Method and system for processing an orthodontic retainer

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and system for processing an orthodontic retainer, the method comprising: obtaining a digital model of an oral cavity; determining, by a computing device, a model of an orthodontic wire according to the digital model of the oral cavity, determining a model of a base according to the digital model of the oral cavity and the model of the orthodontic wire; processing, by a bending machine, a to-be-bent wire according to the model of the orthodontic wire to obtain an orthodontic wire; and clamping, by a clamp on a numerical control machine tool, a to-be-processed blank, and milling, by the numerical control machine tool, the to-be-processed blank according to the model of the base to obtain a base. The method and system can automatically complete the processing of the retainer, and the processing process can better adapt to the shape and material of the retainer, thereby improving the accuracy and automation of the processing.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a method and system for processing an orthodontic retainer, especially a Hawley retainer. BACKGROUND

[0002] After wearing a fixed orthodontic appliance, the patient needs to wear a retainer to maintain the position of the teeth and wait for the remodeling of the alveolar bone. At present, most doctors usually choose to wear a Hawley retainer for the patient to maintain the position of the teeth.

[0003] The Hawley retainer includes a base and an orthodontic wire. At present, most Hawley retainer products are made by traditional manual method. The traditional manual process is very complex, the production cycle is long, and the processing precision depends on the experience of workers, the technical requirements and labor cost are high, which leads to the product price being kept at a high level. When the base of the Hawley retainer is processed by the 3D printing method, the materials applicable to 3D printing are limited, and the 3D printing has disadvantages in cost and processing efficiency. There is also a way to process the base by material removal, such as milling, but due to the complex shape of the base, the existing processing method usually cannot maintain high-efficiency precision processing at each position of the base and thus leads to high processing cost, and the existing processing method adopts manual method in the process such as installing the orthodontic wire, which depends on the experience of the operator and has low precision. SUMMARY

[0004] In order to at least partially solve or improve the problems in the prior art, the present application provides a method and system for processing an orthodontic retainer.

[0005] The first aspect of the present application relates to a method for processing an orthodontic retainer, comprising:

[0006] obtaining a digital model of the oral cavity;

[0007] determining, by a computing device, an orthodontic wire model according to the digital model of the oral cavity, determining a base model according to the digital model of the oral cavity and the orthodontic wire model;

[0008] processing a wire to be bent by a bending machine according to the orthodontic wire model to obtain an orthodontic wire;

[0009] clamping a blank to be processed by a clamp on a numerical control machine tool, and milling the blank to be processed by the numerical control machine tool according to the base model to obtain a base, wherein the base comprises a first outer contour, a second outer contour and a groove; and

[0010] assembling the orthodontic wire and the base together to form an orthodontic retainer,

[0011] The milling the blank according to the base model further comprises: milling the first outer contour at an initial position by the numerical control machine; and

[0012] The fixture is driven by the numerical control machine to rotate around the rotation axis parallel to the horizontal direction by a first angle relative to the initial position to a first position, at which the second outer contour and the groove of the base are milled. In some embodiments, the first angle is between 170° and 190°.

[0013] In some embodiments, the milling the blank according to the base model further comprises: driving the fixture by the numerical control machine to rotate around the rotation axis relative to the initial position by a second angle to a second position, at which the side part of the first outer contour of the base is milled. In some embodiments, the second angle is between 15° and 40°.

[0014] By enabling the fixture to rotate to different processing positions relative to the initial position, the blank can always be in a convenient processing posture relative to the numerical control machine, so that the processing of each position of the base can be efficiently and accurately implemented, which not only improves the speed and accuracy of processing, but also reduces the cost and time of processing.

[0015] In some embodiments, the milling the blank according to the base model further comprises: retaining at least three connecting parts on the base during milling the first outer contour and the second outer contour, the base being integrated with the blank through the at least three connecting parts during milling; and separating the base from the at least three connecting parts after completing the milling of the first outer contour and the second outer contour. By retaining at least three connecting parts between the base and the blank during processing, the base can be stably clamped on the fixture together with the blank before processing is completed, thereby improving the accuracy of processing.

[0016] In some embodiments, the computing device comprises an input device, and determining the orthodontic wire model according to the digital oral model comprises: inputting adjustment data by the input device; and determining the orthodontic wire model according to the digital oral model and the adjustment data. Preferably, the adjustment data comprises at least one of: trunk part height adjustment data, and U-shaped curve part width adjustment data.

