Align Technology Patent Applications

PHOTO-BASED DENTAL ATTACHMENT DETECTION

Granted: July 20, 2023
Application Number: 20230225832
A method for dental treatment may include receiving a plurality of images of a patient's dentition, identifying, from the plurality of images, individual teeth of the patient's dentition, detecting, from the plurality of images, one or more attachments on the patient's dentition, assigning, based on each of the plurality of images, each of the one or more attachments to one of the individual teeth in each image, and combining the assignments of each of the plurality of images for…

PHOTO-BASED DENTAL APPLIANCE FIT

Granted: July 20, 2023
Application Number: 20230225831
A method for dental treatment may include receiving a plurality of images of a patient, the plurality of images including the patient's dentition and an orthodontic appliance while the patient is wearing the orthodontic appliance, determining whether each of the plurality of images satisfy a plurality of detection criteria, segmenting the teeth in the images, segmenting the images to classify each pixel as being of the orthodontic appliance and the teeth, classifying the pixels of the…

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COLOUR IMAGING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE

Granted: July 13, 2023
Application Number: 20230224446
A device for determining the surface topology and associated color of a structure, such as a teeth segment, includes a scanner for providing depth data for points along a two-dimensional array substantially orthogonal to the depth direction, and an image acquisition means for providing color data for each of the points of the array, while the spatial disposition of the device with respect to the structure is maintained substantially unchanged. A processor combines the color data and…

ALIGNER MATERIAL, CLEANLINESS, AND QUALITY DETECTION VIA ALIGNER CASE

Granted: June 15, 2023
Application Number: 20230181289
Embedded sensors and onboard or off-board processing in an aligner case can detect aligner material and/or quality. Material detection can be used for counterfeit detection, or to trigger material specific events. Quality detection can include detection of common aligner failures or defects. A case for a dental appliance may include a tray for supporting the dental appliance, a cover coupled to the tray, and at least one sensor to detect a deformation of the dental appliance. A case for…

VARIOUS STRUCTURED SUPPORTS FOR 3D PRINTED ALIGNERS/MOUTH PIECES

Granted: March 23, 2023
Application Number: 20230089755
A support is coupled to an appliance to decrease warpage. The support may comprise a plurality of extensions coupled to the appliance to decrease warpage. The extensions can be coupled to the appliance at one or more of many locations, such as on an occlusal surface, a wall, an edge or an interior of the appliance. In some embodiments, the extensions are coupled to walls of the appliance such as a buccal wall and a lingual wall, and the extensions can be coupled to the walls of the…

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FABRICATING A DENTAL COPING, AND A COPING FABRICATED THEREBY

Granted: March 9, 2023
Application Number: 20230075448
A wax model of a required coping is produced using CNC machining techniques based on a virtual model of the coping created from digital data obtained from the intraoral cavity. The dental coping is then fabricated from the wax model.

PROSTHODONTIC AND ORTHODONTIC APPARATUS AND METHODS

Granted: March 9, 2023
Application Number: 20230070875
System and method for developing a treatment plan for achieving a treatment goal including creating a virtual model of a dental patient's dentition; transforming the virtual model of the dentition using virtual prosthodontics to facilitate achievement of the treatment goal; transforming the virtual model of the dentition using virtual orthodontics to facilitate achievement of the treatment goal; iterating on the transforming steps until substantially achieving the treatment goal; and…

PATIENT SPECIFIC APPLIANCE DESIGN

Granted: March 2, 2023
Application Number: 20230062670
A method for generating and fabricating a dental device having a body. The body may have a first plurality of tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of a first side of an arch. The body may also have a second plurality of tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of a second side of an arch. A palatal portion may extend between the first plurality of tooth receiving cavities and the second plurality of tooth receiving cavities. The palatal portion may be shaped to apply…

DURABLE ORNAMENTAL INDICIA CARRIER

Granted: March 2, 2023
Application Number: 20230062324
The present disclosure relates to ornamental indicia carrier and method of producing the same. In some embodiments, the ornamental indicia carrier comprises an ultraviolet light (“UV”) cured ink printed on a thin flexible film and combined with an adhesive layer. The ornamental indicia carrier is capable of enduring the conditions inside the mouth for an extended period of time and can be used in conjunction with a dental appliance.

MULTIMODAL INTRAORAL SCANNING

Granted: January 26, 2023
Application Number: 20230021695
A method of multimodal scanning may include generating surface scan data of an intraoral structured using structured light. The method may include generating volumetric scan data of an internal structure of the intraoral structure with OCT scanning. The OCT scan data may be aligned with the surface scan data. A three-dimensional volumetric model of the patient's dentition may be generated based on the aligned OCT scan data and the surface scan data.

