US 12,133,785 B2
Process for fabricating a digital bite opening appliance during orthodontic treatment
Alfred Charles Griffin, III, Lynnfield, MA (US); Dylan Winchell, Canton, MA (US); and Alexander Yarmarkovich, Swampscott, MA (US)
Assigned to LightForce Orthodontics, Inc., Burlington, MA (US)
Filed by LightForce Orthodontics, Inc, Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed on Sep. 18, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/025,312.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/048,769, filed on Jul. 7, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/902,131, filed on Sep. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0077227 A1, Mar. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. A61C 7/00 (2006.01); A61B 6/40 (2024.01); A61B 6/51 (2024.01); A61C 7/10 (2006.01); A61C 9/00 (2006.01); B33Y 50/00 (2015.01); G06F 30/00 (2020.01); G06F 30/12 (2020.01)
CPC A61C 7/10 (2013.01) [A61B 6/4085 (2013.01); A61B 6/51 (2024.01); A61C 7/002 (2013.01); A61C 9/0006 (2013.01); B33Y 50/00 (2014.12); G06F 30/00 (2020.01); G06F 30/12 (2020.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
using a computer system comprising a processor, memory accessible by the processor, and computer program instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to perform:
receiving three dimensional (3D) model data describing a plurality of teeth, including one or more lower teeth and one or more upper teeth, and a lower jaw of a person;
virtually placing a 3D model of an orthodontic appliance on a first tooth of the plurality of teeth according to an orthodontic treatment plan for the person;
identifying a hinge axis of the lower jaw of the person in three dimensional space by approximating the hinge axis using the 3D model data describing the lower jaw;
virtually positioning the one or more lower teeth relative to the one or more upper teeth using the 3D model data and the virtually placed orthodontic appliance by rotating the lower jaw about the identified hinge axis an amount sufficient to produce a clearance of at least a predetermined amount between the orthodontic appliance virtually placed on the first tooth and a second tooth of the plurality of teeth;
virtually placing, according to the person's orthodontic treatment plan and 3D model data, a 3D model of at least one Bite Opening Device on one or more teeth of the plurality of teeth so as to set the clearance between the second tooth and the orthodontic appliance as a minimum clearance;
generating data defining a bonding tray to fit over at least some of the plurality of teeth and the at least one Bite Opening Device based on the virtual placement of the 3D model of the at least one Bite Opening Device on the one or more teeth, the bonding tray including a void corresponding to the virtually placed Bite Opening Device, the generated data defining the bonding tray to be used for manufacturing the bonding tray using additive manufacturing; and
manufacturing the bonding tray using additive manufacturing based on the generated data defining the bonding tray.