A spotted invisible orthodontic appliance and its stress-strain tracking device and method

Abstract

This invention discloses a speckled clear aligner and its stress-strain tracking device and method, belonging to the field of orthodontic products. The speckled clear aligner of this invention comprises an aligner base and an internal pattern. The aligner base is made of transparent material, and the internal pattern consists of colored dots, circles, or lines. The surface of the speckled clear aligner is smooth and free of impurities or protrusions. This invention uses a dual-view camera and an intraoral scanner to record the microscopic displacement of the internal pattern of the speckled clear aligner before and after wearing, thereby calculating the stress-strain of the speckled clear aligner and the contact and force relationship between the speckled clear aligner and the patient's teeth. This invention helps doctors make correct judgments during orthodontic treatment, optimize the shape of the clear aligner and treatment plan, and the monitoring of stress-strain between the aligner and teeth during orthodontic treatment contributes to the development of orthodontic treatment theory.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of orthodontic products, specifically relating to a spotless invisible aligner and its stress-strain tracking device and method. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of manufacturing technology, orthodontic appliances for correcting malocclusion have been continuously upgraded, from traditional fixed braces and removable braces to clear aligners. The shapes and functions of these appliances are diverse. As patients' demands for convenience and aesthetics in the orthodontic process increase, the application of clear aligners is becoming more widespread. Currently, clear aligner treatment plans are mostly based on the patient's tooth alignment, with different treatment stages using different aligners to guide the teeth step by step to the correct position. However, due to the complex actual contact between the clear aligner and the teeth, the stress on the teeth is difficult to monitor and control. This can cause teeth to grow in unexpected directions during orthodontic treatment, leading to a deviation between the actual situation and the treatment expectations. This results in the waste of a series of clear aligners manufactured according to the plan, requiring the customization of clear aligners based on the actual situation, resulting in significant material waste. On the other hand, the stress and strain state of the clear aligner itself after contact with the teeth is difficult to track, causing unexpected deformation of the clear aligner, which in turn affects the treatment outcome and seriously delays the treatment process. To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention proposes a spotted clear aligner and its stress-strain tracking method. This method can accurately track the stress-strain state of the clear aligner and the force on the teeth during treatment, facilitating timely adjustments to the treatment plan and saving time for patients and doctors in the production of clear aligners, thereby improving orthodontic efficiency and conserving manufacturing materials. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, this invention discloses a spotted invisible aligner and its stress-strain tracking device and method, which facilitates the analysis of the stress and deformation of the invisible aligner and teeth during treatment, thereby helping doctors to better formulate treatment plans and adjust the shape of the aligner.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0005] The present invention first provides a spot-patterned invisible aligner, which includes an aligner base and an internal pattern. The aligner base is made of transparent material, and the internal pattern is colored dots, circles or lines. The surface of the spot-patterned invisible aligner is smooth and free of impurities or protrusions.

[0006] Furthermore, the spotted clear aligner is manufactured using 3D printing or molding. Its shape is customized based on dental intraoral scan images or concave molds, and the internal pattern is a transparent curable material with colored patterns mixed in. After the spotted clear aligner is manufactured, a fixed pattern is formed inside the spotted clear aligner.

[0007] The present invention also provides a stress-strain tracking device for the above-mentioned invisible aligner with a mottled pattern. The stress-strain tracking device includes a base, on which a chin rest is mounted via an adjustable short bracket. A long support rod is mounted on the base, and an adjustable mouthpiece is mounted on the long support rod. The adjustable mouthpiece contains an invisible aligner with a mottled pattern for wearing. A camera is mounted on the base on the opposite side of the adjustable short bracket and the long support rod via a camera bracket. The camera is used to capture the internal pattern of the invisible aligner with a mottled pattern and transmit the data to a computer to calculate the stress and strain of the invisible aligner with a mottled pattern and the force condition of the teeth.

[0008] Furthermore, a forehead baffle is provided on the upper part of the long support rod; the forehead baffle and the adjustable opening can slide up and down along the long support rod (203).

[0009] The present invention also provides a stress-strain tracking method for the above-mentioned spot-covered invisible orthodontic device, the method comprising the following steps:

[0010] (1) Obtain a three-dimensional model of the patient's tooth arrangement through oral scanning;

[0011] (2) Determine the shape of the spot-covered clear aligner based on the three-dimensional model of tooth arrangement obtained in step (1), and make the spot-covered clear aligner. The inside of the made spot-covered clear aligner contains a transparent material aligner base and a colored internal pattern.

