Method of designing dental-implant prosthesis

• US 8,406,909 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2010
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pou Yuen Technology Co. Ltd. (POU CHEN Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pou Yuen Technology Co. Ltd. (POU CHEN Corporation)
• Inventors: Yau, Hong-Tzong, Kuo, Chuan-Chu, Chen, Jiun-Ren, Chen, Chien-An, Tsou, Lee-Sen
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITTINGTON, ANTHONY T
• Application Number:
  US12/923,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20110123954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 700/98, 433/24, 433/72, 433/173
• US Class Current: 700/98
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0004 Computer-assisted sizing or machining of dental prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0001 Impression means for implants, e.g. impression coping
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/005 Connecting devices for joining an upper structure with an implant member, e.g. spacers
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/006 with polygonal positional means, e.g. hexagonal or octagonal
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0068 with an additional screw
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0077 with shape following the gingival surface or the bone surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0096 Implants for use in orthodontic treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0098 Immediate loaded implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 9/0046 Data acquisition means or methods

Abstract

A method of designing a dental-implant prosthesis includes the steps of arranging a referential jig and combining the referential jig into a fixture installed in a patient'"'"'s oral cavity, the referential jig having at least one feature point, the fixture having a connection interface, the referential jig having an opposite-joint interface; scanning the patient'"'"'s oral cavity to acquire an oral digital data and a referential-jig digital data having at least one feature-point digital data; selecting one digital dental-implant prosthesis from a prosthetic database in a computer, a digital positioning jig overlapping the digital dental-implant prosthesis for combination with the connection interface, and proceeding with overlapping and localization of the digital positioning jig and the referential-jig digital data to combine the referential-jig digital data into the connection interface; and adjusting the position, size, and angle of the digital dental-implant prosthesis to acquire the digital dental-implant prosthesis which is most suitable to the patient.

Claims

1. A method of designing a dental-implant prosthesis, comprising steps of:

a) arranging a referential jig corresponding to at least one fixture installed in a patient'"'"'s oral cavity and then combining the referential jig into the at least one fixture, the referential jig having at least one feature point exposed outside the at least one fixture and dental gum in the patient'"'"'s oral cavity, the fixture having a connection interface formed at a top side thereof, the referential jig having an opposite-joint interface formed at a bottom side thereof and corresponding to the connection interface;

b) scanning the patient'"'"'s oral cavity by a scanner to acquire an oral digital data, a referential-jig digital data, and a feature-point digital data, and then saving those digital data into a computer;

c) selecting one of digital dental-implant prostheses from a prosthetic database in the computer, the selected digital dental-implant prosthesis overlapping a digital positioning jig, the digital positioning jig having the same pattern feature points as those of the referential jig, the digital positioning jig being combinable with the connection interface, the digital dental-implant prosthesis having the same opposite-joint interface formed at a bottom side thereof as that of the referential jig;

operating the computer to proceed with overlapping and localization by means of the feature points of the digital positioning jig and the feature-point data of the referential-jig digital data, removing the referential-jig digital data and the digital positioning jig, and then inferring a digital fixture, a digital connection interface, and respective positions of the digital fixture and the digital connection interface to acquire a configuration data of combination and localization of the digital dental-implant prosthesis and the connection interface; and

d) identifying the relationship among the digital dental-implant prosthesis, abutting teeth and an opposite tooth according to a space relationship between the oral digital data and the digital dental-implant prosthesis, and finally adjusting the position, size, and angle of the digital dental-implant prosthesis to acquire the digital dental-implant prosthesis 33 which is the most applicable to the patient.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the feature points in the step a) is convex or concave or both.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step b) further comprises sub-steps of removing the referential jig from the at least one fixture after the patient'"'"'s oral cavity is scanned and then scanning the patient'"'"'s oral cavity again by the scanner to acquire a second oral digital data containing digital data of the dental gum around the at least one fixture;

the step d) further comprises a sub-step of identifying a space relationship between the digital dental-implant prosthesis and the dental gum around the at least one fixture according to the second oral digital data for further adjustment and design.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the configuration digital data comprises the digital dental-implant prosthesis and an angle of and an axial direction of the digital fixture.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the digital dental-implant prosthesis is a digital abutment.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein a plurality of fixtures are installed in the patient'"'"'s cavity in the step a);

the digital dental-implant prosthesis in the step c) is a digital precise dental bar combined into the digital fixture.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein the digital process dental bar comprises a plurality of digital coupling members and a digital coupling bar connected with the digital coupling members, the digital coupling members being combined into the digital fixture.

8. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein the digital precise dental bar comprises a digital coupling bar having a plurality of coupling portions combined into the digital fixture.

9. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein the digital precise dental bar comprises a plurality of digital coupling members and a digital coupling bar prepared on the digital coupling members and being similar to an artificial tooth in pattern, whereby the digital dental-implant prosthesis can become complete by directly building up porcelain on the digital coupling bar, the digital coupling members being combined into the digital fixture.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the digital dental-implant prosthesis in the step d) comprises at least one zoom-adjustment point, at least one angle-adjustment point, and at least one position-adjustment point, whereby a user can operate the mouse cursor of the computer to click on and drag the at least one zoom-adjustment point to adjust the size of the digital dental-implant prosthesis, or to click on and drag at least one angle-adjustment point to adjust the angle of the digital dental-implant prosthesis, or to click on and drag at least one position-adjustment point to adjust a space relationship between the digital dental-implant prosthesis and the dental gum.