Providing custom orthodontic treatment with appliance components from inventory
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First Claim
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1. A method of selecting orthodontic appliances comprising:
- providing digital information that is a representation of individual dental anatomy of a patient;
analyzing the digital information with a computer to derive geometric parameters of a custom orthodontic appliance;
comparing the derived geometric parameters with corresponding parameters of a plurality of alternative pre-manufactured orthodontic appliances and selecting one of the plurality based on the comparison;
wherein the providing of the digital information includes any one of the following;
a) forming a physical impression of a patient'"'"'s teeth at a situs of an orthodontic practitioner, transporting the impression to an orthodontic appliance facility, forming at the orthodontic appliance facility a solid model of the patient'"'"'s teeth from the impression, scanning the model to produce three-dimensional digital information of the shape of the patient'"'"'s teeth;
b) digitizing skeletal information of the patient;
c) digitizing soft tissue information of the patient;
d) digitizing dental information of the patient other than as set forth in a);
ore) digitizing x-rays of skeletal, soft tissue or dental information of the patient; and
wherein the analyzing of the digital information includes designing with a computer the orthodontic appliance that includes a custom orthodontic archwire and a set of custom orthodontic brackets to be bonded to each of a plurality of the patient'"'"'s teeth to support the archwire to achieve an arrangement of the patient'"'"'s teeth by orthodontic treatment.
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Abstract
Computer analysis is made of individual patient related data in order to select standard or pre-manufactured orthodontic appliances or appliance components (10) that are most likely to provide orthodontic treatment suitable for the individual patient. This analysis can be made by the software of a custom orthodontic appliance designing system, without actually manufacturing the custom appliance. Geometric parameters (21-24, 28, 29) of a custom designed appliance may be compared with corresponding parameters of alternative standard appliances or appliance components so that the closest standard component can be used. The custom appliance can be designed to accommodate the geometries of one or more appliance components. Where custom mounting instructions that modify otherwise standard installation of an appliance or component will render the standard component more compatible with a custom appliance design, such instructions are provided to the orthodontist along with the selection. The invention is most useful in selecting orthodontic brackets, or combinations of standard brackets and standard archwires.
93 Citations
5 Claims
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1. A method of selecting orthodontic appliances comprising:
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providing digital information that is a representation of individual dental anatomy of a patient; analyzing the digital information with a computer to derive geometric parameters of a custom orthodontic appliance; comparing the derived geometric parameters with corresponding parameters of a plurality of alternative pre-manufactured orthodontic appliances and selecting one of the plurality based on the comparison; wherein the providing of the digital information includes any one of the following; a) forming a physical impression of a patient'"'"'s teeth at a situs of an orthodontic practitioner, transporting the impression to an orthodontic appliance facility, forming at the orthodontic appliance facility a solid model of the patient'"'"'s teeth from the impression, scanning the model to produce three-dimensional digital information of the shape of the patient'"'"'s teeth; b) digitizing skeletal information of the patient; c) digitizing soft tissue information of the patient; d) digitizing dental information of the patient other than as set forth in a);
ore) digitizing x-rays of skeletal, soft tissue or dental information of the patient; and wherein the analyzing of the digital information includes designing with a computer the orthodontic appliance that includes a custom orthodontic archwire and a set of custom orthodontic brackets to be bonded to each of a plurality of the patient'"'"'s teeth to support the archwire to achieve an arrangement of the patient'"'"'s teeth by orthodontic treatment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of selecting orthodontic brackets comprising:
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forming a physical impression of a patient'"'"'s teeth at a situs of an orthodontic practitioner; transporting the impression to an orthodontic appliance facility; at the orthodontic appliance facility, scanning the impression or a model made therefrom to produce three-dimensional digital information of the shape of the patient'"'"'s teeth; analyzing the three-dimensional digital information with a computer to derive an arrangement of the patient'"'"'s teeth to be achieved by orthodontic treatment; designing with a computer a custom orthodontic appliance that includes a custom orthodontic archwire and a set of custom orthodontic brackets to be bonded to each of a plurality of the patient'"'"'s teeth to support the archwire to achieve the derived arrangement by the orthodontic treatment; comparing geometric parameters that include slot in-out, slot torque, slot tip and slot rotation of each of the custom orthodontic brackets of the set with corresponding parameters of each of a plurality of standard or pre-manufacture red orthodontic brackets for a tooth and selecting one of the plurality of standard or pre-manufactured brackets based on the comparison; and providing the selected brackets or information on the selection to an orthodontic practitioner for treatment of the patient.
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Specification
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Litigation Data
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Current AssigneeOrmco Corporation (Envista Holdings Corporation)
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Original AssigneeOrmco Corporation (Envista Holdings Corporation)
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InventorsAndreiko, Craig A., Even, Daniel E.
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Primary Examiner(s)BUMGARNER, MELBA N
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Application NumberUS10/449,841Publication NumberTime in Patent Office1,474 DaysField of Search433/24, 433/8, 433/215US Class Current433/24CPC Class CodesA61C 7/00 Orthodontics, i.e. obtainin...A61C 7/146 Positioning or placement of...
