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.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 18, 2008
Filed:
Apr. 25, 2005
Ross J. Miller, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Eric Kuo, Foster City, CA (US);
Daniel E. Falvey, Tracy, CA (US);
Andrew H. Trosien, Tracy, CA (US);
Ross J. Miller, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Eric Kuo, Foster City, CA (US);
Daniel E. Falvey, Tracy, CA (US);
Andrew H. Trosien, Tracy, CA (US);
Align Technology, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides methods and devices for determining an axis of upper and lower jaw articulation of a patient and modeling jaw movement about such an axis, particularly with the use of computerized visual images. The methods comprise providing digital data sets of tooth and bite configuration information which may be used to determine an estimated condylar axis of rotation for a patient. A number of data sets may be acquired and utilized for such estimations. Data sets may be obtained with the use of bite registers. Such registers may be formed by a number of methods and device designs of the present invention. The resulting digital data sets and axis of articulation may then be utilized to generate animated visual images of a patient's jaws in various bite configurations throughout a given rotation around the determined axis. Accuracy of such dynamic imaging, in addition to the determination of the location of the condylar axis, may increase with the number of bite configurations recorded throughout the rotation.