Methods and systems for employing artificial intelligence in automated orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning

• US 9,788,917 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2016
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ClearCorrect Holdings LLC (ClearCorrect Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ClearCorrect Holdings LLC (ClearCorrect Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mah, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Paulinho E
• Application Number:
  US15/376,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20170086943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000094 extracting biological structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000096 using artificial intelligence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00011 characterised by signal transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00042 for mechanical operation
• 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 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4542 Evaluating the mouth, e.g. the jaw
• 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 9/0053 Optical means or methods, e.g. scanning the teeth by a laser or light beam
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/24 Classification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/02 Neural networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/01 Dynamic search techniques; Heuristics; Dynamic trees; Branch-and-bound
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/764 using classification, e.g. of video objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/033 of skeletal patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 : for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 : for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 : for simulation or modelling of medical disorders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 : for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/20 : relating to practices or guidelines

Abstract

A method for treating an orthodontic condition can include receiving patient data, such as through a website, accessing a database having information derived from patient treatments, generating a model of an orthodontic condition defining one or more anatomic features of a set of teeth, identifying a diagnosis of an orthodontic condition and identifying a treatment regimen for the diagnosis. A method can include tagging an anatomic feature with an electronic identifier and automatically generating a tooth setup. A system can include a server and a database, which can include information relating to patient treatments, and a website for receiving patient data. A system can include an electronic model representing anatomic features of a patient'"'"'s teeth and an application adapted to identify a diagnosis and a treatment regimen for an orthodontic condition, which can include executing artificial intelligence and/or other algorithms.

Claims

1. A method for diagnosing and identifying a treatment for an orthodontic condition, comprising:

providing an intraoral imager configured to be operated by a patient;

receiving patient data regarding the orthodontic condition onto a server, the patient data comprising data from an intraoral image initiated by the patient;

accessing a database that comprises or has access to information derived from orthodontic treatments;

generating an electronic model of the orthodontic condition by defining at least two anatomic features of a set of teeth;

instructing at least one computer program to analyze the patient data and identify at least one diagnosis of the orthodontic condition based on the information derived from orthodontic treatments;

executing an algorithm based on one or more inputs derived from the information derived from orthodontic treatments;

instructing the at least one computer program to identify at least one treatment regimen for the at least one diagnosis, the at least one treatment regimen including at least one of a treatment approach, a corrective appliance and a combination thereof; and

outputting the at least one treatment regimen to the patient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting to the patient at least one of a number of corrective appliances for the treatment regimen, a cost for the treatment regimen, a time for the treatment regimen, and a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing an intraoral imager configured to be operated by a patient comprises at least one of providing an intraoral imager, providing software configured for use with a patient'"'"'s electronic device to produce an intraoral image, and a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a kiosk having a graphical user interface configured to receive input from and provide output to the patient.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising computing at least one of a number, type, size and configuration of aligners for the patient'"'"'s teeth, and outputting that information to the patient.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a difficulty index to an orthodontic condition and determining a number of aligners for changing the orthodontic condition from a first state to a second state.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining at least one rest period for the treatment regimen.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a probability value to the at least one diagnosis, wherein the probability value represents a likelihood that the diagnosis is accurate.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a probability value to the treatment regimen, wherein the probability value represents a likelihood the treatment regimen will change the orthodontic condition from a first state to a second state.

10. A system for diagnosing and identifying a treatment for an orthodontic condition, comprising:

a server configured to receive patient data;

a database that comprises or has access to information derived from orthodontic treatments;

an electronic model of the orthodontic condition that defines at least two anatomic features of a set of teeth;

at least one computer program housed within or accessible by the server and configured to;

analyze the patient data;

analyze the information derived from orthodontic treatments;

identify at least one diagnosis of the orthodontic condition;

execute an algorithm based on one or more inputs derived from the information derived from orthodontic treatments;

identify at least one treatment regimen for the at least one diagnosis, wherein the at least one treatment regimen includes at least one of a treatment approach, a corrective appliance and a combination thereof; and

an intraoral imager configured to be operated by a patient.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a kiosk, wherein the intraoral imager is coupled to the kiosk.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a graphical user interface, wherein the intraoral imager and the graphical user interface are configured to be used by the patient simultaneously.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the intraoral imager comprises a mobile device having a camera.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising wherein the at least one computer program is configured to assign a probability value to the at least one diagnosis, wherein the probability value represents a likelihood that the diagnosis is accurate.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising wherein the at least one computer program is configured to assign a probability value to the treatment regimen, wherein the probability value represents a likelihood the treatment regimen will change the orthodontic condition from a first state to a second state.

16. A method for delivering a diagnosis and identification of a treatment for an orthodontic condition, comprising:

providing a graphical user interface that prompts a patient for electronic patient data regarding an orthodontic condition of the patient, the electronic data comprising data from an intraoral image initiated by the patient;

providing access, through the graphical user interface, to a database that comprises or has access to information derived from orthodontic treatments, the information derived from orthodontic treatments including an electronically stored data set for each patient treatment, wherein each data set includes data that represents at least one of (a) a location and position of one or more teeth subject of a corresponding patient treatment and (b) a previously diagnosed orthodontic condition for the corresponding patient treatment;

comparing coordinates that represent at least two anatomic features of a set of teeth to at least a portion of the information derived from orthodontic treatments accessible via the database;

identifying a best fit data set that represents a statistical or prioritized best fit for the coordinates;

identifying at least one diagnosis of the orthodontic condition by prioritizing at least a portion of the data from a plurality of the data sets; and

identifying at least one treatment regimen for the at least one diagnosis, the at least one treatment regimen including at least one of a treatment approach, a corrective appliance and a combination thereof; and

outputting the at least one treatment regimen to the patient.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising outputting to the patient at least one of a number of corrective appliances for the treatment regimen, a cost for the treatment regimen, a time for the treatment regimen, and a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a kiosk comprising the graphical user interface and an intraoral imager configured to be used by the patient.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising assigning a difficulty index to an orthodontic condition and determining a number of aligners for changing the orthodontic condition from a first state to a second state.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising assigning a probability value to the at least one treatment regimen, wherein the probability value represents a likelihood the treatment regimen will change the orthodontic condition from a first state to a second state.