Modular system for customized orthodontic appliances

• US 20050158686A1
• Filed: 05/12/2004
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Weise, Thomas, Wiechmann, Dirk, Rubbert, Rudger, Paehl, Ralf
• Granted Patent: US 7,811,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/002 Orthodontic computer assisted systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/141 Brackets with reinforcing structure, e.g. inserts
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/145 Lingual brackets
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/148 with occlusal or gingival archwire slot opening A61C7/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/16 specially adapted to be cemented to teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/20 Arch wires A61C7/28 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A set of customized orthodontic brackets are provided with slots that are arranged substantially parallel to the tooth surface. The archwire, in an as-manufactured condition, has a portion of substantial arcuate extent, which is canted relative to the occlusal plane. The brackets are designed on a computer as a combination of three-dimensional virtual objects comprising the virtual bracket bonding pad and a separate virtual bracket body retrieved from a library of virtual bracket bodies. The virtual brackets can be represented as a file containing digital shape data and exported to a rapid prototype fabrication device for fabrication of the bracket in wax or other material and casting the wax prototype in a suitable alloy. Other manufacturing techniques are also contemplated, including milling and laser sintering.

Claims

1-78. -78. (canceled)

79. A set of at least three orthodontic brackets for a patient, each of the at least three brackets of the set having a bonding surface for bonding each bracket to a tooth of the patient and means for receiving an archwire, having a major axis positioned to define substantially an inclination of said archwire, the bonding surface being shaped to substantially conform to a portion of the three-dimensional surface of the tooth of the patient and the archwire receiving means being oriented in an optimized inclination and position relative to an occlusal plane of a certain jaw of the patient.

80. A set as defined in claim 79, wherein for at least one of the at least three brackets said optimized inclination and position comprises orienting the major axis in approximate parallel alignment to the surface of the tooth at the location of the at least one of the at least three brackets so that said archwire receiving means is canted relative to the occlusal plane.

81. A set as defined in claim 79, wherein for at least one of the at least three brackets said optimized inclination and position comprises orienting the major axis in approximate parallel alignment to said occlusal plane.

82. A set as defined in claim 79, wherein for at least one of the at least three brackets said optimized inclination and position comprises orienting the major axis in approximate perpendicular alignment to the occlusal plane.

83. A set as defined in claim 79, wherein at least one of the at least three brackets is adapted to be positioned on a lingual surface of the tooth of the patient.

84. A set as defined in claim 81, wherein said optimized inclination and position is performed such that a location of the archwire receiving means of the majority of the at least three brackets substantially build a plane if the teeth of the patient are moving a planned finishing position.

85. A set as defined in claim 82, wherein said optimized inclination and position is performed such that a location of the archwire receiving means of the majority of the at least three brackets substantially build a plane if the teeth of the patient are moving to their planned finishing position.

86. A bracket for a patient, said bracket comprising a tooth-facing surface and means for receiving an archwire, said tooth-facing surface of said bracket being individually designed to substantially conform to a portion of the three-dimensional shape of a certain tooth of said patient.

87. A bracket as defined in claim 86, wherein said tooth-facing surface has a second opposite surface having a three-dimensional shape corresponding to said bonding surface, and wherein said tooth-facing surface and said opposite surface define a bonding pad.

88. A bracket as defined in claim 86, wherein said bracket defines a lingual bracket.

89. A bracket as defined in claim 86, wherein said bracket defines a labial bracket.

90. A set of a plurality of brackets in accordance with the brackets as defined in claim 86 for treatment of a plurality of teeth of an arch of a patient.

91. A bracket as defined in claim 86, wherein said tooth-facing surface covers at least 50 percent of either a lingual or, alternatively, a labial surface of a tooth to which it is to be bonded.

92. A bracket as defined in claim 87, wherein said bonding pad covers at least one cusp of a tooth to which it is to be bonded.

93. A bracket as defined in claim 86, wherein an extent of said tooth-facing surface is sufficiently large that said bracket can be manually placed at a designated location on the respective tooth by said tooth-facing surface fitting said tooth.

94. A bracket as defined in claim 93, wherein the thickness of the bonding pad varies such that a periphery of the bonding pad is thinner than a medial portion of the bonding pad.

95. A bracket as defined in claim 93, wherein the bonding pad has a thickness of about 0.5 mm or less.

96. A manufacturing process for a bracket for a specific patient, said bracket having a tooth-facing surface and means for receiving an archwire, said tooth-facing surface being individually designed to substantially conform to a portion of the three-dimensional shape of a certain tooth of said patient, said manufacturing process comprising the step of using a three-dimensional virtual model of said bracket.

97. A manufacturing process as defined in claim 96, wherein said manufacturing process forms a positive, or alternatively, a negative model of at least one bracket, and wherein said model is used in a casting process to manufacture said bracket.

