Tooth Model and Its 3D Printing Method and Equipment

Abstract

The present invention relates to a three-dimensional printing method for a dental model, where the dental model is a shell with a cavity, and the shell has opposite first and second side walls. The method includes: identifying an area in the dental model where the angle with the scraping direction of the squeegee of the three-dimensional printing device is within a predetermined range; when forming the first and second side walls of this area, forming one or more sets of connecting parts extending from the first side wall to the second side wall, and each set of connecting parts includes one or more connecting parts arranged from the bottom to the top of the cavity in the height direction of the dental model. The three-dimensional printing method adopted by the present invention can avoid the squeegee hitting the sharp protrusions on the side wall of the model, thereby improving the success rate of forming the dental model.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to 3D printing technology, and in particular to a 3D printing method and device for dental models. Background Art

[0002] In the field of dental medical devices, it is necessary to fabricate dental models of patients to assist doctors in dental treatment or orthodontics. Since the dental models of each patient are unique, it is very suitable to use 3D printing technology for shaping. 3D printing technology uses a computer 3D design model as a blueprint, through software layer-by-layer discretization and numerical control forming systems, and uses methods such as laser beams and hot melt nozzles to stack and bond special materials such as metal powders, ceramic powders, plastics, and cell tissues layer by layer, and finally stack and form to manufacture physical products. Different from the traditional manufacturing industry that shapes and cuts raw materials through mechanical processing methods such as molds, turning, and milling to finally produce finished products, 3D printing transforms a 3D entity into several 2D planes, and produces by processing materials and stacking them layer by layer, greatly reducing the complexity of manufacturing. This digital manufacturing mode does not require complex processes, large machine tools, or a large number of manpower, and can directly generate various parts with complex shapes from computer graphic data, enabling production and manufacturing to extend to a wider range of production populations.

[0003] Currently, the forming methods of 3D printing technology are still evolving, and the materials used are also diverse. Among various forming methods, the stereolithography method is a relatively mature method. The stereolithography method uses the principle that a photocurable material cures after being irradiated by ultraviolet light to perform material accumulation forming, and has the characteristics of high forming accuracy, good surface finish, and high material utilization rate.

[0004] The stereolithography method prints layer by layer from the bottom or the top to form a workpiece. In this process, after each layer of material is cured, a squeegee is used to scrape the surface of the layer flat to facilitate the curing of the next layer of material. Usually, the teeth and gums in a dental model are hollow structures, so only the shell of the dental model needs to be cured. During the curing process of the shell, the two opposite side walls will have shrinkage deformation, which will cause the upper surface of the side wall to tilt and form sharp protrusions. When a squeegee is used to scrape from one side wall of the shell to the other side wall after curing a layer of the outer shell, the squeegee is likely to touch the sharp protrusions. At this time, the moving squeegee is likely to damage the side wall and thus damage the workpiece. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a 3D printing method and device for dental models, which can improve the success rate of dental model forming.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above technical problems is a three-dimensional printing method for a dental model, where the dental model is a shell with a cavity, and the shell has opposite first and second side walls. The method includes: identifying an area in the dental model where the angle with the scraping direction of the squeegee of the three-dimensional printing device is within a predetermined range; when forming the first and second side walls of the area, forming one or more sets of connecting parts extending from the first side wall to the second side wall, and each set of connecting parts includes one or more connecting parts arranged from the bottom to the top of the cavity in the height direction of the dental model.

[0007] Optionally, the above method further includes printing the shell and the one or more connecting parts layer by layer from the bottom to the top of the dental model.

[0008] Optionally, the above method uses a stereolithography three-dimensional printing method to print the dental model.

[0009] Optionally, in the above method, the one or more connecting parts pass through the cavity.

[0010] Optionally, in the above method, the one or more connecting parts are sheet-shaped and parallel to the height direction of the dental model.

[0011] Optionally, when printing the shell and the one or more connecting parts, each layer of each connecting part is linear.

