Assignee: SDC U.S. SmilePay SPVInventors: Cherie Wilson, Josh Long, John Dargis, Tony Solarek
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Publication number: 20210196430Abstract: Systems and methods for trimming dental aligners include a cut line system for identifying a first point and a second point based on a line around tooth (LAT) for a tooth of a model representative of a dentition of a user, where the first point is disposed on a tooth-gingiva interface of the tooth. The cut line system defines a cut plane at a distance from the first point toward the second point, where the cut plane intersects a line between the first point and the second point, identifies a plurality of points on the LAT based on the cut plane, defines a cut line based on the plurality of points on the LAT and the first point, and controls a cutting system to cut the dental aligner along the cut line.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2021Publication date: July 1, 2021Inventors: Cherie Wilson, Josh Long, John Dargis, Tony Solarek
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Patent number: 11007042Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for marking models for dental aligner fabrication. A method for producing a physical model of teeth including a three-dimensional marking includes receiving a first digital model of teeth in an alignment position and selecting a location for marking a physical model of the teeth in the alignment position with a three-dimensional marking, the physical model to be fabricated based on the first digital model. The method also includes generating a second digital model of the teeth in the alignment position based on the first digital model, the second digital model representing the physical model and including the three-dimensional marking at the marking location, and using a three-dimensional fabrication method to fabricate the physical model including the three-dimensional marking from the second digital model.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2019Date of Patent: May 18, 2021Assignee: SDC U.S. SmilePay SPVInventors: Josh Long, Christopher Yancey, Tony Solarek, Daniel Pfeffer, Clete Culp
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Patent number: 10925691Abstract: A method of cutting a dental aligner includes identifying a gingival line in a model representative of a user's dentition where the gingival line is an interface of a teeth portion and a gingival portion of the model, generating a plurality of points in the gingival portion of the model where each point of the plurality of points is generated at a threshold distance from the gingival line, generating a cut line that intersects at least some of the points of the plurality of points, and controlling a cutting system to cut the dental aligner along the cut line.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2019Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: SDC U.S. SmilePay SPVInventors: Christopher Yancey, Josh Long, Tony Solarek, Ian Kitching
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Publication number: 20200281689Abstract: A method of cutting a dental aligner includes identifying a gingival line in a model representative of a user's dentition where the gingival line is an interface of a teeth portion and a gingival portion of the model, generating a plurality of points in the gingival portion of the model where each point of the plurality of points is generated at a threshold distance from the gingival line, generating a cut line that intersects at least some of the points of the plurality of points, and controlling a cutting system to cut the dental aligner along the cut line.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2019Publication date: September 10, 2020Inventors: Christopher Yancey, Josh Long, Tony Solarek, Ian Kitching
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Publication number: 20200257766Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for marking a dental aligner. A method for marking a dental aligner includes receiving a digital model corresponding to a dental aligner. The digital model includes a dental arch comprising a plurality of teeth. The method further includes determining whether a section of teeth on a right side or a left side of the dental arch includes flatter occlusal surfaces and selecting the section with the flatter occlusal surfaces, identifying surfaces on the teeth of the selected section that are flat relative to other surfaces on the teeth of the selected section, determining a line of best fit between the flat surfaces, and marking the dental aligner with a marking based on the line of best fit.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2019Publication date: August 13, 2020Applicant: SmileDirectClub LLCInventors: Josh Long, Christopher Yancey, Tony Solarek, Clete Culp
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Publication number: 20200246119Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for marking models for dental aligner fabrication. A method for producing a physical model of teeth including a three-dimensional marking includes receiving a first digital model of teeth in an alignment position and selecting a location for marking a physical model of the teeth in the alignment position with a three-dimensional marking, the physical model to be fabricated based on the first digital model. The method also includes generating a second digital model of the teeth in the alignment position based on the first digital model, the second digital model representing the physical model and including the three-dimensional marking at the marking location, and using a three-dimensional fabrication method to fabricate the physical model including the three-dimensional marking from the second digital model.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2019Publication date: August 6, 2020Inventors: Josh Long, Christopher Yancey, Tony Solarek, Daniel Pfeffer, Clete Culp
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Patent number: 10482192Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for marking a dental aligner. A method for marking a dental aligner includes receiving a digital model corresponding to a dental aligner. The digital model includes a dental arch comprising a plurality of teeth. The method further includes determining whether a section of teeth on a right side or a left side of the dental arch includes flatter occlusal surfaces and selecting the section with the flatter occlusal surfaces, identifying surfaces on the teeth of the selected section that are flat relative to other surfaces on the teeth of the selected section, determining a line of best fit between the flat surfaces, and marking the dental aligner with a marking based on the line of best fit.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2019Date of Patent: November 19, 2019Assignee: SmileDirectClub LLCInventors: Josh Long, Christopher Yancey, Tony Solarek, Clete Culp