[0017] In some embodiments, determining the base model according to the digital oral model and the orthodontic wire model comprises: determining shape parameters of the base model corresponding to the first outer contour and the second outer contour according to the digital oral model; and determining groove position parameters and groove shape parameters of the groove according to the orthodontic wire model.

[0018] In some embodiments, the bending machine comprises a rotating mechanism and a bending mechanism, and the method of processing the orthodontic wire according to the orthodontic wire model comprises: feeding the wire to be bent by the wire feeding mechanism towards the bending mechanism along a first direction, determining a plurality of bending positions on the wire to be bent according to the orthodontic wire model, for each of the plurality of bending positions, rotating the wire to be bent by the rotating mechanism along its axis to a corresponding angular position, adjusting the vertical position of the bending mechanism along the vertical direction by the vertical position adjusting mechanism, and bending the wire to be bent by the bending mechanism along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction at each of the plurality of bending positions to obtain the U-shaped portion of the orthodontic wire.

[0019] In some embodiments, assembling the orthodontic wire and the base together comprises: identifying the groove on the base by the identification mechanism to generate identification information; receiving the identification information from the identification mechanism by the robot arm, carrying the orthodontic wire according to the identification information, and placing the orthodontic wire in the groove on the base; injecting the filling material into the groove by the material injection mechanism; and polishing the base by the polishing device.

[0020] Another aspect of the present application relates to a system for processing an orthodontic retainer, comprising: a scanning device, a computing device, a bending machine, a numerical control machine tool, and a clamp,

[0021] The scanning device is configured to obtain a digital model of the oral cavity.

[0022] The computing device is in communication connection with the scanning device, receives the digital model of the oral cavity from the scanning device, determines an orthodontic wire model according to the digital model of the oral cavity, and determines a base model according to the digital model of the oral cavity and the orthodontic wire model.

[0023] The bending machine is in communication connection with the computing device, processes the wire to be bent according to the orthodontic wire model to obtain the orthodontic wire, and

[0024] The numerical control machine tool is in communication connection with the computing device, clamps the blank to be processed by the clamp, mills the blank to be processed according to the base model to obtain the base,

[0025] The clamp can be rotated to a plurality of different positions relative to the initial position about the rotation axis parallel to the horizontal direction.

[0026] In some embodiments, the computing device further comprises an input device configured to input adjustment data.

[0027] In some embodiments, the clamp comprises a bridge plate having a groove.

[0028] A fixing ring, an inner periphery of the fixing ring, an inner periphery of the groove of the bridge plate and a shape of the blank to be processed are matched, and the blank to be processed can be fixed on the bridge plate by the fixing ring.

[0029] In some embodiments, the CNC machine includes a first turntable and a second turntable, the clamp is fixed between the first turntable and the second turntable, and the CNC machine can drive the clamp to rotate relative to the initial position around the rotation axis to a plurality of different positions by the first turntable.

[0030] In some embodiments, the bending machine includes a wire feeding mechanism, a vertical position adjusting mechanism, a rotating mechanism and a bending mechanism, the wire feeding mechanism can feed the wire to be bent towards the bending mechanism along a first direction; the rotating mechanism can rotate the wire to be bent along its axis to a corresponding angular position; the vertical position adjusting mechanism is connected with the bending mechanism and can adjust the vertical position of the bending mechanism along a vertical direction; and the bending mechanism can bend the wire to be bent at the bending position along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0031] In some embodiments, the system further includes an identification mechanism, a mechanical arm, a material injection mechanism and a polishing device, the identification mechanism is used to identify the groove on the base and generate identification information; the mechanical arm is used to receive the identification information from the identification mechanism, carry the orthodontic wire according to the identification information, and place the orthodontic wire in the groove on the base; the material injection mechanism is used to inject filling material into the groove; and the polishing device is used to polish the base.

[0032] Compared with the traditional manufacturing technology, the present application is more efficient and convenient, has lower manufacturing difficulty, reduces the processing period, reduces the cost of consumables, and improves the economic benefit. In addition, for patients, the thickness of the base of the numerically controlled machined retainer can be directly digitally adjusted, which greatly improves the comfort of the patient. At the same time, the automatic bending of the orthodontic wire by the bending machine and the automatic completion of the assembly and polishing processes can save labor costs, reduce material consumption, reduce the operation difficulty and be less affected by the experience of the operator. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic view of an orthodontic retainer worn on the upper teeth of a patient is shown.

