阅读说明：本技术 具有隔离部分的正畸校准器 (Orthodontic aligner with standoff portions ) 是由 彼得·韦伯 詹尼弗·C·陈 陈妍 于 2015-11-11 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种分段正畸校准器,至少包括第一区段和第二区段。每个区段均成形为配合在患者的一组牙齿上。分段的校准器还包括将第一区段结合至第二区段的连接器。连接器隔离第一区段与第二区段之间的力的传递。(A segmented orthodontic aligner comprising at least a first segment and a second segment. Each section is shaped to fit over a set of teeth of a patient. The segmented aligner further includes a connector that couples the first segment to the second segment. The connector isolates the transfer of force between the first section and the second section.)

1. A plastic orthodontic aligner having a plurality of cavities shaped to receive at least some of a plurality of teeth of a patient, the plastic orthodontic aligner comprising:

a first section corresponding to a first subset of the plurality of cavities for moving a first subset of the plurality of teeth of a patient;

a second section corresponding to a second subset of the plurality of cavities; and

a connector formed by removing a first portion of the plastic orthodontic aligner between the first segment of the plastic orthodontic aligner and the second segment of the plastic orthodontic aligner, wherein the connector is configured to minimize force transmission between the first segment and the second segment, wherein the connector is configured to be disposed along one or more other teeth of a patient to span a gap between the first segment and the second segment without applying clinically significant forces to the one or more other teeth.

2. The plastic orthodontic aligner of claim 1, wherein the connector has at least one of a lower rigidity and a greater flexibility than the first and second segments.

3. The plastic orthodontic aligner of claim 1, wherein the connector is configured to not contact labial or buccal sides of the one or more other teeth.

4. The plastic orthodontic aligner of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the plastic orthodontic aligner corresponds to a labial or buccal region of the one or more other teeth, wherein the connector spans a gap between the first segment and the second segment without applying a lingual force to the one or more other teeth.

5. The plastic orthodontic aligner of claim 1, wherein the connector is configured to not contact a lingual or palatal side of the one or more other teeth.

6. The plastic orthodontic aligner of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the plastic orthodontic aligner corresponds to a lingual or palatal region of the one or more other teeth, wherein the connector spans a gap between the first segment and the second segment without applying a buccal force to the one or more other teeth.

7. The plastic orthodontic aligner of claim 1, wherein,

the one or more other teeth include one or more anterior teeth; and is

At least one of the first subset of the plurality of teeth or the second subset of the plurality of teeth includes more than one posterior tooth.

8. A method, comprising:

forming, by a processing apparatus, a plastic orthodontic aligner, wherein the plastic orthodontic aligner has a plurality of cavities shaped to receive at least some of a plurality of teeth of a patient, wherein a first segment of the plastic orthodontic aligner corresponds to a first subset of the plurality of cavities for moving the first subset of the plurality of teeth of the patient; and wherein a second segment of the plastic orthodontic aligner corresponds to a second subset of the plurality of cavities; and

removing, by the treatment apparatus, a first portion of the plastic orthodontic aligner between the first segment of the plastic orthodontic aligner and the second segment of the plastic orthodontic aligner to form a connector to minimize force transmission between the first segment and the second segment, wherein the connector is configured to be disposed along one or more other teeth of a patient to span a gap between the first segment and the second segment without applying clinically significant force to the one or more other teeth.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the connector has at least one of a lower rigidity and a greater flexibility than the first and second sections.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the connector is configured to not contact a labial or buccal side of the one or more other teeth.

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of orthodontics, and in particular, to a plastic orthodontic aligner.

Background

Orthodontic procedures typically involve repositioning a patient's teeth to a desired alignment to correct malocclusions and/or improve aesthetics. To achieve these objectives, appliances such as orthopedic braces, retainers, plastic aligners (also known as shell aligners), and the like can be applied to a patient's teeth by an orthodontist. The appliance is configured to apply a force to one or more teeth to achieve a desired tooth movement. The application of force can be adjusted by the practitioner (e.g., by replacing the appliances or using different types of appliances) in stages to incrementally reposition the teeth to the desired arrangement.

Drawings

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 illustrates a segmented plastic orthodontic aligner according to one embodiment.

Fig. 2 illustrates a segmented plastic orthodontic aligner according to another embodiment.

Fig. 3 illustrates a segmented plastic orthodontic aligner according to another embodiment.

Fig. 4 illustrates a segmented plastic orthodontic aligner according to another embodiment.

Fig. 5 illustrates a plastic orthodontic aligner according to another embodiment.

Fig. 6 illustrates a pair of plastic orthodontic aligners designed to apply force to the upper posterior teeth and not to the upper anterior teeth, according to another embodiment.

Fig. 7 illustrates a flow chart of an embodiment of a method of orthodontic treatment using an aligner sequence.

FIG. 8 illustrates a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method for manufacturing a segmented aligner having a connector that isolates force transmission between segments.

FIG. 9 illustrates a flow diagram of another embodiment of a method for manufacturing a segmented aligner having connectors that isolate force transmission between segments.

FIG. 10 shows a flow diagram of another embodiment of a method for manufacturing a segmented aligner having a connector that isolates force transmission between segments.

