3m Innovative Properties Company

Nicholas A Stark

Richard E Raby

Peter See

Peter M Eisenberg

Oliver L Puttler

David K Cinader, Jr

Jeremy A Schmoll

Theresa M Meyer

Joseph R Dufour

Sheng Thao

David K Cinader

Methods for recognizing a virtual tooth surface, defining a virtual tooth coordinate system, and simulating a collision between virtual teeth are provided. Methods include receiving input data specifying a point on the rendered surface model associated with a tooth, deriving a perimeter on the surface model of the tooth based on the input data, and analyzing the surface model along a plurality of paths outwardly extending from points on the perimeter along the three-dimensional surface to produce gingival margin data. Methods also include receiving point input data that defines a point on the virtual tooth, receiving axis input data that defines first and second axes associated with the virtual tooth, computing a substantially normal vector for a portion of the tooth surface surrounding the point, and computing a coordinate system based on the axis input and the computed vector. Methods also include receiving permissible movement input data directed to permissible movement of a first virtual tooth, simulating, in three dimensional space, bringing the first virtual tooth into contact with a second virtual tooth while constraining movement of the first virtual tooth based on the permissible movement input data, and displaying data resulting from the simulation.

Orthodontic digital setups

Methods for recognizing a virtual tooth surface, defining a virtual tooth coordinate system, and simulating a collision between virtual teeth are provided. Methods include receiving input data specifying a point on the rendered surface model associated with a tooth, deriving a perimeter on the surface model of the tooth, and analyzing the surface model along a plurality of paths outwardly extending from points on the perimeter. Methods also include receiving point input data, receiving axis input data that defines first and second axes associated with the virtual tooth, computing a substantially normal vector for a portion of the tooth surface surrounding the point, and computing a coordinate system. Methods also include receiving permissible movement input data directed to permissible movement of a first virtual tooth, bringing the first virtual tooth into contact with a second virtual tooth, and displaying data resulting from the simulation.

A digital orthodontic treatment planning system provides a practitioner with digital representations of at least a part of a tooth of a patient and at least part of a coupling matrix within a three-dimensional environment. By interacting with the system, orthodontic practitioners are able to visualize a coupling matrix that results from a specific orthodontic appliance position relative to a tooth of the patient's dental arch. The digital representation of the coupling matrix represents a substance, such as a cured adhesive, that connects an orthodontic appliance to a tooth of a patient. The system determines a thickness of at least a portion of the coupling matrix. In one embodiment, the system indicates the total thickness via a thickness map, such as a color-coded thickness map. In another embodiment, the system indicates a deviation from a baseline thickness via a thickness map.

Digital orthodontic appliance coupling matrix

A system automatically adjusts an orthodontic bracket to a desired occlusal height on a tooth within a 3D environment. The system allows a practitioner to specify a desired occlusal height at which to place the bracket on the tooth. The practitioner may choose the desired occlusal height from a standardized set of occlusal heights or may create a customized occlusal height to meet a patient's particular needs. Based on the desired occlusal height, the system automatically adjusts the placement of the orthodontic bracket to the desired occlusal height on the tooth within the 3D environment. The system then generates a visual representation the resulting bracket placement within the 3D environment.

Automatic adjustment of an orthodontic bracket to a desired occlusal height within a three-dimensional (3D) environment

Techniques are described for providing an environment for modeling and depicting a three-dimensional (D) representation of a patient's dental arch to assist practitioners in orthodontic diagnosis and treatment. A system is described, for example, that includes modeling software executing on a computing device to provide a three-dimensional (D) environment. The modeling software includes a rendering engine that renders a digital representation of a dental arch within theD environment, and a user interface that displays a planar guide within theD environment as a visual aid to a practitioner in the placement of an orthodontic appliance relative to the dental arch. By interacting with the system, orthodontic practitioners are able to visualize theD representation of the dental arch, and precisely position 'virtual' orthodontic appliances relative to the modeled dental arch.

Planar guides to visually aid orthodontic appliance placement within a three-dimensional (3D) environment

A digital orthodontic treatment planning system provides a practitioner with a digital representation of at least a part of a tooth of a patient within a three-dimensional environment. The practitioner may provide input indicative of a desired movement for a tooth of a patient via a user interface. Based on the desired movement for the tooth, a position of a virtual orthodontic appliance is calculated. The digital representation of the tooth may be moved in accordance with the adjusted position of the virtual orthodontic appliance. In this way, the system provides the practitioner with the perception that the input is being directly applied to the tooth, whereas the input is being indirectly applied to the tooth.

