ORTHODONTIC SYSTEMS AND METHODS INCLUDING PARAMETRIC ATTACHMENTS

• US 20160067013A1
• Filed: 09/10/2015
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Morton, John, Matov, Vadim, Cao, Heng, Kimura, Ryan, Cheng, Jihua, Pesenti, Bastien
• Granted Patent: US 10,307,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/00 Orthodontics, i.e. obtaining or maintaining the desired position of teeth, e.g. by straightening, evening, regulating, separating, or by correcting malocclusions
• 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 7/14 Brackets A61C7/28 takes precedence; Fixing brackets to teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/146 Positioning or placement of brackets; Tools therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/10 Complex mathematical operations function generation by table look-up G06F1/03; evaluation of elementary functions by calculation G06F7/544
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]

Abstract

Orthodontic systems and related methods are disclosed for designing and providing improved or more effective tooth moving systems for eliciting a desired tooth movement and/or repositioning teeth into a desired arrangement. Methods and orthodontic systems of the invention include tooth attachments having improved or optimized parameters selected or modified for more optimal and/or effective application of forces for a desired/selected orthodontic movement. Attachments of the present invention can be customized to a particular patient (e.g., patient-customized), a particular movement, and/or a sub-group or sub-set of patients, and configured to engage an orthodontic tooth positioning appliance worn by a patient, where engagement between the attachment and orthodontic appliance results in application of a repositioning force or series/system of forces to the tooth having the attachment and will generally elicit a tooth movement.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for designing a customized tooth movement system for eliciting a selected movement of a patient'"'"'s tooth, the method comprising:

determining, with aid of a processor, a targeted force system configured to elicit the selected movement when applied to the patient'"'"'s tooth;

selecting, with aid of the processor, a generic tooth attachment configured to engage an orthodontic appliance;

determining, with aid of the processor, a first force system that would be applied to the tooth by engagement of the generic tooth attachment with the orthodontic appliance; and

generating, with aid of the processor, a custom tooth attachment by modifying one or more parameters of the generic tooth attachment, wherein the custom tooth attachment is configured to engage the orthodontic appliance so as to apply a second force system to the tooth, the second force system more closely corresponding to the targeted force system than the first force system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected movement comprises one or more of extrusion, intrusion, rotation, translation, or tipping.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the custom tooth attachment is generated by modifying one or more of geometry, shape, sizing, composition, or positioning of the generic tooth attachment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the custom tooth attachment is generated by modifying one or more of an arm vector, an arm length, a clipping plane area, a clipping plane width, or a clipping plane length of the generic tooth attachment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters of the generic tooth attachment are modified based on one or more patient-specific characteristics comprising tooth morphology, tooth orientation, tooth surface orientation, or a prescribed tooth movement path.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the targeted force system comprises a targeted range for a force or torque value to be applied to the tooth.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first force system comprises a force or torque value outside the targeted range, and the second force system comprises a force or torque value within the target range.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first force system comprises a force or torque value within a portion of the targeted range, and the second force system comprises a force or torque value within a different portion of the targeted range.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying, with aid of the processor, a geometry of a portion of the orthodontic appliance, wherein the custom tooth attachment is configured to engage the orthodontic appliance at the portion so as to apply the second force system to the tooth.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the orthodontic appliance comprises a shell aligner.

11. A system for designing a customized tooth movement system for eliciting a selected movement of a patient'"'"'s tooth, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

determine a targeted force system configured to elicit the selected movement when applied to the patient'"'"'s tooth;

select a generic tooth attachment configured to engage an orthodontic appliance;

determine a first force system that would be applied to the tooth by engagement of the generic tooth attachment with the orthodontic appliance; and

generate a custom tooth attachment by modifying one or more parameters of the generic tooth attachment, wherein the custom tooth attachment is configured to engage the orthodontic appliance so as to apply a second force system to the tooth, the second force system more closely corresponding to the targeted force system than the first force system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the selected movement comprises one or more of extrusion, intrusion, rotation, translation, or tipping.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the custom tooth attachment is generated by modifying one or more of geometry, shape, sizing, composition, or positioning of the generic tooth attachment.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the custom tooth attachment is generated by modifying one or more of an arm vector, an arm length, a clipping plane area, a clipping plane width, or a clipping plane length of the generic tooth attachment.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more parameters of the generic tooth attachment are modified based on one or more patient-specific characteristics comprising tooth morphology, tooth orientation, tooth surface orientation, or a prescribed tooth movement path.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the targeted force system comprises a targeted range for a force or torque value to be applied to the tooth.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first force system comprises a force or torque value outside the targeted range, and the second force system comprises a force or torque value within the target range.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first force system comprises a force or torque value within a portion of the targeted range, and the second force system comprises a force or torque value within a different portion of the targeted range.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the system to modify a geometry of a portion of the orthodontic appliance, wherein the custom tooth attachment is configured to engage the orthodontic appliance at the portion so as to apply the second force system to the tooth.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the orthodontic appliance comprises a shell aligner.