FIG. 11 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary computing device, according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

In some cases, it may be desirable to isolate the forces applied to different sets of teeth. The underlying plastic aligner may not be able to effectively isolate forces between different sets of teeth (e.g., between the anterior and posterior teeth). The examples described herein are: an orthodontic aligner having segments joined by connectors that isolate forces between the segments (e.g., isolate the segments such that no or only a small force is applied between the segments); and methods of making and using such orthodontic aligners. The transfer of force between the segments can be reduced as compared to the transfer of force between different portions of a non-segmented orthodontic aligner. As described below, the segments and connectors can be manufactured separately and provided as separate elements, or separate from a larger aligner. The orthodontic aligners described herein, along with associated systems and methods, can be employed as part of an orthodontic treatment procedure to reposition one or more teeth, maintain a current position of one or more teeth, or suitable combinations thereof. The orthodontic aligner can include a plurality of separate shell segments each including a cavity shaped to receive at least a portion of a patient's teeth, the plurality of separate shell segments joined by a resilient, rigid, or semi-rigid connector to form a single aligner shell. The geometry, configuration, and material properties of the housing segments and/or connectors are selected to minimize or eliminate the transfer of forces between the segments. For example, the connector may be designed to prevent clinically significant forces from being applied to the one or more teeth through sections that do not cover the one or more teeth. Clinically significant forces are forces sufficient to alter the position or alignment of teeth. This enables separate and independent forces to be applied to the teeth covered by each segment without interference or counter forces from other segments. In addition, the segmented aligner disclosed herein can accommodate larger tooth movements than conventional non-segmented aligners in some cases, thereby reducing the number of different aligners used to complete the performance of orthodontic treatment. In some cases, the transfer of force in some directions may be minimized or eliminated without affecting the transfer of force in other directions. For example, distal or mesial forces may be minimized without reducing other forces between the segments.

In some cases, the stiffness of the individual housing sections is greater than the stiffness of the connector. This can create an isolated force system and can treat more than one particular tooth without exerting a reactive force on the other teeth. The segmented aligner, combined by the force isolating connector, may improve the treatment of certain malocclusions where it is preferred that the separated forces treat the separated groups of teeth.

The housing sections may vary in design. In some cases, more than one individual shell section forming the aligner may be configured to receive only a single tooth. In some cases, more than one individual shell segment may be configured to span or receive multiple teeth. The aligner may include segments of the same type or different types for a plurality of teeth spanned or received by the segments. For example, the appliance may include some shell sections that span or receive a single tooth, and some shell sections that span or receive multiple teeth. Connectors having different shapes, material compositions and designs may be used. The same or different types of connectors may be used between each pair of adjacent sections.

The aligners described herein may be included in a series of aligners to provide an orthodontic system for positioning teeth. Such orthodontic systems can include a series of orthodontic aligners, wherein each aligner includes a shell having one or more cavities shaped to receive at least a portion of a tooth. The aligner may be sequentially worn by the patient to move one or more teeth from the first arrangement to the second arrangement. As described herein, more than one aligner may be segmented and include connectors that join the segments.

Turning now to the drawings, fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary tooth repositioning appliance or orthodontic aligner 100 that can be worn by a patient to achieve progressive repositioning of individual teeth 102 in the jaw. The orthodontic aligner 100 can include a housing (e.g., a continuous light-transmissive polymer housing or a segmented housing) having tooth receiving cavities that receive and resiliently reposition the teeth 102. The orthodontic aligner 100 or a portion of the orthodontic aligner 100 can be manufactured indirectly using a physical model or mold of the teeth 102. For example, the aligner can be formed using a physical model of the tooth 102 and a plate of an appropriate layer of polymeric material. In some cases, the calibrator 100 is fabricated directly from a digital model of the calibrator, for example, using rapid prototyping fabrication techniques. The aligner 100 can fit over all of the teeth 102, or less than all of the teeth 102, present in the upper or lower jaw. The aligner 100 can be specifically designed to accommodate a patient's teeth (e.g., the topography of the tooth receiving cavities matches the topography of the patient's teeth), and the aligner 100 can be manufactured based on positive and negative models of the patient's teeth generated by stamping, scanning, etc. Alternatively, the aligner 100 can be a universal aligner configured to receive teeth, and need not be shaped to match the topography of the patient's teeth.

In some cases, only certain teeth received by the aligner are to be repositioned by the aligner, while other teeth can provide a base or anchoring region to hold the aligner in place while the aligner applies force to one or more repositioned target teeth. In some cases, at some point during treatment, many or most or even all of the teeth will be repositioned. The moved teeth can also serve as a base or anchor point for holding the aligner while the patient is wearing the aligner. Typically, no wires or other means are provided to hold the aligner in place on the teeth. However, in some instances, it may be desirable to provide individual attachments or other anchoring elements (not shown) on the teeth 102 that correspond to receptacles or small openings (not shown) in the orthodontic aligner 100 so that the aligner can apply a selected force to the teeth.