[0034] Figure 2 A schematic view of an orthodontic retainer worn on the lower teeth of a patient is shown.

[0035] Figure 3 A schematic view of a machining system for machining an orthodontic retainer according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0036] Figure 4A flow chart showing a method for processing an orthodontic retainer according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] Figure 5 A schematic view of a CNC machine according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0038] Figure 6 A schematic view of a jig according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0039] Figure 7 A schematic view of an intermediate form of a blank to be processed when processing a base according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0040] Figure 8 A schematic perspective view of a bending machine according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0041] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0042] 100, 200 retainer

[0043] 101, 201 base

[0044] 102, 202 orthodontic wire

[0045] 1011, 2011 first outer contour

[0046] 1012, 2012 second outer contour

[0047] 1013, 2013 groove

[0048] 1021, 2021 stem portion

[0049] 1022, 2022 U-shaped portion

[0050] 2011a side portion of the first outer contour

[0051] 300 processing system

[0052] 301 scanning device

[0053] 302 computing device

[0054] 3021 input device

[0055] 303 CNC machine

[0056] 3031 first turntable

[0057] 3032 second turntable

[0058] 304 bending machine

[0059] 3041 wire feeding mechanism

[0060] 3042 Vertical position adjustment mechanism

[0061] 3043 Rotating Mechanism

[0062] 3044 Bending Mechanism

[0063] 305 Fixture

[0064] 3051 bridge plate

[0065] 3051a First Surface

[0066] 3052 retaining ring

[0067] 3053 screws

[0068] 306 Identification Agency

[0069] 307 robotic arm

[0070] 308 Material Injection Mechanism

[0071] 309 Polishing Device

[0072] 701a, 701b, 701c connecting parts Detailed Implementation

[0073] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Throughout the drawings used to describe the embodiments, components having the same function are labeled with the same or related reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted. Furthermore, in the following embodiments, unless specifically required, identical or equivalent parts will generally not be described repeatedly.

[0074] First, a system for manufacturing orthodontic retainers according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0075] like Figure 1 As shown, the retainer 100 worn on the upper teeth of a patient consists of a base 101 and an orthodontic wire 102, the orthodontic wire 102 being fixed to the base 101. The base 101 includes a first outer contour 1011, a second outer contour 1012, and a groove 1013. When worn, the first outer contour 1011 contacts the patient's palate, and its shape is adapted to the patient's palate. The second outer contour 1012 is located on the side opposite to the first outer contour 1011, and it contacts the patient's tongue when worn. The groove 1013 is used to mount the orthodontic wire 102, and its position and shape on the base 101 are designed to fit the orthodontic wire 102.

[0076] like Figure 1It can also be seen that the orthodontic wire 102 comprises a trunk portion 1021, which is the portion of the orthodontic wire that contacts the anterior teeth to maintain the corrected posture of the anterior teeth. The orthodontic wire 102 further comprises a plurality of U-shaped portions 1022, which are the portions of the orthodontic wire 102 close to the base 101, and the retention effect can be adjusted by adjusting the U-shaped portions 1022.

[0077] As shown in Figure 2 , the retainer 200 worn on the lower teeth of the patient is composed of a base 201 and an orthodontic wire 202, and the orthodontic wire 202 is fixed on the base 201. The base 201 comprises a first outer contour 2011, a second outer contour 2012 and a groove 2013. In use, the first outer contour 2011 contacts the lower jaw of the patient's oral cavity, and the shape of the first outer contour 2011 is adapted to the lower jaw of the patient's oral cavity. The second outer contour 2012 is located on the side opposite to the first outer contour 2011, and the second outer contour 2012 contacts the tongue of the patient's oral cavity in use. The groove 2013 is used to install the orthodontic wire 202, and the position and shape of the groove 2013 on the base 201 are designed to be adapted to the orthodontic wire 202. As shown in Figure 2 , the first outer contour 2011 further comprises a side portion 2011a, which abuts the part of the lower jaw of the patient's oral cavity close to the posterior teeth.

[0078] According to some embodiments of the present application, the orthodontic wire 102, 202 can be a stainless steel wire or a nickel-titanium wire, and the diameter thereof can be 0.5-2mm.

