公开(公告)号：US12097086B2

公开(公告)日：2024-09-24

申请号：US18346176

申请日：2023-06-30

Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Fuming Wu ,  Ryan Kimura ,  Jeremy Riley ,  Yaser Shanjani ,  Norman Su ,  Jun Sato ,  Bastien Pesenti ,  John Y. Morton ,  Jihua Cheng

IPC: A61C7/10 ,  A61C7/00 ,  A61C9/00 ,  A61C13/00 ,  G16H40/63 ,  G16H40/67 ,  G16H50/50 ,  G06T17/00

CPC classification number: A61C7/10 ,  A61C7/002 ,  A61C9/004 ,  A61C13/0004 ,  G16H40/63 ,  G16H40/67 ,  G16H50/50 ,  G06T17/00

Abstract: A series of palatal expanders and methods of designing palatal expanders, including rapid palatal expanders, where outer occlusal surfaces of a palatal expander are shaped to conform to a geometry of corresponding teeth surfaces of the patient's lower jaw to provide occlusion between occlusal surfaces and the corresponding teeth surfaces.

公开(公告)号：US12082986B2

公开(公告)日：2024-09-10

申请号：US18178380

申请日：2023-03-03

Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Avi Kopelman ,  Allen Boronkay ,  Peter Webber ,  Vadim Matov ,  Srinivas Kaza ,  Ryan Kimura ,  Yaser Shanjani

IPC: B33Y10/00 ,  A61C7/00 ,  A61C7/08 ,  A61C7/10 ,  A61C7/14 ,  A61C7/36 ,  B33Y50/02 ,  B33Y80/00 ,  G05B15/02 ,  G05B19/042 ,  G05B19/4097 ,  B29L31/00

CPC classification number: A61C7/002 ,  A61C7/08 ,  A61C7/10 ,  A61C7/14 ,  A61C7/146 ,  A61C7/36 ,  B33Y50/02 ,  B33Y80/00 ,  G05B15/02 ,  G05B19/042 ,  G05B19/4097 ,  B29L2031/753 ,  B29L2031/7532 ,  G05B2219/2647 ,  G05B2219/35134 ,  G05B2219/49007

Abstract: Methods and systems for digitally designing a plurality of aligners are provided. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving an intraoral scan of the patient's teeth, and generating 3D dental model of the patient's teeth using the intraoral scan. The method can include identifying a movement path to move the patient's teeth from an initial arrangement toward a target arrangement through a plurality of intermediate arrangements in accordance with a treatment plan. The method can also include identifying one or more appliance features of at least one aligner, the one or more appliance features including one or more feature regions having one or more feature thicknesses. The method can further include instructing an additive manufacturing machine to directly fabricate the at least one aligner in a layer-by-layer fashion.

公开(公告)号：US12036087B2

公开(公告)日：2024-07-16

申请号：US18169195

申请日：2023-02-14

Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Peter Webber ,  Ryan Kimura ,  Chunhua Li ,  Srinivas Kaza

IPC: A61C7/00 ,  A61C7/08 ,  A61C7/14 ,  B29C64/40 ,  B33Y10/00 ,  B33Y50/02 ,  B33Y80/00 ,  A61C13/00 ,  B29L31/00

CPC classification number: A61C7/146 ,  A61C7/002 ,  A61C7/08 ,  B29C64/40 ,  B33Y10/00 ,  B33Y50/02 ,  B33Y80/00 ,  A61C13/0013 ,  B29L2031/7536

Abstract: Dental attachment placement apparatuses and related systems. An apparatus may include a body having attachments. The attachments, when worn at specified locations on the patient's dentition, may engage with one or more aligners to direct repositioning forces from the aligner(s) to the patient's dentition. The body of the apparatus may have contoured surfaces shaped in accordance with corresponding surfaces of the patient's teeth. The apparatus may also include supports extending from body and that support a corresponding attachment entirely within a corresponding aperture of the apparatus. The supports may include breakable regions to facilitate removal of the attachments from the body.