[0012] (3) Before wearing, the camera is used to capture the geometric shape of the invisible orthodontic device with spots and record the distribution of its internal pattern;

[0013] (4) The patient wears the spotted invisible orthodontic appliance whose geometric shape has been collected in step (3). After the spotted invisible orthodontic appliance is worn, the camera is used to collect the geometric shape of the spotted invisible orthodontic appliance and record the distribution of the internal pattern of the spotted invisible orthodontic appliance after wearing.

[0014] (5) Compare the morphology and internal pattern of the spotted invisible orthodontic device collected in step (3) with the morphology and internal pattern of the spotted invisible orthodontic device collected in step (4). Calculate the displacement of each point on the surface of the spotted invisible orthodontic device based on the internal pattern. Calculate the strain and internal stress state of each point of the spotted invisible orthodontic device based on the displacement data.

[0015] (6) Based on the strain and internal stress state of each point of the spotless clear aligner obtained in step (5), the contact point between the spotless clear aligner and the patient's teeth and the direction of force on the teeth are deduced.

[0016] The present invention further provides an application of the above-mentioned spot-covered invisible aligner, which is used for orthodontic treatment of teeth.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0018] 1. Unlike traditional invisible aligners, the invisible aligner with markings in this invention can easily track the stress and strain of the aligner and teeth during treatment, making it easier for doctors to make correct judgments;

[0019] 2. This invention solves the problem of scrapped prefabricated invisible aligners caused by teeth growing differently than expected, reducing material waste;

[0020] 3. Based on the force state of the invisible aligner and teeth during orthodontic treatment, this invention precisely adjusts the shape of the invisible aligner at each stage, making the treatment more optimized and efficient, and reducing patient pain;

[0021] 4. Traditional clear aligner design is somewhat arbitrary, rigidly using the tooth arrangement at each treatment stage as a standard for aligner fabrication, often failing to achieve the desired results. This invention helps to accurately obtain the stress deformation after the clear aligner is worn, thereby predicting tooth movement and making the design of clear aligners more scientific.

[0022] 5. The stress and strain data collected by this invention for invisible aligners also helps to clarify the loading mechanism of teeth during orthodontic treatment and promotes the advancement of orthodontic theory. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the invisible orthodontic device with spots according to the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a front view of the stress-strain tracking device for the invisible orthodontic appliance of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a side view of the stress-strain tracking device for the invisible orthodontic appliance of the present invention;

[0026] List of identifiers in attached diagrams:

[0027] 100-Orthodontic base, 101-Internal pattern, 110-Spotted invisible aligner, 200-Base, 201-Adjustable mouth opener, 202-Forehead baffle, 203-Long support rod, 204-Chin support, 205-Adjustable short support, 210-Camera holder, 211-Double-sided camera. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The present invention will be further illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the following specific embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0029] Example 1:

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, the invisible aligner 110 with spots in this embodiment can be manufactured by 3D printing or molding. Its shape is customized according to the patient's dental intraoral scan image or concave mold, and includes an aligner base 100 and an internal pattern 101.

[0031] The base 100 of the invisible aligner 110 with spots is made of transparent material, and the internal pattern 101 can be dotted, circular, or linear.

[0032] The spotted clear aligner 110 is manufactured using a transparent, curable material with colored dots, circles, or lines mixed in. After the spotted clear aligner 110 is manufactured, a fixed pattern is formed inside the spotted clear aligner 110, and the surface of the spotted clear aligner 110 is smooth and free of impurities or protrusions.

[0033] Example 2:

[0034] like Figure 2-3 As shown, the stress-strain tracking device of the invisible orthodontic device 110 with spots described in Embodiment 1 of this embodiment includes a base 200, an adjustable mouthpiece 201, a forehead baffle 202, a long support rod 203, a chin support 204, an adjustable short bracket 205, a camera bracket 210, and a binocular camera 211.

[0035] The long support rod 203 is symmetrically installed on one side of the long side of the base 200 to fix the forehead baffle 202 and the adjustable mouth opener 201. The forehead baffle 202 and the adjustable mouth opener 201 can slide up and down along the long support rod 203 to be adjusted to a suitable position according to the head shape of different patients.

[0036] The adjustable mouth opener 201 is used to open the patient's lips to expose the teeth and gums, which facilitates measurement and calibration. The adjustable mouth opener 201 is a disposable item and should be replaced after each use.