[0079] The range of materials that can be selected for manufacturing the base by 3D printing in the prior art is small, and is usually photosensitive resin. According to some embodiments of the present application, the base 101, 201 can be made of a variety of materials, such as metal, metal alloy (such as Ti-Mo), ceramic material (such as zirconium), plastic, resin (such as temporary crown and bridge resin or self-curing resin, which is composed of, for example, methyl methacrylate and its polymers, etc.) or any combination of these materials. Therefore, the range of applicable materials is greatly expanded by the technical solution of the present application.

[0080] As shown in Figure 3 , in a preferred embodiment, the processing system 300 comprises a scanning device 301, a computing device 302, a numerical control machine tool 303, a bending machine 304 and a clamp 305.

[0081] According to some embodiments of the present application, the computing device 302 can further comprise an input device 3021.

[0082] As shown in Figure 3 and Figure 8 , according to some embodiments of the present application, the bending machine 304 comprises a wire feeding mechanism 3041, a vertical position adjusting mechanism 3042, a rotating mechanism 3043 and a bending mechanism 3044.

[0083] According to some embodiments of the present application, the processing system 300 further comprises: a recognition mechanism 306, a mechanical arm 307, a material injection mechanism 308, and a polishing device 309.

[0084] As shown in Figure 6 According to some embodiments of the present application, the clamp 305 comprises: a bridge plate 3051 having a groove with a through opening 3055 in the middle and a groove bottom 3054 which is shaped to fit the fixing ring, and a fixing ring 3052 which is fixed to the groove bottom by a screw 3053. The inner periphery of the fixing ring 3052 and the opening 3055 are shaped to fit the shape of the blank 10 to be processed, so that the blank to be processed can be fixed in the groove of the bridge plate 3051 through the fixing ring 3052. The bridge plate 3051 has a first surface 3051a, and a second surface (not shown in the figure) on the opposite side of the first surface. Figure 6 A disassembled view of the milled base 101 and the blank to be processed is also shown.

[0085] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a numerical control machine tool 303 according to an embodiment of the present application. According to some embodiments of the present application, the numerical control machine tool 303 comprises a first turntable 3031 and a second turntable 3032, and the clamp 305 is fixed between the first turntable 3031 and the second turntable 3032, so that the numerical control machine tool can drive the clamp 305 to rotate around a rotation axis L which is parallel to the horizontal direction.

[0086] Through the clamp 305, the blank to be processed can be fixed on the numerical control machine tool 303, and can be driven to rotate around the rotation axis L to a plurality of different processing positions. Since the clamp 305 has a through opening 3055, the milling cutter can not only process the blank to be processed from the side of the first surface 3051a, but also can process the blank to be processed from the side of the second surface opposite to the first surface after the clamp is rotated, so that the blank to be processed can be milled from multiple angles, thereby making it more convenient to process each position of the base and thereby improving the processing efficiency.

[0087] Next, with reference to Figure 4 A method for processing an orthodontic retainer according to an embodiment of the present application is described. Figure 4 is a flowchart of a method 400 for processing an orthodontic retainer according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0088] According to a preferred embodiment of the present application, when processing a retainer 100 to be worn on the upper teeth of a patient, the following steps are included:

[0089] <Obtaining a digital model of the mouth>

[0090] The step S401 is performed, and the digital model of the oral cavity is acquired by the scanning device 301. According to some embodiments of the present application, the scanning device 301 may, for example, acquire the digital model of the oral cavity by scanning the oral cavity of the patient; the scanning device 301 may, for example, also acquire the digital model of the oral cavity by scanning the plaster model of the dentition of the patient. The digital model of the oral cavity may, for example, be saved as a file in a CAD standard format such as STL.

[0091] The scanning device 301 sends the acquired digital model of the oral cavity to the computing device 302, which may, for example, be any suitable type of computing device or machine having a programmable processor, such as a server computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, etc.

[0092] <bending orthodontic wire>

[0093] The computing device 302 receives the digital model of the oral cavity, and in the computing device 302, the step S402 is performed, and the orthodontic wire model is determined by the computing device 302 according to the digital model of the oral cavity.

[0094] According to some embodiments of the present application, when the step S402 is performed, adjustment data may, for example, also be input by the input device 3021, and the orthodontic wire model is determined by the computing device 302 according to the digital model of the oral cavity and the adjustment data.

