Mold and aligner with cut line markings

Abstract

This invention relates to adding customized cutting line (415, 440, 494) information to a housing to be formed on a dental arch mold (400, 484). In one embodiment, the cutting lines of the housing are determined. A processing device determines one or more markings on the housing to mark the cutting lines (415, 440, 494). The processing device determines one or more features (486, 492) to be added to the mold to which the housing will be formed, said one or more features giving the housing said one or more markings. The processing device generates a digital model of the mold, the digital model including said one or more features, wherein the digital model can be used to manufacture a mold having said one or more features.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application filed on October 16, 2017, with application number 2021107284451 and invention title "Mold and Aligner with Cutting Line Markings" (the parent application has application number 2017800673874). Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of rapid prototyping molds, and more specifically to molds having a cutting line feature that imprints a cutting line mark onto material thermoformed on the mold, the cutting line mark indicating the location for cutting the material after thermoforming. Embodiments also relate to orthodontic aligners with cutting line marks, manufactured directly or by thermoforming a sheet of material on a mold having the cutting line feature. Background Technology

[0003] For some applications, the shell is formed around the mold to achieve the negative effect of the mold. The shell is then removed from the mold for further use in various applications. An example application of forming a shell around a mold for reuse is orthodontic dentistry or orthodontic treatment. In this application, the mold is the patient's dental arch, and the shell is an aligner used to align one or more of the patient's teeth.

[0004] The mold can be formed using rapid prototyping equipment such as a 3D printer, which can use additive manufacturing techniques (e.g., stereolithography) or subtractive manufacturing techniques (e.g., milling) to create the mold. A aligner can then be formed on the mold using thermoforming equipment. Once the aligner is formed, it is typically trimmed along the cut lines using a computer-controlled 4-axis or 5-axis dressing machine (e.g., a laser dressing machine or grinder). The dressing machine uses electronic data that identifies the cut lines to trim the aligner. Cut line information is not transmitted to the mold or the aligner.

[0005] Rapid prototyping and thermoforming equipment are compact devices that can be owned by laboratories, dental clinics, or orthodontic offices. However, trimming machines, such as laser trimming machines or milling trimming machines, are large and expensive machines that are typically not owned by laboratories, dental clinics, or orthodontic offices. Therefore, these laboratories, dental clinics, or orthodontic offices may manually trim the aligner after it has been thermoformed on a mold, in a way that compromises the effectiveness of the instrument or patient comfort. Attached Figure Description

[0006] The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings by way of example rather than limitation.

[0007] Figure 1AA flowchart is shown of a method for manufacturing a mold having the feature of marking the embossed housing with cutting lines, according to one embodiment.

[0008] Figure 1B A flowchart is shown of a method for trimming a housing using embossed cutting line marks according to one embodiment.

[0009] Figure 2A A flowchart is shown of a method for manufacturing a mold having cut line markings on a shell formed on a mold, according to one embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2B A flowchart is shown of a method for trimming a housing using cutting line marks in a mold forming the housing, according to one embodiment.

[0011] Figure 3 A flowchart is shown of a method for directly manufacturing an aligner or other housing with cut line markings according to one embodiment.

[0012] Figure 4A A mold of a dental arch with markings is shown according to one embodiment, the markings indicating the cut lines of the shell formed on the mold.

[0013] Figure 4B A mold of a dental arch with markings according to another embodiment is shown, the markings showing the cut lines of the shell formed on the mold.

[0014] Figure 4C A mold with a dental arch feature according to one embodiment is shown, the feature causing the shell formed on the mold to have cutting line markings.

[0015] Figure 4D A mold with a dental arch feature according to another embodiment is shown, the feature causing the shell formed on the mold to have cutting line markings.

[0016] Figure 4E A mold with a dental arch feature according to another embodiment is shown, the feature causing the shell formed on the mold to have cutting line markings.

[0017] Figure 5 An exemplary orthodontic alignment device worn by a person is shown.

[0018] Figure 6 A block diagram of an example computing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0019] This document describes embodiments of computer-aided drafting (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) systems that embed cutting line information of a housing, such as an orthodontic aligner, into a digital model of a mold used to form the housing and / or into a digital model of the housing. Traditionally, aligners are trimmed manually, and trimming line information is not provided to facilitate trimming. In some large manufacturing facilities, machines perform trimming using custom trimming lines (also called cutting lines) determined by the large manufacturing facility. The embodiments described herein enable large manufacturing facilities to transmit custom trimming line information to smaller manufacturing facilities. For example, conventionally, large manufacturing equipment generates a digital model of a mold, manufactures the mold from the digital model, forms the housing on the mold, and then trims the housing along the cutting lines using an electronic file containing cutting line information via a computer-controlled grinder or computer-controlled laser cutter. However, in some cases, it may be useful for third parties such as dental laboratories, clinicians' offices, or other smaller manufacturing facilities to manufacture the housing based on a digital model received from the entity that generated the digital model (e.g., the large manufacturing facility). For example, an orthodontist or laboratory may want to be able to quickly replace a patient's lost housing. A third party can receive a digital model of the mold, use the digital model and a rapid prototyping machine to form the mold, and then form the shell on the mold. This third party may lack computer-controlled milling machines or laser cutting machines. Therefore, the third party's technicians will likely have to manually trim the shell.

[0020] For housings such as orthodontic aligners, retainers, and splints, the trimming of the housing is important for its effectiveness in fulfilling its intended purpose (e.g., aligning, retaining, or positioning one or more of the patient's teeth) and for its fit to the patient's dental arch. For example, if the housing is trimmed too much, it may lose rigidity and its ability to apply force to the patient's teeth may be impaired. On the other hand, if the housing is trimmed too little, some parts of the housing may impact the patient's gums and cause discomfort, swelling, and / or other dental problems. Additionally, if the housing is trimmed too little in one location, it may be too stiff at that location. Generally, the optimal cutting line is away from the gingival line (also known as the gingival margin) in some areas and on the gingival line in others. For example, in some cases, it may be desirable for the cutting line to be away from the gingival line (e.g., not touching the gums), where the housing will touch the teeth in the interproximal region between teeth and on the gingival line (e.g., touching the gums). Therefore, it is important to trim the housing along the intended cutting line. However, for technicians, manually trimming the housing along the desired cut line can be very challenging because there are no indications of the cut line on the housing being trimmed.

[0021] Additionally, the housing can have multiple cutting lines. The first or main cutting line controls the distance between the edge of the housing and the patient's gingival line. Additional cutting lines can be used for grooves, holes, or other shapes within the housing. For example, additional cutting lines can be used to remove the occlusal surface of the housing, additional surfaces of the housing, or a portion of the housing, resulting in the formation of hooks that can be used with elastic elements when removed. This further increases the difficulty of manually trimming the housing.

[0022] Therefore, the embodiments cover techniques for transmitting cutting line information to the mold and / or the housing to be trimmed. By transmitting the cutting line information to the housing to be trimmed, technicians are provided with guidance on trimming the housing. This can significantly improve the accuracy of trimming the housing along a predetermined cutting line.

