US 12,226,284 B2
Generating a virtual 3D model of a mold
Peter Webber, Lafayette, CA (US); Rohit Tanugula, San Jose, CA (US); Shiva P. Sambu, Milpitas, CA (US); and Crystal Tjhia, Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Assigned to Align Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Align Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 2, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/890,746.
Application 15/913,188 is a division of application No. 14/716,601, filed on May 19, 2015, granted, now 9,943,386, issued on Apr. 17, 2018.
Application 16/890,746 is a continuation of application No. 15/913,188, filed on Mar. 6, 2018, granted, now 10,702,357.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/001,489, filed on May 21, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2020/0360117 A1, Nov. 19, 2020
Int. Cl. A61C 9/00 (2006.01); A61C 7/00 (2006.01); A61C 7/08 (2006.01); B29C 33/38 (2006.01); B29C 33/44 (2006.01); B29C 33/50 (2006.01); B29C 51/34 (2006.01); B29L 31/00 (2006.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/00 (2015.01)
CPC A61C 9/00 (2013.01) [A61C 7/002 (2013.01); A61C 7/08 (2013.01); A61C 9/0046 (2013.01); B29C 33/3835 (2013.01); B29C 33/448 (2013.01); B29C 33/50 (2013.01); B29C 51/34 (2013.01); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12); B29L 2031/753 (2013.01); B29L 2031/757 (2013.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/00 (2014.12)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of making a virtual three-dimensional (3D) model of a mold of a plurality of teeth of a dental arch, the method comprising:
designing, by a processing device coupled to memory, the mold for thermoforming a dental appliance, wherein the designing comprises:
determining, by the processing device, a first section of the mold, the first section being of at least a portion of one or more first teeth of the plurality of teeth of the dental arch;
determining, by the processing device, a second section of the mold, the second section being of at least a portion of one or more second teeth of the plurality of teeth of the dental arch; and
determining, by the processing device, configurations of a weakened region that joins the first section to the second section, wherein the weakened region is breakable or deflectable in response to a first threshold force to enable the first section to be removed from a shell after the shell is formed over the mold, the first threshold force being less than a second threshold force that would damage or permanently deform the shell, and wherein the weakened region is located relative to a feature corresponding to one or more of crowded teeth, a proclined tooth, a retroclined tooth, an ectopic tooth, or an out-of-arch tooth; and
generating the virtual 3D model of the mold.