Method and System for Providing Dynamic Orthodontic Assessment and Treatment Profiles

• US 20070238065A1
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Sherwood, Mark, Kimball, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,492,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0004 Computer-assisted sizing or machining of dental prostheses
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/08 Mouthpiece-type retainers or positioners, e.g. for both the lower and upper arch arch-shaped medicament applicators for teeth or gums A61C19/063; mouthguards for protecting the teeth of sportsmen A63B71/085
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2465 Query processing support for facilitating data mining operations in structured databases
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients

Abstract

Method and system for displaying an orthodontic related image including one or more image segments, selecting one or more movement indicators associated with a corresponding one or more of the image segments, and dynamically displaying a modified orthodontic related image based on the selected one or more movement indicators are provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

displaying an orthodontic related image including one or more image segments;

selecting one or more movement indicators associated with a corresponding one or more of the image segments; and

dynamically displaying a modified orthodontic related image based on the selected one or more movement indicators.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each one of the one or more movement indicators are respectively associated with a corresponding one of the one or more image segments.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each one of the one or more movement indicators includes a plurality of directional objects.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein each of the plurality of directional objects correspond to a repositioned display of the corresponding one of the one or more image segments substantially in the direction of the corresponding each of the plurality of directional objects.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein dynamically displaying the modified orthodontic related image further includes substantially real time display of the modified orthodontic related image in response to the selection of the one or more movement indicators.

6. The method of claim 1 further including confirming the dynamically displayed modified orthodontic related image corresponding to one or more orthodontic conditions of a patient.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein confirming the dynamically displayed modified orthodontic related image includes classifying one or more malocclusions of the patient.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the one or more orthodontic conditions of the patient is associated with one or more of the sagittal, vertical, horizontal, arch length dentition, dentition rotation or dentition angulation category.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the orthodontic related image is associated with one of a final or an ideal dental position.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the modified orthodontic related image is associated with an initial orthodontic condition of a patient.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more movement indicators includes one or more directional objects.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

an input device; and

a display unit operatively coupled to the input device, the display unit configured to display an orthodontic related image including one or more image segments, and dynamically display a modified orthodontic related image based on a selected one or more movement indicators displayed on the display unit based on an input signal from the input device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein each one of the one or more movement indicators are respectively associated with a corresponding one of the one or more image segments.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein each one of the one or more movement indicators includes a plurality of directional objects.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein each of the plurality of directional objects correspond to a repositioned display of the corresponding one of the one or more image segments substantially in the direction of the corresponding each of the plurality of directional objects.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the display unit is further configured to dynamically display the modified orthodontic related image substantially in real time based on the input device selection of the one or more movement indicators.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the display unit is further configured to display a confirmation of the dynamically displayed modified orthodontic related image corresponding to one or more orthodontic conditions of a patient based on the input signal from the input device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the displayed confirmation includes one or more classification of one or more malocclusions of the patient.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the determination of the one or more classification of the one or more malocclusions is based on a lookup table.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the one or more orthodontic conditions of the patient is associated with one or more of the sagittal, vertical, horizontal, arch length dentition, dentition rotation or dentition angulation category.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the orthodontic related image is associated with one of a final or an ideal dental position.

22. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the modified orthodontic related image is associated with an initial orthodontic condition of a patient.

23. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the one or more movement indicators includes one or more directional objects.

24. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

displaying a first orthodontic related image at a predetermined location in a display unit, the orthodontic related image including one or more image segments;

selecting one of the one or more image segments; and

displaying a second orthodontic related image associated with a predetermined orthodontic condition for the selected one of the one or more image segments.

25. The method of claim 24 further including retrieving the second orthodontic related image based on the selected one of the one or more image segments.

26. The method of claim 24 further including generating the second orthodontic related image associated with the predetermined orthodontic condition for the selected one of the one or more image segments.

27. The method of claim 24 further including confirming the displayed second orthodontic related image for the selected one of the one or more image segments corresponding to an initial orthodontic condition of a patient.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the predetermined orthodontic condition includes one of crossbite, underbite, overbite, overjet, spacing or crowding, arch shape, incisor profile, inclination of posterior of upper or lower arch, bicuspid or cuspid rotation, missing tooth, and midline discrepancy.

29. The method of claim 24 further including storing the second orthodontic related image associated with the selected one of the one or more image segments.

30. The method of claim 24 wherein the second orthodontic related image includes an expanded image of the predetermined orthodontic condition for the selected one of the one or more image segments.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the expanded image includes a thumbnail image.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the selected one of the one or more image segments includes a tooth image.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the expanded image displays the tooth image associated with the predetermined orthodontic condition in relative spatial relationship with one or more teeth images in close proximity to the tooth image.

34. An apparatus, comprising:

an input device; and

a display unit operatively coupled to the input device, the display unit configured to display a first orthodontic related image at a predetermined location, the orthodontic related image including one or more image segments, and to display a second orthodontic related image associated with a predetermined orthodontic condition based on an input signal from the input device associated with the selection of one of the one or more image segments.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the display unit is further configured to retrieve the second orthodontic related image based on the selected one of the one or more image segments.

36. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the display unit is further configured to the second orthodontic related image associated with the predetermined orthodontic condition for the selected one of the one or more image segments.

37. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the input device is configured to provide a signal associated with a confirmation of the displayed second orthodontic related image for the selected one of the one or more image segments corresponding to an initial orthodontic condition of a patient.

38. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the predetermined orthodontic condition includes one of crossbite, underbite, overbite, overjet, spacing or crowding, arch shape, incisor profile, inclination of posterior of upper or lower arch, bicuspid or cuspid rotation, missing tooth, and midline discrepancy.

39. The apparatus of claim 34 further including a storage unit operatively coupled to the display unit for storing the second orthodontic related image associated with the selected one of the one or more image segments.

40. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the second orthodontic related image includes an expanded image of the predetermined orthodontic condition for the selected one of the one or more image segments.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein the expanded image includes a thumbnail image.

42. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein the selected one of the one or more image segments includes a tooth image.

43. The apparatus of claim 42 wherein the display unit is further configured to display the expanded image to display the tooth image associated with the predetermined orthodontic condition in relative spatial relationship with one or more teeth images in close proximity to the tooth image.