US 12,076,211 B2
Manufacture of patient-specific orthodontic tube
Samuel VanNoy, Somerville, MA (US); Dylan Winchell, Somerville, MA (US); Kelsey A. Fafara, Watertown, MA (US); Oisin Duggan, Somerville, MA (US); and Alfred Charles Griffin, III, Lynnfield, MA (US)
Assigned to LightForce Orthodontics, Inc., Burlington, MA (US)
Filed by LightForce Orthodontics, Inc., Burlington, MA (US)
Filed on May 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/827,524.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/318,954, filed on Mar. 11, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/195,052, filed on May 30, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0378553 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 64/393 (2017.01); A61C 7/00 (2006.01); A61C 7/28 (2006.01); A61C 9/00 (2006.01); A61C 13/34 (2006.01); B28B 1/00 (2006.01); B28B 17/00 (2006.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01); B29L 31/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61C 7/282 (2013.01) [A61C 7/002 (2013.01); A61C 9/004 (2013.01); A61C 13/34 (2013.01); B28B 1/001 (2013.01); B28B 17/0081 (2013.01); B29C 64/393 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12); B29L 2031/753 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of manufacturing customized orthodontic tubes for patients, the method comprising:
obtaining a three-dimensional (3D) model of one or more teeth of a patient;
generating a 3D model of an orthodontic tube structure using the 3D model of the one or more teeth of the patient, the orthodontic tube structure comprising a curved gingival base edge, the base edge being curved to approximate a gingival margin of a tooth of the patient; and
using an additive manufacturing device to produce a customized orthodontic tube based on the 3D model of the orthodontic tube structure.