Align Technology Patent Grants

Method for preparing a physical plaster model

Granted: August 10, 2021
Patent Number: 11083541
The invention provides a method for creating a physical teeth model. The method comprises the following steps: providing a virtual three dimensional (3D) representation of a patient's dentition that comprises at least a region of the teeth that includes a tooth stump on which a crown is to be fitted or a region on to which a bridge is to be fitted; and preparing a physical model of the jaws of a subject from a blank, based on information from said virtual 3D image.

Method of bagging mass-fabricated custom items

Granted: August 3, 2021
Patent Number: 11077966
A method for inserting mass-customized items into bags includes the steps of (a) identifying each individual item of a plurality of mass customized items using item-specific identification information associated with each individual item in a computer system database; (b) conveying the plurality of identified individual items on an item conveyor; (c) conveying a plurality of bags on a bag conveyor, each of the bags being associated with the item-specific identification information…

Matching assets in 3D treatment plans

Granted: July 27, 2021
Patent Number: 11071608
A method for treating malocclusions of a patient's teeth includes receiving an initial position of a patient's teeth and a target position of the patient's teeth. The method also includes determining a treatment plan to reposition the patient's teeth towards the target position. The method also includes receiving treatment strategies for the patient's teeth based at least in part of the treatment plan and matching the initial position of the patient's teeth, the target position of a…

Sleeve for an intraoral scanner

Granted: July 20, 2021
Patent Number: D925739

Augmented reality enhancements for dental practitioners

Granted: July 6, 2021
Patent Number: 11051914
A method of using AR for dentistry and orthodontics is provided. An image of a dental arch is received, the image having been generated by an image capture device associated with an augmented reality (AR) display. A processing device registers the image to previous image data associated with the dental arch, compares one or more areas of the dental arch from the image to one or more corresponding areas of the dental arch from the previous image data, determines a position of an area of…

Palatal expander with skeletal anchorage devices

Granted: June 29, 2021
Patent Number: 11045283
A series of a palatal expanders increasing width can be used to gradually expand a patient's palate. Each palatal expander may have a palatal region flanked by teeth regions. The palatal region can have a plurality of anchor-receiving features (e.g., anchor interfaces) that allow the palatal expander to be attached to temporary anchorage device anchors that have been implanted into the patient's maxilla.

Direct fabrication of aligners with interproximal force coupling

Granted: June 29, 2021
Patent Number: 11045282
Polymeric shell appliances are provided in which the polymeric shell appliances are configured to provide one or more activation forces to facilitate tooth movement. In many embodiments, the appliances comprise interproximal engagement structures to provide activation forces to interproximal tooth surfaces. In many embodiments, the activation forces are arranged to provide a plurality of forces, including a force in a direction opposite to an intended direction of tooth movement. The…

Photograph-based assessment of dental treatments and procedures

Granted: June 22, 2021
Patent Number: 11042774
The current document is directed to methods and systems for monitoring a dental patient's progress during a course of treatment. A three-dimensional model of the expected positions of the patient's teeth can be projected, in time, from a three-dimensional model of the patient's teeth prepared prior to beginning the treatment. A digital camera is used to take one or more two-dimensional photographs of the patient's teeth, which are input to a monitoring system. The monitoring system…

Generating a dynamic three-dimensional occlusogram

Granted: June 15, 2021
Patent Number: 11033362
Methods and systems for generating a three-dimensional occlusogram are disclosed. One method includes determining a virtual three dimensional (3D) mesh model object of at least one tooth of a patient and displaying the determined virtual 3D mesh model object of at least one tooth of a patient wherein the 3D mesh model object includes a plurality of data sets associated with a set of occlusal information for the at least one tooth of the patient.

Training method and system for oral-cavity-imaging-and-modeling equipment

Granted: June 15, 2021
Patent Number: 11037466
The current document is directed to methods and systems that provide semi-automated and automated training to technicians who use oral-cavity-imaging-and-modeling systems to accurately and efficiently generate three-dimensional models of patients' teeth and underlying tissues. The training methods and systems are implemented either as subsystems within oral-cavity-imaging-and-modeling systems or as separate system in electronic communication oral-cavity-imaging-and-modeling systems. The…

Methods and systems for dental procedures

Granted: June 15, 2021
Patent Number: 11033368
A device including a coded pattern for use in dental procedures is provided. Related methods and systems are also provided.

