IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,268,574
Granted Patent B2
US 12,268,574 · App. 18/365,201 · Granted Apr 8, 2025

Diagnostic intraoral methods and apparatuses

Inventors: Michael Sabina (Campbell, CA); Avi Kopelman (Palo Alto, CA); Eric Kuo (San Jose, CA); Gilad Elbaz (Tel Aviv, IL); Assaf Weiss (Yavne, IL); Doron Malka (Tel Aviv, IL); Ofer Saphier (Rehovot, IL); Eliahou Franklin Nizard (Jerusalem, IL); Ido Tishel (Kfar Bilu, IL); Shai Ayal (Shoham, IL); Maayan Moshe (Ra'anana, IL)
Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
A61C9/0053A61B1/000094A61B1/000096A61B1/00172A61B1/00186A61B1/00194A61B1/0638A61B1/0646A61B1/24A61B5/0086A61B5/0088A61B6/512A61C7/002A61C13/0004G06T19/00A61B5/0062A61B5/0066A61B5/4547A61C13/0019A61C13/34G06T2200/24G06T2207/30036G06T2210/41
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,268,574
App. No.
18/365,201
Granted
Apr 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Intraoral scanning systems configured to perform computer-implemented methods for identifying dental features. The methods may include engaging a trained machine learning network to identify one or more dental features in one or more regions of a patient's dentition. Each of the dental features may be present in at least one of multiple records. Each of the records may include multiple images of the patient's dentition and may be taken with a different imaging modality. The confidence score may be determined or adjusted using a 3 D model of the patient's dentition. The confidence score may be determined or adjusted based on the region of the patient's dentition within each record. The methods may include displaying an indicator of each dental feature that has a confidence score that is above a threshold on the 3 D model of the patient's dentition, and modifying the display as a user adjusts the threshold.

Claims (39)

1. An intraoral scanning system, the system comprising:

an imaging sensor; and

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

engaging a trained machine learning network to identify one or more dental features in one or more regions of a patient's dentition, wherein each of the one or more dental features is present in at least one of a plurality of records, wherein each of the plurality of records comprises a plurality of images of the patient's dentition, and wherein each of the plurality of records is taken with a different imaging modality;

determining or adjusting a confidence score for the one or more dental features using a three-dimensional (3D) model of the patient's dentition, wherein each of the plurality of records is correlated to the 3D model of the patient's dentition, further wherein the confidence score is determined or adjusted based on the region of the patient's dentition within each of the plurality of records;

displaying an indicator of each dental feature of the one or more dental features that has a confidence score that is above a threshold on the 3D model of the patient's dentition; and

modifying the display as a user adjusts the threshold.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising segmenting the 3D model of the patient's dentition.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more dental features comprises one or more of: cracks, gum recess, tartar, enamel thickness, pits, caries, fissures, evidence of grinding, and interproximal voids.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more dental features comprises caries.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein engaging the trained machine learning network to identify the one or more dental features comprises engaging the trained machine learning network to identify the one or more dental features from a first record taken in a near-infrared (near IR) modality.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising mapping the regions corresponding to each of the one or more dental features to one or more additional records taken in a different imaging modality using the 3D model of the patient's dentition.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein determining or adjusting the confidence score for the one or more dental features is based on the regions corresponding to each of the one or more dental features from the one or more additional records.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein displaying comprises displaying an indicator of the confidence score.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein modifying comprises making the threshold more or less stringent and showing an addition or removal of corresponding one or more dental features.

10. An intraoral scanning system, the system comprising:

an imaging sensor; and

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

engaging a trained machine learning network to identify one or more dental features in one or more regions of a patient's dentition, wherein each of the one or more dental features is present in at least one of a plurality of records, wherein each of the plurality of records comprises a plurality of images of the patient's dentition, and wherein each of the plurality of records is taken with a different imaging modality;

mapping the regions corresponding to each of the one or more dental features to one or more additional records taken in a different imaging modality using a three-dimensional (3D) model of the patient's dentition;

determining or adjusting a confidence score for the one or more dental features using the 3D model of the patient's dentition, wherein each of the plurality of records is correlated to the 3D model of the patient's dentition, further wherein the confidence score is determined or adjusted based on the region of the patient's dentition within each of the plurality of records;

displaying an indicator of each dental feature of the one or more dental features that has a confidence score that is above a threshold on the 3D model of the patient's dentition; and

modifying the display as a user adjusts the threshold.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein determining or adjusting the confidence score for the one or more dental features is based on the regions corresponding to each of the one or more dental features from the one or more additional records.

12. The system of claim 10 , further comprising segmenting the 3D model of the patient's dentition.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein engaging the trained machine learning network to identify the one or more dental features comprises engaging the trained machine learning network to identify the one or more dental features from a first record taken in a near-infrared (near IR) modality.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein identifying the one or more dental features in the first record comprises identifying one or more of: cracks, gum recess, tartar, enamel thickness, pits, caries, fissures, evidence of grinding, and interproximal voids.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein identifying the dental feature in the first record comprises identifying caries.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein displaying comprises displaying an indicator of the confidence score.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein modifying comprises making the threshold more or less stringent and showing an addition or removal of corresponding one or more dental features.

18. An intraoral scanning system, the system comprising:

a dental scanning wand including an imaging sensor; and

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

engaging a trained machine learning network to identify one or more dental features in one or more regions of a patient's dentition, wherein each of the one or more dental features is present in at least one of a plurality of records, wherein each of the plurality of records comprises a plurality of images of the patient's dentition, and wherein each of the plurality of records is taken with a different imaging modality;

determining or adjusting a confidence score for the one or more dental features using a three-dimensional (3D) model of the patient's dentition, wherein each of the plurality of records is correlated to the 3D model of the patient's dentition, further wherein the confidence score is determined or adjusted based on the region of the patient's dentition within each of the plurality of records;

displaying an indicator of each dental feature of the one or more dental features that has a confidence score that is above a threshold on the 3D model of the patient's dentition; and

modifying the display as a user adjusts the threshold.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein engaging the trained machine learning network to identify the one or more dental features comprises engaging the trained machine learning network to identify the one or more dental features from a first record taken in a near-infrared (near IR) modality.

20. The system of claim 19 , further comprising mapping the regions corresponding to each of the one or more dental features to one or more additional records taken in a different imaging modality using the 3D model of the patient's dentition.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 5, 2023
From: SABINA, MICHAEL; KOPELMAN, AVI; KUO, ERIC; ELBAZ, GILAD; WEISS, ASSAF; MALKA, DORON; SAPHIER, OFER; NIZARD, ELIAHOU FRANKLIN; TISHEL, IDO; AYAL, SHAI; MOSHE, MAAYAN
To: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 064798/0754 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 17209166 · Mar 22, 2021
Continuation 16258527 · Jan 25, 2019
Provisional Application 62758503 · Nov 9, 2018
Provisional Application 62622798 · Jan 26, 2018
Related Publication 20230372069A1 · Nov 23, 2023
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