Methods for tooth collision detection and avoidance in orthodontic treament

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11717381-B2
Application number	US-202217710579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2022
Priority date	Aug 30, 2006
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

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:
receiving an electronic representation of dental objects in an initial position;
determining a schedule of movement and a respective treatment path for each of the dental objects during treatment stages of an orthodontic treatment, wherein the schedule of movement indicates whether or not each of the dental objects moves during each of the treatment stages;
calculating a respective path from an initial position toward a final position for each of the dental objects during the treatment stages;
identifying that a first of the dental objects collides with a second of the dental objects;
performing a first modification of the schedule of movement in response to the identifying, the first modification of the schedule of movement modifying whether or not at least one of the dental objects move during at least one of the treatment stages;
determining that the first modification does not avoid collision between the first of the dental objects and the second of the dental objects;
determining an updated path for at least one of the respective paths;
performing a second modification of the schedule of movement after the determining that the first modification does not avoid collision between the first of the dental objects and the second of the dental objects, the second modification of the schedule of movement modifying whether or not at least one of the dental objects move during at least one of the treatment stages; and
fabricating a plurality of aligners to move the dental objects according to the second modification of the schedule of movement.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the schedule of movement is determined by selection by a user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the schedule of movement includes one of an all-equal pattern, an A-shaped pattern, a V-shaped pattern, a mid-line shift pattern, or a M-shaped pattern.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the schedule of movement comprises analyzing, by a computer processor, the dental objects in their respective initial and final positions.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the analyzing comprises determining a respective distance needed to move each of the dental objects from their respective initial positions to their respective final positions.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first modification comprises delaying initial movement of the first of the dental objects.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the second modification comprises stopping movement of the first of the dental objects during one or more of the treatment stages following a previous one of the treatment stages in which the first dental object moved.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the second modification comprises one or more of:
delaying initial movement of the first of the dental objects; and
stopping movement of the first of the dental objects during one or more of the treatment stages following a previous one of the treatment stages during which the first of the dental objects moved.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing a modification to a treatment path of first of the dental objects including:
moving the first of the dental objects away from the respective path of the second of the dental objects; and
moving the first of the dental objects toward its respective final position after the second of the dental objects has sufficiently traversed its respective path to avoid collision between the first of the dental objects and the second of the dental objects.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the producing comprises:
fabricating a respective positive mold of the dental objects for at least two of the treatment stages; and
thermoforming a respective one of the orthodontic appliances over each of the respective positive molds.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:
determining a schedule of movement for dental objects during treatment stages, wherein the schedule of movement indicates whether or not each of the dental objects moves during each of the treatment stages;
calculating a respective path from an initial position toward a final position for each of the dental objects during the treatment stages;
performing a first modification to the schedule of movement;
determining that the first modification does not avoid a collision or obstruction between the first dental object and second dental object; and
performing a second modification of the schedule of movement after determining that the first modification does not avoid the collision or obstruction;
determining an updated path for at least one of the respective paths; and
fabricating an aligner for at least one treatment stage to move the dental objects according to the second modification of the schedule of movement.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein determining the schedule of movement comprises selecting a movement pattern from a plurality of predetermined movement patterns.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the fabricating 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.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the first modification or second modification comprises:
moving the first dental object away from the respective path of the second dental object;
stopping movement of the first 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 path to avoid the collision or obstruction.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the first modification or second modification comprises:
moving the first dental object away from the respective path of the second dental object;
stopping movement of the first of the dental objects; and
moving the first dental object toward its previous position.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein determining an updated path for at least one of the respective paths includes:
moving the first of the dental objects away from the respective path of the second of the dental objects; and
moving the first of the dental objects toward its respective final position after the second of the dental objects has sufficiently traversed its respective path to avoid the collision or obstruction.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the second modification comprises one or more of:
delaying initial movement of the first of the dental objects; and
slowing or stopping movement of the first of the dental objects during one or more of the treatment stages following a previous one of the treatment stages during which the first of the dental objects moved.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the determining the schedule of movement comprises analyzing, by a computer processor, the dental objects in their respective initial positions and respective final positions.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18 , wherein the analyzing comprises determining a respective distance needed to move each of the dental objects from their respective initial positions to their respective final positions.

Assignees

• Align Technology Inc

Inventors

• Kitching Ian
• Dmitriev Alexander
• Vishnevskiy Alexey

Classifications

• A61C7/002 Primary

  Orthodontic computer assisted systems · CPC title

• 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