As shown, the orthodontic aligner 100 includes a first segment 105 and a second segment 110 separated by a connector 115. In the example shown, the first section 105, the second section 110, and the connector 115 are all parts of a single continuous plastic body or housing. There may be a gap or clearance between the first section 105 and the second section 110, and the gap may be maintained by the connector 115. However, the portion of the calibrator 100 constituting the connector 115 may have lower rigidity and/or greater flexibility than the first section 105 and the second section 110. Alternatively or additionally, the geometry of the connector 115 may be configured to not contact or to have little contact with a particular portion of one or more teeth. For example, the connector 115 may not contact the labial side of the anterior teeth (the teeth that the connector 115 may span). This lower rigidity, higher flexibility, and/or geometry results from having cut the aligner 100 to remove portions of the aligner 100 that may cover the buccal region of the anterior teeth of the patient. The reduced rigidity, greater flexibility, and/or geometry of the aligner 100 at the connector 115 serves to isolate, reduce, or eliminate force transfer between the first section 105 and the second section 110. For example, lingual forces cannot be applied to the anterior teeth because the aligner has been cut so as not to cover the buccal region of the anterior teeth. Even if the anterior teeth covered by the first section 105 and the second section 110 are affected by the force for distancing, it is possible to ensure that no distal force is applied to the anterior teeth.

By way of non-limiting example, segments 105, 110 are shown that each receive a plurality of teeth. However, in some cases, a segment may be configured to receive only one tooth. In further embodiments, the orthodontic aligner may include a segment spanning a single tooth, a segment spanning multiple teeth, and combinations thereof. In the aligner configuration, the segment spanning a single tooth and the segment spanning multiple teeth are not limited to any particular location within the arch, but can be selected locations in the appliance design.

The connector 115 can be permanently fixed to the housing sections 105, 110 such that the housing sections 105, 110 cannot be detached from each other non-destructively. Instead, the connector 115 may be removable from the housing sections 105, 110. In one embodiment, the connector 115 functions to prevent the danger of choking that may be caused by the segments upon disconnection.

Fig. 2 illustrates a segmented plastic orthodontic aligner 200 according to another embodiment. Similar to calibrator 100, calibrator 200 includes a first section and a second section 210 joined by a connector 215. As with the calibrator 100, the connector 215 in the calibrator 200 is formed by cutting out a part of the body of the calibrator 200. However, in the aligner 200, a portion of the aligner that may come into contact with the lingual or palatal region of the anterior teeth of the patient is cut. Thus, the buccal force can be prevented from being transmitted to the anterior teeth. Such forces can be avoided for the anterior teeth even in the case of forces applied to the posterior teeth.

Fig. 3 illustrates a segmented plastic orthodontic aligner 300 according to another embodiment. Calibrator 300 includes a first section 305, a second section 310, and a third section 315. The first section 305 and the third section 315 are joined by a first connector 320. Similarly, the second section 310 is joined with the third section 315 by a second connector 325. The first connector 320 and the second connector 325 may be elastomers (e.g., elastomeric adhesives), semi-rigid materials including thermoset and thermoplastic materials, semi-rigid metallic connectors, and the like. In one embodiment, the first connector 320 and the second connector 325 are elastomers having a shore a hardness of 20 to a80 and a modulus of elasticity of about 100 pounds per square inch (psi) to about 100000 psi. In one embodiment, the first connector 320 and the second connector 325 are semi-rigid thermoset or thermoplastic materials having a shore D30 to D80 hardness and an elastic modulus of about 100000psi to about 350000 psi. In one embodiment, the first connector 320 and the second connector 325 are made of metal (e.g., wire, metal tape, etc.). In one embodiment, the connectors 320, 325 are formed from an elastic adhesive (e.g., an elastomeric adhesive) that effectively bonds the segments using elastic bonding. In another embodiment, the connectors 320, 325 are formed of polyurethane elastomer (PTE). In another embodiment, the connectors 320, 325 are formed of plastic, metal (e.g., archwire), and/or other materials. The connectors 320, 325 may be resilient, completely rigid, connected with pivots, and/or connected with geometries that transmit some directional forces but not others.

The connectors 320, 325 may be formed from a single material or from multiple materials. The material may be arranged in one or more layers. For example, multiple layers of different materials or multiple layers of the same material may be used to form the connectors 320, 325. The properties, such as toughness, resilience, hardness/softness, color, etc., of the material used to form the connectors 320, 325 can be determined based at least in part on the material selected, the shape of the material, the size of the material, the layer of material, and/or the thickness of the material. In one embodiment, the connectors 320, 325 are formed from a resilient material, such as an elastomeric material.

In some cases, the connectors 320, 325 can be configured such that more than one property is uniform along the length of the connector or a portion of the connector. In addition, more than one property of the connector may vary along the length or a portion of the connector. For example, the connectors 320, 325 may have a substantially uniform thickness along a length or portion, or may have a varying thickness along a length or portion. As will be appreciated, the characteristics of the connector may be selected to reduce or eliminate the transfer of forces between different sections of the aligner or between different sets of teeth.

