Methods for producing non-interfering tooth models
View Patent ↗A method produces a physical dental arch model having at least two physical tooth models. The method includes detecting the interference between two physical tooth models. If interference is detected between the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model, the positions and orientations of at least one physical tooth model is modified to prevent interference between the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model.
1. A method for producing a physical dental arch model having at least two physical tooth models, comprising:
determining the positions and orientations of a first physical tooth model;
determining the positions and orientations of a second physical tooth model that is adjacent to the first physical tooth model;
detecting the interference between the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model;
if interference is detected between the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model, modifying the positions and orientations of at least one of the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model to prevent interference between the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model; and
fabricating the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model in accordance with the modified positions and orientations of the first physical tooth model and/or the second physical tooth model.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first physical tooth model includes a first feature affixed to the bottom portion of the first physical tooth model to allow the first physical tooth model to be mounted to a base and the second physical tooth model includes a second feature affixed to the bottom portion of the second physical tooth model to allow the first physical tooth model to be mounted to the base.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising
modifying the first feature or the second feature to prevent interference between the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first feature comprises one or more of a pin, a registration slot, a socket, a notch, a protrusion, a hole, an interlocking mechanism, a jig, and a pluggable or attachable feature.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first feature comprises at least one pin affixed to the bottom portion of the first tooth model and the base comprises at least one socket configured to receive the pin.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising
modifying the length and/or the orientations of the pin relative to the bottom portion of the pin to prevent interference between the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model.
7. The method of claim 2 , further comprising
fabricating the first physical tooth model having the first feature; and
fabricating the second physical tooth model having the second feature.
8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first feature affixed to the bottom portion of the first physical tooth model includes a spring loaded pin mechanism.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first feature affixed to the bottom portion of the first physical tooth model having the spring loaded pin mechanism comprises two pins of different lengths or pins tilted to the bottom portion of the first physical tooth model.
10. A method for producing a physical dental arch model having at least two physical tooth models, comprising:
producing a digital dental arch model that simulates the positions and orientations of a first physical tooth model and the positions and orientations of a second physical tooth model that is adjacent to the first physical tooth model;
detecting the interference between the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model;
if interference is detected between the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model, modifying the positions and orientations of at least one of the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model to produce a modified digital dental arch model to prevent interference between the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model; and
fabricating the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model in accordance with the modified digital arch model.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first physical tooth model includes a first feature affixed to the bottom portion of the first physical tooth model to allow the first physical tooth model to be mounted to a base and the second physical tooth model includes a second feature affixed to the bottom portion of the second physical tooth model to allow the first physical tooth model to be mounted to the base.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising
modifying the first feature or the second feature to produce the modified digital dental arch model to prevent interference between the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first feature comprises one or more of a pin, a registration slot, a socket, a notch, a protrusion, a hole, an interlocking mechanism, a jig, and a pluggable or attachable feature.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first feature comprises at least one pin affixed to the bottom portion of the first tooth model and the base comprises at least one socket configured to receive the pin.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising
modifying the length and/or the orientations of the pin relative to the bottom portion of the pin to prevent interference between the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first feature affixed to the bottom portion of the first physical tooth model includes a spring loaded pin mechanism.
17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising
fabricating the first physical tooth model having the first feature;
fabricating the second physical tooth model having the second feature; and
fabricating the base that is configured to receive with the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model.
18. A method for producing a physical dental arch model having at least two physical tooth models, comprising:
producing a digital dental arch model that simulates the positions and orientations of a first physical tooth model and the positions and orientations of a second physical tooth model that is adjacent to the first physical tooth model, wherein the first physical tooth model includes a first feature affixed to the bottom portion of the first physical tooth model to allow the first physical tooth model to be mounted to a base and the second physical tooth model includes a second feature affixed to the bottom portion of the second physical tooth model to allow the first physical tooth model to be mounted to the base.
detecting the interference between the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model;
if interference is detected between the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model, modifying the configurations of the first feature and/or the second feature to produce a modified digital dental arch model to prevent interference between the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model; and
fabricating the first physical tooth model having the first feature and the second physical tooth model having the second feature in accordance with the modified digital arch model.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first feature comprises at least one pin affixed to the bottom portion of the first tooth model and the base comprises at least one socket configured to receive the pin.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising
modifying the length and/or the orientations of the pin to prevent interference between the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model.