METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EFFICIENT ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

• US 20080288289A1
• Filed: 05/14/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Sah, Akash
• Application Number:
  US11/748,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20080288289A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• 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: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/20 relating to practices or guidelines
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Method and system for providing generating an orthodontic treatment data package, generating a patient identifier associated with the orthodontic treatment data package, transmitting the generated orthodontic treatment data package to a remote site, encoding the patient identifier and disposing the encoded patient identifier on a housing of an orthodontic treatment container are provided.

Claims

1. A method of orthodontic treatment information management, comprising:

generating an orthodontic treatment data package;

generating a patient identifier associated with the orthodontic treatment data package;

transmitting the generated orthodontic treatment data package to a remote site;

encoding the patient identifier; and

disposing the encoded patient identifier on a housing of an orthodontic treatment container.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the orthodontic treatment data package includes an orthodontic treatment plan information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the orthodontic treatment data package includes one or more of a treatment form, one or more orthodontic image related information, one or more dental impression information, or one or more bite registration information.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the one or more orthodontic image related information includes one or more of a graphical image data, a photographic image data, or computer assisted design image data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein further including encoding the orthodontic treatment data package.

6. The method of claim 5 further including encrypting the encoded orthodontic treatment data package.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein encrypting includes using a secure socket layer protocol.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the patient identifier is encoded using one or more of a bar code, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, or an optical identifier.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the patient identifier uniquely identifies a patient.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote site includes a manufacturing location for manufacturing one or more dental appliance.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the dental appliance includes one or more of dental aligners or dental retainers.

12. A method of orthodontic treatment information processing, comprising:

receiving an orthodontic treatment data package;

retrieving a patient identifier from a container having one or more orthodontic treatment related material;

associating the received orthodontic treatment data package with the retrieved patient identifier; and

processing the orthodontic treatment data package for a patient associated with the retrieved patient identifier.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the orthodontic treatment related material includes one or more of a dental impression or a bite registration.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the processing the orthodontic treatment data package includes initiating a manufacturing process of a treatment plan using one or more dental appliances.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the received orthodontic treatment data package includes one or more of a treatment form, one or more orthodontic image related information, one or more dental impression information, or one or more bite registration information.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the patient identifier is encoded on a label provided on an exterior of the container using one or more of a bar code, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, or an optical identifier.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the patient identifier uniquely identifies a patient.

18. A system for orthodontic treatment information management, comprising:

a communication link;

a data acquisition site for generating an orthodontic treatment data package, providing a patient identifier on an exterior of a container housing including one or more orthodontic treatment related material, and transmitting the orthodontic treatment data package over the communication link; and

a data processing site for receiving the orthodontic treatment data package over the communication link from the data acquisition site, the data processing site further configured to retrieve the patient identifier from the container housing, and associating the patient identifier with the orthodontic treatment data package.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the data processing site is further configured to process the orthodontic treatment data package for a patient associated with the retrieved patient identifier.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the communication link includes one or more of a local area network connection, a wide area network connection, or an internet connection.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the container housing is transported from the data acquisition site to the data processing site.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the patient identifier is encoded using one or more of a bar code, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, or an optical identifier.

23. An orthodontic treatment shipping container, comprising;

a housing; and

a label provided on an exterior of the housing, the label including an encoded patient identifier information;

wherein the housing is configured to contain one or more orthodontic treatment material associated with the encoded patient identifier information.

24. The container of claim 23 wherein the label includes one or more of a bar coded label, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, or an optical identifier.

25. The container of claim 23 wherein the housing includes a shipping container, and further, wherein the label further includes shipping related information.

26. The container of claim 23 wherein the one or more orthodontic treatment material includes one or more of bite registration or dental impression.