Granted Patent B2

US 12,251,186 · App. 18/449,660 · Granted Mar 18, 2025

Inventors: Ariel Shalev (Beit Shemesh, IL); Eran Green (Haifa, IL); Zakhar Ginzburg (Netanya, IL); Matthew Durban (San Jose, CA); Roee Gorfinkel (Yavne, IL); Ofer Saphier (Rehovot, IL); Tal Verker (Ofra, IL); Nir Makmel (Tel Aviv, IL); Eran Ishay (Tel Aviv, IL); Raphael Levy (Jerusalem, IL)

Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.

A61B46/17A61B6/512A61B46/40

Abstract

Claims (31)

1. A removable barrier device for covering a handheld intraoral scanner, the removable barrier device comprising:

a cover adapted to fit over a probe of the scanner, the cover including:

a distal portion having walls defining an internal cavity for accommodating a distal end of the probe and formed of a first material, wherein at least one of the walls includes at least one window for allowing transmission of an optical signal between the probe and an external environment; and

a proximal portion coupled to the distal portion; and

a flexible sleeve adapted to cover a handle of the scanner, the flexible sleeve coupled to the proximal portion of the cover at an interface region configured to prevent fluid from passing through the barrier device between the cover and the sleeve.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the proximal portion is molded to the distal portion.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the proximal portion is formed of a second material different than the first material.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible sleeve is welded to the proximal portion of the cover at the interface region.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible sleeve is more flexible than the proximal portion of the cover.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible sleeve is more flexible than the distal portion of the cover.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises a polycarbonate or a polymethyl methacrylate material.

8. The device of claim 3 , wherein the second material comprises a thermoplastic elastomer material.

9. The device of claim 3 , wherein the first material is more rigid than the second material at room temperature.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the walls of the distal portion have an inner surface including one or more engagement features configured to engage with corresponding engagement features of the probe.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein an internal surface of one of the walls includes a draft angle ranging from 0.5 and 5 degrees with respect to an ejection vector that runs parallel to an internal surface of another wall of the cover.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one window has a thickness ranging from 0.5 mm and 3 mm.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one window has a refractive index of ranging from 1.4 and 1.8.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device includes an identifier associated with an optical property of the at least one window.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one window is made of the first material and is integrally formed with at least one of the walls of the distal portion.

16. A method of forming a removable barrier device for covering a handheld intraoral scanner, the method comprising:

forming a cover adapted to fit over a probe of the scanner by:

forming a distal portion of the cover by injecting molding a first material, wherein the distal portion includes walls that define an internal cavity, one of the walls including at least one window opening or at least one window formed of the first material;

forming a proximal portion of the cover by coupling a second material to the first material such that the second material is bonded to the first material, wherein the second material is the same as or is different from the first material, further wherein the proximal portion is bonded to an edge of the walls of the distal portion to form an extension of the walls of the distal portion; and

bonding a flexible sleeve to the proximal portion of the cover such that an interface region between the flexible sleeve and the proximal portion of the cover is resistant to fluid from passing therethrough, wherein the sleeve is adapted to cover a handle of the scanner and is more flexible than the distal portion of the cover.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein forming the proximal portion comprises overmolding the second material on an interlocking feature along the edge of the distal portion to form a corresponding interlocking features in the proximal portion.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein bonding the flexible sleeve to the proximal portion of the cover includes heating one or both of the flexible sleeve and the proximal portion to weld the flexible sleeve to the proximal portion.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein forming the cover includes forming one or more engagement features on in inner surface of one or both of the distal and proximal portions of the cover, the one or more engagement features configured to engage with corresponding engagement features of the probe.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein forming the cover includes forming an internal surface of one wall of the cover with a draft angle ranging from 0.5 and 5 degrees with respect to an ejection vector that runs parallel to an internal surface of another wall of the cover.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein forming the cover includes forming an internal surface of at least one wall of the cover with a surface roughness greater than an internal surface of the at least one window of the barrier device.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising coupling the at least one window to the internal surface of the one wall of the cover.

23. The method of claim 16 , further comprising testing the barrier device by filling an inside of the barrier device with water, waiting a predetermined time, and inspecting outside surfaces of the barrier device for evidence of water leakage.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (6)

References Cited (23)