[0095] According to some embodiments of the present application, the adjustment data includes at least one of trunk portion height adjustment data and U-shaped portion width adjustment data. The trunk portion height adjustment data is used to adjust the height of the trunk portion on the teeth. For example, generally, the default trunk portion 1021 is located at the middle 1 / 3 of the teeth, and according to the requirements of the doctor, the trunk portion 1021 may, for example, be set to be located in the interval from the junction of the middle 1 / 3 and the incisal 1 / 3 to the incisal 1 / 3 of the teeth, so as to prevent the teeth from protruding outward. The U-shaped portion width adjustment data is used to adjust the width of the U-shaped portion. For example, generally, the default width of the U-shaped portion 1022 is 1 / 2 of the width of the canine tooth, and according to the requirements of the doctor, the width of the U-shaped portion 1022 may, for example, be set to be less than 1 / 2 of the width of the canine tooth and greater than 1 / 3 of the width of the canine tooth, so as to gently maintain the shape of the teeth after orthodontic treatment; or the width of the U-shaped portion 1022 may, for example, be set to be greater than 1 / 2 of the width of the canine tooth and less than the width of the canine tooth, so as to more quickly close the anterior dental gap.

[0096] In the computing device 302, the orthodontic wire bending program may, for example, be generated according to the orthodontic wire model. For example, the computing device 302 may, for example, directly generate the orthodontic wire bending program according to the digital model of the oral cavity. The operator may, for example, also add adjustment data, and the computing device 302 may, for example, generate the orthodontic wire bending program according to the digital model of the oral cavity and the adjustment data. The bending program may, for example, be G code that is recognized and read by a numerical control machine.

[0097] Then, the computing device 302 sends the orthodontic wire model or the orthodontic wire bending program to the bending machine 304, and the bending machine 304 performs step S406 to bend the wire to be bent according to the orthodontic wire model to obtain the orthodontic wire 102. Alternatively, the wire to be bent can also be bent according to the above-mentioned orthodontic wire bending program.

[0098] Reference Figure 8 The method of bending the orthodontic wire in the bending machine 304 is described. In Figure 8 In some embodiments according to the present application, when the bending machine 304 bends the wire to be bent according to the orthodontic wire model, the wire feeding mechanism 3041 feeds the wire to be bent along the first direction towards the bending mechanism 3044, and in some embodiments, the wire feeding mechanism includes a motor for driving the wire to move. The rotating mechanism 3043 can rotate the wire to be bent to different angles along the first direction, so that the bending mechanism 3044 can bend the wire to be bent at different relative angular positions relative to the wire to be bent, and in some embodiments, the rotating mechanism includes a motor for driving the wire to rotate. As shown, the vertical position adjusting mechanism 3042 is connected with the bending mechanism and can adjust the vertical position of the bending mechanism 3044 relative to the wire along the vertical direction perpendicular to the first plane, so that the bending mechanism 3044 can bend the wire to be bent at different vertical positions relative to the wire to be bent, and in some embodiments, the vertical position adjusting mechanism 3042 includes a motor for driving the bending mechanism to move up and down. In some embodiments, a plurality of bending positions on the wire to be bent are first determined according to the orthodontic wire model, and for each bending position of the plurality of bending positions, the wire to be bent is rotated by the rotating mechanism to a corresponding angular position along its axial direction, and the vertical position of the bending mechanism is adjusted by the vertical position adjusting mechanism along the vertical direction. In some embodiments, the bending machine 304 further includes a tensioning mechanism (not shown in the figure) for tensioning and thereby fixing the wire to be bent at a predetermined bending position, and after the wire is tensioned, the bending mechanism can move along the second direction to deform the wire to be bent, thereby obtaining the U-shaped portion 1022 of the orthodontic wire. According to the above-mentioned method, the bending machine 304 can bend a three-dimensional orthodontic wire.

[0099] Milled base

[0100] In the computing device 302, step S403 is performed to determine the base model according to the digital model of the oral cavity and the orthodontic wire model.

[0101] According to some embodiments of the present invention, determining the base model based on the oral digital model and the orthodontic wire model includes: determining the shape parameters of the base model corresponding to the first outer contour 1011 and the second outer contour 1012 in the base 101 based on the oral digital model; and determining the groove position parameters and groove shape parameters of the groove 1013 on which the orthodontic wire 102 is installed on the base 101 based on the orthodontic wire model.

[0102] The base model is a 3D model. Taking the base 101 of the upper teeth as an example, the shape parameters corresponding to the first outer contour 1011 and the second outer contour 1012 of the base model may include the thickness and surface contour of the base 101. The surface contour adapts to the arrangement position of the patient's upper teeth and the shape of the patient's palate, so that the base 101 fits the patient's palate and upper teeth. Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that the shape parameters may also include other parameters required for processing the base, and are not limited to thickness and surface contour.

