Determination of the position of the condylar articulation axis for creating a virtual articulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016162631-A1
Application number	US-201314907055-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 24, 2013
Priority date	Jul 24, 2013
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method is proposed for creating a virtual articulator for a jaw and the associated dentition having the following steps:
image a virtual model of the teeth of the maxilla ( 140 ); image a virtual model of the teeth of the mandible ( 130 ); buccal imaging of the position and orientation of the teeth ( 130, 140 ) of the maxilla and mandible in the closed-bite position; buccal imaging of the position and orientation of the teeth ( 130, 140 ) of the maxilla and mandible in a slightly open position; computational determination of the position of the condylar articulation axis ( 150 ) relative to the teeth ( 130, 140 ) of the mandible and/or maxilla from the imaged positions and orientations; and

a virtual articulator can thereby be created without having to possess special knowledge, e.g. of the dimensions of a specific mechanical articulator or any adapter elements, or their arrangement.

First claim

1 . A method for determining the position of the condylar articulation axis of a jaw relative to the teeth of the mandible and/or maxilla, the method comprising
buccal imaging of the position and orientation of the teeth of the maxilla and mandible in the closed-bite position; buccal imaging of the position and orientation of the teeth of the maxilla and mandible in a position in which the mandible or maxilla is rotated relative to the closed-bite position by an angle of 1-20° about the condylar articulation axis; and computational determination of the position of the condylar articulation axis relative to the teeth of the mandible and/or maxilla from the imaged positions and orientations.

2 . A method for creating a virtual articulator for a jaw and the associated dentition, the method comprising
imaging a virtual model of the teeth of the maxilla; imaging a virtual model of the teeth of the mandible; determining the position of the condylar articulation axis of the jaw relative to the teeth of the virtual model of the mandible and/or maxilla; and creating a virtual articulator from the virtual models of the mandible and maxilla, their relative positions to each other, and the relative position of the condylar articulation axis.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the position and orientation of the teeth of the maxilla and mandible is imaged by surface triangulation.

4 . A device for determining the position of the condylar articulation axis of a jaw relative to the teeth of the mandible and/or maxilla, the device comprising:
an imaging unit for the buccal imaging of the position and orientation of the teeth of the maxilla and mandible; a computer configured to determine the position of the condylar articulation axis relative to the teeth of the mandible and/or maxilla from: a buccal image of the position and orientation of the teeth of the maxilla and mandible in the closed-bite position imaged with the assistance of the imaging unit, and a buccal image, taken with the assistance of the imaging unit, of the position and orientation of the teeth of the maxilla and mandible in a position in which the mandible or maxilla is rotated relative to the closed-bite position by an angle of 1-20° about the condylar articulation axis.

5 . A device for creating a virtual articulator for a jaw and the associated dentition, the device comprising:
a three-dimensional imaging device for the three-dimensional imaging of the teeth of the maxilla and mandible; a computer configured to:
calculate a virtual model of the teeth of the maxilla and mandible proceeding from the three-dimensional images of the teeth of the maxilla and mandible,
determine the position of the condylar articulation axis of the jaw relative to the teeth of the virtual model of the mandible and/or maxilla, and
calculate the virtual articulator from the virtual models of the mandible and maxilla, their positioning relative to each other, and the relative position of the condylar articulation axis.

Assignees

• Sirona Dental Systems Gmbh

Inventors

• Klein Konrad

Classifications

• G06T19/20 Primary

  Editing of three-dimensional [3D] images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts · CPC title

• A61C19/045

  for recording mandibular movement, e.g. face bows · CPC title

• G06F19/12 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• A61C9/0046

  Data acquisition means or methods · CPC title

• G16B5/00

  ICT specially adapted for modelling or simulations in systems biology, e.g. gene-regulatory networks, protein interaction networks or metabolic networks · CPC title