Align Technology Patent Applications

METHOD FOR MANIPULATING A DENTAL VIRTUAL MODEL, METHOD FOR CREATING PHYSICAL ENTITIES BASED ON A DENTAL VIRTUAL MODEL THUS MANIPULATED, AND DENTAL MODELS THUS CREATED

Granted: January 27, 2022
Application Number: 20220028532
A system for generating missing data for 3D models of intraoral structures of a patient. The system may include a hand-held intraoral scanner and a computer having instructions that the system to scan the intraoral structure of a patient to generate first 3D data of the surface of a prepared tooth, generate a 3D virtual model of the prepared tooth based on the first 3D data, determine the 3D virtual model is missing a surface associated with the prepared, generate second 3D data…

IMAGE-BASED ALIGNER FIT EVALUATION

Granted: January 27, 2022
Application Number: 20220028071
A method for image-based orthodontic treatment may include receiving image data of a patient's dentition and an orthodontic appliance, identifying, from the image data, the orthodontic appliance, calculating a misalignment height of a misalignment of the orthodontic appliance with respect to the patient's dentition, determining whether the misalignment height satisfies a misalignment threshold, and in response to satisfying the misalignment threshold, providing a notification.

TREATMENT PLAN SPECIFIC BITE ADJUSTMENT STRUCTURES

Granted: January 27, 2022
Application Number: 20220023010
A series of appliances including a first shell and a second shell can be designed to incrementally implement a treatment plan. The first and second shells can have cavities designed to receive teeth of a jaw. A first number of bite adjustment structures can be formed of a same material as the first shell, extending therefrom and designed to interface with teeth of a second jaw. The first number of bite adjustment structures can have a first shape and location specific to a first stage of…

SYSTEMS, APPARATUS, AND METHODS FOR REMOTE ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT

Granted: January 27, 2022
Application Number: 20220023008
A method for dental treatment may include receiving photos of a patient's dentition, gathering treatment parameters for at treatment plan. The treatment parameters may represent attributes of the treatment plan selected by a doctor for the patient's dentition of a patient. The method may include generating, using the photos and the treatment parameters, one or more intelligent guidance rules to guide application of at least a portion of the treatment parameters to the patient's…

IMAGE BASED DENTITION TRACKING

Granted: January 27, 2022
Application Number: 20220023003
A method of dental treatment may include receiving photos of a person's dentition, identifying a stage of a treatment plan administered to the person's dentition, gathering a three-dimensional (3D) model of the person's dentition corresponding to the stage of the treatment plan, projecting attributes of the 3D model of the person's dentition onto an image plane to get a projected representation of the person's dentition at the stage of the treatment plan, comparing the photos to the…

INTELLIGENT PHOTO GUIDANCE FOR DENTITION CAPTURE

Granted: January 27, 2022
Application Number: 20220023002
A method of dental treatment may include receiving one or more photo parameters to define clinically acceptable criteria for a plurality of clinically relevant photos of a person's dentition. The clinically acceptable criteria may include at least a plurality of clinically acceptable positions and a plurality of clinically acceptable orientations of teeth relative to a camera. The method may also include gathering a plurality of image-capture rules to capture the plurality of clinically…

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DIGITAL TOOTH IMAGING

Granted: September 2, 2021
Application Number: 20210267718
Method and system for managing multiple impressions of a patient's jaw for an orthodontic treatment are provided. The method includes scanning at least a first impression and a second impression of the same jaw for the orthodontic treatment; determining if the first jaw impression and the second jaw impression have distortion in different areas; selecting the first jaw impression or the second jaw impression as a base impression; and replacing distorted tooth data from the base…

FLEXIBLE 3D PRINTED ORTHODONTIC DEVICE WITH ATTACHMENT SUPPORTS

Granted: August 26, 2021
Application Number: 20210259810
A dental attachment placement device comprises a plurality of articulated registration elements shaped for placement on a plurality of teeth, which can facilitate placement, accommodate tooth movement, and improve alignment of the registration elements with the teeth, so as to accurately position an attachment for placement. An orthodontic device may include a plurally of registration element. A plurality of first flexible arms may extend from each registration element on a lingual side.…

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING AUTOMATED HIGH SCALE FABRICATION OF CUSTOM ITEMS

Granted: August 26, 2021
Application Number: 20210264542
Method and system for providing volume manufacturing of customizable items including receiving a data package including a plurality of manufacturing parameters, each of the plurality of manufacturing parameters associated with a unique item, verifying the received data package, and implementing a manufacturing process associated with the received data package is provided.

