Align Technology, Inc.

Jack Shaw

Alexey Kalinichenko

Andrey Cherkas

Stephan Albert Alexandre Dumothier

Anatoliy Parpara

Israel Velazquez

Ivan Kharpalev

Enrique Soltero Borrego

Mehdi Mojdeh

Arthur George Butz

Gabor Lukacs

Shiva Prasad Sambu

Paren Shah

Kwan Ho

Ben Castricone

Ari Siletz

Paren Indravadan Shah

A system includes a mold of a dental arch of a patient. The mold includes teeth extending from a first distal end of the dental arch to a second distal end of the dental arch. An orthodontic aligner is to be formed over the teeth of the mold. The teeth of the mold are shaped to correspond to tooth-receiving cavities of the orthodontic aligner. The system includes a pre-fabricated attachment that includes a traceability component configured to be used to determine one or more identifiers corresponding to the mold. The pre-fabricated attachment further includes a handling component configured to be secured by a robot or person to transport the mold and the pre-fabricated attachment during production of the orthodontic aligner.

Attachments for fabricated custom objects

A method includes manufacturing an orthodontic aligner and assessing a quality of the orthodontic aligner. Assessing the quality of the orthodontic aligner comprises receiving a digital representation of the orthodontic aligner, and analyzing the digital representation of the orthodontic aligner to identify a quality-related property of the orthodontic aligner. The analyzing comprises comparing the digital representation of the orthodontic aligner with data based on a digital model associated with the orthodontic aligner and calculating one or more difference between a feature determined from the data and a feature of the digital representation of the orthodontic aligner. Assessing the quality of the orthodontic aligner further includes determining, based on the quality-related property, that the orthodontic aligner comprises a possible manufacturing flaw, and classifying the orthodontic aligner as requiring further inspection by a technician based on determining that the orthodontic aligner comprises the possible manufacturing flaw.

Methods for manufacturing and inspecting orthodontic aligners

Embodiments relate to a pre-fabricated attachment for fabricating custom objects. In one embodiment, a system includes a mold and a pre-fabricated attachment. The mold includes a physical model of a dental arch of a patient and one or more first features. An orthodontic aligner is to be formed over the physical model. The pre-fabricated attachment includes one or more second features configured to removably attach to the one or more first features. The pre-fabricated attachment further includes a traceability component configured to be used to determine one or more identifiers corresponding to the mold. The pre-fabricated attachment further includes a handling component configured to be secured by a robot or person to transport the mold and pre-fabricated attachment during production of the orthodontic aligner. The pre-fabricated attachment may be reused.

Attachments for handling and tracking fabricated custom objects

A method includes obtaining image(s) of a dental device, determining file(s) including at least one of a first model of the dental device or a second model of a mold, determining an intended property for the dental device based on at least one of the first model or the second model, and determining an actual property of the dental device from the image(s). The method further includes determining whether a cutline variation, an arch variation, and/or a bend of the dental device is detected between the dental device and the first model and/or the second model by comparing the intended property with the actual property. The method further includes determining whether there is a possible defect in the dental device based on whether the cutline variation exceeds a cutline variation threshold, the arch variation exceeds an arch variation threshold, and/or the bend exceeds a bend threshold.

Methods of manufacturing and inspecting customized dental appliances

A method of manufacturing and analyzing a quality of an orthodontic aligner is described. An orthodontic aligner is manufactured by printing a mold associated with a dental arch of a patient based on a digital model of the mold, forming an orthodontic aligner over the mold, and trimming the orthodontic aligner. A quality of the orthodontic aligner is then assessed by imaging the orthodontic aligner to generate a first digital representation of the orthodontic aligner, comparing the first digital representation of the orthodontic aligner to a digital file associated with the orthodontic aligner, determining whether a cutline variation is detected between the orthodontic aligner and the digital file, and determining whether there is a manufacturing defect of the orthodontic aligner based on whether the cutline variation exceeds a cutline variation threshold.

Methods of manufacturing and assessing orthodontic aligners

A method for manufacturing an orthodontic aligner includes printing a mold associated with a dental arch of a patient based on a digital model of the mold, forming the orthodontic aligner over the mold, and trimming the orthodontic aligner. The method further includes assessing a quality of the orthodontic aligner by receiving a digital representation of the orthodontic aligner, the digital representation having been generated based on imaging of the orthodontic aligner, analyzing the digital representation of the orthodontic aligner to identify a quality-related property of the orthodontic aligner, determining, based on the quality-related property, that the orthodontic aligner comprises a manufacturing flaw, and classifying the orthodontic aligner as requiring further inspection by a technician based on determining that the orthodontic aligner comprises the manufacturing flaw.

Systems and methods for providing orthodontic aligners and other dental appliances

A system for inspecting a customized dental device associated with a dental application for manufacturing defects is disclosed. The system obtains images of the customized device and identifies an identifier of the customized device. The system determines a digital file associated with the customized device based on the identifier, the digital file including a first digital model of the customized device and/or a second digital model of a mold used during manufacture of the customized device. The system determines an intended property for the customized device based on at least one of the first digital model or the second digital model, determines an actual property of the customized device from the images, determines whether there is a manufacturing defect in the customized device by comparing the intended property for the customized device with the actual property of the customized device, and outputs an output associated with the determination.

Aligner image based quality control system

A method for analyzing a quality of an orthodontic aligner is described. The method includes receiving, by a processor, a digital representation of a fabricated orthodontic aligner, the digital representation having been generated based on imaging of the fabricated orthodontic aligner. The method further includes analyzing, by the processor, the digital representation of the fabricated orthodontic aligner to identify a quality-related property of the fabricated orthodontic aligner. The method further includes determining, based on the quality-related property, that the fabricated orthodontic aligner comprises a manufacturing flaw. The method further includes classifying, by the processor, the fabricated orthodontic aligner as requiring further inspection by a technician based on determining that the fabricated orthodontic aligner comprises the manufacturing flaw.

A method for inspecting a customized orthodontic aligner for manufacturing defects, the customized orthodontic aligner customized for a specific arch of a specific patient and a specific stage of orthodontic treatment, the method including obtaining images of the customized orthodontic aligner; identifying an identifier of the customized orthodontic aligner, determining a digital file based on the identifier, the digital file associated with the customized orthodontic aligner including a digital model of a mold used during manufacture of the customized orthodontic aligner, determining a intended property for the customized orthodontic aligner by digitally manipulating the digital model of the mold, determining an actual property of the customized orthodontic aligner from the images, determining whether there is a manufacturing defect in the customized orthodontic aligner by comparing the intended property with the actual property, outputting an output associated with the determination of whether there is a manufacturing defect.

A method and system for inspecting a customized orthodontic aligner for manufacturing defects are described. The method includes obtaining images of the customized orthodontic aligner, determining a digital file associated with the aligner, the digital file including a digital model of a mold used during manufacture of the customized orthodontic aligner, determining an inspection recipe for the aligner, determining an intended property for the customized orthodontic aligner by digitally manipulating the digital model of the mold, determining an actual property of the customized orthodontic aligner from the images, determining whether there is a manufacturing defect in the customized orthodontic aligner by comparing the intended property with the actual property, and outputting an output associated with the determination of whether there is a manufacturing defect.

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Durham, NC, United States of America

Jack Shaw