IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,419,701
Granted Patent B2
US 11,419,701 · App. 17/188,436 · Granted Aug 23, 2022

Augmented reality enhancements for dental practitioners

Inventors: Yaser Shanjani (Milpitas, CA); Bruce Cam (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
A61C7/002A61B34/00A61B90/361A61C7/146A61C9/0046G06F3/011G06F3/013G06F3/017G06T19/006A61B2090/365A61C9/0053G02B27/017G06T2210/41
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,419,701
App. No.
17/188,436
Granted
Aug 23, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for performing orthodontic treatment planning are provided. Virtual/Augmented Reality devices can be used to virtually manipulate patient's teeth, modify virtual models of the patient's teeth, analyze the fit of a dental appliance on the patient's teeth, analyze the position of attachment sites for dental appliances, and provide overlays showing forces applied to the patient's teeth. The VR/AR devices can be used by physicians and/or the patient to provide and display treatment planning.

Claims (35)

1. A method of evaluating attachments for an orthodontic appliance, comprising:

capturing, with an augmented reality system including a wearable display worn by a dental practitioner, image data of a patient's teeth including one or more attachments for the orthodontic appliance configured to be attached to the patient's teeth;

identifying from the image data, with a processor, an error condition indicative of improper position or orientation of the one or more attachments on the patient's teeth;

generating a visual overlay identifying the error condition; and

outputting the visual overlay to the wearable display worn by the dental practitioner, wherein the visual overlay is superimposed over a view of the patient's teeth and of the one or more attachments on the patient's teeth.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the capturing is performed at a start of an orthodontic treatment.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the capturing is done during an ongoing orthodontic treatment.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a target location for each of the one or more attachments on the patient's teeth.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving one or more of: a target location, position, size, shape, or orientation for each of the one or more attachments on the patient's teeth.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the error condition comprises a location of the one or more attachments that is different from a target attachment site location.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the error condition comprises one or more missing attachments.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the error condition comprises an orientation of the one or more attachments that is different from a target orientation.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein outputting the visual overlay comprises displaying the error condition in a color and/or with an alphanumeric indicator.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the orthodontic appliance comprises an aligner.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein outputting the visual overlay to a display of the augmented reality system comprises outputting the visual overlay to a plurality of displays concurrently.

12. A method of evaluating attachments for an orthodontic appliance, comprising:

capturing, with an augmented reality system including a wearable display worn by a dental practitioner, image data of a patient's teeth including one or more attachments for the orthodontic appliance attached to the patient's teeth;

identifying from the image data, with a processor, one or more of: forces acting on the one or more attachments, and an error condition indicative of improper position or orientation of the one or more attachments on the patient's teeth;

generating a visual overlay identifying one or more of: the forces acting on the one or more attachments and the error condition; and

outputting the visual overlay to the wearable display worn by the dental practitioner, wherein the visual overlay is superimposed over a view of the patient's teeth and of the one or more attachments on the patient's teeth.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving a target location for each of the one or more attachments on the patient's teeth.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving one or more of: a target location, position, size, shape, or orientation for each of the one or more attachments on the patient's teeth.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the error condition comprises a location of the one or more attachments that is different from a target attachment site location.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the error condition comprises one or more missing attachments.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the error condition comprises an orientation of the one or more attachments that is different from a target orientation.

18. A system comprising:

a wearable augmented reality display;

one or more processors;

a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory configured to store computer-program instructions, that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a computer-implemented method comprising:

capturing image data of a patient's teeth including one or more attachment sites for one or more attachments for an orthodontic appliance configured to be attached to the patient's teeth;

identifying from the image data, with the one or more processors, an error condition indicative of improper position or orientation of the one or more attachments on the patient's teeth;

generating a visual overlay identifying the error condition;

outputting the visual overlay to the wearable augmented reality display to display the visual overlay superimposed over a view of the patient's teeth and of the one or more attachments on the patient's teeth.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors is further configured to identifying from the image data forces acting on the one or more attachments.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to generate the forces acting on the one or more attachments.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 14, 2021
From: SHANJANI, YASER; CAM, BRUCE
To: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 055921/0392 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16231906 · Dec 24, 2018
Provisional Application 62612308 · Dec 29, 2017
Related Publication 20210177548A1 · Jun 17, 2021
Cited By (8)
US 1,107,922 US 12,193,908 US 12,220,294 US 12,268,571 US 12,279,925 US 12,370,021 US 12,521,208 US 12,588,980