In the illustrated example aligner 300, the connectors 320, 325 operate to reduce or eliminate the transfer of forces between the left and right posterior and anterior teeth of the patient. This enables the posterior teeth to be distalized as a unit while the discrete movement can be applied to the anterior teeth (e.g., to the patient's incisors). Alternatively, mesial force may be applied to the posterior teeth without applying mesial force to the anterior teeth. The treatment of the posterior teeth will not affect or interfere with the treatment of the posterior teeth. Likewise, treatment of the posterior teeth will not affect or interfere with treatment of the anterior teeth.

Fig. 4 illustrates a segmented plastic orthodontic aligner 400 according to another embodiment. Calibrator 400 includes a first section 405 coupled to a second section 410 by a bridge connector 415. The connector 415 is a semi-rigid material that bends without transferring forces between the first section 405 and the second section 410. The connector 415 may be a pre-formed connector that may be glued or mechanically attached to the segment.

In one embodiment, the sections 405, 410 each include a retention feature sized and shaped to retain an end of the connector 415. For example, the connector 415 may be brought into position in the feature. These features may be designed into calibrator 400. For example, these features may be included in a mold used to form the aligner, such that the aligner includes the features. Alternatively, the features may be formed in (e.g., cut into) the segments and/or attached to the segments after the segments are formed. Some examples of retention features include grooves, ridges, protrusions, depressions, male or female portions of mechanical snaps or locks, and the like. The retention feature can be used to prevent the connector 415 from being accidentally dislodged or released from a desired position, thereby ensuring that the calibrator 400 does not detach or pose a choking hazard.

Fig. 5 illustrates a plastic orthodontic aligner 500 according to another embodiment. The calibrator 500 includes a first section 505, and the first section 505 is coupled to a first side of a third section 515 by a first connector 520. The calibrator 500 further includes a second section 510, and the second section 510 is coupled to a second side of the third section 515 by a second connector 525. The first and second connectors 520, 525 are corrugated connectors having an accordion-like shape. The corrugated construction will bend (flex) before clinically significant force is applied between the segments. Thus, the corrugations between the segments reduce the forces transferred between the segments during treatment. In one embodiment, the corrugated connectors 520, 525 are formed of the same material (e.g., elastomer) as the sections 505 and 515. In one embodiment, as shown, the connectors 520, 525 and the segment 505 and 515 form a single continuous housing body. Alternatively, the connectors 520, 525 may be separate members attached to the section 505 and 515. In such a case, the connector 520, 525 may be the same material as the segment, or a different material. For example, the connector 520 and 525 may be formed of an elastomer.

Fig. 6 illustrates a pair of plastic orthodontic aligners designed to apply force to the upper posterior teeth and not to the upper anterior teeth, according to another embodiment. The pair of calibrators includes an upper calibrator 608 and a lower calibrator 605. The lower calibrator 605 is a conventional, non-segmented calibrator that includes a retention feature 630. As shown, the retention features 630 may be located at molars or other posterior teeth. The retention feature may be a slit, cut, groove, protrusion, or other feature capable of securing an end of the elastic band 635 (e.g., such as a rubber band). Instead, the lower aligner 605 may include discontinuities such as cuts, flaps, apertures (e.g., openings, windows, slits, slots, etc.) rather than retention features. The retention feature may be bonded directly to the patient's tooth at the site of the discontinuity. The discontinuities may expose the retention features when the patient wears the aligner 605.

The upper calibrator 605 is a segmented calibrator that includes a first segment 610 and a second segment 615 joined by a connector 620. The first section 610 includes a retention feature 625 to secure the second end of the elastic band 635. As shown, the retention features 625 may be located at the location of the canine or other anterior teeth. Instead, the first calibrator 610 may include discontinuities, such as cuts, wings, apertures (e.g., openings, windows, slits, slots, etc.), rather than retention features. The retention feature may be bonded directly to the patient's tooth at the site of the discontinuity. The disconnected body may expose the retention feature when the patient wears the calibrator 608.

The elastic band 635 may apply a distal force to the first segment and, thus, to a set of teeth covered by the first segment 610. A similar elastic band may extend between additional retention features on the second section 615 and the lower aligner 605 and may apply a distal force to the second section to apply to a set of teeth covered by the second section 615. The connector 620 may isolate the force so that no force is applied to any of the upper anterior teeth of the patient. In alternative embodiments, the retention feature 625 may be located on the upper posterior teeth and the retention feature 630 may be located on the lower anterior teeth. In such a configuration, the mesial force may be applied to the second section 615, rather than to the first section 610.

In alternative examples, the upper and/or lower aligners may be any of the segmented aligners described herein. For example, the upper calibrator may be similar to calibrator 300 of fig. 3, and may include three sections joined by two connectors, rather than two sections joined by a single connector.

The appliances described herein can be used in combination with one or more attachments mounted on one or more received teeth. Thus, the profile of the shell segments can be tailored to accommodate the attachment (e.g., with suitable receptacles for receiving the attachment). The attaching member can engage the shell segment and/or the resilient member to transmit repositioning forces to the underlying teeth, as previously described herein. Alternatively or additionally, the attachment can be used to hold the appliance on the patient's teeth and prevent the appliance from being inadvertently moved. For example, teeth without an undercut (e.g., center teeth, side teeth) may require an attachment to ensure proper engagement of the attachment on the tooth, while teeth with a natural undercut (e.g., molars) may not require an attachment. The attachment member can be mounted on any suitable portion of the tooth, such as a buccal surface or a lingual surface of the tooth.