[0023] In one embodiment, cut lines for the housing are determined. The processing device determines one or more markings on the housing to mark the cut lines. The processing device determines one or more features to be added to the mold forming the housing, the one or more features giving the housing the markings. The processing device then generates a digital model of the mold, which includes one or more features, wherein the digital model can be used to manufacture the mold having the one or more features. When a third party receives the digital model, they can use it to manufacture the mold, and then the housing can be formed on the mold. The mold and / or housing may include markings indicating the correct cut lines. A technician can then manually trim the housing along the predetermined cut lines using the included markings. Therefore, the finished housing will fit the patient well and will function as designed.

[0024] In another embodiment, the cut lines for the shell to be formed on a mold of the dental arch are determined. The processing device determines one or more marks to be added to the mold on which the shell will be formed, such that the cut lines are visible when the shell is on the mold. The processing device then generates a digital model of the mold, which includes the one or more marks. The digital model can be used to manufacture the mold with the one or more marks. Then, when the shell is on the mold, a technician can manually trim the shell along the predetermined cut lines using the marks included in the mold. Thus, the finished shell will fit the patient well and function as designed.

[0025] In another embodiment, one or more cutting lines may be defined. Some cutting line markings may ultimately be transferred to the formed housing. Other cutting line markings may remain in the mold but may not be transferred to the housing.

[0026] In one embodiment, the processing device determines the cutting lines of an orthodontic aligner for aligning one or more teeth of a patient. The processing device determines one or more marks or elements to be added to the orthodontic aligner that mark the cutting lines. The processing device then generates (or updates) a digital model of the aligner, which includes one or more marks or elements, wherein the digital model can be used to manufacture the aligner.

[0027] This document discusses some embodiments with reference to orthodontic aligners (also referred to simply as aligners). However, the embodiments also extend to other types of housings formed on a mold, such as orthodontic retainers, orthodontic splints, sleep appliances for oral insertion (e.g., for minimizing snoring, sleep apnea, etc.) and / or housings for non-dental applications. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments of aligners discussed herein are also applicable to other types of housings. For example, the principles, features, and methods discussed can be applied to any application or process where it is useful to transmit cutting line information to housings forming fitting devices (such as eyeglass frames, contact lenses or glass lenses, hearing aids or plugs, artificial knees, prostheses and devices, orthodontic inserts) and protective devices (such as knee braces, sports cups, or elbow, chin, and leg braces, and other similar sports / protective devices).

[0028] Now refer to the attached diagram, Figure 1A A flowchart of a method 100 for manufacturing a mold having a housing marked with etched lines according to one embodiment is shown. One or more operations of method 100 are performed by processing logic of a computing device. The processing logic may include hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructions executed by the processing device), firmware, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more operations of method 100 may be performed by executing a computer-aided drafting (CAD) program or module (e.g., Figure 6 The model generator (650) is processed by the processing device.

[0029] At box 102 of method 100, the shape of the patient's dental arch for the treatment phase is determined based on the treatment plan. In the orthodontic example, the treatment plan can be generated based on an intraoral scan of the dental arch to be modeled. An intraoral scan of the patient's dental arch can be performed to generate a three-dimensional (3D) virtual model of the patient's dental arch. For example, a full scan of the patient's mandible and / or maxillary arch can be performed to generate its 3D virtual model. An intraoral scan can be performed by creating multiple overlapping intraoral images from different scanning stations and then stitching the intraoral images together to provide a composite 3D virtual model. In other applications, a virtual 3D model can also be generated based on a scan of the object to be modeled or based on the use of computer-aided drawing techniques (e.g., for designing virtual 3D molds). Alternatively, an initial negative model can be generated from the actual object to be modeled. The negative model can then be scanned to determine the shape of the positive model to be produced.

[0030] Once a virtual 3D model of the patient's dental arch is generated, the dentist can determine the desired treatment outcome, including the final position and orientation of the patient's teeth. The processing logic can then determine multiple treatment phases to advance the teeth from their initial position and orientation to their target final position and orientation. The shapes of the final virtual 3D model and each intermediate virtual 3D model can be determined by calculating the progression of tooth movement throughout the entire orthodontic treatment, from the initial tooth placement and orientation to the final corrected tooth placement and orientation. For each treatment phase, a separate virtual 3D model of the patient's dental arch can be generated for that phase. The shape of each virtual 3D model will be different. The original virtual 3D model, the final virtual 3D model, and each intermediate virtual 3D model are unique and customized for the patient.

[0031] Therefore, multiple distinct virtual 3D models can be generated for a single patient. The first virtual 3D model can be a unique model of the patient's currently presented dental arch and / or teeth, and the final virtual 3D model can be a model of the patient's dental arch and / or teeth after correction of one or more teeth and / or jaw. Multiple intermediate virtual 3D models can be modeled, each progressively different from the previous virtual 3D models.

[0032] Each virtual 3D model of the patient's dental arch can be used to generate a unique, custom-made mold for the arch at a specific stage of treatment. The shape of the mold can be at least partially based on the shape of the virtual 3D model for that treatment stage. Aligners can be formed from each mold to provide force for moving the patient's teeth. The shape of each alignment is unique and customized for a specific patient and a specific treatment stage. In one example, the alignment can be pressure-formed or thermoformed on the mold. Each mold can be used to manufacture the alignment that will apply force to the patient's teeth at a specific stage of orthodontic treatment. Each alignment has a cavity that accommodates and resiliently repositions the teeth according to the specific treatment stage.

[0033] At box 105, the processing logic determines the incision line of the aligner. This determination is based on a virtual 3D model of the dental arch for a specific treatment stage, a virtual 3D model of the aligner to be formed on the dental arch, or a combination of a virtual 3D model of the dental arch and a virtual 3D model of the aligner. Each aligner has a unique shape customized to fit the patient's dental arch at a specific stage of orthodontic treatment. After the aligner is formed on a mold for the treatment stage, it is subsequently trimmed along the incision line (also called the trimming line). The incision line may be a gingival incision line, which represents the interface between the aligner and the patient's gingiva. The incision line controls the distance between the edge of the aligner and the patient's gingival line or gingival surface. Each patient has a unique dental arch and unique gingiva. Therefore, the shape and position of the incision line will be unique and customized for each patient and each treatment stage. The position and shape of the incision line are important for the function of the aligner (e.g., the aligner's ability to apply the desired force to the patient's teeth) as well as the fit and comfort of the aligner. In one embodiment, the incision line covers the buccal, lingual, and palatal regions of the aligner.

[0034] According to one embodiment, for the treatment phase, an initial gingival curve is first defined by a line around the teeth of the patient's dental arch (LAT) from a virtual 3D model (also called a digital model) of the patient's dental arch. The gingival curve may include the interproximal region between adjacent teeth and the interface region between the teeth and the gingiva. The initially defined gingival curve may be replaced by a modified dynamic curve representing a cutting line.