[0037] The adjustable short bracket 205 is installed on one side of the long side of the base 200, on the same side as the long support rod 203, and is used to install the chin support 204 and adjust the up and down position of the chin support 204 to adapt to the patient's head shape.

[0038] The camera bracket 210 is located on the opposite side of the adjustable short bracket 205 and the long support rod 203, and can slide on the base 200 to adjust its own position. The camera bracket 210 is equipped with a double-sided camera 210, which is used to photograph the patient wearing the spot-covered clear aligner 110 and transmit the data to the computer to calculate the stress and strain of the spot-covered clear aligner 110 and the force condition of the teeth.

[0039] Example 3:

[0040] A stress-strain tracking method for the spotted invisible aligner 110 described in Embodiment 1 includes the following steps:

[0041] First, a three-dimensional model of the patient's tooth arrangement is obtained through oral scanning;

[0042] The shape of the patterned clear aligner 110 required for the first stage of treatment is determined based on the patient's tooth growth condition, and the patterned clear aligner 110 is fabricated. The fabricated patterned clear aligner 110 contains a clear pattern distribution inside.

[0043] Before wearing, the geometric shape of the spotted invisible orthodontic device 110 is collected by a binocular camera 211 or an oral scanner and the distribution of its internal pattern is recorded.

[0044] The patient wears the spotted clear aligner 110. After the spotted clear aligner 110 is worn, the geometric shape of the spotted clear aligner 110 is collected using a binocular camera 211 or an oral scanner and the distribution of the internal pattern 101 of the spotted clear aligner 110 is recorded.

[0045] The shape and internal pattern 101 of the invisible aligner 110 before wearing are compared with the shape and internal pattern 101 of the invisible aligner 110 during wearing. The displacement of each point on the surface of the invisible aligner 110 is calculated. Based on the displacement data, the strain and internal stress state of each point of the invisible aligner 110 are calculated.

[0046] Based on the surface displacement and stress-strain state of the spotted clear aligner 110, the contact point between the spotted clear aligner 110 and the patient's teeth and the direction of force on the teeth can be deduced.

[0047] Example 4:

[0048] An application of the spotted clear aligner 110 described in Embodiment 1, which is used in orthodontic treatment, includes the following steps:

[0049] First, a three-dimensional model of the patient's tooth arrangement is obtained through oral scanning;

[0050] The shape of the spot-covered clear aligner 110 required for the first stage of treatment is determined based on the patient's tooth growth status, and the spot-covered clear aligner 110 is fabricated.

[0051] When a patient first wears the clear aligner 110 with a speckle, the geometric shape and internal pattern displacement of the clear aligner 110 with a speckle are obtained using a binocular camera 211 or an oral scanner. The contact points between the clear aligner 110 with the patient's teeth and the direction of force at each contact point are calculated. If the direction of force on the teeth does not meet expectations, the clear aligner 110 with a speckle is adjusted. If the direction of force on the teeth meets expectations, a follow-up appointment is scheduled.

[0052] During the period of wearing the spot-patterned clear aligner 110, patients can be scheduled for multiple follow-up visits. At each follow-up visit, the geometry and internal pattern 101 of the spot-patterned clear aligner 110 worn by the patient are measured by a binocular camera 211 or an intraoral scanner. The stress-strain state of the spot-patterned clear aligner 110, the force condition and displacement of the teeth are calculated. The contact condition between the spot-patterned clear aligner 110 and the teeth is judged based on the stress-strain state of the spot-patterned clear aligner 110. Based on the actual contact condition between the spot-patterned clear aligner 110 and the teeth, as well as the force and displacement of the teeth, it is determined whether the shape of the spot-patterned clear aligner 110 needs to be adjusted.

[0053] At the end of each treatment cycle, by observing the stress and strain state of the spotted clear aligner 110 and the displacement and force state of the teeth, the shape of the spotted clear aligner 110 required for the next stage of treatment is determined, and steps 3-4 are repeated.

[0054] Example 5:

[0055] The stress and strain acquisition process 1 for the spotted invisible orthodontic appliance 110 is as follows: First, the patient wears the spotted invisible orthodontic appliance 110. Then, the patient places their chin on the chin rest 204 and their forehead on the forehead baffle 202. The height of the adjustable short bracket 205 and the forehead baffle 202 are adjusted to fit the patient's head shape.