[0012] Optionally, the predetermined range in the above method is 80° - 100°.

[0013] Optionally, before forming one or more sets of connecting parts extending from the first side wall to the second side wall, the method further includes: dividing the digital dental model corresponding to the dental model into multiple layers; identifying the areas of each layer in the multiple layers.

[0014] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above technical problems can also be a three-dimensional printing device suitable for printing a dental model, where the dental model is a shell with a cavity, and the shell has opposite first and second side walls. The three-dimensional printing device includes a printing mechanism and a controller, and the controller is configured to control the printing mechanism to execute the above method.

[0015] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above technical problems can also be a dental model, where the dental model is a shell with a cavity, and the shell of the dental model has opposite first and second side walls. The dental model is characterized in that it has one or more sets of connecting parts extending from the first side wall to the second side wall in a predetermined area, and each set of connecting parts includes one or more connecting parts arranged from the bottom to the top of the cavity in the height direction of the dental model.

[0016] Optionally, the one or more connecting portions pass through the cavity.

[0017] Optionally, the connecting portion is sheet-shaped and parallel to the height direction of the tooth.

[0018] Another technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above technical problems may also be a method for providing a digital tooth model, including providing a digital tooth model, the digital tooth model being a housing with a cavity, wherein the housing has opposite first side walls and second side walls, and the tooth model has one or more groups of connecting portions extending from the first side wall to the second side wall, and each group of connecting portions includes one or more connecting portions arranged from the bottom to the top of the cavity in the height direction of the tooth model.

[0019] The three-dimensional printing method and device of the tooth model of the present invention can prevent the side wall portion of the tooth model from being easily deformed to form sharp protrusions, thereby avoiding damage to the model workpiece caused by the scraping plate hitting the sharp protrusion when contacting the model side wall, and improving the success rate of forming the tooth model. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] To make the above objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the following detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present invention is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0021] Figure 1 Shows the basic structure of a light-curing three-dimensional printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 Is a top view of the tooth model.

[0023] Figure 3 Is Figure 2 The bottom view of the shown tooth model.

[0024] Figure 4 Is a partial enlarged schematic view of the first side wall section and the second side wall section of the tooth housing when the tooth model is printed to layer B.

[0025] Figure 5 Is an exemplary internal structure schematic view of the tooth model according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 6 Is Figure 5 The A-A cross-sectional view along a connecting portion in the tooth model of the shown embodiment.

[0027] Figure 7 Is an exemplary internal structure schematic view of the tooth model according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 8AIt is a schematic diagram of an exemplary internal structure of the tooth model according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 8B is Figure 8A a variant of the illustrated Embodiment 3.

[0030] Figure 9 The flowchart of the method for stereolithography three-dimensional printing of the tooth model according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0031] Figures 10A - 10C The schematic diagram of the stereolithography three-dimensional printing process according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed implementation manners

[0032] To make the above objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the following detailed description of the specific implementation manners of the present invention will be given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0033] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0034] As shown in the present application and the claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, words such as "a", "an", and / or "the" are not specifically singular and may also include the plural. Generally speaking, the terms "comprising" and "including" only indicate the inclusion of the clearly identified steps and elements, and these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive list. The method or device may also include other steps or elements.

[0035] It should be understood that when a component is referred to as "on another component", "connected to another component", "coupled to another component", or "in contact with another component", it can be directly on, connected to, or coupled to, or in contact with the other component, or there may be an intervening component. In contrast, when a component is referred to as "directly on another component", "directly connected to", "directly coupled to", or "directly in contact with" another component, there is no intervening component. Similarly, when the first component is referred to as "electrically contacting" or "electrically coupled to" the second component, there is an electrical path allowing current flow between the first component and the second component. The electrical path may include capacitors, coupled inductors, and / or other components allowing current flow, even if there is no direct contact between the conductive components.

