Align Technology, Inc.

Stephan Albert Alexandre Dumothier

Andrey Cherkas

Anatoliy Parpara

Israel Velazquez

Alexey Kalinichenko

Jack Shaw

Ivan Kharpalev

Roman A Roschin

Eric P Meyer

Tzishing Jesse Lim

Norman C Su

Yury Slynko

Alexey Geraskin

Palak Mittal

Huameng Ivan Chu

Danila Chesnokov

Shiva Prasad Sambu

Paren Shah

Kwan Ho

Enrique Soltero Borrego

Ben Castricone

Ari Siletz

Paren Indravadan Shah

A system includes a memory device and a processing device operatively coupled to the memory device. The processing device determines two or more adjacent teeth in a virtual model, determines a characteristic of the teeth indicative of a spatial relationship between the teeth, determines that the characteristic satisfies a criterion for a virtual filler, and determines a geometry of the virtual filler based on the spatial relationship between the teeth.

Mold Fabrication using virtual fillers

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

Methods and systems for taking images of a patient's teeth for tracking a progress of an orthodontic procedure. The methods and systems include a mobile device holder with one or more adjustable stops for providing a compressive force on a mobile device placed therein; a cheek retractor coupled to the mobile device holder; and a user interface on the mobile device indicating whether the mobile device holder is in a correct position relative to the patient's teeth as the mobile device holder is moved while the cheek retractor engages a cheek of the patient to expose the patient's teeth, while taking one or more visual images of the exposed teeth using a camera of the mobile device.

Systems and methods for taking images of a patient's teeth with a mobile device

A virtual filler is inserted in a virtual model of a dental site between a first tooth and a second tooth in the virtual model. One or more of the first tooth or the second tooth represent a natural tooth of a patient. Points of the first tooth, the second tooth and the virtual filler are transformed into a voxel volume. A geometry of an updated virtual filler is determined by transforming a surface of the voxel volume into a polygonal mesh.

Virtual fillers for virtual models of dental arches

The present disclosure provides systems that utilize a cheek retractor and/or a mobile device holder. The cheek retractor includes a first and a second lip holder to hold a cheek away from a mouth of a user to expose teeth of the user. A mobile device holder can receive a mobile device to capture images of the patient's teeth. These systems may be useful for case assessment and/or dental treatments.

Cheek retractor and mobile device holder

The present disclosure provides methods, computing device readable medium, devices, and systems that utilize a cheek retractor and/or a mobile device holder for case assessment and/or dental treatments.

Systems for tracking progress of an orthodontic procedure

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

The present disclosure provides methods, computing device readable medium, devices, and systems that utilize a cheek retractor and/or a mobile device holder for case assessment and/or dental treatments. One cheek retractor includes a first and a second lip holder, both including imaging markers of a predetermined size to determine a scale of teeth of a user, where each imaging marker is located a predefined distance from the remaining imaging markers, and where the lip holder is to hold a cheek away from a mouth of a user to expose teeth of the user. A mobile device holder can include elements to receive a mobile device to capture images of the patient's teeth.

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

Two or more adjacent teeth in a virtual model are determined. The two or more adjacent teeth include a first tooth adjacent to a second tooth in the virtual model. The virtual filler is inserted in the virtual model between the first tooth and the second tooth. Points in the virtual model are selected. The points and the virtual filler are transformed into a voxel volume. A geometry of an updated virtual filler is determined by transforming a surface of the voxel volume into a polygonal mesh.

System and methods herein determine two or more adjacent teeth in a virtual model. The system and methods determine a characteristic of the teeth indicative of a spatial relationship between the teeth. The system and methods further determine that the characteristic satisfies a criterion for a virtual filler. The system and methods determine a geometry of the virtual filler based on the spatial relationship between the teeth.

Virtual fillers

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.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Stephan Albert Alexandre Dumothier