98. A manufacturing process as defined in claim 96, wherein said manufacturing process uses a material suitable to be used directly as a bracket.

99. A manufacturing process as defined in claim 98, wherein said manufacturing process uses a laser-sintering process.

100. A manufacturing process as defined in claim 98, wherein said-manufacturing process uses a wax-printing process.

101. A manufacturing process as defined in claim 98, wherein said manufacturing process uses a stereo-lithography process.

102. A method of designing a customized orthodontic bracket for a patient with the aid of a computer, said bracket having a tooth-facing surface, wherein the computer has access to a three-dimensional model of portions of teeth of the patient to which said bracket will be bonded, the method comprising the steps of:

determining an area of a tooth at which said bracket is to be attached to said tooth; and

deriving a three-dimensional shape of an individual tooth-facing surface of said bracket from said area.

103. A method as defined in claim 102, further comprising the step of determining the three-dimensional shape of an opposite surface from the tooth-facing surface, said opposite surface and said tooth-facing surface defining a bonding pad.

104. A method as defined in claim 103, wherein said opposite surface has a three-dimensional shape corresponding to said tooth-facing surface of said bracket.

105. A method as defined in claim 104, further comprising the steps of obtaining a digital model of at least a portion of a bracket body from a library of three-dimensional digital bracket body models accessed by said computer;

and positioning of said digital model with respect to said bonding pad.

106. A method as defined in claim 104, further comprising the steps of obtaining a digital model of at least a portion of a bracket body from a library of three-dimensional digital bracket body models accessed by said computer;

and positioning of at least a portion with respect to said bonding pad.

107. A method as defined in claim 104, further comprising the step of modifying the virtual model of the bracket body, or of the bracket bonding pad.

108. A method as defined in claim 107, wherein said modification comprises adding a feature to said bracket body or alternatively removing a feature from said bracket body.

109. A method as defined in claim 108, wherein said feature comprises at least one hook.

110. A method as defined in claim 108, wherein said feature comprises a bite plane.

111. A method as defined in claim 105, wherein said step of positioning further comprises the step of viewing, with the aid of said computer, a plurality of virtual teeth and virtual bracket bonding pads attached to said teeth, and shifting the position of said bracket body relative to its respective bracket bonding pad.

112. A method as defined in claim 105, wherein said step of positioning further comprises the step of viewing, with the aid of said computer, a plurality of virtual teeth and virtual bracket bonding pads attached to said teeth, and removing parts of the bracket body that interfere with adjacent brackets or teeth.

113. A method as defined in claim 105, further comprising the step of removing a portion of the virtual bracket body, said portion comprising a portion that projects into said tooth when said bracket body is combined with said bracket bonding pad.

114. A method of designing and manufacturing a customized orthodontic bracket, the method comprising the steps of:

a) accessing a digital representation of portions of a patient'"'"'s dentition with the help of a computer;

b) determining the shape and configuration of the bonding surface of a three-dimensional digital bracket model with the help of a computer, said surface conforming substantially to a corresponding three-dimensional surface of a tooth of said patient, to thereby create a three-dimensional virtual model of an individual, customized orthodontic bracket;

c) exporting digital data representing said model of a customized orthodontic bracket from said computer to a manufacturing system for manufacturing said customized orthodontic bracket; and

d) manufacturing said customized orthodontic bracket.

115. A method as defined in claim 114 further comprising the steps of a) accessing a library of a plurality of virtual three-dimensional bracket bodies in said computer;

and b) combining at least portions of at least one of the plurality of virtual bracket bodies from said library of virtual bracket bodies with said bonding surface to thereby create an individual, customized model of an orthodontic bracket.

116. A method as defined in claim 114, further comprising the step of determining the three-dimensional shape of a second, opposite surface of said bracket bonding surface, said opposite surface used to form a bonding pad together with the bonding surface of said bracket.

117. A method as defined in claim 114, wherein the manufacturing system comprises a rapid prototyping system manufacturing a representation of said bracket to be used as a positive pattern, and wherein said manufacturing step comprises casting said bracket.

118. A method as defined in claim 114, wherein said manufacturing system comprises a rapid prototyping system directly fabricating said bracket.

119. A method as defined in claim 114, wherein said manufacturing system comprises a rapid prototyping system fabricating a negative model of said bracket, and the negative model being used for casting said bracket.

120. A method as defined in claim 114, further comprising modifying the digital representation of the dentition on a computer into a desired finish position.

121. A method as defined in claim 114, further comprising the step of producing a physical model of the teeth of the patient, manipulating the physical model to place the teeth into a desired finish position, and scanning the physical model of the teeth in the desired finish position, and said digital representation comprising a three-dimensional representation derived from said scanning.

