Interactive orthodontic care system based on intra-oral scanning of teeth
First Claim
1. An interactive, orthodontic care system based on scanning of teeth, comprising:
- a hand-held scanner and associated processing system for capturing images of the dentition of the patient and processing the images to generate a full, virtual, three-dimensional model of the dentition;
a data conditioning system processing the virtual, three-dimensional model and responsively generating a set of individual, virtual three-dimensional tooth objects representing teeth in the dentition of the patient;
a workstation comprising a user interface for display of said set of individual, virtual three-dimensional tooth objects and software adapted for permitting a user to manipulate the virtual three-dimensional tooth objects to thereby design a target situation for the patient in three dimensions and parameters for a customized orthodontic appliance for said teeth.
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Abstract
Interactive, computer based orthodontist treatment planning, appliance design and appliance manufacturing is described. A scanner is described which acquires images of the dentition which are converted to three-dimensional frames of data. The data from the several frames are registered to each other to provide a complete three-dimensional virtual model of the dentition. Individual tooth objects are obtained from the virtual model. A computer-interactive software program provides for treatment planning, diagnosis and appliance from the virtual tooth models. A desired occlusion for the patient is obtained from the treatment planning software. The virtual model of the desired occlusion and the virtual model of the original dentition provide a base of information for custom manufacture of an orthodontic appliance. A variety of possible appliance and appliance manufacturing systems are contemplated, including customized archwires and customized devices for placement of off-the shelf brackets on the archwires, and removable orthodontic appliances.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. An interactive, orthodontic care system based on scanning of teeth, comprising:
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a hand-held scanner and associated processing system for capturing images of the dentition of the patient and processing the images to generate a full, virtual, three-dimensional model of the dentition;
a data conditioning system processing the virtual, three-dimensional model and responsively generating a set of individual, virtual three-dimensional tooth objects representing teeth in the dentition of the patient;
a workstation comprising a user interface for display of said set of individual, virtual three-dimensional tooth objects and software adapted for permitting a user to manipulate the virtual three-dimensional tooth objects to thereby design a target situation for the patient in three dimensions and parameters for a customized orthodontic appliance for said teeth. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An interactive orthodontic treatment planning system, comprising:
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a workstation having a display, a memory storing a three-dimensional virtual model of the dentition of a patient in a malocclused situation and a processing unit;
said processing unit executing a routine for generating individual, virtual three-dimensional tooth objects of teeth from said three-dimensional virtual model of the dentition of a patient in a malocclused situation;
said processing unit further executing software representing an interactive treatment planning and appliance design program by which a user of said workstation may move the individual three-dimensional virtual tooth objects to a target situation, said target situation comprising a three-dimensional virtual model of said teeth at a desired occlusion; and
communication equipment for transmission of the three-dimensional virtual model of the said teeth at a desired occlusion to a remote location. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An interactive, orthodontic care system for use at an orthodontic clinic treating a patient suffering from a malocclusion, comprising:
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a hand-held, intra-oral scanner and associated processing system for capturing images of the dentition of the patient and processing the images to generate a full, virtual, three-dimensional model of the dentition in the malocclusion;
a workstation having a display, a memory storing the three-dimensional virtual model of the dentition of a patient in a malocclused situation and a processing unit;
said workstation processing unit executing software representing an interactive treatment planning and appliance design program by which a user of said workstation may move individual three-dimensional, virtual tooth objects obtained from said virtual model of the dentition to a target situation, said target situation comprising a three-dimensional virtual model of said teeth at a desired occlusion; and
communications equipment for transmission of digital information representing at least one of said virtual, three-dimensional model of the dentition in the malocclusion and said three-dimensional virtual model of said teeth at a desired occlusion to a remotely located precision appliance manufacturing center for manufacturing a customized orthodontic appliance. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. An orthodontic appliance manufacturing system, comprising:
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a machine readable memory storing digital data representing a three-dimensional virtual model of a malocclusion of a patient and digital information representing the location of orthodontic brackets to be placed on the malocclusion, said memory further storing digital data representing a three-dimensional virtual model of the patient'"'"'s teeth and the dentition and location of orthodontic brackets at a target situation in three dimensions;
a wire bending robot;
an instrument for generating a three-dimensional physical model of the malocclusion with the brackets placed on the malocclusion;
a forming device forming a bracket placement tray matching the geometry of the physical model of the malocclusion with the brackets;
wherein the bracket placement tray may be removed from the physical model, said tray formed with spaces for placement of brackets and enabling bonding of the brackets to the teeth at a desired location based on the virtual model of the dentition and the placement of orthodontic brackets on the malocclusion.
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- 45. The system of claim 45, wherein the wire bending robot comprises a six axis robot having a fixed gripping tool and a moveable gripping tool mounted to the end of a moveable arm.
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48. A system for manufacture of a customized bracket bonding pad for a bracket, the bracket having a base, comprising:
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a memory storing a three-dimensional virtual model of the dentition and a three-dimensional virtual model of an orthodontic bracket as placed on the surface of a tooth in the three-dimensional virtual model of the dentition;
a processing unit deriving from said three-dimensional virtual models the three-dimensional shape of a bracket bonding pad; and
a machine system for manufacturing a bracket bonding pad according to said derived three-dimensional shape.
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Specification