Arrangements for intraoral scanning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11328814-B2
Application number	US-201916391580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2019
Priority date	Jun 21, 2017
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods for conducting intraoral scans of a mouth of a user include conducting, using an intraoral scanner at an intraoral scanning site, an intraoral scan of a mouth of a user based on determining that one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to an initial treatment plan designed to reposition the one or more teeth of the user using a first plurality of aligners. The intraoral scan generates three-dimensional data of the mouth of the user. A corrective treatment plan is generated by a treatment plan computing system based on the three-dimensional data. A second plurality of aligners are produced at a fabrication site based on the corrective treatment plan. The second plurality of aligners are specific to the user and configured to reposition the teeth of the user according to the corrective treatment plan.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a treatment plan computing system from a user computing system, user compliance check information submitted by a user indicating the user's compliance or non-compliance with an initial treatment plan, the initial treatment plan designed to reposition one or more teeth of the user using a first plurality of aligners, the user compliance check information including progress data submitted by the user, wherein the progress data submitted by the user includes at least one image of the user's teeth captured by the user and a selection received from the user computing system of a current aligner being used by the user as part of the initial treatment plan, and wherein the selection of the current aligner is selected from a list of aligners that are part of the initial treatment plan, the list of aligners being displayed to the user by the user computing system;
conducting, using an intraoral scanner at an intraoral scanning site, an intraoral scan of a mouth of the user based on determining that the one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to the initial treatment plan, the intraoral scan generating three-dimensional data of the mouth of the user, wherein determining that the one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to the initial treatment plan is based on the user compliance check information;
generating, by the treatment plan computing system, a corrective treatment plan for the user based on the three-dimensional data of the mouth of the user and based on determining that the one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to the initial treatment plan;
producing, at a fabrication site, a second plurality of aligners based on the corrective treatment plan, the second plurality of aligners specific to the user and being configured to reposition the one or more teeth of the user in accordance with the corrective treatment plan, wherein producing the second plurality of aligners comprises generating a plurality of molds of a dentition of the user based on at least a starting position and an ending position according to the corrective treatment plan, and thermoforming a material to each of the molds to produce the second plurality of aligners; and
providing the second plurality of aligners to the user;
wherein the at least one image of the user's teeth includes photographs of the mouth of the user taken by the user at different angles with a camera being external to the mouth of the user, at least one of the photographs having been taken with a dental appliance positioned at least partially within the mouth of the user, the dental appliance configured to hold open the user's upper and lower lips simultaneously to expose the user's teeth and permit visualization of the user's teeth.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initial treatment plan is based on initial three-dimensional data obtained from scanning dental impressions of the mouth of the user.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initial treatment plan is based on initial three-dimensional data obtained from conducting an initial intraoral scan of the mouth of the user.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the corrective treatment plan to a dentist or an orthodontist for review and approval.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the intraoral scan is conducted by a technician that is not a dentist or an orthodontist at the intraoral scanning site, the method further comprising receiving an approval of the corrective treatment plan by the approving dentist or orthodontist, wherein the approval is received without the approving dentist or orthodontist having physically seen the user in person.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein producing the second plurality of aligners is responsive to receiving the approval, and wherein providing the second plurality of aligners to the user includes sending the second plurality of aligners from the fabrication site directly to the user, wherein the user receives orthodontic treatment without ever having physically seen the approving dentist or orthodontist.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to the initial treatment plan is based on the user compliance check information submitted by the user during treatment.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the user compliance check information includes an indication submitted by the user during treatment that the user is unsatisfied with the initial treatment plan.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the user compliance check information includes an indication submitted by the user during treatment that at least one aligner of the first plurality of aligners does not fit or is uncomfortable.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising providing a message to the user requesting the user to submit the user compliance check information.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user compliance check information indicates the user's compliance with the initial treatment plan by having correctly followed the initial treatment plan.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing a financial incentive to the user responsive to the user having correctly followed the initial treatment plan.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing, responsive to determining that the one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to the initial treatment plan, the user scheduling information regarding scheduling an appointment at the intraoral scanning site to undergo the intraoral scan.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the corrective treatment plan comprises manipulating, by the treatment plan computing system, one or more teeth in the three-dimensional data of the mouth of the user from the starting position at the time of the intraoral scan to the ending position.

15. A system comprising:
a communications system configured to communicate with a user regarding an initial treatment plan designed to reposition one or more teeth of the user using a first plurality of aligners, the communication with the user including progress data submitted by the user indicating that the one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to the initial treatment plan and an indication of a fit of at least one of the first plurality of aligners, and wherein the progress data submitted by the user includes at least one image of the user's teeth captured by the user and a selection received from a user computing system of a current aligner being used by the user as part of the initial treatment plan, and wherein the selection of the current aligner is selected from a list of aligners that are part of the initial treatment plan, the list of aligners being displayed to the user by the user computing system;
an intraoral scanning site comprising an intraoral scanner configured to conduct an intraoral scan of a mouth of the user to generate three-dimensional data based on the progress data;
a treatment planning computing system configured to generate a corrective treatment plan for the user based on the three-dimensional data, wherein generating the corrective treatment plan is further based on the progress data submitted by the user; and
a fabrication system comprising manufacturing equipment configured to produce a second plurality of aligners based on the corrective treatment plan data by generating a plurality of molds of a dentition of the user based on at least a starting position and an ending position according to the corrective treatment p

Assignees

• Sdc Us Smilepay Spv

Inventors

• Katzman Jordan
• Fenkell Alex
• Katzman David
• Yancey Christopher
• Chapman Josh
• Cicurel Jessica

Classifications

• G06Q10/1093

  Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups · CPC title

• A61C9/0053

  Optical means or methods, e.g. scanning the teeth by a laser or light beam · CPC title

• G16H10/60

  for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records · CPC title

• G06Q10/02

  Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events · CPC title

• G16H80/00

  ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring · CPC title