Customized dental impression tray

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10311162-B2
Application number	US-201214235197-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2012
Priority date	Jul 29, 2011
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and systems for generating a virtual model of a customized impression tray and for manufacturing such a customized impression tray. A 3D digital representation of a patient's set of teeth is obtained and a virtual model of the customized impression tray is generated, where the generating comprises shaping the virtual model of the customized impression tray according to the 3D digital representation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing a customized impression tray comprising labial and lingual side-walls, where said customized impression tray is for obtaining an impression of a set of teeth and/or gingiva of a patient, said method comprising:
a) obtaining a 3D digital representation of the set of teeth and/or gingiva using a hardware processor, wherein the 3D digital representation of the set of teeth and/or gingiva was acquired by a scanner that scanned at least one of the teeth and/or gingiva of the patient, a physical model of the set of teeth and/or gingiva, or an impression of the set of teeth and/or gingiva, where said 3D digital representation comprises a labial surface and a lingual surface of the set of teeth and/or gingiva;
b) generating, by the hardware processor, the virtual model of the customized impression tray based on the 3D digital representation of the set of teeth and/or gingiva, where the virtual model comprises portions corresponding to surfaces of the labial and lingual side-walls facing surfaces of the set of teeth and/or gingiva; and
c) manufacturing the customized impression tray from the virtual model,
wherein generating the virtual model comprises defining virtual apertures in the virtual model of the customized impression tray, such that the corresponding apertures on the manufactured customized impression tray provide a passage for excess impression material when the customized impression tray is used to obtain the impression of the set of teeth and/or gingiva;
wherein the virtual apertures are defined in the virtual model by indicating regions to be removed using 3D splines or by overlaying an aperture pattern onto the virtual model where the aperture pattern comprises a number of regions indicating where material should be virtually removed from the virtual model.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein generating the virtual model comprises defining one or more virtual planes in relation to the 3D digital representation, and wherein the virtual model is shaped based on the one or more virtual planes.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said one or more virtual planes at least in part is defined by virtually blocking out undercut regions at the 3D digital representation.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein an offset away from the corresponding teeth and/or gingiva in the 3D digital representation is provided to the one or more virtual planes, such that the virtual model is shaped based on the one or more offset virtual planes.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the offset corresponds to a shelling of a region of the 3D digital representation.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein generating the virtual model comprises determining a boundary of the virtual model.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the boundary of the virtual model is described by a 3D spline.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the customized impression tray is configured for use in relation to a dental implant procedure, and wherein said generating the virtual model of the customized impression tray comprises considering a location and orientation of an implant.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein generating the virtual model comprises defining an opening in the virtual model of the customized impression tray at a part corresponding to the location of the implant.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein a size and location of the opening is determined from an implant treatment plan.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the implant treatment plan comprises designing a drill guide configured for guiding a drilling of an implant hole.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the opening is defined by subtracting a cylinder from the virtual model of the customized impression tray, where said cylinder is aligned with the orientation of the implant.

13. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the opening is designed to be larger than an area of a top of the implant to account for inaccuracies in implant orientation and/or position.

14. The method according to claim 1 , where the method comprises determining an arch of the set of teeth from said 3D digital representation and based on that arch define a centerline or an arch of the virtual model of the customized impression tray.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein generating the virtual model comprises controlling a lingual gap between a portion of the virtual model corresponding to a tooth facing surface of the lingual side-wall and the 3D digital representation and/or controlling a labial gap between a portion of the virtual model corresponding to a tooth facing surface of the labial side-wall and the 3D digital representation.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein generating the virtual model comprises defining contact points on the virtual model of the customized impression tray, such that these contact points define positions where contact is provided between the set of teeth and/or gingiva and the manufactured customized impression tray when the tray is arranged on the set of teeth and/or gingiva of a patient.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual model comprises a portion relating to an interconnecting base-wall arranged to connect the lingual side-wall to the labial side-wall, and portions of the virtual model corresponding to the surfaces facing the set of teeth and/or gingiva are configured to provide a curved section at the transition between portions relating to the side-walls and portions relating to the base-wall.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein generating the virtual model comprises adapting the virtual model of the customized impression tray such that direct contact with a frenum of a patient is avoided when the manufactured customized impression tray is arranged on the set of teeth and/or gingiva of the patient.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the 3D digital representation of the set of teeth and/or gingiva consists of data relating to gingiva of a patient.

20. The method according to claim 1 , wherein impression transfer pins are comprised in the virtual model of the customized impression tray.

21. A method of manufacturing a customized impression tray adapted for being used in relation to obtaining an impression of a set of teeth and/or gingiva of a patient where the customized impression tray comprises a lingual side-wall and a labial side-wall, said method comprising:
a) obtaining a 3D digital representation of the set of teeth and/or gingiva, where said 3D digital representation comprises a labial surface and a lingual surface of the set of teeth and/or gingiva;
b) generating a virtual model of the customized impression tray based on the digital 3D representation of the set of teeth and/or gingiva, where the virtual model comprises portions corresponding to surfaces of the labial and lingual side-walls facing surfaces of the set of teeth and/or gingiva; and
c) manufacturing the customized impression tray from said virtual model, the customized impression tray comprising apertures which provide a passage for excess impression material when the customized impression tray is used to obtain the impression of the set of teeth and/or gingiva;
wherein virtual apertures are defined in the virtual model by indicating regions to be removed using 3D splines or by overlaying an aperture pattern onto the virtual model where the aperture pattern comprises a number of regions indi

Assignees

• Fisker Rune
• 3Shape As

Inventors

• Fisker Rune

Classifications

• A61C9/004

  Means or methods for taking digitized impressions · CPC title

• A61C13/0004

  Computer-assisted sizing or machining of dental prostheses · CPC title

• G06F30/00

  Computer-aided design [CAD] · CPC title

• A61C9/0006 Primary

  Impression trays · CPC title

• G06F17/50 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic