US 12,226,281 B2
Flexible 3D printed orthodontic device with attachment supports
Siobhan O'Leary, Santa Clara, CA (US); Peter Webber, San Mateo, CA (US); Jun Sato, San Jose, CA (US); Crystal Tjhia, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Jessica H. Schiltz, San Jose, CA (US); Jeremy Riley, Mountain View, CA (US); Ken Wu, San Jose, CA (US); Kangning Su, Arlington, VA (US); Yuxiang Wang, Newark, CA (US); Zhaonan Sun, Charlottesville, VA (US); and Andrei Soldatov, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Assigned to ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 25, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/249,253.
Application 17/249,253 is a continuation of application No. 17/249,218, filed on Feb. 24, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/980,680, filed on Feb. 24, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0259810 A1, Aug. 26, 2021
Int. Cl. A61C 7/08 (2006.01); A61C 7/00 (2006.01); A61C 7/14 (2006.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01)
CPC A61C 7/08 (2013.01) [A61C 7/002 (2013.01); A61C 7/146 (2013.01); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An orthodontic device, comprising:
a plurality of attachments shaped to interact with and to impart forces using an interior surface of an aligner;
a plurality of registration elements;
a plurality of first flexible arms extending from a lingual side of the plurality of registration elements, each first flexible arm of the plurality of first flexible arms having a connected end and a distal end, the distal end configured to extend at least part way over a respective tooth and apply a lingual force to bias a respective registration element of the plurality of registration elements against the respective tooth;
a plurality of attachment supports located on a buccal side of the plurality of registration elements, wherein each attachment support of the plurality of supports comprises an attachment frame that is integrally formed with and releasably coupled to a respective one of the plurality of attachments; and
a tool notch for receiving a dental tool, the tool notch formed in a tooth contacting surface of the attachment frame that is configured to directly contact the tooth when worn by a patient and wherein the tool notch is located at an outer perimeter of the attachment frame, wherein the tool notch includes a surface that faces the tooth and defines a portion of the tool notch.