Fig. 7 illustrates a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method 700 of orthodontic treatment using an aligner sequence. Method 700 may be implemented using any calibrator or group of calibrators described herein. In block 710, a first orthodontic aligner is applied to a patient's teeth to reposition the teeth from a first tooth arrangement toward a second tooth arrangement. The patient's teeth are arranged such that different forces can be applied to the teeth through different segments. Because the reaction forces from some segments may act to disrupt the forces applied to the teeth by other segments, these forces may be incompatible when using conventional aligners.

At block 720, a second orthodontic aligner is applied to the patient's teeth to reposition the teeth from the second tooth arrangement to a third tooth arrangement. Repositioning of the teeth from the second arrangement to the third arrangement may be accomplished using a conventional aligner (e.g., a non-segmented aligner). Thus, a conventional non-segmented aligner may be used to reposition teeth from the second arrangement to the third arrangement. Alternatively, the second orthodontic aligner may be another segmented aligner that isolates forces of different segments. The second orthodontic aligner may be segmented in the same manner as the first orthodontic aligner or in a different manner than the first orthodontic aligner. For example, a first orthodontic aligner may include two segments separated by a single connector, and a second orthodontic aligner may include three segments each joined by a different connector. For example, different aligners may be segmented to apply forces to different sets of teeth.

The method 700 can be repeated using any suitable number and combination of aligners in a series to incrementally reposition the patient's teeth from the initial arrangement to the target arrangement. All aligners can be generated at the same stage, or in groups or batches (e.g., at the beginning of the treatment), and the patient can wear each aligner until the pressure of each aligner on the teeth can no longer be felt, or until the maximum amount of tooth movement presented for a given stage has been obtained. A plurality of different calibrators (e.g., a set) can be designed and even manufactured before a patient wears any of the calibrators. After wearing the calibrator for a suitable period of time, the patient can replace the current calibrator with the next calibrator in the series until there are no more calibrators. The aligner is typically not fixed to the teeth, and the patient can place and replace the aligner (e.g., a patient-removable aligner) at any time during the therapy session.

The last aligner or aligners in the series may have a geometry selected to be an overcorrected tooth arrangement. For example, the geometry of more than one aligner may be such that (if fully implemented) individual teeth are moved beyond the arrangement of teeth that has been selected as the "final". Such overcorrection may be desirable to counteract potential recurrence after the repositioning method has terminated (e.g., to allow individual teeth to move back toward their pre-corrected positions). Overcorrection may also benefit the rate of straightening (e.g., an aligner with a geometry positioned beyond a desired intermediate or final position may shift an individual tooth toward its position at a greater rate). In such a case, the use of the aligner can be terminated before the teeth reach the positions defined by the aligner. Furthermore, overcorrection may be intentionally applied to compensate for any inaccuracies or limitations of the calibrator.

FIG. 8 illustrates a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method 800 for manufacturing a segmented aligner having connectors that isolate, reduce, or eliminate force transmission between segments. In some embodiments, one or more operations of method 800 are performed by processing logic of a computing device. Processing logic may comprise hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructions executed by a processing device), firmware, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more operations of method 800 may be performed by a computing device, such as computing device 1101 of fig. 11. Additionally, some operations may be performed with a manufacturing machine based on instructions received from processing logic. Or some operations may be performed by a user.

At block 805 of method 800, a mold shape for a dental arch of a patient is determined. The shape may be determined by digitally planning an intermediate or final target arrangement of the patient's teeth and manufacturing an arch mold embodying the intermediate or final target arrangement. Alternatively, the shape may be determined by impressing the dental arch of the patient and creating a mold from the impression. Thus, a mold or model (e.g., a patient's oral cavity, a positive or negative mold of a patient's oral cavity, or a dental impression made from a patient's oral cavity) can be created from an impression or scan of the teeth.

The aligner can be manufactured or designed using more than one physical or digital representation of the patient's teeth. The representation of the patient's teeth may include a representation of a current arrangement of the patient's teeth, and may also include representations of the patient's teeth repositioned in more than one treatment stage. The treatment stage may include a desired or targeted arrangement of the patient's teeth, such as a desired final arrangement of teeth. The treatment stage can also include one or more intermediate arrangements of teeth (e.g., planned intermediate arrangements) that represent the arrangement of the patient's teeth as they travel from a first arrangement (e.g., initial arrangement) toward a second or desired arrangement (e.g., desired final arrangement).

In one embodiment, at block 808, a digital representation of a patient's teeth is received. The digital representation may include surface topography data of the patient's oral cavity, including teeth, gingival tissue, and the like. The surface topography data can be generated by directly scanning the oral cavity, a physical model (positive or negative) of the oral cavity, or an impression of the oral cavity using a suitable scanning device (e.g., a handheld scanner, a desktop scanner, etc.).