[0035] Defining the initial gingival curve along a line around a tooth (LAT) can be appropriately accomplished using various conventional methods. For example, this generation of the gingival curve can include any conventional computational orthodontic method or method used to identify gingival curves. In one example, the initial gingival curve can be generated using the Hermite-Spline method. Typically, the Hermite form of a cubic polynomial curve segment is determined by constraints on endpoints P1 and P4 and tangent vectors at endpoints R1 and R4. The Hermite curve can be written in the following form:

[0036] Q(s)=(2s 3 -3s 2 +1)P1+(-2s 3 +3s 2 )P4+(s 3 -2s 2 +s)R1+(s 3 -s 2 )R4;s[0,1] (1)

[0037] Equation (1) can be rewritten as:

[0038] Q(s)=F1(s)P1 +F2(s)P4 +F3(s)R1 +F4(s)R4; (2)

[0039] Equation (2) is the geometric form of the Hermite spline curve, vectors P1, P4, R1, and R4 are geometric coefficients, and term F is the Hermite basis function.

[0040] The gingival surface is defined by gingival curves and baselines on all teeth, with the baselines obtained from a digital model of the patient's dental arch. Therefore, using multiple gingival curves and baselines, Hermite surface patches representing the gingival surface can be generated.

[0041] Instead of a cutting line that causes sharp points or other narrowing areas in the interproximal region between teeth (potentially weakening the alignment material during use), the initial gingival curve can be replaced with a cutting line modified from the initial gingival curve. This is achieved by initially obtaining multiple sample points from paired portions of the gingival curve located on each side of the interproximal region. The sample points are then converted into a list of points with relevant geometric information (e.g., converted to Amsterdam Dental Function (ADF) format or another similar data format). Sampling points can be appropriately selected near the internal region between the two teeth, but must be sufficiently far from where the two teeth meet or reach a point (or where the interval between the two teeth narrows) within the interproximal region.

[0042] The set of sampling points provides multiple points in space (not in the same plane) that can be used to generate a mean plane and a vector perpendicular to the mean plane. The sampling points associated with the gingival curve portion can then be projected onto the mean plane to generate two new curves. To minimize the weakening of the aligner material in the interproximal regions, the modified dynamic curves can be configured to include an offset adjustment that sets a minimum radius in the interproximal regions to prevent breakage of the aligner material during use. The offset adjustment is also configured to ensure that the resulting cut line has a sufficient radius in the interproximal regions to facilitate sufficient resistance applied to the teeth to induce effective movement, rather than a radius that is too small to be prone to breakage. For example, sharp points or other narrow areas of the material may create stress zones that are prone to breakage during use and should therefore be avoided. Therefore, instead of making the cut line include sharp points or other narrow areas, multiple intersections and tangents can be used to generate the cut line in the interproximal regions between adjacent teeth, which maintains the structural strength of the aligner and prevents potential breakage from sharp points and / or narrow sections. In one embodiment, the cut line is spaced apart from the gingival surface at the area where the aligner will contact the teeth and is designed to at least partially contact the patient's gingival surface in one or more interproximal regions between teeth.

[0043] At box 110, the processing logic determines one or more marks and / or elements to mark the cut lines in the aligner. Marks in the aligner can be visible indicators for the cut lines within the aligner, where the visible indicators do not alter the shape or feel of the aligner. Elements marking the cut lines in the aligner can be positive or negative protrusions that do affect the shape of the aligner. Marks can remain in the aligner without affecting the fit or feel of the aligner when worn by the patient. However, elements added to the aligner may affect the fit and / or feel of the aligner unless they are removed from the aligner.

[0044] Different types of markings can be assigned to cutting lines. Some examples of markings include shapes such as arrows, triangles, and lines that point towards the cutting line. For example, the tip of a shape (e.g., the tip of an arrow) can mark a cutting line. Other examples of markings include dashed or solid lines. For example, a cutting line can be marked as a single line along which a technician would make a cut. In another example, a cutting line can be marked as two parallel lines, along which a technician would make a cut. Other types of markings are also possible. Furthermore, a single cutting line can be marked using several different types of markings. For example, a cutting line can be marked by a combination of a first marking of the line and an additional marking of an arrow pointing towards the line.

[0045] In one embodiment, to define the markings used to display the cutting line, the processing logic determines the surface area on the aligner that can be used for marking. If a large surface area exists, more markings and / or larger markings can be used. Conversely, if a small amount of surface area exists on the aligner, fewer markings and / or smaller markings can be used. Furthermore, if less than a threshold amount of surface area exists on the aligner, the type of markings to be used can be limited. For example, if the cutting line is marked using shapes pointing towards it, more shapes are typically used for sharper curves. If there is not enough space on the aligner to include multiple shapes, alternative forms of marking, such as single lines or pairs of lines, can be used.

[0046] At box 115, the processing logic can determine the initial shape of the mold for the patient's dental arch at that treatment stage based on a digital model of the dental arch. Additionally, the processing logic can determine one or more features to be added to the mold, which will result in the aligner formed on the mold having defined markings and / or elements. For example, one or more ridges or grooves can be added to the mold, resulting in one or more lines in the aligner formed on the mold. Ridges and / or grooves can have very small height / depth and / or thickness, such that they will cause light to be reflected and / or refracted from the aligner formed on the mold in such a way that one or more lines are visible. Similarly, other very shallow features with shapes to be imprinted into the aligner can be added to the digital model of the mold. These features may result in the aligner formed on the mold including markings without affecting the shape and / or feel of the aligner.

[0047] For elements to be added to the aligner, the corresponding features added to the die may have depth, height, and / or thickness that will affect the shape and / or feel of the aligner. Therefore, the features of the element are typically larger, thicker, deeper, etc., than the marked features. For example, a feature may be a groove or ridge that will create a perceptible ridge or groove in the aligner. This ridge or groove can be felt in the aligner, and the ridge or groove may be deep enough (or high enough) to guide the movement of the blade in the operator's hand.

[0048] At box 120, the processing logic determines whether to add additional cutting line information to the aligner. As described above, the primary cutting line defines the distance between the edge of the aligner and the patient's gingival surface. Additional cutting lines can be used for any other cuts, such as incisions in the aligner. For example, additional cutting lines can indicate additional portions of the aligner to be removed, such as the occlusal surface of the aligner. Removing the occlusal surface of the aligner from one or more teeth allows these teeth to come into contact with teeth on the opposing dental arch. Additional cutting lines can also provide incisions for one or more attachments on the patient's teeth (e.g., small, medium, and / or large bumps, projections, wings, etc., formed by a rigid composite material adhered to the patient's teeth). Additional cutting lines can also be incisions that generate hooks formed in the aligner, where the hooks can be used with an elastic element to apply additional force to the patient's teeth. Additional cutting lines can also be used for incisions on the buccal surface of the aligner to improve patient comfort and / or meet functional parameters. Other auxiliary cutting lines can also be determined, for example, to form incisions in the aligner for other purposes (e.g., to reduce the strength or stiffness of the aligner or to create space for attachments on the aligner). In some cases, the cut may not remove material from the aligner.

