Dental model and reusable die assembly for thermoforming of dental aligners

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11524445-B2
Application number	US-201916542672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2019
Priority date	Aug 16, 2018
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

An assembly useful for thermoforming a dental aligner from polymer sheet material includes (a) a custom dental model having a planar bottom surface and a receptacle formed in said planar bottom surface; and (b) a reusable die removably received in said receptacle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of making a dental aligner from polymer sheet material, comprising the steps of:
(a) receiving data for a dental model;
(b) selecting a corresponding die for the unique dental model from a set of available dies;
(c) modifying the data to include a receptacle in the dental model for the selected die;
(d) additively manufacturing the dental model with the receptacle therein from the modified data, wherein said additively manufactured step is carried out by stereolithography;
(e) inserting the selected die into the receptacle of the dental model to form an assembly comprising the dental model and the die; and
(f) thermoforming a dental aligner from the polymer sheet material on the assembly.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(g) separating the dental aligner from the assembly; and then
(h) separating the die from the dental model so that said die can be reused.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said set of available dies comprises at least 2 or 3 members of different sizes, at least all but one of said members having different distinguishing feature elements formed thereon.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein additively manufacturing said dental model comprises forming a corresponding feature element to mate with said distinguishing feature element of said selected die.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said receptacle comprises at least half the volume of said dental model.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said selected die from the set of available dies is configured to stabilize and rigidify said dental model for thermoforming a dental aligner from polymer sheet material thereon.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said additively manufacturing step is carried out by bottom-up stereolithography or by continuous liquid interface production.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said selected die is comprised of metal or polymer.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said dental model comprises a top portion configured as a set of human teeth on which said dental aligner can be formed.

Assignees

• Carbon Inc

Inventors

• Feller Bob E

Classifications

• B29C33/3842

  Manufacturing moulds, e.g. shaping the mould surface by machining · CPC title

• B29C51/10

  Forming by pressure difference, e.g. vacuum · CPC title

• B29C51/30 Primary

  Moulds · CPC title

• B29C51/082

  by shaping between complementary mould parts · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title