Systems and methods for generating an appliance with tie points

• US 7,133,042 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2005
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Baumrind, Sheldon, Curry, Sean, Anh, Jae H., Phan, Loc X., Beers, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kimbinh T.
• Application Number:
  US11/127,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20050219242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 433/2, 433/6, 433/24, 378/9, 378/168, 378/169, 378/170, 378/171
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 9/0053 Optical means or methods, e.g. scanning the teeth by a laser or light beam
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/10 Constructive solid geometry [CSG] using solid primitives, e.g. cylinders, cubes

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for integrating anatomical information from a plurality of sources of information. The system receives two or more three dimensional (3D) anatomical maps sharing a common plane specified by three or more marker points common to the two or more maps; places one or more marker points on one or more teeth; generates a digital teeth model with the marker points; and aligns the two or more 3D anatomical maps and the teeth model using the marker points.

Claims

1. A method for visualizing anatomical information from a plurality of sources, the method comprising:

providing a dental appliance with one or more teeth markers;

receiving X-ray information including X-ray marker information;

receiving three-dimensional anatomical information including anatomical marker information;

receiving a three-dimensional teeth model including teeth marker information derived from the one or more teeth markers of the dental appliance;

aligning the X-ray information, 3D anatomical information, and 3D teeth model using the X-ray, anatomical and teeth marker information; and

displaying the aligned X-ray information, 3D anatomical information, and 3D teeth model.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein each teeth marker comprises a radiographic tie-point.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein each teeth marker comprises a radiopaque metal sphere or pin.

2. A system for visualizing anatomical information from a plurality of sources, the system comprising:

dental appliance with one or more teeth markers embedded therein;

an X-ray camera for generating X-ray information, including X-ray marker information;

a three-dimensional digital camera for generating three-dimensional anatomical information, including anatomical marker information;

a dental scanner for generating a three-dimensional teeth model, including teeth marker information; and

a computer comprising;

an alignment module for receiving and aligning the X-ray information, 3D anatomical information, and 3D teeth model using the X-ray, anatomical and teeth marker information; and

a display for displaying the aligned X-ray information, 3D anatomical information, and 3D teeth model.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the X-ray camera is configured to generate the X-ray information in stereo.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a calibration array to calibrate the X-ray camera.

5. The system of claim 2, further comprising an X-ray cassette carrier.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the appliance comprises a polymeric shell having cavities and wherein the cavities of the shell have different geometries shaped to receive teeth.

22. The system of claim 2, wherein each teeth marker comprises a radiographic tie-point.

23. The system of claim 2, wherein each teeth marker comprises a radiopaque metal sphere or pin.

7. A method for integrating anatomical information from a plurality of sources of information, the method comprising:

receiving two or more three-dimensional (3D) anatomical maps sharing a common plane specified by three or more radiographic tie-points common to the two or more maps;

placing one or more radiographic tie-points on one or more teeth;

generating a digital model of the teeth with the radiographic tie-points; and

aligning the two or more 3D anatomical maps and the digital teeth model using the radiographic tie-points.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the anatomical information is stereo craniofacial data.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein one of the anatomical map is an X-ray map.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the X-ray map is generated using correlated radiographic tie-points on X-ray pairs and using y-parallax measurements.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the X-ray information is stereo.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising calibrating one or more X-ray sources.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining a principal distance from an X-ray source to a film plane.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising characterizing internal dimensions of the one or more X-ray sources by locating an X-ray film relative to an X-ray source.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein one of the anatomical map is a 3D image map.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein the placing of the radiographic tie-points further comprises wearing a dental appliance with one or more radiographic tie-points.

17. The method of claim 7, wherein each radiographic tie-point comprises a radiopaque metal sphere.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein the aligning uses discrete anatomical landmark information.

19. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying the aligned maps as an integrated 3D anatomical model.