logo

For the Inventor, By the Inventor

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Patent No.:

US 12616556 B1

PDFFull Text
Date of Patent:
May. 05, 2026

Filed:

Mar. 11, 2021

Methods for direct fabrication of appliances for palate expansion

Applicant:

Align Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US);

Inventors:

Chunhua Li, Cupertino, CA (US);

Avi Kopelman, Palo Alto, CA (US);

Srinivas Kaza, San Francisco, CA (US);

Ryan Kimura, San Jose, CA (US);

Yaser Shanjani, Sunnyvale, CA (US);

Assignee:

Align Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US);

Attorney:

Shay Glenn LLP

Primary Examiner:

Thomas C Barrett

Assistant Examiner:

Matthew P Saunders

Int. Cl.
CPC ...
A61C 7/00 (2006.01); A44C 15/00 (2006.01); A61C 7/08 (2006.01); A61C 7/10 (2006.01); A61C 13/00 (2006.01); A61C 19/06 (2006.01); B23K 26/362 (2014.01); B29C 64/386 (2017.01); B44C 1/22 (2006.01); G06Q 30/0601 (2023.01); G16H 20/40 (2018.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/00 (2015.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
A61C 7/002 (2013.01); A44C 15/007 (2013.01); A61C 7/08 (2013.01); A61C 7/10 (2013.01); A61C 13/0019 (2013.01); A61C 19/066 (2013.01); B23K 26/362 (2013.01); B29C 64/386 (2017.08); B44C 1/227 (2013.01); B44C 1/228 (2013.01); G06Q 30/0621 (2013.01); G06Q 30/0643 (2013.01); G16H 20/40 (2018.01); A61C 13/0013 (2013.01); A61C 2201/007 (2013.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/00 (2014.12); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12);
Abstract

Methods for fabricating orthodontic appliances for expansion of the palate of a patient are provided. Methods may comprise receiving scan data of a patient's upper arch and palate, determining an amount of force to expand the patient's palate in response to the scan data, determining a shape profile of an orthodontic appliance for engaging the patient's teeth, and determining one or more of a force-generating or a resilient structure to provide the force. Methods of generating instructions for and direct fabrication of the orthodontic appliance with the teeth engaging structure and the force generating or resilient structures are also provided.

Find Patent Forward Citations

Loading…