[0049] If it is determined at box 110 that additional cutting line information should be added to the mold, the method returns to box 105 and determines the additional cutting line. If no additional cutting line information is added to the mold, the method continues to box 125.

[0050] At box 125, the processing logic determines whether additional information should be added to the aligner. This additional information can be any information related to the aligner. Examples of such additional information include patient name, patient identifier, case number, sequence identifier (e.g., indicating which aligner a particular liner is in the treatment sequence), manufacturing date, clinician name, logo, etc.

[0051] Additional information to be added may include coordinate system reference markers, which can be used to orient the coordinate system of the dressing machine (e.g., a laser dressing machine or a computer numerical control (CNC) machine) with the predetermined coordinate system of the aligner. Aligning the coordinate system of the dressing machine with the coordinate system of the aligner improves the accuracy of computer-controlled dressing of the aligner at the cutting line. In one embodiment, the markings on the cutting line serve as coordinate system reference markers. Alternatively, the coordinate system reference markers may differ from those on the cutting line. If a different coordinate system reference marker is to be used, and the aligner is to be dressed by a CNC or other computer-controlled dressing machine, the markings on the cutting line can be omitted. Therefore, in some such embodiments, method 100 may skip the operations in boxes 110-120.

[0052] If additional information is to be added, the method continues to box 130. Otherwise, the method proceeds to box 140.

[0053] At box 130, the processing logic identifies additional information related to the aligner and to be added to it. At box 135, the processing logic determines one or more additional features to be added to the mold, which will give the aligner formed on the mold additional information. For example, the additional feature could be a raised alphanumeric character on the mold, with a thickness and / or character width large enough to create a visible mark on the aligner but small enough not to affect the shape and / or feel of the aligner.

[0054] At box 140, the processing logic can determine the final shape of the mold and generate a digital model of the mold. Alternatively, a digital model may already be generated. In this case, the processing logic updates the already generated digital model to include the determined mold features. The digital model can be represented in a file such as a computer-aided drafting (CAD) file or a 3D printable file such as a stereolithography (STL) file. At box 145, the digital model of the mold can be sent to a third party. The digital model may include instructions that control a manufacturing system or apparatus to produce a mold with a specified geometry. The third party can then use the digital model to generate a mold with additional features.

[0055] Figure 1B A flowchart of a method 150 for trimming a housing using embossed cutting line marks according to one embodiment is shown. Method 150 can be performed, for example, in a laboratory or clinician's office.

[0056] At box 155 of method 100, a clinician's office, laboratory, or other entity receives a digital model of the mold, which has been created as described in method 100. At box 160, the entity inputs the digital model into a rapid prototyping machine. The rapid prototyping machine then uses the digital model to manufacture the mold. An example of a rapid prototyping machine is a 3D printer. 3D printing includes any layer-based additive manufacturing process. 3D printing can be achieved using additive processes, where continuous layers of material are formed in a prescribed shape. 3D printing can be performed using extrusion deposition, granular material bonding, lamination, photopolymerization, continuous liquid interface production (CLIP), or other techniques. 3D printing can also be achieved using remove-feedback processes such as milling.

[0057] In one embodiment, stereolithography (SLA), also known as optical manufacturing solid-state imaging, is used to create an SLA mold. In SLA, a mold is created by sequentially printing thin layers of a photocurable material (e.g., a polymeric resin) onto each other. A platform is placed in a bath of liquid photopolymer or resin, just below the surface of the bath. A light source (e.g., an ultraviolet laser) tracks a pattern on the platform, curing the photopolymer as the light source points to it, to form the first layer of the mold. The platform is gradually lowered, and the light source tracks a new pattern on the platform to form another mold layer at each increment. This process is repeated until the mold is completely fabricated. Once all mold layers have been formed, the mold can be cleaned and cured.

[0058] Materials such as polyesters, copolyesters, polycarbonates, thermoplastic polyurethanes, polypropylene, polyethylene, polypropylene and polyethylene copolymers, acrylic acid, cyclic block copolymers, polyetheretherketones, polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyetherimide, polyethersulfone, polypropylene terephthalate, styrene block copolymers (SBCs), silicone rubber, elastomer alloys, thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) elastomers, polyurethane elastomers, block copolymer elastomers, polyolefin blend elastomers, thermoplastic copolyester elastomers, thermoplastic polyamide elastomers, or combinations thereof, can be used to directly form molds. Materials used to manufacture molds can be provided in uncured form (e.g., as liquids, resins, powders, etc.) and can be cured (e.g., by photopolymerization, photocuring, gas curing, laser curing, crosslinking, etc.). The properties of the material before curing may differ from those of the material after curing.

[0059] At frame 165, an aligner is formed on the mold. The formed aligner includes markings and / or elements that mark one or more cutting lines. Additionally, the aligner may include markings that provide additional information, such as patient name, case number, etc. In one embodiment, a sheet of material is pressed or thermoformed on the mold. The sheet may be, for example, a plastic sheet (e.g., a sheet of elastic thermoplastic, polymer material, etc.). To thermoform the shell on the mold, the sheet may be heated to a temperature at which the sheet becomes pliable. Pressure may be simultaneously applied to the sheet to form the now pliable sheet around the mold, which has features for imprinting markings and / or elements in the aligner. Once the sheet cools, it will have a shape consistent with the mold. In one embodiment, a release agent (e.g., a non-stick material) is applied to the mold prior to forming the shell. This facilitates subsequent removal of the mold from the shell.

[0060] At frame 175, the aligner is removed from the mold. At frame 175, the aligner is then cut along the cutting lines (or multiple cutting lines) using markings and / or elements printed on it. In one embodiment, a technician manually cuts the aligner using scissors, a drill, a cutting wheel, a scalpel, or any other cutting tool. If a single line is used to mark the cutting lines, the technician can cut along that line. If two lines defining the line are used to mark the cutting lines, the technician can cut between the two lines. If multiple shapes pointing to the cutting lines are used to mark the cutting lines, the technician can cut between the shapes. If multiple cutting lines are marked, the technician can cut along each cutting line. In one embodiment, a first cutting tool is used to cut along a first cutting line, and a second cutting tool is used to cut along a second cutting line.

[0061] In another embodiment, a computer-controlled trimmer (e.g., a CNC machine or laser trimmer) cuts the aligner along a cutting line. The computer-controlled trimmer may include a camera capable of identifying the cutting line in the aligner. The computer-controlled trimmer can use images from the camera to determine the location of the cutting line from markings in the aligner, and can control the angle and position of the trimmer's cutting tool to trim the aligner along the cutting line using the identified markings.

[0062] Alternatively, the aligner may include coordinate system reference marks that can be used to align the coordinate system of the dressing machine with a predetermined coordinate system of the aligner. The dressing machine may receive a digital file with dressing instructions (e.g., indicating the position and angle of the dressing machine's laser or cutting tool to dress the aligner along the cutting line). By aligning the coordinate system of the dressing machine with the aligner, the accuracy of computer-controlled dressing of the aligner at the cutting line can be improved. The coordinate system reference marks may include marks sufficient to identify the origin and the x, y, and z axes.

