Digital technologies for planning and carrying out dental restorative procedures

• US 20050070782A1
• Filed: 07/16/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pentron Laboratory Technologies, LLC (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pentron Laboratory Technologies, LLC (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Brodkin, Dmitri
• Granted Patent: US 9,642,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0004 Computer-assisted sizing or machining of dental prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/045 for recording mandibular movement, e.g. face bows
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 9/0053 Optical means or methods, e.g. scanning the teeth by a laser or light beam
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture

Abstract

A method and system for the fabrication of dental articles includes at least two imaging and measuring devices, which measure and provide images of the internal and external structure of intra-oral objects in a patient'"'"'s oral cavity. The outputs from these devices are linked so that the descriptions of the intra-oral objects and features, oral cavity and surrounding bone structure are stored in a system of reference positions. The system of reference positions functions as a “global positioning device” registering locations and orientations of the measuring and imaging device or probe relative to the intra-oral objects and bone structure and orientations of the resulting individual frames or scans in the global system of coordinates. Three-dimensional images, scans and/or maps of the oral cavity obtained from each device are pieced together to generate solid three-dimensional models of the intra-oral objects.

Claims

1. A system for manufacturing dental restorations comprising:

at least two imaging and measuring devices;

a global positioning system; and

a software, hardware or firmware device;

wherein a first imaging and measuring device comprises a device for imaging and measuring the surface appearance of the intra-oral features of a person'"'"'s oral cavity; and

wherein a second imaging and measuring device comprises a device for imaging and measuring the internal structure and density of the intra-oral features of a person'"'"'s oral cavity

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first imaging and measuring device comprises an intra-oral video camera, an optical scanner, an optical digitizer or a spectrophotometer.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the second imaging and measuring device comprises a three-dimensional digital volume tomography device, a three-dimensional x-ray device, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device, or a catscan device.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the MRI device is a real-time device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the global positioning system comprises a series of three reference position indicators and a position signal programming/processing unit for monitoring, calculating and recording the location of the reference positions in a global coordinate system.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the first reference position indicator is located on one or more teeth.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the first reference position indicator comprises a microdevice.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the microdevice comprises a transducer.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein the second reference position indicator is located on a probe of the first imaging and measuring device.

10. The system of claim 5 wherein the third reference position indicator is located on a structural element located within signal receiving distance of the first position and second position indicators.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the software, hardware, or firmware device registers the location and orientation of the second reference position with respect to the first reference position and the orientation of the resulting individual frames of measurements in the global positioning system.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the software, hardware, or firmware device registers the location and orientation of the second reference position with respect to the third reference position and the orientation of the resulting individual frames of measurements in the global positioning system.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising a rapid prototyping or CAD/CAM machine for creating the dental restoration.

14. The system of claim 5 wherein first reference position indicator comprises an active device.

15. The system of claim 5 wherein first reference position indicator comprises a passive device.

16. The system of claim 5 wherein the first reference position indicator comprises both active and passive devices.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the software, hardware or firmware device generates a virtual model of a jaw.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the virtual model of a jaw comprises a unit emulating mechanics of TMJ and wherein the jaw simulates jaw movements.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the jaw movements comprise normal and abnormal mastication.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the normal and abnormal mastication comprise clenching and bruxing.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein virtual model of a jaw comprises solid 3D models of intra-oral objects.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the intra-oral objects comprise teeth, subgingival surfaces and occlusal surfaces.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the solid 3D models of the intra-oral objects are used to generate slice-by-slice software instructions for rapid-prototyping or CAD/CAM devices.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the rapid-prototyping and CAD/CAM devices are used to fabricate physical models, cores and frameworks for dental restorations.

25. The system of claim 5 wherein the three reference position indicators comprise registration signal sensors, registration signal receivers, registration signal transmitters, registration signal transceivers, transducers, trackers, or a combination thereof.

26. A method of manufacturing dental restorations comprising:

(a) establishing one or more first reference position(s) on one or more intra-oral object of a patient'"'"'s oral cavity;

(b) establishing one or more second reference positions in the probes of one or more imaging/measuring devices;

(c) establishing one or more third reference positions outside the oral cavity and within a signal receiving distance from the first and second reference positions;

(d) linking the first, second and third reference positions;

(e) scanning the patient'"'"'s mouth with a first imaging/measuring device to characterize the surface of the intra-oral object;

(f) scanning the patient'"'"'s mouth with a second imaging/measuring device to characterize the internal structure and density gradients of the intra-oral object;

(g) retrieving data from the all the imaging/measuring devices as pixel or voxel space;

(h) repeating steps (d), (e), (f), and (g) as many times as required to reach the required resolution;

(i) identifying the orientation of each pixel or voxel space from each individual scan from each individual device based on inputs (d) and assembling this space data to provide a virtual model of the intra-oral object in the patient'"'"'s oral cavity.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising scanning the patient'"'"'s mouth with a third imaging/measuring device to characterize characteristics of the intra-oral objects.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the characteristics comprise color, surface texture, visual appearance and internal structure.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein reference positions are established on teeth, implants, posts, or restorations, implanted in the bone or attached to the oral cavity of the patient.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the restorations comprise crowns and bridges.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the dental restorations comprise devices for monitoring of the integrity of the dental restoration, health of the dental restoration, oral environment and density of the adjacent/surrounding tissues.

32. The method of claim 29 further comprising using virtual articulator software and solid three-dimensional modeling equipment to animate temporomandibular joint movements.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein animating temporomandibular joint movements comprises generating mesh and/or performing stress analysis.