FLEXIBLE 3D PRINTED ORTHODONTIC DEVICE WITH FLEXIBLE ARMS

Granted: August 26, 2021
Application Number: 20210259812
A dental attachment placement device comprises a plurality of registration elements shaped for placement on a plurality of teeth and one or more flexible arms for biasing the registration element to a tooth. A first a first flexible arm may extend from a registration element on a lingual side. The first flexible arm may have a connected end and a distal end. The distal end may be configured to extend at least part way over the tooth and apply a lingual force to bias the registration…

FLEXIBLE 3D PRINTED ORTHODONTIC DEVICE

Granted: August 26, 2021
Application Number: 20210259809
A dental attachment placement device comprises a plurality of articulated registration elements shaped for placement on a plurality of teeth, which can facilitate placement, accommodate tooth movement, and improve alignment of the registration elements with the teeth, so as to accurately position an attachment for placement. The plurality of registration elements may comprise one or more attachment supports and one or more retention supports extending from the plurality of registration…

CONTINUE SEARCH AFTER FIRST SUCCESS TO MINIMIZE JUMPING OF PRECISION WINGS PLACEMENT

Granted: August 5, 2021
Application Number: 20210236243
The disclosed computer-implemented method for selecting locations of mandibular relocation features (MRFs) on oral appliances may include determining candidate locations for placing an MRF on a first oral appliance for a first stage of mandibular relocation (MR) treatment and determining candidate locations for placing an MRF on a second oral appliance for a second stage. The method may include selecting from the candidate locations for the first stage and the second stage based on…

DIRECT FABRICATION OF ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCES WITH 4D PRINTING

Granted: July 22, 2021
Application Number: 20210220087
An appliance comprises a passive component and an active force generating component, in which the active force generating component is configured to react to a stimulus and generate tooth movement forces. In some embodiments, the passive component is configured to deflect when placed on one or more teeth and generate tooth movement forces, which are combined with tooth movement forces of the force generating component. In some embodiments, the passive component comprises a polymer which…

METHOD FOR MANIPULATING A DENTAL VIRTUAL MODEL, METHOD FOR CREATING PHYSICAL ENTITIES BASED ON A DENTAL VIRTUAL MODEL THUS MANIPULATED, AND DENTAL MODELS THUS CREATED

Granted: June 17, 2021
Application Number: 20210177556
A system for generating missing data for 3D models of intraoral structures of a patient. The system may include a hand-held intraoral scanner and a computer having instructions that the system to scan the intraoral structure of a patient to generate first 3D data of the surface of a prepared tooth, generate a 3D virtual model of the prepared tooth based on the first 3D data, determine the 3D virtual model is missing a surface associated with the prepared, generate second 3D data…

OCCLUSAL BLOCK DESIGN FOR LATERAL LOCKING

Granted: June 10, 2021
Application Number: 20210169618
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.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COLOUR IMAGING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE

Granted: May 20, 2021
Application Number: 20210152806
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…

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COLOUR IMAGING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE

Granted: May 20, 2021
Application Number: 20210152805
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…

METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CREATING AND INTERACTING WITH THREE DIMENSIONAL VIRTUAL MODELS

Granted: May 20, 2021
Application Number: 20210145287
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…

CLINICALLY RELEVANT ANONYMIZATION OF PHOTOS AND VIDEO

Granted: May 6, 2021
Application Number: 20210134436
The disclosed systems and methods for anonymizing clinical data may include receiving representation data corresponding to a body part. The representation data may include a clinically relevant region and an anonymization region. The method may include extracting, from the representation data, clinical representation data corresponding to the clinically relevant region of the representation data and generating artificial representation data corresponding to the anonymization region of…

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVED ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN ALIGNERS AND TEETH

Granted: April 15, 2021
Application Number: 20210106405
A system and method for repositioning teeth in a patient jaw includes an attachment bonded to a tooth. The attachment has at least one force receiving component for receiving a force. A polymeric shell repositioning appliance is positioned over at least some of the teeth in the patient jaw. The polymeric shell has at least one force transmitting component for engaging the force receiving component to form a locus of engagement. The locus of engagement transmits the force and moves but is…