[0063] In one embodiment, before trimming the aligner, a technician may apply dye, colored filler, or other materials to the aligner to fill in slight indentations left by one or more elements imprinted in the aligner. The dye, colored filler, etc., can color the slight indentations without coloring the rest of the aligner. This can increase the contrast between the cutting line and the rest of the aligner.

[0064] Figure 2A A flowchart of a method 200 for manufacturing a mold having cut-line markings on a housing formed on a mold, according to one embodiment, is shown. These cut-line markings are not transferred to an aligner formed on the mold. Because the aligner material is transparent, the markings are visible through the aligner when it is physically positioned on the housing. One or more operations of method 200 are performed by processing logic of a computing device. The processing logic may include hardware (e.g., circuitry, special-purpose logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructions executed by the processing device), firmware, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more operations of method 200 may be performed by executing a computer-aided drafting (CAD) program or module (e.g., Figure 6 The model generator (650) is processed by the processing device.

[0065] At box 202 of method 200, the shape of the mold and / or dental arch for the treatment phase is determined. In one embodiment, the shape is determined based on a scan of the object to be modeled (e.g., an intraoral scan of the patient's upper and / or lower dental arch, as discussed above with reference to box 102 of method 100). Once the shape of the mold is determined, processing logic can perform operations to add cleavage information to the mold, as described below. Alternatively, the shape of the dental arch can be determined, cleavage information can be determined for the aligner, and then the shape of the mold can be determined after the cleavage information is determined.

[0066] At box 205, the processing logic determines a custom cutting line for the aligner formed on the housing. This cutting line may be a gingival cutting line, representing the interface between the aligner and the patient's gingiva, as described above. The cutting line can be determined with reference to method 100.

[0067] At box 210, the processing logic determines one or more marks and / or features to be added to the mold that will form an aligner, which will make the cutting line visible when the aligner is on the mold. The marks in the mold can be visibility indicators of the cutting line, where the visibility indicator does not change the shape of the mold. Different types of marks can be determined for the cutting line. Some examples of marks include shapes such as arrows, triangles, lines, etc., pointing to the cutting line. For example, the tip of a shape (e.g., the tip of an arrow) can mark the cutting line. Other examples of marks include dashed or solid lines. For example, the mark for the cutting line can be a single line along which a technician will cut. In another example, the mark for the cutting line can be two parallel lines, where a technician will cut between the two parallel lines. Other types of marks are also possible. Other examples of marks include the interface between two different materials and / or colors. For such an example, determining the marks and / or features to be added to the mold includes using at least one of a first material or a first color to determine a first portion of the mold to be manufactured and using at least one of a second material or a second color to determine a second portion of the mold to be manufactured. The interface between the first portion and the second portion of the mold can define the cutting line. In addition, a variety of different types of markers can be used to mark a single cutting line.

[0068] At box 212, the processing logic determines whether to add any additional cutting line information (one or more additional cutting lines) to the mold and / or the aligner to be formed on the mold. If additional cutting lines are added, the method proceeds to box 215. If no additional cutting lines are added, the method proceeds to box 225.

[0069] At box 215, the processing logic determines one or more additional cutting lines in the aligner. These additional cutting lines may be used for incisions in the aligner to expose occlusal surfaces, to expose attachments on the teeth, to provide points for fixing elastics, and / or for other purposes discussed herein.

[0070] At box 218, the processing logic determines one or more marks and / or elements in the aligner that will mark one or more additional cutting lines on the aligner. Alternatively, the processing logic may determine one or more additional features in the mold that, when the aligner is on the mold, will make one or more additional cutting line marks visible in the aligner.

[0071] In one embodiment, at block 220, the processing logic determines one or more features to be added to the mold, which will cause the aligner formed on the mold to have defined markings and / or elements, as discussed with reference to method 100. The operation at block 220 can be skipped if all additional cutting lines will only appear in the mold and not in the aligner.

[0072] At box 225, the processing logic determines whether additional information should be added to the aligner. This additional information can be any information related to the aligner. Examples of such additional information include patient name, patient identifier, case number, sequence identifier (e.g., indicating which aligner a particular liner belongs to in the treatment sequence), manufacturing date, clinician name, logo, etc. If additional information is to be added, the method proceeds to box 230. Otherwise, the method proceeds to box 240.

[0073] At box 230, the processing logic identifies additional information related to the aligner and to be added to it. At box 235, the processing logic determines one or more additional features to be added to the mold, which will give the aligner formed on the mold additional information. For example, the additional feature could be a raised alphanumeric character on the mold, with a thickness and / or character width large enough to create a visible mark on the aligner but small enough not to affect the shape and / or feel of the aligner.

[0074] At box 240, the processing logic generates a digital model of the mold. Alternatively, a digital model may already exist. In this case, the processing logic updates the already generated digital model to include the determined mold features. The digital model can be represented in a file such as a computer-aided drafting (CAD) file or a 3D printable file such as a stereolithography (STL) file. At box 245, the digital model of the mold can be sent to a third party. The third party can then use the digital model to generate a mold with additional features.

[0075] Figure 2B A flowchart of a method 250 for trimming a housing using cutting line marks on a mold forming the housing, according to one embodiment, is shown. Method 250 can be performed, for example, in a laboratory or clinician's office.

[0076] At box 255 of method 200, a clinician's office, laboratory, or other entity receives a digital model of the mold, which has been created as described in method 200. At box 260, the entity inputs the digital model into a rapid prototyping machine. The rapid prototyping machine then uses the digital model to manufacture the mold. One example of a rapid prototyping machine that can be used is a 3D printer. 3D printing can be performed using extrusion deposition, granular material bonding, lamination, photopolymerization, or other techniques.

[0077] Materials such as polyesters, copolyesters, polycarbonates, thermoplastic polyurethanes, polypropylene, polyethylene, polypropylene and polyethylene copolymers, acrylic acid, cyclic block copolymers, polyetheretherketones, polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyetherimide, polyethersulfone, polypropylene terephthalate, styrene block copolymers (SBCs), silicone rubber, elastomer alloys, thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) elastomers, polyurethane elastomers, block copolymer elastomers, polyolefin blend elastomers, thermoplastic copolyester elastomers, thermoplastic polyamide elastomers, or combinations thereof, can be used to directly form molds. Materials used to manufacture molds can be provided in uncured form (e.g., as liquids, resins, powders, etc.) and can be cured (e.g., by photopolymerization, photocuring, gas curing, laser curing, crosslinking, etc.). The properties of the material before curing may differ from those of the material after curing.

