IP Library Granted Patent US 11,622,836
Granted Patent B2
US 11,622,836 · App. 17/139,222 · Granted Apr 11, 2023

Aligner stage analysis to obtain mechanical interactions of aligners and teeth for treatment planning

Inventors: Iman Shojaei (San Jose, CA); Reza Shirazi Aghjari (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
A61C7/002A61C7/08G06T19/00G16H20/40G16H50/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,622,836
App. No.
17/139,222
Granted
Apr 11, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods of simulating, modeling, and validating orthodontic treatment are disclosed. The method may include designing an orthodontic treatment system or force system, generative a displacement field between a first position of a patient's teeth and a second position, modeling the three-dimensional force-displacement model generated by the treatment system or force system, and validating the treatment system or force system. The methods disclosed herein may be iterated to optimize the orthodontic force system or treatment system.

Claims (32)

1. A method of mapping mechanical interactions, the method comprising:

generating an orthodontic treatment plan to move a patient's teeth from an initial position toward a final position, the treatment plan comprising a first stage and a second stage;

building a 3D model of an orthodontic appliance at the second stage;

building a 3D model of the patient's teeth at the first stage;

mapping spatial differences between the orthodontic appliance at the second stage and the patient's teeth at the first stage;

evaluating mechanical interactions of the orthodontic appliance at the second stage with the patient's teeth at the first stage;

mapping forces applied by the orthodontic appliance at the second stage to each tooth of the patient's teeth at the first stage; and

determining if the forces applied are within an acceptable range for treatment.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first stage and the second stage are consecutive stages.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first stage is the initial position and the second stage is the final position.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 3D model of the patient's teeth is generated using a scanning system.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises determining if the forces applied match predicted forces from the orthodontic treatment plan.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acceptable range for treatment is above a minimum amount of force needed to move teeth.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acceptable range for treatment is below an amount of force that will cause pain or harm to the patient.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises modifying the treatment plan.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises repeating the method.

10. A method of mapping tooth movements, the method comprising:

generating an orthodontic treatment plan to move a patient's teeth from an initial position toward a final position, the treatment plan comprising a first stage and a second stage;

building a first 3D model of the patient's teeth at the first stage and a second 3D model of the patient's teeth at the second stage;

building a first 3D model of a first neutral aligner at the first stage and second 3D model of a second neutral aligner at the second stage;

mapping spatial differences between the second neutral aligner at the second stage and the first neutral aligner at the first stage;

evaluating mechanical interactions of the second neutral aligner at the second stage with the patient's teeth at the first stage;

mapping forces applied by the second neutral aligner at the second stage to each tooth of the patient's teeth at the first stage, and

determining if the forces applied are within an acceptable range for treatment.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first stage and the second stage are consecutive.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first stage is the initial position and the second stage is the final position.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first and second 3D models of the patient's teeth are generated using a scanning system.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises determining if the forces applied match predicted forces from the orthodontic treatment plan.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the acceptable range for treatment is above a minimum amount of force needed to move teeth.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the acceptable range for treatment is below an amount of force that will cause pain or harm to the patient.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises modifying the treatment plan.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises repeating the method.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 22, 2021
From: SHOJAEI, IMAN; SHIRAZI AGHJARI, REZA
To: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 055007/0061 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 62956006 · Dec 31, 2019
Related Publication 20210196429A1 · Jul 1, 2021
Related Publication 20220160467A2 · May 26, 2022
Cited By (2)
US 12,484,991 US 12,521,207