[0036] Figure 1Shows the basic structure of a photo-curing three-dimensional (3D) printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This 3D printing device 100 includes a material tank 110 for containing photo-curing resin, an image exposure system 120 for curing the photo-curing resin, and a lifting table 130 for connecting the formed workpiece. The lifting table 130 can move up and down in the vertical direction. The image exposure system 120 is located above the material tank 110 and can irradiate a beam image to cure a layer of photo-curing resin on the liquid surface of the material tank 110. Each time the image exposure system 120 irradiates a beam image to cure a layer of photo-curing resin, the lifting table 130 will drive the cured layer of photo-curing resin to drop slightly, and spread the photo-curing resin evenly on the top surface of the cured workpiece through a squeegee 131, waiting for the next irradiation. The squeegee 131 can move in the horizontal direction. In this way, a three-dimensional workpiece formed by layer-by-layer accumulation will be obtained.

[0037] The image exposure system 120 can irradiate a beam image onto the photo-curing resin to form a desired exposure pattern. The image exposure system 120 can use various known techniques capable of forming a beam image.

[0038] For example, in one embodiment, the image exposure system 120 can use Digital Light Procession (DLP) projection technology. The DLP projection imaging technology is achieved by using a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) to control the reflection of light. The digital micromirror element can be regarded as a mirror surface. This mirror is composed of hundreds of thousands or even millions of micromirrors. Each micromirror represents a pixel, and the image is composed of these pixels.

[0039] In another embodiment, the image exposure system 120 can also use Liquid Crystal (LCD) projection technology. The liquid crystal panel contains many pixels, and each pixel can independently control the polarization direction of polarized light. Cooperating with the polarization light filters on both sides of the liquid crystal panel, it can control whether the light of a certain pixel passes through. Therefore, the light beam passing through the liquid crystal panel system is imaged.

[0040] The input of the photo-curing 3D printing device 100 is a three-dimensional data model of the printing object, and then the three-dimensional data model is decomposed into many two-dimensional images. Each two-dimensional image represents a layer of the printing object. After the photo-curing 3D printing device 100 sends these two-dimensional images to the image exposure system 120, the latter performs projection.

[0041] In the embodiment of the present invention, the Figure 1 shown photo-curing 3D printing device 100 can be used to print a dental model 200. Usually, the dental model 200 includes upper and lower teeth. Taking the lower teeth as an example, Figure 2Shows a top view of a tooth model 200. Refer to Figure 2 As shown, a set of healthy lower teeth is U-shaped, including an incisor region 210 at the frontmost end, a canine region 211 beside the incisor region 210, and the remaining molar region 212. Generally, the lower teeth of a healthy adult include four incisors, two canines, and ten molars. Incisors, also known as front teeth, as the name implies, are used to cut food. Therefore, incisors are overall sheet-shaped, with a slightly thicker root and thinner towards the top.

[0042] Figure 3 corresponds to Figure 2 Shows a bottom view of the tooth model 200. Refer to Figure 3 As shown, the bottom of the tooth model 200 is a cavity 220, so it has two side walls, including a first side wall 230 located in the inner circle of the bottom of the tooth model 200 and a second side wall 240 located in the outer circle of the bottom of the tooth model 200. When printing the tooth model 200 using a stereolithography 3D printing device 100 as Figure 1 shown, it is usually printed layer by layer from the bottom of the tooth model 200 towards the top. After curing each layer of material, the 3D printing device 100 uses a squeegee 131 to scrape the layer of material flat along direction D.