Prioritization of three dimensional dental elements

Granted: June 15, 2021
Patent Number: 11033360
The present disclosure includes methods, systems, and devices for prioritization of three dimensional dental elements. One method for prioritizing three dimensional dental elements includes receiving a virtual initial dental data set (IDDS) of teeth having spatial information regarding the positions of a number of teeth in the virtual IDDS with respect to each other for presentation of the teeth in a virtual three dimensional space to be viewed on a user interface, setting prioritization…

Virtual fillers

Granted: June 15, 2021
Patent Number: 11033359
System and methods herein determine two or more adjacent teeth in a virtual model. The system and methods determine a characteristic of the teeth indicative of a spatial relationship between the teeth. The system and methods further determine that the characteristic satisfies a criterion for a virtual filler. The system and methods determine a geometry of the virtual filler based on the spatial relationship between the teeth.

Dental appliance features for speech enhancement

Granted: June 8, 2021
Patent Number: 11026831
Provided herein are orthodontic devices and methods for patients whose orthodontic devices are causing a lisp. The device can comprise an aligner configured to fit over a patient's dental arch and comprising an occlusal surface section positioned over an occlusal surface of the patient's teeth. The aligner can comprise a barrier portion extending laterally and adjacent to a region of the dental arch, the barrier portion allowing the patient's tongue to form a seal against the barrier…

Dental appliance reinforcement

Granted: June 8, 2021
Patent Number: 11026768
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for dental appliance reinforcement are provided. One dental appliance includes a number of tooth apertures for the placement of teeth therein wherein the number of tooth apertures include an interior surface and an exterior surface, and a reinforcement rib positioned along the exterior surface.

Photo realistic rendering of smile image after treatment

Granted: June 8, 2021
Patent Number: 11026766
A method may include: receiving facial image of the patient that depicts the patient's teeth; receiving a 3D model of the patient's teeth; determining color palette of the depiction of the patient's teeth; coding 3D model of the patient's teeth based on attributes of the 3D model; providing the 3D model, the color palette, and the coded 3D model to a neural network; processing the 3D model, the color palette, and the coded 3D model by the neural network to generate a processed image of…

Smile designer

Granted: June 1, 2021
Patent Number: 11024431
Various methods and systems for designing a restored smile are provided. One method includes receiving scan data of a patient's teeth, developing a digital model of the patient's teeth via a computing device, where the model represents the patient's teeth based upon the scan data, creating a dental treatment plan to restore one or more teeth from an initial condition to a successive condition, and wherein a final condition of the one or more is based on the one or more teeth having at…

Tooth segmentation based on anatomical edge information

Granted: June 1, 2021
Patent Number: 11020206
Provided herein are orthodontic systems and methods for automatically segmenting a person's teeth. Systems, methods and processes are provided to properly segment the teeth of a person's teeth from an image of the person's face showing at least some of the person's teeth (e.g., dental arch). Methods and systems are provided to automatically detect dental edges after a dental scan. Also described herein are methods and systems for generating a simulated image of the person's face from the…

Providing a simulated outcome of dental treatment on a patient

Granted: June 1, 2021
Patent Number: 11020205
Systems and methods of simulating dental treatments are disclosed. A method may include capturing a first 2D image of a patient's face, including the patient's teeth, building a parametric 3D model of the patient's teeth based on the 2D image, developing a simulated outcome of a dental treatment of the patient's teeth by rendering the 3D model with the patient's teeth in one or more positions and/or orientations corresponding to the treatment goals of the dental treatment plan, and…

Three-dimensional tooth modeling using a two-dimensional x-ray image

Granted: May 25, 2021
Patent Number: 11013582
A method and system generate a scan model that is a mathematical model to simulate an imaging process performed by an x-ray imaging device that created a two-dimensional x-ray image of at least one tooth. The scan model uses an initial estimate of one or more parameters of the x-ray imaging device to simulate the imaging process on a three-dimensional model. The method and system generate the two-dimensional contour of the three-dimensional model based on the scan model that uses the…