Granted Patent B2

US 12,251,287 · App. 17/497,833 · Granted Mar 18, 2025

Inventor: Peter Webber (Redwood City, CA)

Assignee: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.

A61C7/08A61C7/002A61C7/12

Abstract

Claims (35)

1. A method for fabricating one or more orthodontic appliances for treating a patient's teeth, the method comprising:

determining a movement path to move a tooth from an initial arrangement towards a target arrangement;

determining a variable gable bend of the one or more orthodontic appliances to produce at least a portion of the movement path of the tooth when the variable gable bend is in contact with the tooth, wherein the variable gable bend includes a variable rotation about a center of rotation along an axis extending along the length of the tooth, wherein an amount of the variable rotation increases linearly as a function of radial distance from the center of rotation;

determining a geometry for a tooth receiving cavity of the one or more orthodontic appliances based on the geometry of the variable gable bend;

generating instructions for fabricating the one or more orthodontic appliances having a tooth receiving cavity formed according to the geometry for the tooth receiving cavity; and

fabricating the one or more orthodontic appliances using a fabrication machine.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the axis extending along the length of the tooth extends between the root and occlusal surface of the tooth.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the geometry of the tooth receiving cavity varies along the axis extending along the length of the tooth.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the geometry of the tooth receiving cavity includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion includes a shape based on the variable gable bend, and the second portion does not include a shape based on the variable gable bend.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more orthodontic appliances comprise a first orthodontic appliance wherein the variable gable bend is a first variable gable bend about a first center of rotation along the axis extending along the length of the tooth, the method further comprising:

determining a second center of rotation along the axis extending along the length of the tooth, different than the first center of rotation of the axis;

determining a second variable gable bend about the second center of rotation to produce at least portion of the movement path of the tooth;

determining a second geometry for a second tooth receiving cavity of a second orthodontic appliance based on the second variable gable bend; and

generating instructions for fabricating the second orthodontic appliance having the second tooth receiving cavity formed according to the second geometry for the second tooth receiving cavity;

wherein the first orthodontic appliance and the second orthodontic appliance are part of a set of appliances.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the center of rotation along the axis extending along the length of the tooth is at a gingival portion of the tooth receiving cavity.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the center of rotation along the axis extending along the length of the tooth is outside the tooth receiving cavity.

8. A system for fabricating one or more orthodontic appliances for treating a patient's teeth, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured with instructions to:

determine a movement path to move a tooth from an initial arrangement to a target arrangement;

determine a variable gable bend of the one or more orthodontic appliances to produce at least a portion of the movement path of the tooth when the variable gable bend is in contact with the tooth, wherein the variable gable bend includes a variable rotation about a center of rotation along an axis extending along the length of the tooth, wherein an amount of the variable rotation increases linearly as a function of radial distance from the center of rotation;

determine a geometry for a tooth receiving cavity of the one or more orthodontic appliances based on the geometry of the variable gable bend;

generate instructions for fabricating the one or more orthodontic appliances having a tooth receiving cavity formed according to the geometry for the tooth receiving cavity; and

a fabrication machine configured to manufacture the one or more orthodontic appliances having the tooth receiving cavity formed according to the geometry for the tooth receiving cavity using the instructions.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the axis extending along the length of the tooth extends between the root and occlusal surface of the tooth.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the geometry of the tooth receiving cavity varies along the axis extending along the length of the tooth.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the geometry of the tooth receiving cavity includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion includes a shape based on the variable gable bend, and the second portion does not include a shape based on the variable gable bend.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more orthodontic appliances comprise a first orthodontic appliance wherein the variable gable bend is a first variable gable bend about a first center of rotation along the axis extending along the length of the tooth and wherein the one or more processors are further configured with instructions to:

determine a second center of rotation along the axis extending along the length of the tooth, different than the first center of rotation of the axis;

determine a second variable gable bend about the second center of rotation to produce at least portion of the movement path of the tooth;

determine a second geometry for a second tooth receiving cavity of a second orthodontic appliance based on the second variable gable bend; and

generate instructions for fabricating the second orthodontic appliance having the second tooth receiving cavity formed according to the second geometry for the second tooth receiving cavity;

wherein the first orthodontic appliance and the second orthodontic appliance are part of a set of appliances.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the center of rotation along the axis extending along the length of the tooth is at a gingival portion of the tooth receiving cavity.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the center of rotation along the axis extending along the length of the tooth is outside the tooth receiving cavity.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (162)