[0043] Figure 4 Is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of the fracture surfaces of the first side wall 230 and the second side wall 240 of the tooth shell when the tooth model is printed to layer B. Refer to Figure 4 As shown, when the tooth model is printed layer by layer from the bottom towards the top, some sharp protrusions 231, 241 may be formed on the fracture surfaces of the printed first side wall 230 and the second side wall 240 due to shrinkage deformation of the material, etc. When the squeegee 131 scrapes to the bottom of the incisor region 210 at the front end of the tooth model 200, it will first scrape across the first side wall 230 in an almost vertical direction and then across the second side wall 240, which is likely to encounter the sharp protrusions 231, 241 on the side walls. When the Figure 1 squeegee 131 as shown passes along direction D through these protrusions 231, 241, it will encounter a certain resistance, affecting the movement of the squeegee 131. Seriously, it will damage the outer shell of the tooth model 200.

[0044] Figure 5 Is an exemplary internal structure schematic diagram of the tooth model in the first embodiment of the present invention. The perspective of this figure is the same as Figure 3 and is a bottom view perspective. Refer to Figure 5 As shown, in the housing of the incisor region 210 of the tooth model 200, there are a first side wall 230 and a second side wall 240, and there is a connecting portion 250 between the first side wall 230 and the second side wall 240. The connecting portion 250 extends from the first side wall 230 along the same direction as the squeegee 131 (as Figure 1) extends in a direction parallel to the direction D and reaches the second side wall 240, playing a role in supporting the first side wall 230 and the second side wall 240, so that the first side wall 230 and the second side wall 240 are not easily deformed during the 3D printing and curing process, and thus are not likely to generate sharp protrusions. Even if the first side wall 230 and the second side wall 240 have very slight deformation to generate small protrusions, the connecting portion 250 can enable the squeegee 131 to smoothly pass through the first side wall 230 and the second side wall 240 during the forward movement, rather than causing damage to the workpiece due to encountering protrusions.

[0045] Figure 6 is Figure 5 a cross-sectional view taken along the A-A direction of the connecting portion 250 in the embodiment shown. Refer to Figure 6 As shown, the connecting portion 250 extends from the bottom to the top of the cavity 220 in the height direction of the tooth model 200, and the shape of the connecting portion 250 is adapted to the shape of the cavity where it is located. Refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the connecting portion 250 is in the shape of a thin sheet, for example, its thickness is between 0.3 - 0.5 mm.

[0046] It can be understood that Figure 5 and Figure 6 are only a schematic diagram and do not represent the actual thickness of the connecting portion 250. In other embodiments, the thickness of the connecting portion 250 can be different. The direction in which the connecting portion 250 extends from the first side wall 230 to the second side wall 240 may not be completely parallel to the direction D of the squeegee 131, but may have a deviation of, for example, ±10°.

[0047] Figure 7 is an exemplary internal structure schematic diagram of the tooth model in the second embodiment of the present invention. Refer to Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, there are multiple groups of connecting portions 250 between the first side wall 230 and the second side wall 240 in the incisor region 210 of the tooth model 200, as Figure 7 shown as three groups. The structure and shape of the multiple groups of connecting portions 250 are similar to those of the connecting portion 250 shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 . The multiple groups of connecting portions 250 are all located within the incisor region 210.

[0048] Compared with the single group of connecting portions 250, the multiple groups of connecting portions 250 can enable the squeegee 131 to pass through the front end of the tooth model 200 more smoothly and can better support the first side wall 230 and the second side wall 240.

[0049] Figure 8A is an exemplary internal structure schematic diagram of the tooth model in the third embodiment of the present invention, and the perspective of this figure is the same as that ofFigure 6 Same, it is a sectional view taken along the A-A direction of the connecting portion 250. Refer to Figure 8A As shown, the connecting portion 250 can be a group of connecting portions, generally in the shape of a ladder, and is composed of several linear or strip-shaped first connecting portions 251. These first connecting portions 251 are distributed at regular intervals along the height direction of the tooth model, and are respectively connected between the first side wall 230 and the second side wall 240. Similarly, Figure 7 The multiple connecting portions 250 shown can also be multiple groups of connecting portions. Each group of connecting portions includes multiple first connecting portions 251 arranged in the height direction of the tooth model as shown in Figure 8A shown.