[0103] Optionally, in the computing device 302, a base milling program is generated based on the base model. According to some embodiments of the invention, the computing device 302 can directly generate a base milling program based on the base model. For example, a 3D model of the base model can be imported into the computing device, which can automatically calculate the optimal machining toolpath and generate a base milling program based on the shape of the workpiece and the relevant parameters of the base to be machined. This base milling program can, for example, be G-code that can be recognized and read by a CNC machine tool.

[0104] The computing device 302 sends the base model or base milling program to the CNC machine tool 303. The CNC machine tool 303 receives the base model or base milling program and executes step S407, whereby the workpiece to be processed is clamped on the CNC machine tool 303 by the fixture 305, and the CNC machine tool mills the workpiece according to the base model to obtain the base 101. Optionally, the workpiece to be processed can also be milled according to the base milling program.

[0105] According to some embodiments of the present invention, milling is performed on a CNC machine tool 303 to process, such as Figure 1 When the base 101 of the retainer 100 worn on the upper teeth of the patient is shown, the blank to be processed is held in a clamp 305 on a CNC machine tool 303, and the first outer contour 1011 is milled in the initial position by the CNC machine tool; then, the clamp 305 is driven by the CNC machine tool 303 to rotate about a rotation axis parallel to the horizontal direction relative to the initial position by a first angle to a first position, the first angle being, for example, between 170° and 190°, preferably 180°, and the second outer contour 1012 and the groove 1013 of the base 101 are milled in the first position.

[0106] According to some embodiments of the present application, at least three connecting portions are reserved on the base 101 during milling of the first outer contour 1011 and the second outer contour 1012, the base 101 is kept integral with the to-be-milled blank through the at least three connecting portions; and the base 101 is separated from the connecting portions after the milling of the first outer contour 1011 and the second outer contour 1012 is completed. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an intermediate form of the to-be-milled blank during milling of the base 101, 201 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 7 three connecting portions 701a, 701b, 701c connect the base 101 with the remaining part of the to-be-milled blank, so that the base 101 can be stably kept integral with the to-be-milled blank during the milling process, and thus can be stably kept on the fixture 305 to facilitate the processing of the base 101. After the milling of the first outer contour 1011 and the second outer contour 1012 is completed, the base 101 can be separated from the to-be-milled blank by only separating the connecting portions 701a, 701b, 701c from the base 101, so as to obtain the base 101.

[0107] According to some embodiments of the present application, the three connecting portions 701a, 701b, 701c are respectively located at both ends and the middle part of the base 101, 201, forming a triangular structure to stably connect the base 101, 201 with the to-be-milled blank, while increasing the stability of the base 101, 201 and the to-be-milled blank during cutting, and improving the processing precision.

[0108] The base 101 is obtained by the above-mentioned milling method on the numerical control machine tool 303, so that the thickness and size of the base are more controllable. Compared with the method of processing the base by 3D printing, the processing materials suitable for the milling method are more, the selection space is large, and the cost is reduced.

[0109] According to some embodiments of the present application, the base is a thermosetting material, which has large density, high strength and is not easy to break, thereby prolonging the service life of the retainer.

[0110] According to some embodiments of the present application, the shape parameter of the base model can indicate that the thickness of the base 101, 201 is 2-3 mm.

[0111] The recess position parameter can be the position of the recess 1013 when the base 101 is installed, and the recess shape parameter can be the length, width, depth, etc. of the recess 1013. Since in subsequent processing, the orthodontic wire 102 needs to be placed in the recess 1013 of the base 101, and the filling material needs to be injected into the recess 1013 to fix the orthodontic wire 102 to the base 101. Therefore, the recess position parameter and the shape parameters such as the length of the recess should be adapted to the arrangement position of the patient's teeth, etc. to adapt to the bending direction and length of the orthodontic wire 102, etc. And the width, depth, etc. of the recess 1013 should be adapted to the diameter of the orthodontic wire 102 and the properties of the filling material, so that the orthodontic wire 102 can be placed in the recess 1013, and when the filling material is filled in the recess 1013, the filling material is not too little to make the orthodontic wire 102 fall off, and at the same time, the filling material is not too much to make the filling process complicated.