[0078] Optionally, the rapid prototyping techniques described herein allow for the manufacture of molds comprising multiple materials, referred to herein as “multimaterial direct manufacturing.” In some embodiments, the multimaterial direct manufacturing method involves forming an object simultaneously from multiple materials in a single manufacturing step. For example, a multi-tip extrusion apparatus can be used to selectively dispense multiple types of materials (e.g., resins, liquids, solids, or combinations thereof) from different material supply sources to manufacture an object from multiple different materials. Alternatively or in combination, the multimaterial direct manufacturing method may involve forming an object from multiple materials in multiple sequential manufacturing steps. For example, a first portion of the object (e.g., a major portion of the mold) may be formed from a first material according to any direct manufacturing method herein, then a second portion of the object (e.g., one or more markings on the mold displaying cut lines) may be formed from a second material according to the method herein, and so on, until the entire object is formed. The relative arrangement of the first and second portions may be changed as needed. In one embodiment, multimaterial direct manufacturing is used to use the first material for marking the cut lines on the mold and to use one or more additional materials for the remainder of the mold.

[0079] At frame 265, the aligner is formed on the mold, for example, by pressure forming or thermoforming. At frame 270, the aligner is manually cut along one or more cutting lines using markings and / or features in the mold as guides. The aligner can be cut or trimmed using cutting equipment such as a burr, rotary saw, or scalpel.

[0080] At box 275, the aligner is removed from the mold. At box 280, it is determined whether the aligner includes any markings and / or elements displaying one or more additional cutting lines. If so, the method continues to box 285. Otherwise, the method terminates.

[0081] At frame 285, the aligner is then manually cut (e.g., by a technician) along the cutting lines (or multiple cutting lines) using markings and / or elements printed on it. Scissors, drills, cutting wheels, scalpels, or any other cutting tool can be used to cut the aligner. In one embodiment, at frame 270, a first cutting tool (e.g., a grinding awl, rotary saw, or scalpel) is used to cut along the first cutting line, and at frame 285, a second cutting tool (e.g., scissors) is used to cut along the second cutting line. Additionally, the aligner may include markings providing additional information such as patient name, case number, etc.

[0082] In one embodiment, before finishing the aligner at frame 285, a technician may apply dye, colored filler, or other materials to the aligner to fill in slight indentations left by one or more elements imprinted in the aligner. The dye, colored filler, etc., can color the slight indentations without coloring the rest of the aligner. This can increase the contrast between the cut line and the rest of the aligner.

[0083] In the embodiments described so far, aligners and other housings are manufactured indirectly by first fabricating a mold and then forming an aligner or other housing on the mold. In some embodiments, housings such as aligners can be manufactured directly using rapid prototyping techniques and digital models of the aligner or other housing. For example, housings can be produced using direct manufacturing techniques, such as additive manufacturing techniques (e.g., 3D printing) or subtractive manufacturing techniques (e.g., milling). Direct manufacturing of aligners can include forming the aligner to define its geometry without using a physical mold. Some examples of rapid prototyping techniques include photopolymerization (e.g., stereolithography), material jetting (where material is jetted onto a build platform using a continuous or on-demand dripping method), binder jetting (where alternating layers of build material and binder material are deposited via a printhead), fused deposition modeling, powder bed fusion, sheet lamination, etc.

[0084] Figure 3A flowchart illustrating a method 300 for directly manufacturing an aligner or other housing with cut line markings according to one embodiment is shown. One or more operations of method 300 are performed by processing logic of a computing device. The processing logic may include hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructions executed by the processing device), firmware, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more operations of method 300 may be performed by executing a computer-aided drafting (CAD) program or module (e.g., Figure 6 The model generator (650) is processed by the processing device.

[0085] At block 302 of method 300, the processing logic determines the shape of the aligner. In one embodiment, the shape is determined based on a scan of the object to be modeled. In an orthodontic example, an intraoral scan of the patient's dental arch can be performed to generate a three-dimensional (3D) virtual model of the patient's dental arch. In other applications, a virtual 3D model can also be generated based on a scan of the object to be modeled or based on the use of computer-aided drawing techniques (e.g., for designing virtual 3D molds). Alternatively, an initial negative model can be generated from the actual object to be modeled. The negative model can then be scanned to determine the shape of the positive model to be produced.

[0086] Returning to the example of orthodontics, multiple distinct digital models of a patient's dental arch and / or teeth can be generated. The first digital model can be a model of the patient's currently presented dental arch and / or teeth, and the final digital model can be a model of the patient's dental arch and / or teeth after correction of one or more teeth and / or the jaw. Multiple intermediate digital models can also be generated, each progressively different from the previous digital model. For each digital model of the dental arch and / or teeth, a corresponding digital model of an aligner suitable for the dental arch and / or teeth is also generated. A separate digital model can be generated for each aligner. Each digital model of an aligner can be a 3D virtual model representing the aligner used to reposition the patient's teeth at a specific stage of treatment.

[0087] At box 305, the processing logic defines one or more cut lines on the aligner. As described above, the cut lines may define the interface between the edge of the aligner and the patient's gingival line. Additionally or alternatively, the cut lines may define one or more incisions on the aligner to expose the occlusal surfaces of the teeth, expose tooth attachments, provide anchor points for elastics, etc.

[0088] At box 310, the processing logic determines one or more marks and / or elements to be added to the aligner to mark one or more cutting lines. The marks can be a single line (e.g., along which a cut will be made), a pair of lines (e.g., between which a technician will cut), multiple shapes pointing to the cutting lines, and so on. The marks can be generated using a first material and / or color for the marks and a second material and / or color for the rest of the aligner. Therefore, determining the marks can include determining which parts of the aligner will be made with the first color and / or material, and which parts of the aligner will be made with the second color and / or material. Alternatively, the marks can be generated by adjusting the shape of the aligner. The shape can be adjusted sufficiently to generate the marks, but not enough to cause a shape adjustment that can be perceived. Alternatively, the shape can be adjusted by making the aligner thinner or thicker in the marking area. For example, the shape can be adjusted to include grooves or ridges along the cutting lines. The shape can also be adjusted to add perforations along the cutting lines.

[0089] Materials such as polyesters, copolyesters, polycarbonates, thermoplastic polyurethanes, polypropylene, polyethylene, polypropylene and polyethylene copolymers, acrylic acid, cyclic block copolymers, polyetheretherketones, polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyetherimide, polyethersulfone, polypropylene terephthalate, styrene block copolymers (SBCs), silicone rubber, elastomer alloys, thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) elastomers, polyurethane elastomers, block copolymer elastomers, polyolefin blend elastomers, thermoplastic copolyester elastomers, thermoplastic polyamide elastomers, or combinations thereof, can be used to directly form molds. Materials used to manufacture molds can be provided in uncured form (e.g., as liquids, resins, powders, etc.) and can be cured (e.g., by photopolymerization, photocuring, gas curing, laser curing, crosslinking, etc.). The properties of the material before curing may differ from those of the material after curing. Once cured, the materials described herein exhibit sufficient strength, stiffness, durability, and biocompatibility for use in alignment devices. The post-curing properties of the materials used can be selected based on the required properties of the corresponding parts of the alignment device.

