US 11,690,698 B2
Orthodontic aligner with isolated segments
Peter Webber, Lafayette, CA (US); Jennifer C. Chen, Alhambra, CA (US); and Yan Chen, Cupertino, CA (US)
Assigned to Align Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Align Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on May 6, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/313,990.
Application 17/313,990 is a continuation of application No. 16/158,140, filed on Oct. 11, 2018, granted, now 11,000,351.
Application 16/158,140 is a continuation of application No. 14/539,725, filed on Nov. 12, 2014, granted, now 10,111,730, issued on Oct. 30, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0259811 A1, Aug. 26, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61C 7/00 (2006.01); A61C 7/08 (2006.01); A61C 7/36 (2006.01)
CPC A61C 7/08 (2013.01) [A61C 7/002 (2013.01); A61C 7/36 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An orthodontic aligner comprising:
a first plastic segment having a first shape that fits over a first portion of a dental arch of a patient, wherein the first plastic segment is configured to apply a force to a first set of teeth in the first portion of the dental arch;
a second plastic segment having a second shape that fits over a second portion of the dental arch of the patient; and
a connector that joins the first plastic segment to the second plastic segment, wherein the connector is configured to be disposed along a lingual side of one or more additional teeth of the patient without exerting a clinically significant force on the one or more additional teeth, wherein the connector spans a gap between the first plastic segment and the second plastic segment, the gap corresponding to the one or more additional teeth that are not to receive the clinically significant force, and wherein the connector comprises a flexible material that will perform at least one of flex, move or change shape responsive to applied forces.