Efficient data representation of teeth model

• US 7,428,481 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2003
• Issued: 09/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Wen, Huafeng, Nikolskiy, Sergey, Pavloskaia, Elena
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez; Paul L
• Assistant Examiner(s): PROCTOR, JASON SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US10/359,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20030139834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,055 Days
• Field of Search: 700/97, 700/98, 700118-120, 700/163, 433/2, 433/24, 703/2, 703/7, 703/1, 703/6, 382/154, 382/128, 345/419, 345/420, 298/961, 298/961.1
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 2007/004 Automatic construction of a set of axes for a tooth or a plurality of teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 9/0053 Optical means or methods, e.g. scanning the teeth by a laser or light beam
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G06G 7/48 Analogue computers for specific processes, systems or devices, e.g. simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/00 Image coding bandwidth or redundancy reduction for static pictures H04N1/41; coding or decoding of static colour picture signals H04N1/64; methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49567 Dental appliance making

Abstract

A computer-implemented method generates a computer model of one or more teeth by receiving as input a digital data set of meshes representing the teeth; selecting a curved coordinate system with mappings to and from a 3D space; and generating a function in the curved coordinate system to represent each tooth.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating a computer model of one or more teeth, comprising:

receiving as input a digital data set of meshes representing the teeth;

creating a parametric representation of the teeth from the digital data set, wherein the parametric representation comprises exposed tooth surface image data and unexposed tooth surface image data and further provides compression of the digital data set, the parametric representation comprising;

a curved coordinate system with mappings to and from a (u, v) space wherein the coordinate system is based on the following equation;

V=P(φ

,θ

)+R*Direction(φ

,θ

)

where V is the corresponding point in thee-dimensional (3D) space to (φ

,θ

, r),

P and Direction are vector functions expressed in terms of φ and

θ

; and

a function in the curved coordinate system to represent each tooth; and

displaying the parametric representation of the teeth using the function and the coordinate system so as to provide a high-resolution image of the teeth.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a compact coordinate system description and the function in a file representing a compressed version of the digital data set.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting the file to a remote computer.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying the computer model of the teeth using the function at the remote computer.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the file is transmitted over a network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the network is a wide area network.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the network is the Internet.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the P and Direction functions are selected to minimize the deviation between the tooth model and a parametric surface specified by the curved coordinate system and the function.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein P and Direction are different for incisors and molars.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a radius value.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an instruction from a human user to modify the graphical representation of the teeth and modifying the graphical representation in response to the instruction.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising modifying the selected data set in response to the instruction from the user.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising allowing a human user to select a tooth in the graphical representation and, in response, displaying information about the tooth.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein rendering the graphical representation comprises rendering the teeth at a selected one of multiple viewing orthodontic-specific viewing angles.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a user interface through which a human user can provide text-based comments after viewing the graphical representation of the teeth.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein rendering the graphical representation comprises downloading data to a remote computer at which a human view wishes to view the graphical representation.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering data representing the positions of the teeth at selected points along the treatment paths to an appliance fabrication system for use in fabricating at least one orthodontic appliance structured to move the teeth toward the final positions.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting teeth collision using the curved coordinate system.