Unified three dimensional virtual craniofacial and dentition model and uses thereof

• US 9,421,074 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2011
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orametrix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Orametrix Incorporated
• Inventors: Sachdeva, Rohit, Sporbert, Peer, Getto, Phillip, Kaufmann, Markus, Abraham, Charles L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns, Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US13/107,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20120015316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,927 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/24 for the mouth, i.e. stomatoscopes, e.g. with tongue depressors tongue depressors per se A61B13/00; Instruments for opening or keeping open the mouth combined with saliva removers A61C17/00; mouth openers for animals A61D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0088 for oral or dental tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4547 Evaluating teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4085 Cone-beams
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/51 for dentistry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0875 for diagnosis of bone A61B5/4504 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0004 Computer-assisted sizing or machining of dental prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/082 Cosmetic aspects, e.g. inlays; Determination of the colour A61C19/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/045 for recording mandibular movement, e.g. face bows
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 5/40 Implements for surgical treatment of the roots or nerves of the teeth; Nerve needles; Methods or instruments for medication of the roots
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 5/77 Methods or devices for making crowns
• 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: A61C 7/12 Brackets; Arch wires; Combinations thereof; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/14 Brackets A61C7/28 takes precedence; Fixing brackets to teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/20 Arch wires A61C7/28 takes precedence
• 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 17/00 : Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 : Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 : Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/41 : Medical
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/028 : Multiple view windows (top-side-front-sagittal-orthogonal)
• 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 50/50 : for simulation or modelling of medical disorders
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed enabling an orthodontist or a user to create an unified three dimensional virtual craniofacial and dentition model of actual, as-is static and functional anatomy of a patient, from data representing facial bone structure; upper jaw and lower jaw; facial soft tissue; teeth including crowns and roots; information of the position of the roots relative to each other; and relative to the facial bone structure of the patient; obtained by scanning as-is anatomy of craniofacial and dentition structures of the patient with a volume scanning device; and data representing three dimensional virtual models of the patient'"'"'s upper and lower gingiva, obtained from scanning the patient'"'"'s upper and lower gingiva either (a) with a volume scanning device, or (a) with a surface scanning device. Such craniofacial and dentition models of the patient can be used in optimally planning treatment of a patient.

Claims

1. Apparatus for creating and viewing three dimensional virtual model comprising:

a workstation storing data representing a unified three dimensional virtual craniofacial and dentition model of actual, as-is static and functional anatomy of a patient, the data comprising;

(a) data representing facial bone structure of said patient including upper jaw and lower jaw;

(b) data representing facial soft tissue of said patient;

(c) data representing teeth including crowns and roots of said patient, data including information of position of said roots relative to each other and relative to said facial bone structure of said patient including said upper jaw and said lower jaw;

wherein said data representing parts (a), (b) and (c) of said unified three dimensional virtual craniofacial and dentition model of said patient are constructed solely from digital data obtained by scanning as-is anatomy of craniofacial and dentition structures of said patient with a volume scanning device;

(d) data representing three dimensional virtual models of said patient'"'"'s upper and lower gingiva, wherein said data represent three dimensional virtual models of said patient'"'"'s upper and lower gingiva are constructed from scanning said patient'"'"'s upper and lower gingiva either (i) with a volume scanning device, or (ii) with a surface scanning device;

subsequently associating said data (d) with said data (c); and

(e) data representing function of said patient'"'"'s jaw movements and smile;

wherein said data representing function of said patient'"'"'s jaw movements and smile are obtained through video imaging, jaw tracking, or photographs;

wherein data (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) are represented as individual static and/or dynamic anatomical object(s) of said patient; and

software instructions comprising instructions for registration and for viewing data (a), (b) (c), (d) and (e) on a display of said workstation wherein data (a), (b) (c), (d) and (e) can be displayed individually or in any combination on command of a user of said workstation using said software instructions;

wherein said registration is made at three levels;

(i) with orientation of face of said patient, (ii) with orientation of any component soft tissue to teeth or bone by using appropriate reference planes that are user defined or anatomically defined, and (iii) with bite registration.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said volume scanning device comprises a cone beam computed tomographic (CBCT) scanner.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said volume scanning device comprises an ultra-sound scanner.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said volume scanning device comprises a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner or a fMRI scanner.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said surface scanning device is an optical scanner.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said surface scanning device comprises a ultra sound scanner.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said surface scanning device comprises a camera.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said function capturing device comprises a video camera.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said function capturing device comprises a telemetric jaw tracking device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said as-is anatomy of said patient includes one or more dental borne appliances, one or more bone borne appliances, or one or more soft tissue borne appliances or any combination thereof.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said dental borne appliance can be an appliance from any of the following categories:

brackets, dental restorations, dental prosthesis or endodontic root posts.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said bone borne appliance can be an appliance from any of the following categories:

implants, temporary anchorage devices, bone screws, fixation plates, or condylar prosthesis.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said soft tissue borne appliance can be an appliance from any of the following categories:

obturators, and soft tissue implants or prosthesis.