Automated treatment staging for teeth

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10524879-B2
Application number	US-201715834649-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2017
Priority date	Aug 30, 2006
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

Apparatus, system, and methods for utilizing one or more computing devices to stage the movement of teeth during an alignment treatment are disclosed. The computing device receives an electronic representation of the patient's teeth in their initial position and an electronic representation of the teeth a final position for each tooth. A route each tooth will travel to reach its final position is determined, and the teeth are scheduled to move according to a movement pattern. Moreover, the schedule of movement takes into account a maximum rate of tooth movement for each tooth, the path of movement for each tooth, the distance each tooth needs to move, any needed tooth staggering, any needed round-tripping or tooth movement slowing. The invention also includes techniques for determining an optimum number of stages for the treatment based on the schedule of movement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
determining, by one or more computer processors, a schedule of movement for dental objects during treatment stages, the dental objects being based from output of a scanning device, wherein the schedule of movement indicates whether each of the dental obj ects moves during each of the treatment stages;
calculating, by one or more computer processors, a respective route from an initial position toward a final position for each of the dental objects during the treatment stages; and
modifying, by one or more computer processors, the schedule of movement to avoid a collision or obstruction between two of the dental objects on their respective routes, the modifying comprising:
delaying initial movement of one of the dental objects; and
round-tripping one of the dental objects.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining the schedule of movement comprises selecting a movement pattern from a plurality of predetermined movement patterns.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising recalculating at least one of the respective routes based on the modified schedule of movement.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising manufacturing at least two orthodontic aligners, each of the orthodontic aligners corresponding to a respective one of the treatment stages.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the manufacturing comprises:
fabricating a respective positive mold of the dental objects for at least two of the treatment stages; and
thermoforming an orthodontic aligner over each respective positive mold.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the round-tripping comprises:
moving a first of the dental objects away from the respective route of a second of the dental objects; and
moving the first dental object toward its respective final position after the second dental object has sufficiently traversed its respective route to avoid the collision.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the round-tripping comprises:
moving a first of the dental objects away from the respective route of a second of the dental obj ects; and
moving the first dental object toward its previous position.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the determining of the schedule of movement comprises determining, by one or more computer processors, a total number of the treatment stages; and
the determining of the total number of the treatment stages comprises:
determining, by one or more computer processors, a respective minimum number of treatment stages for each of the dental objects; and
selecting, by one or more computer processors, a largest of the respective minimum numbers of treatment stages as the total number of the treatment stages.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more computer processors, cause at least one of the one or more computer processors to:
determine a schedule of movement for dental objects during treatment stages, the dental objects being based from output from a scanning device, wherein the schedule of movement indicates whether each of the dental objects moves during each of the treatment stages;
calculate a respective route from an initial position toward a desired final position for each of the dental objects during the treatment stages; and
modify the schedule of movement to avoid a collision or obstruction between two of the dental obj ects on their respective routes, the modifying comprising:
delaying initial movement of one of the dental objects; and
round-tripping one of the dental objects.

10. The medium of claim 9 , wherein determining the schedule of movement comprises selecting a movement pattern from a plurality of predetermined movement patterns.

11. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computer processors, further cause at least one of the one or more computer processors to recalculate at least one of the respective routes based on the modified schedule of movement.

12. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computer processors, further cause at least one of the one or more computer processors to control manufacture of at least two orthodontic aligners, each of the orthodontic aligners corresponding to a respective one of the treatment stages.

13. The medium of claim 12 , wherein the manufacture comprises:
fabricating a respective positive mold of the dental objects for at least two of the treatment stages; and
thermoforming an orthodontic aligner over each of the respective positive molds.

14. The medium of claim 9 , wherein:
the determining of the schedule of movement comprises determining a total number of the treatment stages; and
the determining of the total number of the treatment stages comprises:
determining a respective minimum number of treatment stages for each of the dental obj ects; and
selecting a largest of the respective minimum numbers of treatment stages as the total number of the treatment stages.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:
determining, by one or more computer processors, a schedule of movement for dental obj ects during treatment stages, the dental objects being based from output of a scanning device, wherein the schedule of movement indicates whether each of the dental objects moves during each of the treatment stages;
calculating, by the one or more computer processors, a respective route from an initial position toward a final position for each of the dental objects during the treatment stages; and
modifying, by the one or more computer processors, the schedule of movement to avoid a collision or obstruction between two of the dental objects on their respective routes, the modifying comprising:
determining, by the one or more computer processors, that the respective route of a first of the dental objects results in a collision or obstruction with a second of the dental objects;
altering, by the one or more computer processors in response to the determining, the schedule of movement by delaying initial movement of the first dental object;
determining, by the one or more computer processors, that the altered schedule of movement still results in a collision or obstruction involving the first dental object; and
altering, by the one or more computer processors after the determining that the altered schedule of movement still results in a collision or obstruction, the schedule of movement of the first dental object by moving the first dental object out of the path of the second dental object, and once the second dental object has moved sufficiently, moving the first dental object back to the first dental object previous position before proceeding to a desired final position of the first dental object.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , further comprising recalculating at least one of the respective routes based on the modified schedule of movement.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , further comprising manufacturing at least two orthodontic aligners, each of the orthodontic aligners corresponding to a respective one of the treatment stages.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , wherein the manufacturing comprises:
fabricating a respective positive mold of the dental objects for at least two of the treatment stages; and
thermoforming an orthodontic aligner over each of the respecti

Assignees

• Align Technology Inc

Inventors

• Kitching Ian
• Dmitriev Alexander
• Vishnevskiy Alexey

Classifications

• A61C7/00

  Orthodontics, i.e. obtaining or maintaining the desired position of teeth, e.g. by straightening, evening, regulating, separating, or by correcting malocclusions · CPC title

• A61C7/002 Primary

  Orthodontic computer assisted systems · CPC title