In one embodiment, at block 809, more than one treatment stage is generated based on the digital representation of the teeth. The treatment stage may be a progressive repositioning stage of an orthodontic treatment procedure designed to move one or more teeth of the patient from an initial tooth arrangement to a target arrangement. For example, the treatment phase can be generated by: determining an initial tooth arrangement indicated by a digital representation; determining a target tooth arrangement; and determining a path of movement of one or more teeth in the initial arrangement necessary to achieve the target tooth arrangement. The movement path can be optimized based on minimizing the total movement distance, preventing collisions between teeth, avoiding difficult to achieve tooth movement, or any other suitable criteria.

At block 810, a mold is manufactured based on the determined shape. This may include using a three-dimensional virtual model of the dental arch and sending instructions to a rapid prototyping machine (e.g., a three-dimensional printer) to fabricate the mold. In one embodiment, the breakable mold is manufactured using a rapid prototyping manufacturing technique. One example of a rapid prototyping manufacturing technique is 3D printing. 3D printing includes any layer-based additive manufacturing process. The 3D printer may receive input of a 3D virtual model of the mold (e.g., a 3D print file such as a Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) file or a Stereolithography (STL) file), and may create the mold using the 3D virtual model. 3D printing may be accomplished using additional processes, where successive layers of material are formed in a prescribed shape. 3D printing may be performed using extrusion deposition, particulate material bonding, lamination, photopolymerization, or other techniques.

In one embodiment, the SLA mold is fabricated using Stereolithography (SLA), also known as optical fabrication solid imaging technology. In SLA, a mold is made by successively printing on thin layers of light-curable material (e.g., polymer resin) one on top of the other. The platform is located in a pool of liquid photopolymer or resin just below the surface of the pool. A light source (e.g., an ultraviolet laser) traces a pattern on the platform, curing photopolymer directed by the light source to form a first layer of the mold. The platform is progressively lowered and the light source traces a new pattern on the platform to form another layer of the mold in respective increments. This process is repeated until the mold is completely manufactured. Each layer may have a thickness between 25 and 200 microns. Once all the layers of the mold are formed, the mold is cleaned and cured.

At block 815, a plastic orthodontic aligner is formed on the mold. This may include sending instructions to a pressure forming or thermoforming machine to cause a sheet of material to be pressure formed or thermoformed over a mold to form the body of the calibrator. For example, the sheet material may be a sheet of plastic (e.g., an elastic thermoplastic). To thermoform the shell or calibrator on the mold, the sheet of material may be heated to a temperature at which the sheet becomes soft. Pressure may be simultaneously applied to the sheet to form a now soft sheet around the breakable mold. Once the sheet cools, it will have a shape that conforms to the mold. In one embodiment, a release agent (e.g., a non-stick material) is applied to the mold prior to forming the aligner. This may facilitate later removal of the mold from the aligner. The plastic orthodontic aligner may include a first segment and a second segment formed together (e.g., simultaneously formed). In some embodiments, the connector may also be formed with the formation of the first and second sections.

Other exemplary methods for manufacturing the aligner or the individual sections of the aligner and/or the connectors include rapid prototyping, stereolithography, or Computer Numerical Control (CNC) milling. The material of the collimator or the housing section may be light-transmissive, such as a light-transmissive polymer.

At block 820, the plastic orthodontic aligner is cut to divide the aligner into at least two sections separated by a connector. This may include sending instructions to the cutter to cause the cutter to cut the calibrator at specific coordinates. For example, the cutter may be a laser cutter, a plasma cutter, or a milling machine. The at least two segments and the connector are part of a single continuous plastic body. The individual shell segments each include one or more cavities shaped to receive at least a portion of a tooth. The shell segments are collectively capable of receiving a continuous span of teeth. The number and shape of the shell segments can be selected to accommodate desired tooth movement, and the connector can isolate forces to allow different tooth movement of different sets of teeth. The aligner may also be marked and/or adjusted along the tangent line of the gum.

A set of aligners can be manufactured, each shaped to accommodate the tooth arrangement specified by one treatment stage, such that the aligners can be worn sequentially by the patient to incrementally reposition the teeth from the initial arrangement to the target arrangement. The calibrator group may include more than one segmented calibrator described herein. The housing segments and connector properties (e.g., number, geometry, configuration, material properties) of such segmented aligners can be selected to cause the tooth movement specified by the corresponding treatment stage. At least some of these properties can be determined via suitable computing software or other numerical-based methods. The manufacture of the calibrator may involve creating a digital model of the calibrator to be used as input to a computer-controlled manufacturing system.

FIG. 9 illustrates a flow diagram of another embodiment of a method 900 for manufacturing a segmented aligner having connectors that isolate force transmission between segments. In some embodiments, one or more operations of method 900 are performed by processing logic of a computing device. Processing logic may include hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructions executed by a processing device), firmware, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more operations of method 900 may be performed by a computing device, such as computing device 1101 of fig. 11. Additionally, some operations may be performed with a maker based on instructions received from processing logic. Or some operations may be performed by a user (e.g., based on user interaction with a mold modeling module or a drawing program).

