US 11,890,160 B2
Protruding aligner hooks
Eric Kuo, San Jose, CA (US); Artem Borovinskih, Union City, CA (US); and Shiva Sambu, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Assigned to ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Align Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 1, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/115,987.
Application 14/951,245 is a division of application No. 12/772,130, filed on Apr. 30, 2010, abandoned.
Application 18/115,987 is a continuation of application No. 17/884,972, filed on Aug. 10, 2022.
Application 17/884,972 is a continuation of application No. 17/227,158, filed on Apr. 9, 2021, granted, now 11,471,250, issued on Oct. 18, 2022.
Application 17/227,158 is a continuation of application No. 17/163,144, filed on Jan. 29, 2021.
Application 17/163,144 is a continuation of application No. 16/285,004, filed on Feb. 25, 2019, granted, now 10,912,627, issued on Feb. 9, 2021.
Application 16/285,004 is a continuation of application No. 14/951,245, filed on Nov. 24, 2015, granted, now 10,271,923, issued on Apr. 30, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0200939 A1, Jun. 29, 2023
Int. Cl. G06T 15/00 (2011.01); A61C 7/00 (2006.01); A61C 7/08 (2006.01); G06F 30/20 (2020.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01); A61C 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61C 7/002 (2013.01) [A61C 7/08 (2013.01); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12); G06F 30/20 (2020.01); A61C 9/0046 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of planning an orthodontic treatment, the method comprising:
receiving an initial dentition model of a patient's teeth in an initial arrangement;
determining a target arrangement for the patient's teeth;
generating an orthodontic treatment plan, wherein the orthodontic treatment plan comprises a plurality of incremental arrangements to sequentially reposition the patient's teeth from the initial arrangement towards the target arrangement;
determining, for at least one of the plurality of incremental arrangements, geometries corresponding to a pair of orthodontic aligners, wherein the geometries for the pair of orthodontic aligners comprises:
a first plurality of teeth-receiving cavities corresponding to an upper aligner, wherein the first plurality of teeth-receiving cavities are configured to receive at least a portion of the patient's upper dentition;
a first protrusion extending buccally from the first plurality of teeth-receiving cavities;
a second plurality of teeth-receiving cavities corresponding to a lower aligner, wherein the second plurality of teeth-receiving cavities are configured to receive at least a portion of the patient's lower dentition;
a second protrusion extending buccally from the second plurality of teeth-receiving cavities;
fabricating the pair of orthodontic aligners based on the geometries determined, wherein fabricating the pair of orthodontic aligners comprises:
forming the first plurality of teeth-receiving cavities and the first protrusion together;
removing material from the first protrusion to form a first hook;
forming the second plurality of teeth-receiving cavities, the second protrusion together;
removing material from the second protrusion to form a second hook;
wherein the first hook is configured to receive a first end of an elastic band, and the second hook is configured to receive a second end of the elastic band;
wherein securing the elastic band at the first hook and the second hook provides tooth-moving forces as part of the orthodontic treatment plan;
wherein the geometry for the upper aligner comprises a locally reinforced portion connected with the first protrusion; and
wherein the locally reinforced portion comprises a curved geometry.