Systems and methods for treatment analysis by teeth matching

• US 20050048432A1
• Filed: 08/12/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Kuo, Eric, Cheng, Jihua, Choi, Woncheol
• Granted Patent: US 7,156,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/00 Orthodontics, i.e. obtaining or maintaining the desired position of teeth, e.g. by straightening, evening, regulating, separating, or by correcting malocclusions
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/002 Orthodontic computer assisted systems

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for matching computer models of two sets of teeth each having corresponding matching regions includes calculating a difference for two sets of teeth shapes; finding the position of one set of teeth with respect to the other set of teeth; calculating a positional difference of the corresponding teeth based on the matching regions; and finding a corrective path to bring one set of teeth to the other set of teeth.

Claims

1. A method for matching computer models of two sets of dental objects each having corresponding matching regions, comprising:

calculating a difference for two sets of dental shapes;

finding the position of one set of dental objects with respect to the other set of dental objects;

calculating a positional difference of the corresponding dental objects based on the matching regions; and

finding a corrective path to bring one set of dental objects to the other set of dental objects.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating a difference further comprises:

calculating and displaying shape difference for each tooth of the jaw; and

identifying a corresponding location for each shape difference.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the finding the position further comprises:

placing two jaw impressions in a single coordinate system;

selecting a positioning reference; and

determining a positional difference for each corresponding teeth in the jaw impression.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

matching two impressions of a jaw having teeth thereon;

calculating one or more of intrusion, extrusion, translation, rotation, angulation, or inclination; and

calculating rotation and orientation changes of the teeth

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising finding a correction path from current teeth positions to planned treatment teeth positions.

6. A method for matching computer models of two sets of teeth each having corresponding matching regions, comprising:

means for calculating a difference for two sets of teeth shapes;

means for finding the position of one set of teeth with respect to the other set of teeth;

means for calculating a positional difference of the corresponding teeth based on the matching regions; and

means for finding a corrective path to bring one set of teeth to the other set of teeth.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the means for calculating a difference further comprises:

means for calculating and displaying shape difference for each tooth of the jaw; and

means for identifying a corresponding location for each shape difference.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the means for finding the position further comprises:

means for placing two jaw impressions in a single coordinate system;

means for selecting a positioning reference; and

means for determining a positional difference for each corresponding teeth in the jaw impression.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

means for matching two impressions of a jaw having teeth thereon;

means for calculating one or more of intrusion, extrusion, translation, rotation, angulation, or inclination; and

means for calculating rotation and orientation changes of the teeth

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising means for finding a correction path from current teeth positions to planned treatment teeth positions

11. A computer readable medium containing code for matching computer models of two sets of dental objects each having corresponding matching regions, comprising instructions to:

calculate a difference for two sets of dental shapes;

find the position of one set of dental objects with respect to the other set of dental objects;

calculate a positional difference of the corresponding dental objects based on the matching regions; and

find a corrective path to bring one set of dental objects to the other set of dental objects.

12. The medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions to:

calculate and displaying shape difference for each tooth of the jaw; and

identify a corresponding location for each shape difference.

13. The medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions to:

place two jaw impressions in a single coordinate system;

select a positioning reference; and

determine a positional difference for each corresponding teeth in the jaw impression.

14. The medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions to:

match two impressions of a jaw having teeth thereon;

calculate one or more of intrusion, extrusion, translation, rotation, angulation, or inclination; and

calculate rotation and orientation changes of the teeth

15. The medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions to find a correction path from current teeth positions to planned treatment teeth positions.

16. The medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions to generate one more appliances, each appliance having a geometry selected to progressively reposition the teeth from a first to a second teeth arrangement.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the appliances move teeth in a corrective path to bring the teeth to a planned teeth position.

18. The medium of claim 11, wherein the matching region corresponds to one of rugae, gingiva, tooth, bone, restoration, implant, landmark, or surface.