[0112] According to some embodiments of the present application, the parameters of the recess 1013 are set according to the parameters of the orthodontic wire 102 and the interdental space, for example, when the diameter of the orthodontic wire 102 is 0.7mm, 0.8mm or 0.9mm, the depth of the recess 1013 can be 1-2mm, the width can be 4mm, and the length can be 10mm.

[0113] <Assemble the retainer>

[0114] Finally, step S408 is performed to assemble the orthodontic wire 102 and the base 101 together to form the retainer 100 worn on the upper teeth of the patient.

[0115] According to some embodiments of the present application, assembling the orthodontic wire 102 and the base 101 together includes identifying the recess 1013 on the base 101 by the identification mechanism 306, generating and transmitting the identification information to the mechanical arm 307; receiving the identification information from the identification mechanism 306 by the mechanical arm 307, conveying the orthodontic wire 102 according to the identification information, and placing the orthodontic wire 102 in the recess 1013 on the base 101; injecting the filling material into the recess 1013 by the material injection mechanism 308; and polishing the base 101 by the polishing device 309. The filling material can be a resin material.

[0116] According to some embodiments of the present application, the filling material is a self-curing resin material, which is easy to assemble and not easy to deform.

[0117] <Milling the base 201 of the retainer 200>

[0118] The steps for manufacturing a retainer 100 for wearing on a patient's upper teeth according to an embodiment of the present invention have been described in detail above. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the specific steps for bending the orthodontic wire and assembling the retainer are the same as those for manufacturing the retainer 100 for the upper teeth when manufacturing a retainer 200 for wearing on a patient's lower teeth.

[0119] Milling is performed on CNC machine tool 303, such as Figure 2 The specific steps for processing the base 201 of the retainer 200 worn on the lower teeth of the patient are slightly different from those for processing the retainer 100 on the upper teeth. Specifically, firstly, the workpiece to be processed is clamped on a CNC machine tool 303 by a jig 305, and the first outer contour 2011 is milled by the CNC machine tool in the initial position; then, the CNC machine tool 303 drives the jig 305 to rotate around the rotation axis L by a second angle to a second position to mill the side 2011a of the first outer contour 2011 of the base 201, the second angle being, for example, between 20° and 40°, preferably 25°; finally, the CNC machine tool 303 drives the jig 305 to rotate around the rotation axis L relative to the initial position by a first angle to a first position to mill the second outer contour 2012 and the groove 2013 of the base 201 in the first position, the first angle being, for example, between 170° and 190°, preferably 180°. Due to the structure of the human oral cavity, the side portion 2011a of the base 201 worn on the patient's lower teeth is slightly concave. Therefore, by selecting only a first angle, it is impossible to mill the side portion 2011a. By rotating to a second angle, the difficult-to-machine side portion 2011a can be machined, allowing the base 201 to adapt to the arrangement of the patient's lower teeth and the shape of the patient's jaw, so that the base 201 fits snugly against the patient's jaw and lower teeth.

[0120] Based on this processing method and system, the processing of the retainer can be completed automatically, and the processing can be better adapted to the shape and material of the retainer, thereby improving the accuracy and automation of the processing.

[0121] It should be noted that the methods and steps described above do not need to be strictly performed in the order presented, but can be adjusted as needed. Furthermore, although the above embodiments are described for Halley's retainers, those skilled in the art should understand that the methods and systems according to this disclosure are also applicable to the fabrication of other types of orthodontic retainers.