At block 905 of method 900, a shape of a mold of a dental arch of a patient is determined. The shape may be determined by digitally planning an intermediate or final target arrangement of the patient's teeth and manufacturing an arch mold embodying the intermediate or final target arrangement. Alternatively, the shape may be determined by taking an impression of the patient's dental arch and creating a mold from the impression. At block 910, a mold is manufactured based on the determined shape (e.g., based on instructions sent to a rapid-prototyping machine). This may include manufacturing a mold using a three-dimensional virtual model of the dental arch and a rapid prototyping machine (e.g., a three-dimensional printer).

At block 915, a plastic orthodontic aligner is formed on the mold (e.g., based on sending instructions to a thermoforming machine or pressure forming machine). In one embodiment, the plastic orthodontic aligner is thermoformed or pressure molded over the mold. Other exemplary methods for manufacturing the aligner or the individual sections of the aligner and/or the connectors include rapid prototyping, stereolithography, or Computer Numerical Control (CNC) milling. The material of the collimator or the housing section may be light-transmissive, such as a light-transmissive polymer. Alternatively, the material may have any other desired color.

At block 920, the plastic orthodontic aligner is cut to divide the aligner into at least two sections separated by a connector (e.g., based on sending instructions to a cutter). The calibrator may be cut using a laser cutter, a plasma cutter, a milling machine or a mechanical cutter. The calibrator is cut to separate the calibrator into separate sections that are not joined.

At block 925, the individual housing sections are joined using a connector (or connectors) to form a single aligner housing. In one embodiment, the instructions are sent to a machine to cause the machine to bond the segments to the connectors. Alternatively, a prompt may be output to the display to instruct the user to manually connect the segment to the connector. The connector may be an elastomeric material. Alternatively, the connector may be a plastic such as a semi-rigid plastic. Other resilient or semi-rigid materials may also be used. In many embodiments, the connector is optically transparent. The connectors may be provided as strips, tapes, sheets, grids, coatings, layers, tubes, elastomeric gels or suitable combinations thereof, and may be made of any suitable material. Exemplary methods of making the elastic member include extrusion, rapid prototyping, spraying, thermoforming, or suitable combinations thereof. The characteristics of the connector (e.g., length, width, thickness, area, shape, cross-section, stiffness, etc.) may be uniform throughout the entirety of the resilient material, or may be variable. For example, different portions of the connector may have different thicknesses, thereby changing the local compliance of the aligner. Further, in some cases, the connector may have anisotropic properties. As an example, the connector may be relatively compliant along a first direction and less compliant (or non-compliant) along a second direction. The directionality of the flexibility of the connector can be used to mitigate force transmission between the teeth while still providing structure and stability to the aligner.

The connector may be attached to the segment using a suitable adhesive or bonding agent. In some cases, the connector may have adhesive properties, thereby enabling the connector to be directly coupled to the housing section without the use of additional external agents. Example methods of attaching the connectors to the housing sections include extrusion, spraying, coating, dipping, or suitable combinations thereof. The connector may also be physically connected to the segment using snaps, locks, etc., for example, the connector may include a male end of a snap and the retention feature in the segment may include a female end of a snap. In one embodiment, additional information may be sent to more than one machine to cause the machine to form retention features in the sections. The retention feature may be used to retain an elastic band that may later be attached to the retention feature and to another retention feature on another aligner, a segment of an aligner, or a tooth. In one embodiment, forming the retention feature comprises cutting a slit or groove in the section of the aligner.

FIG. 10 illustrates a flow diagram of another embodiment of a method for manufacturing a segmented aligner having connectors that isolate, reduce or eliminate force transmission between segments. In some embodiments, one or more operations of method 1000 are performed by processing logic of a computing device. Processing logic may comprise hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructions executed by a processing device), firmware, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more operations of method 1000 may be performed by a computing device, such as computing device 1101 of fig. 11. Additionally, some operations may be performed with a maker based on instructions received from processing logic. Or some operations may be performed by a user (e.g., based on patient interaction with a mold modeling module or a mapping program).

At block 1005 of method 1000, a shape is determined for a first mold of a first dental arch and a second mold of a second portion of the dental arch. The first mold may represent a first set of teeth of a patient and the second mold may represent a second set of teeth of the patient. The shape may be determined by digitally planning an intermediate or final target arrangement of the patient's teeth. Alternatively, the shape may be determined by taking an impression of the patient's dental arch. At block 1010, a mold is fabricated based on the determined shape. This may include manufacturing a mold using a three-dimensional virtual model of the dental arch and a rapid prototyping machine (e.g., a three-dimensional printer).

At block 1015, a first segment of a plastic orthodontic aligner is formed on a first mold. In one embodiment, the first section of the plastic orthodontic aligner is thermoformed or pressure formed on a mold. In block 1020, a second section of the plastic orthodontic aligner is formed on a second mold. Exemplary methods of manufacturing the sections include thermoforming, rapid prototyping, stereolithography, or Computer Numerical Control (CNC) milling.

At block 1025, the individual housing sections are joined using a connector (or connectors) to form a single aligner housing. The connector may be an elastomeric material. Alternatively, the connector may be a plastic such as a semi-rigid plastic. Other resilient or semi-rigid materials may also be used.