[0090] In some embodiments, the relatively rigid portion of the aligner may be formed by direct manufacturing using one or more of the following materials: polyester, copolyester, polycarbonate, thermoplastic polyurethane, polypropylene, polyethylene, polypropylene and polyethylene copolymer, acrylic acid, cyclic block copolymer, polyetheretherketone, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyetherimide, polyethersulfone, and / or polypropylene terephthalate. In some embodiments, the relatively elastic portion of the aligner may be formed by direct manufacturing using one or more of the following materials: styrene block copolymer (SBC), silicone rubber, elastomer alloy, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) elastomer, polyurethane elastomer, block copolymer elastomer, polyolefin blend elastomer, thermoplastic copolyester elastomer, and / or thermoplastic polyamide elastomer.

[0091] Optionally, the direct manufacturing method described herein allows for the manufacture of aligners comprising multiple materials, referred to herein as "multimaterial direct manufacturing." In some embodiments, the multimaterial direct manufacturing method involves simultaneously forming an object from multiple materials in a single manufacturing step. For example, a multi-tip extrusion apparatus can be used to selectively dispense multiple types of materials (e.g., resins, liquids, solids, or combinations thereof) from different material supply sources to manufacture an object from multiple different materials. Alternatively or in combination, the multimaterial direct manufacturing method may involve forming an object from multiple materials in multiple sequential manufacturing steps. For example, a first portion of the object (e.g., the main portion of the aligner) may be formed from a first material according to any direct manufacturing method herein, then a second portion of the object (e.g., markings for cutting lines) may be formed from a second material according to the method herein, and so on, until the entire object is formed. The relative arrangement of the first and second portions may be changed as needed. For example, the first portion may be partially or entirely encapsulated by the second portion of the object. In one embodiment, multimaterial direct manufacturing is used to make the first material used for markings for cutting lines on the aligner and to make one or more additional materials used for the remainder of the aligner.

[0092] At box 315, the processing logic determines whether additional information should be added to the aligner. This additional information can be any information related to the aligner. Examples of such additional information include patient name, patient identifier, case number, sequence identifier (e.g., indicating which aligner a particular liner is in the treatment sequence), manufacturing date, clinician name, logo, etc. If additional information is to be added, the method proceeds to box 320. Otherwise, the method proceeds to box 330.

[0093] At box 320, the processing logic identifies additional information associated with the aligner and that will be added to it. At box 325, the processing logic determines one or more additional markers to be added to the aligner, which will give the aligner additional information or allow it to do so. For example, an additional marker could be an alphanumeric character on the aligner.

[0094] At box 330, the processing logic generates a digital model of the aligner. Alternatively, a digital model may already have been generated. In this case, the processing logic updates the already generated digital model to include the determined mold features. The digital model can be represented in a file such as a computer-aided drafting (CAD) file or a 3D printable file such as a stereolithography (STL) file. At box 335, the digital model of the aligner can be sent to a third party. The third party can then use the digital model to generate the aligner, and can then refine the aligner using the markings and / or elements formed in the aligner.

[0095] Figure 4A A dental arch mold 400 is shown with a mark 420 pointing to a cut line 415 (also called a trimming line) formed on the mold 400. The mark 420 is a triangle pointing to the cut line 415. The mark 420 is formed in the mold 400 using at least one of a material and / or a different color than that used to manufacture the rest of the mold 400.

[0096] Figure 4B A dental arch mold 430 according to another embodiment is shown, having a mark 445 showing a cut line 440 formed on a mold 400. As shown, the mark 445 comprises a single line formed in the mold 430 using at least one of a material and / or a different color than that used to manufacture the rest of the mold 430.

[0097] Figure 4C A mold 480 of a dental arch with feature 482, according to one embodiment, is shown. Feature 482 will cause the housing formed on the mold 480 to have a cutting line mark. In the example shown, feature 482 includes a single shallow ridge or groove. As shown, feature 482 includes a curve that generally follows the gingival line of the dental arch.

[0098] Figure 4D A mold 484 for a dental arch according to another embodiment is shown, having feature 486 that causes a cut-line mark to be formed on the housing formed on the mold 484. In the example shown, feature 486 includes a single shallow ridge or groove. As shown, feature 486 includes an approximately straight line along the dental arch.

[0099] Figure 4EA dental arch mold 490 according to another embodiment is shown, having feature 492, which causes the housing formed on the mold 490 to have a cutting line mark along a cutting line 494. As shown, feature 492 is a triangle pointing towards the cutting line 494.

[0100] Figure 5 An exemplary orthodontic aligner 505 worn by a person is shown. The edge 502 of the orthodontic aligner 505 has a wavy shape, wherein the aligner 505 is located away from (or below) the gingival line 515, wherein the aligner 505 contacts the teeth and is on (or above) the gingival line 510 in the interproximal region between adjacent teeth.

[0101] Figure 6 A graphical representation of a machine in an example form of a computing device 600 is shown, wherein a set of instructions is used to cause the machine to perform reference... Figure 1A , Figure 2A and Figure 3 The method discussed herein may be any one or more of the methods. In alternative embodiments, the machine may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines in a local area network (LAN), intranet, extranet, or the Internet. For example, the machine may be networked to a rapid prototyping device such as a 3D printer or SLA device. The machine may operate as a server or client machine in a client-server network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine may be a personal computer (PC), tablet computer, set-top box (STB), personal digital assistant (PDA), cellular phone, network device, server, network router, switch, or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) to specify the actions to be taken by the machine. Furthermore, although only a single machine is shown, the term "machine" should also be considered as any collection of machines (e.g., computers) that individually or jointly execute a set (or more) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein.

[0102] Example computing device 600 includes processing device 602, main memory 604 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, dynamic random access memory (DRAM) such as synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), static memory 606 (e.g., flash memory, static random access memory (SRAM) and the like), and auxiliary memory (e.g., data storage device 628), which communicate with each other via bus 608.

[0103] Processing device 602 represents one or more general-purpose processors such as a microprocessor or a central processing unit. More specifically, processing device 602 may be a Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) microprocessor, a Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) microprocessor, a Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) microprocessor, a processor implementing other instruction sets, or a processor implementing a set of instructions. Processing device 602 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), a network processor, etc. Processing device 602 is configured to execute processing logic (instruction 626) for performing the operations and steps discussed herein.

[0104] The computing device 600 may also include a network interface device 622 for communicating with the network 664. The computing device 600 may also include a video display unit 610 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), an alphanumeric input device 612 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 614 (e.g., a mouse), and a signal generation device 620 (e.g., a speaker).

[0105] Data storage device 628 may include a computer-readable storage medium (or more specifically, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) 624 thereon storing one or more sets of instructions 626 that implement any one or more methods or functions described herein. A non-transitory storage medium refers to a storage medium other than a carrier wave. During execution of the instructions by computer device 600, the instructions may also reside wholly or at least partially in main memory 604 and / or processing device 602, which also constitute computer-readable storage media.