公开(公告)号：US11974898B2

公开(公告)日：2024-05-07

申请号：US18175497

申请日：2023-02-27

Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Yaser Shanjani ,  Jeremy Riley ,  Ryan Kimura ,  Jun Sato ,  Norman Su ,  Jihua Cheng ,  Fuming Wu

IPC: A61C7/10 ,  A61C7/00 ,  A61C7/02 ,  A61C7/08 ,  A61C9/00 ,  B29C64/393 ,  B33Y10/00 ,  B33Y50/02 ,  B33Y80/00

CPC classification number: A61C7/10 ,  A61C7/002 ,  A61C7/023 ,  A61C7/08 ,  A61C9/00 ,  B29C64/393 ,  B33Y10/00 ,  B33Y50/02 ,  B33Y80/00

Abstract: Palatal expander apparatuses for expanding a patient's palate (“palatal expanders”) and methods of using and making them. The palatal expanders may include tooth engagement regions connected by a palatal region that is configured to apply force between the tooth engagement regions. At least a portion of the palatal region may be configured to have a clearance from the patient's mid-palatal region when the palatal expander is worn by the patient. The clearance between the palatal region and the patient's palate may decrease from the patient's mid-palatal region laterally toward the tooth engagement regions.

公开(公告)号：US11974897B2

公开(公告)日：2024-05-07

申请号：US17679858

申请日：2022-02-24

Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Yaser Shanjani ,  Jeremy Riley ,  Ryan Kimura ,  Jun Sato ,  Norman Su ,  Jihua Cheng ,  Fuming Wu

IPC: A61C7/10 ,  A61C7/00 ,  A61C7/02 ,  A61C7/08 ,  A61C9/00 ,  B29C64/393 ,  B33Y10/00 ,  B33Y50/02 ,  B33Y80/00

CPC classification number: A61C7/10 ,  A61C7/002 ,  A61C7/023 ,  A61C7/08 ,  A61C9/00 ,  B29C64/393 ,  B33Y10/00 ,  B33Y50/02 ,  B33Y80/00

Abstract: Palatal expander apparatuses for expanding a patient's palate (“palatal expanders”) and methods of making them. The apparatuses may include a pair of tooth engagement regions connected by a palatal region. A detachment region on at least one of the tooth engagement regions may be defined by one or more first vertical cut-out regions extending from a bottom of a buccal side toward an occlusal side of the tooth engagement region. The buccal side may be more flexible than the occlusal side so that the detachment region flexes when a removal force to release the palatal expander apparatus from the patient's palate is applied to the detachment region.

公开(公告)号：US11944514B2

公开(公告)日：2024-04-02

申请号：US18146153

申请日：2022-12-23

Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Avi Kopelman ,  Allen Boronkay ,  Peter Webber ,  Vadim Matov ,  Srinivas Kaza ,  Ryan Kimura ,  Yaser Shanjani

IPC: A61C7/00 ,  A61C7/08 ,  A61C7/10 ,  A61C7/14 ,  A61C7/36 ,  B33Y50/02 ,  B33Y80/00 ,  G05B15/02 ,  G05B19/042 ,  G05B19/4097 ,  B29L31/00

CPC classification number: A61C7/002 ,  A61C7/08 ,  A61C7/10 ,  A61C7/14 ,  A61C7/146 ,  A61C7/36 ,  B33Y50/02 ,  B33Y80/00 ,  G05B15/02 ,  G05B19/042 ,  G05B19/4097 ,  B29L2031/753 ,  B29L2031/7532 ,  G05B2219/2647 ,  G05B2219/35134 ,  G05B2219/49007

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for improved orthodontic treatment of a patient's teeth are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method includes determining an appliance geometry for a dental appliance. The appliance geometry can include a first region representing a shell comprising a plurality of teeth receiving cavities, and a second region representing at least one integrally formed component to be integrally joined to the shell. The method can also include generating instructions including a first digital representation of the shell based on the first region, and a second digital representation of the at least one integrally formed component based on the second region. The method can further include transmitting the instructions to a fabrication system configured to additively manufacture the dental appliance by fabricating the shell based on the first digital representation, concurrently with fabricating the at least one integrally formed component based on the second digital representation.