[0056] Next, the patient's lips are opened using the adjustable mouth opener 201 to expose the spotted clear aligner 110. The positions of the camera bracket 210 and the binocular camera 211 are adjusted so that the binocular camera 211 can capture images of the patient's spotted clear aligner 110. The spatial positions of the spotted clear aligner 110, the camera bracket 211, and the binocular camera 211 are recorded for easy comparison in subsequent measurements.

[0057] Finally, the shape and internal pattern 101 of the spotted clear aligner 110 are photographed using a binocular camera 211, and the data is transmitted to a computer to calculate the stress and strain of the spotted clear aligner 110.

[0058] Example 6:

[0059] Stress and strain acquisition process 2 for the spot-patterned clear aligner: After the patient puts on the spot-patterned clear aligner 110, he / she lies on the dental chair. The doctor scans and records the shape and internal pattern 101 of the spot-patterned clear aligner 110 using an oral scanner and transmits it to the computer. By comparing the differences between the shape and internal pattern 101 of the spot-patterned clear aligner 110 before and after two measurements, the stress and strain of the spot-patterned clear aligner 110 are calculated.

[0060] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0061] It should be noted that the above content merely illustrates the technical concept of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and all such improvements and modifications fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A stress-strain tracking method for a spotted invisible orthodontic appliance, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: (1) Obtain a three-dimensional model of the patient's tooth arrangement through oral scanning; (2) Determine the shape of the spot-covered clear aligner (110) based on the three-dimensional model of tooth arrangement obtained in step (1), and fabricate the spot-covered clear aligner (110). The fabricated spot-covered clear aligner (110) contains a clear aligner base (100) and a colored internal pattern (101). The internal pattern (101) is a colored dot, circle or line, and the surface of the spot-covered clear aligner (110) is smooth and free of impurities and protrusions. (3) Before wearing, the geometric shape of the spotless invisible orthodontic device (110) is captured by camera (211) and the distribution of its internal pattern (101) is recorded; (4) The patient wears the spotted invisible orthodontic appliance (110) whose geometric shape has been collected in step (3). After the spotted invisible orthodontic appliance (110) is worn, the camera (211) is used to collect the geometric shape of the spotted invisible orthodontic appliance and record the distribution of the internal pattern (101) of the spotted invisible orthodontic appliance (110) after wearing. (5) Using the stress and strain tracking device of the spotted invisible orthodontic appliance, the morphology and internal pattern (101) of the spotted invisible orthodontic appliance (110) collected in step (3) are compared with the morphology and internal pattern (101) of the spotted invisible orthodontic appliance (110) collected in step (4). The displacement of each point on the surface of the spotted invisible orthodontic appliance is calculated based on the internal pattern (101) as a reference. The strain and internal stress state of each point of the spotted invisible orthodontic appliance (110) are calculated based on the displacement data. (6) Based on the strain and internal stress state of each point of the spotted clear aligner (110) obtained in step (5), the contact point between the spotted clear aligner (110) and the patient's teeth and the direction of force on the teeth are deduced.

2. The stress-strain tracking method for a spotted invisible orthodontic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned invisible aligner with spots is manufactured by 3D printing or molding. Its shape is customized according to the dental intraoral scan image or concave mold. The internal pattern (101) is a transparent curable material with colored patterns mixed in. After the invisible aligner with spots (110) is manufactured, a fixed pattern (101) is formed inside the invisible aligner with spots (110).

3. The stress-strain tracking method for a spotted invisible orthodontic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stress-strain tracking device for the invisible aligner with spots includes a base (200), on which a chin rest (204) is mounted via an adjustable short bracket (205). A long support rod (203) is mounted on the base, and an adjustable mouth opener (201) is mounted on the long support rod (203). An invisible aligner with spots (110) for wearing is disposed inside the adjustable mouth opener (201). A camera (211) is mounted on the base (200) on the opposite side of the adjustable short bracket (205) and the long support rod (203) via a camera bracket (210). The camera (211) is used to capture the internal pattern (101) of the invisible aligner with spots (110) and transmit the data to a computer to calculate the stress-strain of the invisible aligner with spots (110) and the force condition of the teeth.

4. The stress-strain tracking method for a spotted invisible orthodontic device according to claim 3, characterized in that, A forehead baffle (202) is provided on the upper part of the long support rod (203); the forehead baffle (202) and the adjustable mouthpiece (201) can slide up and down along the long support rod (203).

5. An application of the spotted invisible orthodontic appliance as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The spotted invisible aligner is used for orthodontic treatment of teeth.

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