US 12,329,601 B2
Flexible 3D printed orthodontic device with flexible arms
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. 17/249,254.
Application 17/249,254 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 2021/0259812 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)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An orthodontic device, comprising:
a registration element comprising a first reduced registration surface sized and shaped to fit a first surface of a first tooth, the first reduced registration surface comprises a plurality of extension elements and a plurality of clearance portions, each extension element of the plurality of extension elements extending toward the first surface of the first tooth when the registration element is placed on the first tooth, the plurality of extension elements being configured to contact the first tooth at a plurality of locations between a first side of the first tooth and a second side of the first tooth, each of the plurality of extension elements comprising a contact surface, each contact surface shaped to match the first surface of the first tooth at respective contact locations on the tooth, each of the plurality of clearance portions being between adjacent extension elements and including a clearance surface set back from the first surface of the first tooth when the registration element is placed on the first tooth; and
a first flexible arm extending from the registration element on a lingual side, the first flexible arm having a connected end and a distal end, the distal end configured to extend at least part way over the first tooth and apply a lingual force to bias the registration element against the first tooth.