公开(公告)号：US11564777B2

公开(公告)日：2023-01-31

申请号：US16380801

申请日：2019-04-10

Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Avi Kopelman ,  Ryan Kimura ,  Yaser Shanjani ,  Jeremy Riley ,  Jun Sato ,  Bob Grove ,  Reza Shirazi Aghjari

IPC: A61C7/10 ,  A61C7/02

Abstract: Releasable and removable palatal expander apparatuses for expanding a patient's palate (“palatal expanders”) and methods of using and making them. These releasable palatal expanders are adapted for ease in removal by the patient or caregiver, and may include a breach region configured to predictably bend or break when a pulling force is applied. The palatal expander apparatuses described herein may include one or more locks for locking the palatal expander onto the patient's teeth. The lock(s) may be unlocked to release the palatal expander from the teeth. A lock may include a control for manually unlocking the lock. Unlocking the locks may allow the palatal expander to automatically disengage from the patient's teeth.

公开(公告)号：US11376101B2

公开(公告)日：2022-07-05

申请号：US15580874

申请日：2017-12-01

Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Jun Sato ,  Yaser Shanjani ,  Ryan Kimura

IPC: A61C7/10 ,  A61C7/08

Abstract: A removable arch adjustment appliance includes a removable shell having a plurality of cavities formed therein, wherein the plurality of cavities are shaped to receive at least one posterior tooth of a patient on each side of a patient's jaw. The shell can include an elastic transpalatal element that spans a palate of the patient and provides force to expand at least one of the spaces between the posterior teeth on each side of a patient's jaw or the palate of the patient. The transpalatal element can include a predetermined force characteristic, a number of force control elements to control the force provided by the transpalatal element, and/or a regulating structure to balance and direct the force provided by the transpalatal element, wherein the transpalatal element has a width specific to a stage of a treatment plan.

公开(公告)号：US10449016B2

公开(公告)日：2019-10-22

申请号：US14850305

申请日：2015-09-10

Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Ryan Kimura ,  John Morton ,  Richard Shaw ,  Chunhua Li

IPC: A61C3/00 ,  A61C7/10 ,  A61C7/08 ,  A61C7/00

Abstract: The present disclosure provides method, systems, and devices for adjusting an arch of teeth. An appliance includes a removable shell formed of a first material having a number of cavities formed therein, wherein the number of cavities are shaped to receive teeth of a patient, and an arch element extending from the removable shell in a lingual direction and across at least a portion of the arch width of the removable shell, wherein the arch element is designed to expand an arch of the teeth of the patient, wherein the arch element has a width specific to a stage of a treatment plan.

公开(公告)号：US20190314117A1

公开(公告)日：2019-10-17

申请号：US16358316

申请日：2019-03-19

Applicant: Align Technology, Inc.

Inventor： John Morton ,  Vadim Matov ,  Heng Cao ,  Ryan Kimura ,  Jihua Cheng ,  Bastien Pesenti

IPC: A61C7/00 ,  G06F17/50 ,  G06F17/10 ,  A61C7/08 ,  A61C7/14

Abstract: Orthodontic systems and related methods are disclosed for designing and providing improved or more effective tooth moving systems for eliciting a desired tooth movement and/or repositioning teeth into a desired arrangement. Methods and orthodontic systems of the invention include tooth attachments having improved or optimized parameters selected or modified for more optimal and/or effective application of forces for a desired/selected orthodontic movement. Attachments of the present invention can be customized to a particular patient (e.g., patient-customized), a particular movement, and/or a sub-group or sub-set of patients, and configured to engage an orthodontic tooth positioning appliance worn by a patient, where engagement between the attachment and orthodontic appliance results in application of a repositioning force or series/system of forces to the tooth having the attachment and will generally elicit a tooth movement.