[0050] During the 3D printing process of the tooth model 200, Figure 8A the embodiment shown can help the squeegee 131 smoothly pass through the first side wall 230 and the second side wall 240 when printing several layers with the first connecting portion 251. And, due to the supporting effect of the first connecting portion 251, the first side wall 230 and the second side wall 240 are not easily deformed, so the protrusions at the fault of the first side wall 230 and the second side wall 240 are avoided, so that when the squeegee 131 reaches the layer without the first connecting portion 251, there will be no problem of encountering sharp protrusions. In addition, this embodiment saves the materials and printing time required for 3D printing compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 6 shown.

[0051] Figure 8B is Figure 8A a variant of the third embodiment shown. Refer to Figure 8B As shown, the group of connecting portions 250 has several irregularly shaped second connecting portions 252. There is a certain interval between these second connecting portions 252. The shape of each second connecting portion 252 is adapted to the shape of the cavity between the first side wall 230 and the second side wall 240 where it is located. Thus, Figure 8B the embodiment shown can help the squeegee 131 smoothly pass through the front end of the tooth model 200 on multiple layers during the 3D printing process. And, it also saves the materials and printing time required for 3D printing compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 6 shown.

[0052] In addition, Figure 3 and Figure 4In the example, the scraping direction D of the scraper is substantially perpendicular to the incisor region 210 of the tooth model 200. The angles between the direction D and the first side wall 230 and the second side wall 240 at the bottom of the incisor region 210 can be between 70° and 90°. In other embodiments, the scraping direction D of the scraper can have other variations. For example, the scraping direction D' has a larger angle with the first side wall 230 and the second side wall 240 at the bottom of the incisor region 210. At this time, the position where side wall deformation is likely to occur will change, for example, move towards the canine region 211, and the region forming the connecting portion 250 can be correspondingly changed to the canine region 211. For example, the scraping direction E can be parallel to the incisor region 210 and substantially perpendicular to the molar region 212. At this time, the position where side wall deformation is likely to occur will be in the molar region 212, and the region forming the connecting portion 250 can be correspondingly changed to the molar region 212.

[0053] Figure 9 The flowchart showing the method of three-dimensional photocuring printing of a tooth model according to an embodiment of the present invention. The printing method includes the following steps:

[0054] Step 901: Obtain a three-dimensional data model of the tooth model.

[0055] The tooth model obtained in step 901 is an ordinary tooth model with a cavity shell, and there is no data on the connecting portion 250 in the incisor region 210 of the tooth model.

[0056] Step 902: Divide the three-dimensional data model into multiple layers.

[0057] Step 903: Identify a predetermined area in each layer whose angle with the scraping direction of the scraper of the three-dimensional printing device is within a predetermined range.

[0058] The identification of the area (such as the incisor region 210) in step 903 is to determine the position range of the connecting portion 250, so as to form the connecting portion 250 in this area during the subsequent printing process. Here, the predetermined range can be between 80° and 100°, and more preferably between 85° and 90°.

[0059] Step 904: Print each layer layer by layer.

[0060] During the process of printing layer by layer, when the layer to be printed has the aforementioned predetermined area (such as the incisor region 210), the controller of the printer controls the printing mechanism to form one or more connecting portions 250 extending from the first side wall 230 to the second side wall 240 when forming the first side wall 230 and the second side wall 240. The connecting portion 250 can adopt several of the aforementioned specific implementation manners, and which implementation manner is specifically adopted can be set by the user or the controller.

[0061] In another embodiment, the tooth model 200 obtained in step 901 may be a digital tooth model. The digital tooth model is a shell with a cavity. The shell has opposite first sidewall 230 and second sidewall 240. The digital tooth model has the connecting portion 250 in the foregoing embodiment in a predetermined area. The digital tooth model can be stored in a server and can be downloaded to a 3D printing device as shown in Figure 1 for printing. In the three-dimensional printing method of this embodiment, since the data about the connecting portion 250 has been included in the digital tooth model, step 903 can be omitted. And during the layer-by-layer printing process, the printer only needs to print according to the digital tooth model without actively adding the connecting portion.

