Method, System, And Computer Program Product To Perform Digital Orthodontics At One Or More Sites

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016256238-A1
Application number	US-201615155460-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 16, 2016
Priority date	Oct 31, 2012
Publication date	Sep 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A set of rules to design an orthodontic appliance for generating an aesthetic smile is maintained in a computational device, where the set of rules is associated with an application that executes in the computational device. At least one measured value is computed from one or more features extracted by processing dental information of a patient. The application generates a parameter to design an orthodontic appliance based on the at least one measured value and the set of rules for generating the aesthetic smile.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computational device, comprising:
a memory; a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor performs operations, the operations comprising: maintaining a set of rules to design an orthodontic appliance for generating an aesthetic smile, wherein the set of rules is associated with an application that executes in the computational device; computing at least one measured value from one or more features extracted by processing dental information of a patient; and generating, via the application, a parameter to design an orthodontic appliance based on the at least one measured value and the set of rules for generating the aesthetic smile.

2 . The computational device of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
generating a three-dimensional view of the aesthetic smile of the patient based on simulating a treatment of the patient with the designed orthodontic appliance; and transmitting the three-dimensional view of the aesthetic smile of the patient.

3 . The computational device of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
displaying the three-dimensional view of the aesthetic smile of the patient, to the patient.

4 . The computational device of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
sending a tentative treatment plan based on the generated parameter to design the orthodontic appliance; sending a sequence of images, wherein the tentative treatment plan was generated based on the sequence of images; receiving an approved treatment plan, in response to the sending of the tentative treatment plan and the sending of the sequence of images; and maintaining a log file with timestamps corresponding the approved treatment plan.

5 . The computational device of claim 4 , the operations further comprising:
designing the orthodontic appliance, in response to receiving the approved treatment plan; and sending the designed orthodontic appliance to a custom orthodontic appliance production device.

6 . The computational device of claim 5 , the operations further comprising:
manufacturing, by the custom orthodontic appliance production device, the designed orthodontic appliance; and shipping the manufactured custom orthodontic appliance.

7 . The computational device of claim 1 , wherein the computational device includes code corresponding to the application, and wherein the application performs:
maintaining the set of rules, wherein the set of rules include rules on at least aesthetics of smile; maintaining anthropomorphic measurements computed from at least the dental information; and generating at least the parameter to design the orthodontic appliance based on the maintained set of rules and the maintained anthropomorphic measurements.

8 . The computational device of claim 1 , wherein:
the computational device is maintained at a site controlled by a manufacturer of the orthodontic appliance; and a clinic site device is maintained at a site controlled by a dental practitioner.

9 . The computational device of claim 1 , wherein the dental information comprises at least one of photographic imagery, digital video imagery, intra-oral scan imagery, cone beam computed tomography imagery, X-ray imagery, magnetic resonance imagery, ultrasound imagery, and electron beam imagery, and wherein the dental information includes images of soft tissue, hard tissue, and teeth of the patient.

10 . The computational device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one measured value is the commissure width and at least one rule of the set of rules relates the commissure width to a dimension of the orthodontic appliance.

11 . The computational device of claim 1 , wherein the generated parameter to design the orthodontic appliance is configured to allow the patient employing the orthodontic appliance on the teeth to achieve a smile in conformance with a selected aesthetics rule maintained in the set of rules.

12 . The computational device of claim 11 , wherein the selected aesthetics rule provides an optimal smile to the patient in conformance with an optimization criterion based on which the selected aesthetics rules are maintained.

13 . The computational device of claim 1 , wherein the computational device receives general case preferences from a dental practitioner during registration of the dental practitioner, and wherein the general case preferences include at least one of appliance preferences, torque values, and end of treatment preferences.

14 . The computational device of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
sending incremental imagery that includes modifications to already maintained dental information, wherein the incremental imagery reduces an amount of data transmission.

15 . The computational device of claim 1 , wherein the dental information includes a photograph taken at an eye level of the patient.

16 . The computational device of claim 1 , wherein the application generates anthropomorphic measurements corresponding to at least one or more of commissure width, curvature of lower lip, incisor display dimension, philtrum length, crown height, gingiva display, lip incompetence, and facial symmetry.

17 . The computational device of claim 1 , wherein the aesthetic smile has a consonant smile arc, and wherein the application provides weightings to one or more factors selected from a group consisting of smile index, incisor display, commissure width, philtrum length, crown height, incisor at rest characteristics, gingiva display on smile characteristics, lip incompetence and facial symmetry, to generate a composite score for the aesthetic smile.

18 . The computational device of claim 1 , wherein the set of rules quantifies a smile by using:
macro-aesthetics rules; mini-aesthetics rules; and micro-aesthetics rules.

19 . The computational device of claim 18 , wherein the macro-aesthetics rules relate to one or more factors selected from a group consisting of:
profile; lip fullness; chin projection; nasal base width; nasofrontal angle; vertical proportions; intercanthal distance; nasal projection; pupil-midfacial distance; and nasolabial angle.

20 . The computational device of claim 18 , wherein the mini-aesthetics rules relate to one or more factors selected from a group consisting of:
incisor display; crowding; smile symmetry; transverse smile; gingival display; vermilion display; smile arc; occlusal space cant; and buccal corridor.

21 . The computational device of claim 18 , wherein the micro-aesthetics rules relate to one or more factors selected from a group consisting of:
tooth shape; incisor angulations; tooth height and width relationship; relative proportions central incisor, lateral incisor, canine, and first premolar; tooth shade; gingival height; emergence profile; and spacing.

22 . The computational device of claim 1 , wherein to generate an aesthetic smile, the orthodontic appliance is designed to perform:
changing of tooth positioning via appliance parameters to change transverse smile characteristics.

23 . The computational device of claim 22 , wherein to generate an aesthetic smile, the orthodontic appliance is further designed to perform:
correcting of flat smile via changing appliance parameters to at least extrude maxillary incisors.

24 . The computational device of claim 23 , wherein to generate an aesthetic smile, the orthodontic appliance is further designed

Assignees

• Ormco Corp

Inventors

• Andreiko Craig A
• Sarver David M

Classifications

• A61C7/002 Primary

  Orthodontic computer assisted systems · CPC title

• A61C8/0053

  with angular adjustment means, e.g. ball and socket joint · CPC title

• G16H50/50

  for simulation or modelling of medical disorders · CPC title

• G01T1/00

  Measuring X-radiation, gamma radiation, corpuscular radiation, or cosmic radiation (G01T3/00, G01T5/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B6/032

  Transmission computed tomography [CT] · CPC title