FIG. 11 is a simplified block diagram of a system 1100 that may be used to perform the methods and processes described herein. System 1100 generally includes a computing device 1101, a scanner 1120, and/or a manufacturing machine 1122 connected to a network 1124. Computing device 1101 may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines in a Local Area Network (LAN), an intranet, an extranet, or the internet. For example, computing device 1101 may be networked to a maker 1122, which may be a rapid prototyping device, such as a 3D printer or SLA device. The computing device 1101 may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in a client-server network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. Computing device 1101 may be a Personal Computer (PC), a desktop computer, a set-top box (STB), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a web appliance, a server, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify operations to be performed by that machine. Moreover, while only one machine is illustrated, the term computing device shall also be taken to include any collection of machines (e.g., computers) that individually or jointly execute a set of instructions to perform the logic of one or more methods discussed herein.

The computing device 1101 includes at least one processing device 1102, the processing device 1102 communicating with more than one peripheral device via a bus subsystem 1104. The processing device 1102 represents one or more general-purpose processors, such as a microprocessor, central processing unit, or the like. More specifically, the processing device 1102 may be a Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) microprocessor, Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) microprocessor, Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) microprocessor, processor implementing other instruction sets, or processors implementing a combination of instruction sets. The processing device 1102 may also be one or more special-purpose processing devices such as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), network processor, or the like. The computing device 1102 is configured to execute processing logic (instructions) for the operations and steps discussed herein.

Peripheral devices that are typically connected to the processing device 1102 include a storage subsystem 1106 (memory subsystem 1108 and file storage subsystem 1114), a set of user interface input and output devices 1118, and an interface to an external network 1116. This interface is shown schematically as a "network interface" block 1116 and is coupled to corresponding interface devices in other data processing systems via a communications network interface 1124.

The user interface input devices 1118 are not limited to any particular device and can generally include, for example, a keyboard, pointing device, mouse, scanner, interactive display, touch pad, joystick, or the like. Similarly, various user interface output devices can be employed in the system of the present invention, and can include, for example, more than one of a printer, a display (e.g., visual, non-visual) system/subsystem, a controller, a projection device, an audio output, and the like.

Storage subsystem 1106 maintains the basic programming of computing device 1101, including computer-readable media having instructions (e.g., operational instructions, etc.) and data structures. Program modules discussed herein are typically stored in storage subsystem 1106. Storage subsystem 1106 generally includes memory subsystem 1108 and file storage subsystem 1114. Memory subsystem 1108 typically includes several memories (e.g., RAM1110, ROM1112, etc.) including a computer-readable memory for storing fixed instructions, and data during program execution, as well as a basic input/output system, etc. File storage subsystem 1114 provides persistent (non-volatile) storage for program and data files, and may include one or more removable or fixed drives or media, hard disks, floppy disks, CD-ROMs, DVDs, optical drives, and the like.

File storage subsystem 1114 may include a machine-readable storage medium (or more specifically, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) having stored thereon one or more sets of instructions to implement any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The non-transitory storage medium refers to a storage medium other than a carrier wave. The instructions may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the memory subsystem 1108 and/or within the processing device 1102 during execution thereof by the execution computer device 1101, memory subsystem 1108, and processing device 1102, which also constitute computer-readable storage media.

The computer-readable storage medium is also used to store one or more virtual 3D model and/or segment calibrator generation modules 1150 that can perform one or more of the operations of the method 800 and 1000 described with reference to FIGS. 8-10. The term "computer-readable storage medium" shall be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term "computer-readable storage and medium" shall also be taken to include any medium, other than carrier waves, that is capable of storing or encoding a set of instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present invention. The term "computer-readable storage medium" shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories and magneto-optical media.

One or more storage systems, drives, etc. may be located at remote locations, so as to be linked via a server on a network or via the internet/world wide web. In this document, the term "bus subsystem" is used generally to include any mechanism that enables the various components and subsystems to communicate with one another as intended, and may include various suitable components/systems that will be recognized or deemed suitable for use therein. It will be appreciated that the various components of the system may, but need not, be at the same physical location, but may be connected by various local or wide area network media, transmission systems, and the like.

The scanner 1120 includes any means for obtaining a digital representation (e.g., an image, surface topography data, etc.) of a patient's teeth (e.g., by scanning a physical model of the teeth, such as a cast mold, scanning an impression obtained from the teeth, or by directly scanning the patient's oral cavity). Scanner 1120 may receive or generate dental arch data 1121 (which may be data that can be used to generate a 3D virtual model of a patient's dental arch) and may provide such dental arch data 1121 to computing device 1101. The scanner 1120 may be located at a remote location relative to the other components of the system and may be capable of communicating image data and/or information to the computing device 1101, for example, via the network interface 1124. The manufacturing system 1122 manufactures the orthodontic aligner 1123 based on the treatment plan, which includes the data set information received from the computing device 1101. The manufacturing machine 1122 may, for example, be remotely located and receive data set information from the computing device 1101 via the network interface 1124.

It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading and understanding the above description. Although embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments, it will be recognized that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described, but may be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.