[0062] Figures 10A - 10C Schematic diagram of the photocuring three-dimensional printing process showing an embodiment of the present invention. This process takes the embodiment of the tooth model shown in Figure 6 as an example. Referring to Figure 10A shown, the entire printing process starts from the bottom of the tooth model and prints layer by layer upward. As shown in the left figure of Figure 10A , it is assumed that the connecting portion 250 between the first sidewall 230 and the second sidewall 240 starts to be formed from the L1 layer of the tooth model. When printing reaches the L1 layer of the tooth model, a layer of the connecting portion 250 starts to be formed between the first sidewall 230 and the second sidewall 240 in the incisor region 210 of the tooth model. As shown in the right figure of Figure 10A , the model of the tooth model from the bottom to the L1 layer has been completed (as shown by the slanted part), including part of the first sidewall 230, part of the second sidewall 240, and a layer of linear connecting portion 250.

[0063] Referring to Figure 10B the left figure, when printing proceeds to the L2 layer of the tooth model, as shown in Figure 10B the right figure, at this time, the model of the tooth model from the bottom to the L2 layer has been completed, including part of the first sidewall 230, part of the second sidewall 240, and part of the connecting portion 250 (as shown by the slanted part). It can be understood that in the actually formed model, these parts of the first sidewall 230, the second sidewall 240, and the connecting portion 250 are integrated.

[0064] Referring to Figure 10C the left figure, when printing proceeds to the L3 layer of the tooth model, at this time, it has been printed to the top of the connecting portion 250. As shown in Figure 10CAs shown in the right figure, the model of the tooth from the bottom up to the L3 layer has been completed, including part of the first side wall 230, part of the second side wall 240, and all of the connecting part 250 (as shown by the slanted part). It can be understood that in the actually formed model, the first side wall 230, the second side wall 240, and the connecting part 250 of these parts are integrated.

[0065] It can be understood that the above description of layer-by-layer printing is based on Figures 10A - 10C the example shown in Figure 6 the embodiment. Figure 8A and Figure 8B the printing process of the embodiment shown is also applicable to the above printing process.

[0066] It should be noted that in the above embodiment of the tooth model, regardless of whether the shape of the one or more connecting parts 250 is linear, strip-shaped, sheet-shaped, etc., its better thickness in the tooth width direction ( Figure 5 direction A in

[0067] it) is 0.3 - 0.5 mm.

[0067] The present invention also includes a three-dimensional printing device for performing the above steps. The printing device includes a printing mechanism and a controller. The controller is configured to control the printing mechanism to execute Figure 9 the stereolithography three-dimensional printing method of the tooth model shown.

[0068] The basic concepts have been described above. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, the above invention disclosure is only an example and does not constitute a limitation to this application. Although not explicitly stated here, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements, and corrections to this application. Such modifications, improvements, and corrections are proposed in this application, so such modifications, improvements, and corrections still fall within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this application.

[0069] At the same time, this application uses specific words to describe the embodiments of this application. Such as "an embodiment", "one embodiment", and / or "some embodiments" mean a certain feature, structure, or characteristic related to at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that the "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "an alternative embodiment" mentioned twice or more at different positions in this specification is not necessarily the same embodiment. In addition, certain features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments of this application can be appropriately combined.

[0070] Some aspects of the methods and systems of this application can be executed entirely by hardware, entirely by software (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or by a combination of hardware and software. The above-mentioned hardware or software can all be referred to as "data blocks", "modules", "engines", "units", "components" or "systems". The processor can be one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DAPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or combinations thereof. In addition, aspects of this application may be embodied as a computer product located in one or more computer-readable media, which includes computer-readable program code. For example, computer-readable media can include, but are not limited to, magnetic storage devices (such as hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic tapes...), optical discs (such as compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs)...), smart cards, and flash memory devices (such as cards, sticks, key drives...).