122. A method as defined in claim 115, wherein said opposite surface is derived from at least portions of a corresponding three-dimensional tooth surface.

123. A method as defined in claim 114, further comprising designing a set of said brackets for a patient.

124. A method as defined in claim 123, wherein each bracket of said set of brackets comprises means for receiving an archwire, and wherein the design of the bracket is optimized with respect to the orientation and location of said means.

125. A method as defined in claim 124, wherein said optimization aims to harmonize the virtual curve formed by said means for receiving the archwire.

126. A method as defined in claim 116, wherein said bracket further comprises a U-shaped inlay to fit into the means for receiving the archwire for said bracket.

127. A method of designing a customized bracket for an individual patient with a computer, the method comprising the steps of:

a) selecting a virtual bracket bonding pad for a tooth of said patient from a library of virtual bracket bonding pads;

b) selecting a virtual bracket body for said tooth from a library of virtual bracket bodies; and

c) using said pad and said body to form a virtual bracket.

128. A method as defined in claim 127, further comprising the step of adding a virtual auxiliary means to said virtual bracket.

129. A method as defined in claim 127, further comprising the step of removing a portion of the virtual bracket.

130. A method as defined in claim 127, further comprising the step of exporting digital data representing said virtual bracket to machinery operating a rapid prototyping process.

131. A method as defined in claim 127, wherein a user visually observes and controls the performing of step c) by operating three-dimensional graphics software on said computer to thereby arrive at a customized configuration of said bracket bonding pad and said bracket body.

132. A method as defined in claim 127, wherein step a) further comprises determining the shape of said three-dimensional virtual bracket bonding pad such that said pad fits the three-dimensional shape of said tooth.

133. A method as defined in claim 132, wherein said bracket bonding pad has an opposite surface that further conforms to the three-dimensional shape of said tooth.

134. A method as defined in claim 131, wherein said step of forming a virtual bracket includes the step of filling a gap in three-dimensional virtual space between said virtual bracket bonding pad and said virtual bracket body.

138. A set of brackets for a patient manufactured according to the method of claim 127, and wherein each of said set of brackets has a different shape and configuration of the bracket bonding pad corresponding to a different tooth of the patient.

135. A method of designing a plurality of customized orthodontic brackets, the method comprising the steps of:

a) accessing a digital representation of portions of a patient'"'"'s dentition with the help of a computer;

b) modifying the digital representation of the dentition on a computer into a desired finish position;

c) determining the shape and configuration of the bonding surfaces of the three-dimensional digital bracket models with the help of a computer, said surfaces each conforming substantially to a corresponding three-dimensional surface of a tooth of said patient, to thereby create three-dimensional virtual models of individual, customized orthodontic brackets.

136. A method of designing a plurality of customized orthodontic brackets, the method comprising the steps of:

a) producing a physical model of the teeth of the patient;

b) manipulating the physical model to place the teeth into a desired finish position;

c) scanning the physical model of the teeth in the desired finish position;

d) accessing a digital representation derived from said scanning;

e) determining the shape and configuration of the bonding surfaces of the three-dimensional digital bracket models with the help of a computer, said surfaces each conforming substantially to a corresponding three-dimensional surface of a tooth of said patient, to thereby create three-dimensional virtual models of individual, customized orthodontic brackets.

137. A method of designing and manufacturing a customized orthodontic bracket, the method including the step of storing a digital representation of portions of a patient'"'"'s dentition in a computer, and accessing a library of virtual three-dimensional bracket bodies in said computer, the method being characterized by the steps of:

a) determining the shape and configuration of a bracket bonding pad, said bracket bonding pad having a tooth-facing surface substantially conforming to an exact shape of corresponding three-dimensional surfaces of a tooth of the patient;

b) combining a bracket body from said library of bracket bodies with said bracket bonding pad to thereby create an individual, customized virtual orthodontic bracket; and

c) exporting digital data representing said customized virtual orthodontic bracket from said computer to a manufacturing system for manufacturing said customized orthodontic bracket.

139. A bracket for a patient, said customized bracket comprising a bonding pad to bond a bracket body to the tooth of the patient with adhesive and a slot associated with the bracket body for receiving an archwire and being characterized by:

said bracket bonding pad comprising a customized three-dimensional tooth-facing surface substantially conforming to an exact shape of corresponding three-dimensional surfaces of the tooth of the patient to thereby significantly reduce need for build up of adhesive and yet enhance strength of the bond between the customized three-dimensional tooth-facing surface and the corresponding three-dimensional surfaces of the tooth and to reduce thickness of at least the combination of the adhesive and said bracket bonding pad when the three-dimensional tooth-facing surface of said bracket bonding pad is bonded to the corresponding three-dimensional surfaces of the tooth with the adhesive material.