US 11,986,370 B2
Patterned dental positioning appliances
Chunhua Li, Cupertino, 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 Aug. 20, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/445,544.
Application 14/991,599 is a division of application No. 12/771,690, filed on Apr. 30, 2010, granted, now 9,241,774, issued on Jan. 26, 2016.
Application 17/445,544 is a continuation of application No. 16/680,333, filed on Nov. 11, 2019, granted, now 11,103,329.
Application 16/680,333 is a continuation of application No. 14/991,599, filed on Jan. 8, 2016, granted, now 10,524,881, issued on Jan. 7, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0378795 A1, Dec. 9, 2021
Int. Cl. A61C 7/08 (2006.01)
CPC A61C 7/08 (2013.01) [Y10T 29/49568 (2015.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A removable dental positioning appliance, comprising:
a shell, comprising:
one or more cavities shaped to receive and exert repositioning forces on one or more teeth of a subject's dentition, an inner surface of at least a portion of the one or more cavities including a raised mesh pattern arranged to contact one or more teeth within the at least a portion of the one or more cavities, the raised mesh pattern arranged to impart a contact force that affects one or more of a direction, a duration and a magnitude of the repositioning forces exerted on the one or more teeth, wherein the raised mesh pattern is integrally formed with the shell and is made of the same polymer material as the shell.