Granted Patent B2

US 12,740,712 · App. 18/656,338 · Granted Sep 22, 2026

Inventors: Avi Kopelman (Palo Alto, CA); Zelko Relic (Pleasanton, CA); Mitra Derakhshan (Herndon, VA)

Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.

A61B5/0088A61C7/002A61C9/0053A61C13/34

Abstract

Claims (77)

1 . A system for treating food traps, the system comprising:

a processor; and

memory comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the system to carry out a method of:

receiving a plurality of 3D digital models of a patient's detention taken over time;

analyzing the plurality of 3D digital models of the patient's detention by detecting changes in anatomic structures between each of the plurality of 3D digital models of the patient's detention;

determining that the detected changes indicate a formation of a food trap between the anatomic structures;

displaying the 3D digital model of the patient's detention on a display; and

providing digital feedback on the displayed 3D digital model of the patient's detention that identifies a location of the formation of the food trap.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:

determining that the detected changes indicate a formation of a food trap includes extrapolating future tooth movement based on the plurality of 3D digital models; and

the memory further comprises instructions that when executed by the processor cause the system to carry out the method, the method further comprising:

generating a treatment plan for treating the formation of the food traps, the treatment plan including moving teeth of the patient's dentition from a first arrangement to a second arrangement that avoids the extrapolated future tooth movement.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the memory further comprises instructions that when executed by the processor cause the system to carry out the method, the method further comprising:

generating a treatment plan for treating the formation of the food traps, the treatment plan to halt or reverse gingiva recession detected in the plurality of 3D digital models.

4 . A system for treating food traps, the system comprising:

an intraoral scanner;

a processor coupled in electronic communication with the intraoral scanner; and

memory comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the system to carry out a method comprising:

receiving a 3D digital model of a patient's detention;

analyzing the 3D digital model of the patient's detention by detecting food traps between anatomic structures in the 3D digital model of the patient's detention;

displaying the 3D digital model of the patient's detention on a display; and

providing digital feedback on the displayed 3D digital model of the patient's detention that identifies a location of the food traps.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein:

receiving the 3D digital model of the patient's dentition includes scanning the patient's detention with a 3D intraoral scanner, and wherein the 3D digital model is a 3D surface model.

6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein:

receiving the 3D digital model of the patient's dentition includes scanning the patient's detention with a multi-modal 3D intraoral scanner, and wherein the 3D digital model is a 3D surface and volumetric model.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein:

the 3D model includes near infrared subsurface data or CBCT data.

8 . The system of claim 4 , wherein:

analyzing the 3D digital model of the patient's detention by detecting anatomic structures includes detecting apertures between adjacent teeth that extend from a buccal side to a lingual side of the adjacent teeth.

9 . The system of claim 4 , wherein:

analyzing the 3D digital model of the patient's detention by detecting anatomic structures includes detecting recession of the patient's dentition to form an aperture between adjacent teeth that extend from a buccal side to a lingual side of the adjacent teeth.

10 . The system of claim 4 , wherein:

analyzing the 3D digital model of the patient's detention by detecting anatomic structures includes detecting recession of interdental papilla to form an aperture between adjacent teeth that extend from a buccal side to a lingual side of the adjacent teeth.

11 . The system of claim 4 , wherein:

analyzing the 3D digital model of the patient's detention by detecting anatomic structures includes detecting an undercut at a base of a crown of at least one tooth.

12 . The system of claim 4 , wherein:

analyzing the 3D digital model of the patient's detention by detecting anatomic structures includes detecting an undercut in at least one tooth proximate gingiva of the patient's detention.

13 . The system of claim 4 , wherein:

analyzing the 3D digital model of the patient's detention by detecting anatomic structures includes detecting an undercut in at least one tooth proximate gingiva of the patient's detention.

14 . The system of claim 4 , wherein:

analyzing the 3D digital model of the patient's detention by detecting anatomic structures includes detecting a gap between a tooth and gingiva.

15 . The system of claim 4 , wherein:

analyzing the 3D digital model of the patient's detention by detecting anatomic structures includes detecting a teeth that overlap each other in a buccal-lingual direction.

16 . The system of claim 4 , wherein:

receiving the 3D digital model of the patient's dentition includes receiving a first 3D digital model of the patient's detention in normal occlusion and a second 3D digital model of the patient's detention in bite occlusion with bite forces applied; and

analyzing the 3D digital model of the patient's detention by detecting anatomic structures includes detecting an aperture in an interproximal region between adjacent teeth in the second model that is larger than the aperture in the interproximal region between the adjacent teeth in the first model.

17 . The system of claim 4 , wherein:

wherein the feedback includes highlighting a region of the 3D model that includes the food trap.

18 . The system of claim 4 , wherein:

wherein the feedback includes modifying a color of a region of the 3D model that includes the food trap.

19 . The system of claim 4 , wherein:

wherein the feedback includes modifying a generated perimeter around a region of the 3D model that includes the food trap.

20 . The system of claim 4 , wherein:

the method further comprises generating a treatment plan for treating the food traps by generating an orthodontic treatment plan to move teeth of the patient's dentition from a first arrangement with the food trap to a second arrangement without the food trap.

21 . A system for treating food traps, the system comprising:

a processor; and

memory comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the system to carry out a method of:

receiving a 3D digital model of a patient's detention;

analyzing the 3D digital model of the patient's detention by detecting food traps between anatomic structures in the 3D digital model of the patient's detention;

displaying the 3D digital model of the patient's detention on a display; and

providing digital feedback on the displayed 3D digital model of the patient's detention that identifies a location of the food traps.

22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein:

the memory further comprises instructions that when executed by the processor cause the system to carry out the method, the method further comprising:

generating a treatment plan for treating the food traps;

receiving dental feedback on the treatment plan, wherein the dental feedback includes a change in a position of one or more teeth of the patient's dentition in a final arrangement; and

analyzing the dental feedback by detecting anatomic structures in the 3D digital model of the patient's detention that correspond to food traps.

23 . The system of claim 22 , wherein:

analyzing the dental feedback includes detecting anatomic structures in a final arrangement that correspond to food traps.

24 . The system of claim 21 , wherein:

the memory further comprises instructions that when executed by the processor cause the system to carry out the method, the method further comprising:

generating a treatment plan for treating the food traps;

receiving dental feedback on the treatment plan, wherein the dental feedback includes a change in a shape, position, or orientation of one or more prosthetics; and

analyzing the dental feedback by detecting anatomic structures in the 3D digital model of the patient's detention that correspond to food traps.

25 . The system of claim 24 , wherein:

analyzing the dental feedback includes detecting anatomic or prosthetic structures that correspond to food traps.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (101)