Modular fabrication of dental apparatuses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12329602-B2
Application number	US-202117498736-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2021
Priority date	Oct 9, 2020
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

Methods of forming dental apparatuses, such as palatal expanders. Methods may include photopolymerizing a palatal region and left and right tooth engagement regions of a palatal expander. Junction regions coupling the palatal region and left and right tooth engagement regions may be formed using different combinations of first and second photo-curable materials in a layer-by-layer fashion such that each layer has a different ratio of first and second polymer materials. This can provide gradual material transitions and a robust bond between the palatal region and each of the left and right tooth engagement regions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a palatal expander to be worn by a patient to expand a palatal arch of the patient, the method comprising:
accessing a three-dimensional (3D) model that is based on the patient's upper dental arch;
based on the 3D model, 3D printing a patient-specific palatal region made of a first polymer material by photopolymerizing a first photo-curable material in a 3D printing vat, wherein the palatal region is shaped and sized to apply an expansion force across the patient's palate, and wherein the palatal region is formed at a first location in the 3D printing vat;
removing the first photo-curable material from the vat;
adding a second photo-curable material in the vat, the second photo-curable material being different than the first photo-curable material;
based on the 3D model, 3D printing a patient-specific left tooth engagement region configured to receive one or more teeth of a left side of an upper jaw of the patient and a patient-specific right tooth engagement region configured to receive one or more teeth of a right side of the upper jaw of the patient, each made of a second polymer material that is less rigid than the first polymer material by photopolymerizing the second photo-curable material in the vat, wherein the left tooth engagement reion and the right tooth engagement region are formed at second and third locations that are on left and right sides, respectively, of the first location in the 3D printing vat;
removing the second photo-curable material from the vat; and
forming, with the palatal region and the left and right tooth engagement regions in place at their respective locations, a left junction region that directly couples the palatal region to the left tooth engagement region and a right junction region that directly couples the palatal region to the right tooth engagement region, wherein each of the left and right junction regions is formed by:
sequentially adding and removing different mixtures to and from the vat, wherein each mixture added to the vat has a different ratio of the first and second photo-curable materials than a mixture added previously to the vat; and
sequentially 3D printing different portions of the corresponding left or right junction region by photopolymerizing each of the different mixtures in the vat following each respective addition, wherein each portion of the different portions of the corresponding left or right junction region is made of a different combination of the first and second polymer materials based on the different ratios of the first and second photo-curable materials in the vat, thereby sequentially photopolymerizing multiple layers to form the corresponding left or right junction region in a layer by layer fashion such that each layer has a different ratio of the first and second polymer materials, thereby providing gradual material transitions between the palatal region and each of the left and right tooth engagement regions and a robust bond between the palatal region and each of the left and right tooth engagement regions.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a relative shrinkage factor associated with the first and second polymer materials, and adjusting at least one 3D model for forming the palatal region or the left and right tooth engagement regions based on the relative shrinkage factor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first polymer material is a composite polymer material including fibers or metal material integrated therein.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the left and right junction regions are configured to distribute the expansion force over a lingual portion of each of the corresponding left or right tooth engagement regions that is configured to contact gums or a region more distal from an occlusal surface of the patient's teeth.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the left and right tooth engagement regions includes one or more attachment cavities that are configured to engage with attachments bonded to the patient's teeth.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the left and right tooth engagement regions includes a removal feature extending from a buccal side of the corresponding left or right tooth engagement region, the removal feature adapted to facilitate removal of the palatal expander from the patient's teeth.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the different mixtures are liquid mixtures of monomer and/or oligomer forms of the first and second polymer materials.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the left and right tooth engagement regions includes one or more attachment cavities that are shaped for engagement with attachments bonded to the patient's teeth.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the left and right tooth engagement regions includes a removal feature extending from a buccal side of the corresponding left or right tooth engagement region.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a rigidity of the each of the left and right junction region varies based on the different ratios of the first and second photo-curable materials.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming each of the left and right junction regions comprises forming a gradient change in a ratio of the first polymer material relative to the second polymer material across the corresponding left or right junction region from the palatal region toward the corresponding left or right tooth engagement region.

12. A method of forming a palatal expander to be worn by a patient to expand a palatal arch of the patient, the method comprising:
accessing a three-dimensional (3D) model that is based on the patient's upper dental arch;
based on the 3D model, 3D printing a patient-specific palatal region made of a first polymer material by photopolymerizing a first photo-curable material in a 3D printing vat, wherein the palatal region is shaped and sized to apply an expansion force across the patient's palate, and wherein the palatal region is formed at a first location in the 3D printing vat;
removing the first photo-curable material from the vat;
removing the second photo-curable material in the vat, the second photo-curable material being different than the first photo-curable material;
based on the 3D printing a patient-specific left tooth engagement region configured to receive one or more teeth of a left side of an upper jaw of the patient and a patient-specific right tooth engagement region configured to receive one or more teeth of a right side of the upper jaw of the patient, each made of a second polymer material by photopolymerizing the second photo-curable material in the vat, the second polymer material being less rigid than the first polymer material, wherein the left tooth engagement region and the right tooth engagement region are formed at second and third locations that are on left and right sides, respectively, of the first location in the 3D printing vat; and
forming, with the palatal region and the left and right tooth engagement regions in place at their respective locations a left junction region that directly couples the palatal region to the left tooth engagement region and a right junction region that directly couples the patient-specific palatal region to the right tooth engagement region, the left and right junction regions each including a gradient change in a ratio of the first polymer material relative to the second polymer material across each of the left and right junction region from the palatal region toward the corresponding left or right tooth engagement region to provide a robust bond between the palatal region and each of the left and right tooth engagement regions, wherein forming each of the left and right j

Assignees

• Align Technology Inc

Inventors

• Chavez Jennifer
• Webber Peter
• Dorfinger Peter

Classifications

• A61C2201/00

  Material properties · CPC title

• A61C7/08

  Mouthpiece-type retainers {or positioners, e.g. for both the lower and upper arch (arch-shaped medicament applicators for teeth or gums A61C19/063; mouthguards for protecting the teeth of sportsmen A63B71/085)} · CPC title

• A61C7/002

  Orthodontic computer assisted systems · CPC title

• B29L2031/753

  Medical equipment; Accessories therefor (bloodbags, medical bags B29L2031/7148; artificial eyes B29L2011/0008) · CPC title

• B29C65/48

  using adhesives {, i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding} · CPC title