Semi-automatic system and method using boundary loop segments for segmenting teeth

1. A computer-implemented method of segmenting a digital tooth in a 3D digital model of dentition, comprising:

receiving a facial region and a lingual region of a digital tooth in a digital model;

determining a separation region oriented through the facial region and the lingual region;

determining a first segment path along the digital tooth on a first side of the separation region; and

determining a second segment path along the digital tooth on a second side of the separation region,

wherein the first segment path and the second segment path are determined by extending from a facial triangle edge and a lingual triangle edge along digital surface triangle edges,

wherein the facial region comprises a facial point and the lingual region comprises a lingual point,

wherein the facial triangle edge is a closest triangle edge to the facial point and the lingual triangle edge is a closest triangle edge to the lingual point.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the separation region is oriented along an occlusal direction.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a segmented digital tooth from the first segment path and the second segment path.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the segmented digital tooth comprises one or more tunnels.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the facial region and the lingual region are selected by a user.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first segment path comprises a shortest path between the facial point and the lingual point along a digital surface of the first side.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second segment path comprises a shortest path between the facial point and the lingual point along a digital surface of the second side.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the separation region is a plane.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second segment path comprise a boundary loop.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining a digital surface of the digital tooth between the first segment path and the second segment path.

11. A computer-implemented method of segmenting a digital tooth in a 3D digital model of dentition, comprising:

selecting a facial region and a lingual region of a digital tooth in a digital model; and

initiating segmentation of the digital tooth,

wherein segmentation comprises:

determining a separation region oriented through the facial region and the lingual region;

determining a first segment path along the digital tooth on a first side of the separation region; and

determining a second segment path along the digital tooth on a second side of the separation region,

wherein the first segment path and the second segment path are determined by extending from a facial triangle edge and a lingual triangle edge along digital surface triangle edges,

wherein the facial region comprises a facial point and the lingual region comprises a lingual point,

wherein the facial triangle edge is a closest triangle edge to the facial point and the lingual triangle edge is a closest triangle edge to the lingual point.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing a segmented digital tooth from the first segment path and the second segment path.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first segment path comprises a shortest path between the facial point and the lingual point along a digital surface of the first side.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second segment path comprises a shortest path between the facial point and the lingual point along a digital surface of the second side.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the facial point and the lingual point are along a gum line of the digital model.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the separation region is a plane.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first segment path connects to the second segment path at the facial point and the lingual point.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first and second segment comprise a boundary loop.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining a digital surface of the digital tooth between the first segment path and the second segment path.

20. A system for segmenting a digital tooth in a 3D digital model of dentition, comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by the processor to perform steps comprising:

receiving a facial region and a lingual region of a digital tooth in a digital model;

determining a separation region oriented through the facial region and the lingual region;

determining a first segment path along the digital tooth on a first side of the separation region; and

determining a second segment path along the digital tooth on a second side of the separation region,

wherein the first segment path and the second segment path are determined by extending from a facial triangle edge and a lingual triangle edge along digital surface triangle edges,

wherein the facial region comprises a facial point and the lingual region comprises a lingual point,

wherein the facial triangle edge is a closest triangle edge to the facial point and the lingual triangle edge is a closest triangle edge to the lingual point.

21. The system of claim 20 , further comprising providing a segmented digital tooth from the first segment path and the second segment path.

22. The system of claim 20 , wherein the separation region is oriented along an occlusal direction.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing executable computer program instructions for segmenting a digital tooth in a 3D digital model of dentition, the computer program instructions including instructions for:

receiving a facial region and a lingual region of a digital tooth in a digital model;

determining a separation region oriented through a facial point in the facial region and through a lingual point in the lingual region;

determining a first segment path along the digital tooth on a first side of the separation region;

determining a second segment path along the digital tooth on a second side of the separation region; and

providing a segmented digital tooth from the first segment path and the second segment path,

wherein the first segment path and the second segment path are determined by extending from a facial triangle edge and a lingual triangle edge along digital surface triangle edges,

wherein the facial region comprises a facial point and the lingual region comprises a lingual point,

wherein the facial triangle edge is a closest triangle edge to the facial point and the lingual triangle edge is a closest triangle edge to the lingual point.