Digital orthodontic treatment planning

A system automatically adjusts an orthodontic bracket to a desired mesio-distal position on a tooth within a 3D environment. The system allows a practitioner to specify a desired mesio-distal position at which to place the bracket on the tooth. The practitioner may choose the desired mesio-distal position from a standardized set of mesio-distal positions or may create a customized mesio-distal position to meet a patient's particular needs. Based on the desired mesio-distal position, the system automatically adjusts the placement of the orthodontic bracket to the desired mesio-distal position on the tooth within the 3D environment. The system then generates a visual representation of the resulting bracket placement within the 3D environment.

Automatic adjustment of an orthodontic bracket to a desired mesio-distal position within a three-dimensional (3D) environment

An orthodontic treatment planning system is described that models the effects of torque losses within an orthodontic archwire-appliance system when computing a predicted final occlusion for a dental arch. The treatment planning system models engagement of the archwire with the orthodontic appliances at each appliance position along the length of the archwire. The treatment planning system iteratively determines the twist angle of the archwire at each appliance position along the length of the archwire and incrementally adjusts the orientation and the position of each tooth based on the determined twist angles until the twist angle at each position along the archwire is within a defined tolerance of zero. When the twist angle at each position along the archwire is within a defined tolerance of zero, the archwire is relaxed and a 3D representation of the computed final occlusion of the dental arch may be displayed.

Computing final occlusion with respect to torque loss in a three-dimensional virtual orthodontic system

Techniques are described for providing an environment to model and depict a three-dimensional (3D) representation of a patient's dental arch, i.e., a virtual dental arch, and a separate cross section tool, such as a graphical user interface (GUI), as a visual aid to an orthodontic practitioner for selecting a position of cross section planes relative to the virtual dental arch. The GUI may display a control image and two moveable parallel lines. The position of the parallel lines relative to the control image approximates the position of the cross section planes relative to the virtual dental arch. Thus, by interacting with the GUI, the practitioner is able to change the position of the cross section planes within the 3D environment. Consequently, the practitioner can visualize the cross sections of the virtual dental arch within the 3D environment while selecting the position of the cross section planes.

User interface having cross section control tool for digital orthodontics

Computer-based techniques are described that use orthodontic prescription templates to assist an orthodontic practitioner in creating a patient-specific orthodontic prescription. In particular, an orthodontic practitioner may retrieve a stored electronic orthodontic prescription template. The practitioner may then generate an orthodontic prescription that is specific to a patient's teeth by modifying one or more bracket attributes of the template within orthodontic modeling software. Subsequently, the practitioner may communicate the patient-specific orthodontic prescription to a manufacturing facility that constructs an indirect bonding tray for use in physically placing brackets on the patient's teeth.

Orthodontic prescription form, templates, and toolbar for digital orthodontics

Techniques are described for moving an orthodontic object (e.g., an orthodontic appliance and/or its associated tooth) in response to input indicative of a desired movement of the object along a virtual archwire. The movement of objects along the archwire may be used to generate a three-dimensional (3D) representation of a patient's dental arch. The manner in which the object is to be moved along the virtual archwire may be determined automatically during creation of a treatment plan for a patient, or may be determined and input by an orthodontic practitioner as part of the creation of the treatment plan.

Movement of orthodontic objects along a virtual archwire within a three-dimensional (3D) environment

A system automatically determines positions of orthodontic objects, such as teeth and/or orthodontic appliances, along an archwire within a three-dimensional (3D) environment based on a proposed orthodontic prescription. The resulting placement of the orthodontic objects in the dentition predicts a final occlusion that may result from the proposed orthodontic prescription. An orthodontic practitioner may interact with the system to enter a proposed orthodontic prescription, or the system may choose the proposed orthodontic prescription from a number of standardized prescriptions stored in a database. The system may also display a digital representation of the orthodontic objects at the determined positions. The practitioner may modify the proposed prescription and view the resulting placement of the orthodontic objects until a desired result is obtained.

Placing orthodontic objects along an archwire within a three-dimensional (3D) environment

The relative orientation of an orthodontic appliance and a tooth is selected by providing a first relative orientation between the appliance and the tooth, and defining a first set of hypothetical reference lines or rays between the base of the appliance and the tooth in virtual three-dimensional space. The distance along each ray is then determined. Next, the relative orientation of the appliance and the tooth is changed to a second orientation. A second set of rays is defined between the appliance and the tooth, and the distance along each ray is determined. A mathematical computation is then carried out on the determined distances in order to help determine whether the first orientation or the second orientation provides a better fit between the base of the appliance and the tooth surface.

Growing community of inventors

Cottage Grove, MN, United States of America

Nicholas A Stark