[0106] The computer-readable storage medium 624 can also be used to store one or more virtual 3D models (also known as electronic models) and / or a mold generator 650, which can perform reference... Figure 1A , Figure 2A and Figure 3One or more operations of methods 100 and 200 are described. The computer-readable storage medium 624 may also store a software library containing methods that call the model generator 650. Although the computer-readable storage medium 624 is shown as a single medium in the example embodiment, the term "computer-readable storage medium" should be considered to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers) that store one or more sets of instructions. The term "computer-readable storage medium" should also be considered to include any medium capable of storing or encoding a set of instructions for machine execution and causing the machine to perform any one or more methods of the present invention. Therefore, the term "computer-readable storage medium" should be considered to include, but is not limited to, solid-state memory, as well as optical and magnetic media.

[0107] It should be understood that the above description is illustrative and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will become apparent upon reading and understanding the above description. Although embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it should be recognized that the invention is not limited to the described embodiments but can be practiced with modifications and variations within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the specification and drawings should be considered illustrative and not restrictive. Consequently, the scope of the invention should be determined by reference to the appended claims and the full scope of their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for generating or updating a digital three-dimensional model of an orthodontic aligner, the method comprising: A digital 3D model of the patient's dental arch is generated; The digital three-dimensional model of the orthodontic aligner is generated based on the digital three-dimensional model of the mold of the patient's dental arch, wherein the orthodontic aligner will be used to align one or more of the patient's teeth; The cutting line of the orthodontic aligner is determined by a processing device; The processing device determines one or more marks or elements on the orthodontic aligner that will mark the cutting line; and The digital three-dimensional model of the orthodontic aligner is updated by the processing device by adding the one or more marks or elements to the digital three-dimensional model of the orthodontic aligner, wherein the digital three-dimensional model can be used to manufacture the orthodontic aligner, and the manufactured orthodontic aligner has the one or more marks or elements marking the cutting lines.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Determining the one or more tags includes: Determine the first color or material to be used for the one or more marks; and Determine one or more additional colors or materials to be used for the remainder of the orthodontic alignment device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The cutting line is a gingival cutting line, and wherein determining the cutting line includes: An initial gingival curve is determined from the digital 3D model of the patient's dental arch mold, along lines surrounding multiple teeth of the patient's dental arch, wherein the initial gingival curve includes interproximal regions between adjacent teeth and additional regions at the interfaces between the multiple teeth and the gingiva; and Perform the Hermit spline method to generate the gingival cutting line from the initial gingival curve.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The cutting line is a gingival cutting line, and wherein determining the cutting line includes: An initial gingival curve is determined from the digital three-dimensional model of the patient's dental arch mold along a line around a plurality of teeth in the patient's dental arch, wherein the initial gingival curve includes an interproximal region between adjacent teeth and an additional region at the interface between the plurality of teeth and the gingiva; For at least one of the adjacent regions, multiple sampling points are obtained from paired gingival curve portions on each side of the adjacent region; Determine the mean plane and the vector perpendicular to the mean plane from the plurality of sampling points; and The plurality of sampling points associated with the gingival curve portion are projected onto the mean plane.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The cutting line is a gingival cutting line, wherein the cutting line is configured to be spaced apart from the gingival surface at the area where the orthodontic aligner will contact the teeth, and wherein the cutting line is configured to at least partially contact the patient's gingival surface in one or more interproximal regions between teeth.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Determine additional information to be included in the electronic file, which includes data on the orthodontic alignment device; Determine one or more additional markers to be added to the orthodontic aligner to include the additional information; as well as The digital 3D model is further updated by adding one or more additional markers to it.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The additional information includes at least one of the orthodontic aligner's unique identifier, case number, or sequence identifier.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The additional information includes at least one of the following: patient name, patient identifier, clinician name, manufacturing date, or logo.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Receive multiple intraoral images of the patient's dental arch; The multiple intraoral images are stitched together; An initial digital 3D model of the dental arch is generated based on the stitched-together intraoral images; Generate an orthodontic treatment plan for the dental arch, the orthodontic treatment plan including multiple treatment phases; A unique digital 3D model of the dental arch is generated for each of the multiple treatment phases. as well as For each of the multiple treatment phases, a unique digital 3D model of the orthodontic aligner is generated based on a unique digital 3D model of the dental arch for that treatment phase.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising performing the following steps for each unique digital 3D model of a unique orthodontic aligner: Determine the unique cutting lines of the unique digital 3D model specific to the unique orthodontic aligner; Identify one or more unique sets of markers or elements for the unique orthodontic aligner, the one or more unique sets of markers or elements marking the unique cutting line; as well as The unique digital 3D model of the unique orthodontic aligner is updated by adding a unique set of features to the unique digital 3D model.

11. A computing device, comprising: A memory and a processing means operatively coupled to the memory, the processing means being configured to execute instructions from the memory to perform the method of any one of claims 1-10.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing apparatus, cause the processing apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 1-10.

13. A method of manufacturing an orthodontic aligner, comprising: Generate or receive a digital three-dimensional model of the orthodontic alignment device, the digital three-dimensional model of the orthodontic alignment device including one or more markings for the cutting lines of the orthodontic alignment device; The orthodontic aligner is manufactured using the digital 3D model via a rapid prototyping machine, the orthodontic aligner having one or more markings that mark the cutting lines; as well as Use one or more of the marks to trim the orthodontic aligner along the cutting line.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The rapid prototyping machine is a 3D printer.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The cutting line is custom-made for the patient's dental arch.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The cutting line controls the distance between the edge of the orthodontic aligner and the patient's gingival line.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The digital 3D model of the orthodontic alignment device includes one or more additional markers for attaching cutting lines, and the method further includes: The orthodontic aligner is trimmed along the additional cutting line using one or more additional marks.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein, Trim the orthodontic aligner along the additional cutting line and remove the occlusal surface of the orthodontic aligner.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein, Trim the orthodontic aligner along the additional cutting line, remove a portion of the orthodontic aligner, and form a hook that can be used with the elastic element.

20. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The cutting line is a gingival cutting line, wherein the cutting line is configured to be spaced apart from the gingival surface at the area where the orthodontic aligner will contact the teeth, and wherein the cutting line is configured to at least partially contact the patient's gingival surface in one or more interproximal regions between teeth.

21. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The digital three-dimensional model of the orthodontic alignment device also includes one or more markers associated with additional information.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The additional information includes at least one of the orthodontic aligner's unique identifier, case number, or sequence identifier.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The additional information includes at least one of the following: patient name, patient identifier, clinician name, manufacturing date, or logo.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The additional information includes alphanumeric characters.

25. The method according to claim 13, wherein, Manufacturing the orthodontic aligner includes: Use at least one of a first material or a first color to form the one or more marks in the orthodontic aligner; and Use at least one of a second material or a second color to form the remainder of the orthodontic alignment device.

26. A computing device, comprising: A memory and a processing means operatively coupled to the memory, the processing means being configured to execute instructions from the memory to perform the method of any one of claims 13-25.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing apparatus, cause the processing apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 13-25.

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