Arch expanding appliance

• US 10,130,445 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2017
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Kopelman, Avi, Sambu, Shiva, Sterental, Rene M., Kuo, Eric, de Alencar Casa, Mauricio
• Primary Examiner(s): Crow, Stephen R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Atkinson, Garrett
• Application Number:
  US15/792,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20180055602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• 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 7/10 Devices having means to apply outwardly directed force, e.g. expanders

Abstract

The present disclosure provides method, systems, and devices for expanding arch of teeth. A device for expanding an arch of teeth of a patient can include a removable shell formed of a first material having a number of cavities formed therein. The number of cavities are shaped to receive teeth of a patient. A device for expanding an arch of teeth of a patient can include an arch element extending from the removable shell in a lingual direction and across an arch width of the removable shell. The arch element can be formed of the first material and a second material that is a different material than the first material, can be designed to expand an arch of the teeth of the patient, and can have a width specific to a stage of a treatment plan.

Claims

1. An appliance comprising:

a removable shell formed of a first material having a first rigidity, the removable shell having a number of cavities formed therein, wherein the number of cavities are shaped to receive teeth of a patient; and

an arch element formed at least in part of a second material having a second rigidity, the second rigidity greater than the first rigidity, and the arch element extending from the removable shell in a lingual direction and continuing across an arch width of the removable shell from a first side of the removable shell to a second side of the removable shell.

2. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the arch element has a width specific to a stage of an orthodontic treatment plan.

3. The appliance of claim 1, wherein, when the removable shell receives the teeth of the patient, the second material is configured to provide an expansion force in a transverse direction against at least a portion of the teeth.

4. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the arch element is formed from a third material having a third rigidity, the third rigidity being less than the second rigidity.

5. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the arch element comprises reinforcement material to provide an expansion force in a transverse direction against at least a portion of the teeth.

6. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the arch element:

is formed at least in part from a third material having a third rigidity less than the second rigidity; and

includes at least one interlock feature to connect the second material to the third material.

7. The appliance of claim 6, wherein the at least one interlock feature includes a top portion and a trunk portion.

8. The appliance of claim 7, wherein the trunk portion is smaller than the top portion in at least one dimension.

9. A system, comprising:

a first appliance, of a series of appliances designed to incrementally implement a treatment plan, comprising;

a first removable shell formed of a first material having a first rigidity, the first removable shell having a plurality of cavities therein designed to receive teeth of a patient,

a first arch element formed at least in part of a second material having a second rigidity, the second rigidity greater than the first rigidity, and the first arch element having a first width specific to a first stage of the treatment plan, extending therefrom in a lingual direction and continuing across an arch width of the first removable shell from a first side of the first shell to a second side of the first removable shell; and

a second appliance, of the series of appliances, comprising a second removable shell having a plurality of cavities therein designed to receive the teeth on the jaw of the patient, wherein the second appliance includes a second arch element with a second width different than the first width and specific to a second stage of the treatment plan.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second arch element includes a third portion and a fourth portion.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the third portion of the second arch element is made of a third material and the fourth portion of the second arch element is made from a fourth material, wherein the third material and the fourth material are different.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the third portion of the second arch element is made from a third material and the second shell is made from the third material.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the second arch element includes at least one feature to interlock the third portion of the second arch element and the fourth portion of the second arch element.

14. A method of forming a dental appliance, comprising:

gathering a virtual model of a palate of a patient and a virtual model of a jaw of the patient;

identifying an arch width of the jaw of the patient using one or more of the virtual model of the palate of the patient and the virtual model of the jaw of the patient;

forming a portion of an arch element using one or more of the virtual model of the palate of the patient and the virtual model of the jaw of the patient, the portion of the arch element having an arch element width greater than an arch width of the jaw of the patient, and the arch element formed at least in part of a second material having a second rigidity; and

forming a removable shell over a molded jaw of the patient, wherein the removable shell includes a number of cavities formed therein, wherein the number of cavities are shaped to receive the teeth on the molded jaw of the patient, and the removable shell formed at least in part of a first material having a first rigidity less than the second rigidity.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the removable shell includes thermoforming the removable shell over the molded jaw of the patient.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the portion of the arch element includes offsetting the arch element from a palatal surface of the patient.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the portion of the arch element includes creating at least one interlock feature to couple the second material to a third material, the third material having a third rigidity less than the second rigidity.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the portion of the arch element includes creating at least one raised feature in a position to provide added force to the removable shell.