[0071] A computer-readable signal medium may contain a propagated data signal that contains computer program code, such as on a baseband or as part of a carrier wave. This propagated signal may have various forms of manifestation, including electromagnetic form, optical form, etc., or a suitable combination of forms. A computer-readable signal medium can be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium, which can be connected to an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device to implement communication, propagation, or transmission of a program for use. The program code located on the computer-readable signal medium can be propagated through any suitable medium, including radio, cable, fiber optic cable, radio frequency signal, or similar media, or any combination of the above media.

[0072] In addition, unless clearly stated in the claims, the order of the processing elements and sequences, the use of numerical letters, or the use of other names in this application is not used to limit the order of the processes and methods of this application. Although some currently considered useful embodiments of the invention are discussed through various examples in the above disclosure, it should be understood that such details are only for illustrative purposes. The appended claims are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, the claims are intended to cover all modifications and equivalent combinations that conform to the essence and scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, although the system components described above can be implemented by hardware devices, they can also be implemented only through software solutions, such as installing the described system on an existing server or mobile device.

[0073] Similarly, it should be noted that, in order to simplify the description disclosed in this application and thus help the understanding of one or more embodiments of the invention, in the foregoing description of the embodiments of this application, sometimes multiple features are merged into one embodiment, drawing or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not mean that the features required by the object of this application are more than those mentioned in the claims. In fact, the features of the embodiments are fewer than all the features of the individual embodiments disclosed above.

[0074] In some embodiments, numbers are used to describe components and the quantity of attributes. It should be understood that such numbers used for the description of embodiments are modified by the modifiers "about", "approximately" or "substantially" in some examples. Unless otherwise stated, "about", "approximately" or "substantially" indicate that the said numbers allow a variation of ±20%. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters used in the specification and claims are approximate values, and such approximate values may change according to the characteristics required by individual embodiments. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should consider the specified significant digits and adopt the method of retaining the general number of digits. Although the numerical ranges and parameters used in some embodiments of this application to confirm the breadth of their scope are approximate values, in specific embodiments, the setting of such numerical values is as precise as possible within the feasible range.

[0075] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the current specific embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art in this technical field should recognize that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, and various equivalent changes or substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, as long as the changes and modifications of the above embodiments are within the scope of the spirit of the present invention, they will fall within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional printing method for a dental model, the dental model being a shell with a cavity, wherein the shell has opposite first and second side walls, and the method includes: Identifying an area in the dental model where the angle with the scraping direction of the squeegee of the three-dimensional printing device is within a predetermined range, the predetermined range being 80° - 100°; When forming the first and second side walls of the area, forming one or more sets of connecting parts extending from the first side wall to the second side wall, each set of connecting parts including a plurality of connecting parts arranged from the bottom to the top of the cavity in the height direction of the dental model, the plurality of connecting parts being sheet-shaped and parallel to the height direction of the dental model, wherein When printing the shell and the plurality of connecting parts, each layer of each of the connecting parts is linear.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Printing the shell and the plurality of connecting parts layer by layer from the bottom to the top of the dental model.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Using a stereolithography three-dimensional printing method to print the dental model.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The plurality of connecting parts pass through the cavity.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein Before forming one or more sets of connecting parts extending from the first side wall to the second side wall, it further includes: Dividing the digital dental model corresponding to the dental model into multiple layers; Identifying the areas of each layer in the multiple layers.

6. A three-dimensional printing device suitable for printing a dental model, the dental model being a shell with a cavity, wherein the shell has opposite first and second side walls, and the three-dimensional printing device includes a printing mechanism and a controller, and the controller is configured to control the printing mechanism to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 - 5.

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