MULTIMODAL INTRAORAL SCANNING

Granted: January 26, 2023
Application Number: 20230021695
A method of multimodal scanning may include generating surface scan data of an intraoral structured using structured light. The method may include generating volumetric scan data of an internal structure of the intraoral structure with OCT scanning. The OCT scan data may be aligned with the surface scan data. A three-dimensional volumetric model of the patient's dentition may be generated based on the aligned OCT scan data and the surface scan data.

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THE DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF PROVISIONAL AND PERMANENT CROWNS

Granted: January 12, 2023
Application Number: 20230008156
A method for preparing a tooth crown may include generating a 3D model of an external surface of a patient's tooth and generating a 3D model of an external surface of a first crown based on the 3D model of the external surface of the patient's tooth. The method may also include preparing the patient's tooth to receive the first crown while generating the 3D model of the external surface. A 3D model of the prepared tooth my be generated. A 3D model of an internal surface of the first…

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THE DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF PROVISIONAL AND PERMANENT CROWNS

Granted: January 12, 2023
Application Number: 20230008156
A method for preparing a tooth crown may include generating a 3D model of an external surface of a patient's tooth and generating a 3D model of an external surface of a first crown based on the 3D model of the external surface of the patient's tooth. The method may also include preparing the patient's tooth to receive the first crown while generating the 3D model of the external surface. A 3D model of the prepared tooth my be generated. A 3D model of an internal surface of the first…

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DENTAL TREATMENT

Granted: December 22, 2022
Application Number: 20220401182
A method for preparing for and providing dental treatment may include determining, by an action management system, that 3D scan data of a patient's dentition has been received by a treatment planning system. A treatment planning system may generate a treatment plan to move the patient's teeth from an initial position towards a final position, based on the 3D scan of the patient's dentition. The treatment plan may be provided to a dental professional system. The action management system…

OCCLUSAL BLOCK DESIGN FOR LATERAL LOCKING

Granted: December 8, 2022
Application Number: 20220387141
A first appliance and a second appliance comprise engagement surfaces that provide mandibular relocation forces and forces to limit lateral movement of the jaw, such as opposing inclined surfaces on opposite sides of the mouth. In some embodiments, engagement surfaces between oral appliances comprise a curvature difference, which allows engagement at differing angles and positions.

SYSTEMS FOR CREATING AND INTERACTING WITH THREE DIMENSIONAL VIRTUAL MODELS

Granted: October 20, 2022
Application Number: 20220330830
Systems and methods are provided for preparation of orthodontics and prosthodontics. A method may include scanning a patient's teeth to form first 3D data of the patient's teeth including a removable element that obscures part of the dental surfaces of the patient's teeth and non-obscured tooth surfaces, removing the removable element form the patient's teeth so that the removable element no longer obscures the part of the dental surfaces of the patient's teeth, and scanning the…

CAPTURING TRUE BITE AND OCCLUSION CONTACTS

Granted: October 13, 2022
Application Number: 20220323190
A method for determining biting occlusion of a patient's teeth including generating a first 3D digital model of the patient's lower arch in non-occlusion. A second 3D digital model of the patient's upper arch in non-occlusion may be generated. A third 3D digital model of the patient's upper and lower arches in biting occlusion may be generated. The first and second 3D digital models May be aligned with corresponding teeth of the third 3D digital model to generate a fourth 3D model of the…

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING FEEDBACK DATA USEFUL IN PROSTHODONTIC PROCEDURES ASSOCIATED WITH THE INTRA ORAL CAVITY

Granted: October 6, 2022
Application Number: 20220313413
Feedback data useful in prosthodontic procedures associated with the intra oral cavity is provided. First, a 3D numerical model of the target zone in the intra oral cavity is provided, and this is manipulated so as to extract particular data that may be useful in a particular procedure, for example data relating to the finish line or to the shape and size of a preparation. The relationship between this data and the procedure is then determined, for example the clearance between the…

SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND DEVICES FOR APPLYING DISTRIBUTED FORCES FOR MANDIBULAR ADVANCEMENT

Granted: September 15, 2022
Application Number: 20220287870
Improved systems, methods, and devices for treating sleep apnea are provided herein. In one aspect, an intraoral appliance for treating sleep apnea in a patient comprises an appliance shell comprising a plurality of cavities shaped to receive teeth of a jaw of the patient. The appliance shell can comprise an advancement structure arranged to interact with an opposing jaw of the patient so as to displace the lower jaw anteriorly relative to the upper jaw. The plurality of cavities can…

VIRTUAL AND PHYSICAL DENTAL MODELS OF DENTAL SURFACES AND ANALOG SOCKET STRUCTURE OF A DENTAL IMPLANT AND RELATED PROCEDURES

Granted: September 8, 2022
Application Number: 20220280270
A system and method for manufacturing a physical model of a dental structure wherein the physical model is configured to allow a dental analog to be inserted into the physical model. A virtual model of the dental structure is provided including a virtual implant spatial disposition with respect to the virtual model corresponding to a physical implant spatial disposition of the dental implant. Using the virtual model, a physical model corresponding to the virtual model is manufactured,…