Claims

1. A method for processing an orthodontic holder, comprising: obtaining a digital model of an oral cavity; determining, by a computing device, a model of an orthodontic wire according to the digital model of the oral cavity, determining a model of a base according to the digital model of the oral cavity and the model of the orthodontic wire; processing, by a bending machine, a wire to be bent according to the model of the orthodontic wire to obtain an orthodontic wire; clamping, by a fixture, a blank to be processed on a numerical control machine, milling, by the numerical control machine, the blank to be processed according to the model of the base to obtain a base, wherein the base comprises a first outer contour, a second outer contour and a groove; and assembling the orthodontic wire and the base together to form an orthodontic holder, wherein the milling of the blank to be processed according to the model of the base comprises milling, by the numerical control machine, the first outer contour at an initial position; and driving, by the numerical control machine, the fixture to rotate around a rotation axis parallel to a horizontal direction by a first angle to a first position relative to the initial position, and milling the second outer contour and the groove of the base at the first position, wherein the assembling of the orthodontic wire and the base together comprises: recognizing, by a recognition mechanism, the groove on the base to generate recognition information; receiving, by a mechanical arm, the recognition information from the recognition mechanism, carrying the orthodontic wire according to the recognition information, and placing the orthodontic wire in the groove on the base; injecting, by a material injection mechanism, a filling material into the groove, wherein the milling of the blank to be processed according to the model of the base further comprises: reserving at least three connecting portions on the base when milling the first outer contour and the second outer contour, the base being integrated with the blank to be processed through the at least three connecting portions during the milling; and separating the base from the at least three connecting portions after completing the milling of the first outer contour and the second outer contour, wherein the fixture comprises a bridge plate having a groove, and a fixing ring, an inner periphery of the fixing ring and an inner periphery of the groove of the bridge plate being adapted to a shape of the blank to be processed, the blank to be processed being able to be fixed on the bridge plate through the fixing ring, wherein the numerical control machine comprises a first turntable and a second turntable, the fixture being fixed between the first turntable and the second turntable, the numerical control machine being able to drive the fixture to rotate around the rotation axis to a plurality of different positions relative to the initial position through the first turntable.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first angle is between 170° and 190°.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, The milling of the blank to be processed according to the model of the base further comprises: driving, by the numerical control machine, the fixture to rotate around the rotation axis by a second angle to a second position relative to the initial position, and milling a side portion of the first outer contour of the base at the second position.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The second angle is between 15° and 40°.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, The computing device comprises an input device, and the determining of the model of the orthodontic wire according to the digital model of the oral cavity comprises: inputting, by the input device, adjustment data; and determining the model of the orthodontic wire according to the digital model of the oral cavity and the adjustment data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The adjustment data comprises: at least one of trunk portion height adjustment data and U-shaped portion width adjustment data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, The determining of the model of the base according to the digital model of the oral cavity and the model of the orthodontic wire comprises: determine shape parameters of the base model corresponding to the first and second outer contours according to the digital model of the oral cavity; and determine groove position parameters and groove shape parameters of the groove according to the orthodontic wire model.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, The bending machine comprises a wire feeding mechanism, a vertical position adjusting mechanism, a rotating mechanism, and a bending mechanism, and processes the wire to be bent according to the orthodontic wire model to obtain the orthodontic wire, which comprises: feeding the wire to be bent by the wire feeding mechanism along a first direction towards the bending mechanism, determining a plurality of bending positions on the wire to be bent according to the orthodontic wire model, for each bending position of the plurality of bending positions, rotating the wire to be bent by the rotating mechanism along its axis to a corresponding angular position, and adjusting the vertical position of the bending mechanism along a vertical direction by the vertical position adjusting mechanism, and bending the wire to be bent by the bending mechanism along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction at each bending position of the plurality of bending positions to obtain the U-shaped bend of the orthodontic wire.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, Before the bending process by the bending mechanism, the wire to be bent is tensioned by a tensioning mechanism.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, Assembling the orthodontic wire and the base together further comprises polishing the base by a polishing device.

11. A system for processing an orthodontic retainer, characterized by, The system comprises a scanning device, a computing device, a bending machine, a numerical control machine tool, and a clamp, the scanning device is configured to obtain a digital model of the oral cavity; the computing device is in communication connection with the scanning device, receives the digital model of the oral cavity from the scanning device, determines an orthodontic wire model according to the digital model of the oral cavity, and determines a base model according to the digital model of the oral cavity and the orthodontic wire model; the bending machine is in communication connection with the computing device, processes the wire to be bent according to the orthodontic wire model to obtain the orthodontic wire; and the numerical control machine tool is in communication connection with the computing device, clamps the workpiece to be processed by the clamp, mills the workpiece to be processed according to the base model to obtain the base, wherein the clamp can be rotated relative to the initial position to a plurality of different positions about a rotation axis parallel to the horizontal direction, wherein the system further comprises an identification mechanism, a mechanical arm, and a material injection mechanism, the identification mechanism is configured to identify the groove on the base and generate identification information; the mechanical arm is configured to receive the identification information from the identification mechanism, carry the orthodontic wire according to the identification information, and place the orthodontic wire in the groove on the base; the material injection mechanism is configured to inject a filling material into the groove, wherein milling the workpiece to be processed according to the base model comprises: reserving at least three connecting portions on the base when milling the first and second outer contours, the base being integrated with the workpiece to be processed through the at least three connecting portions during the milling process; and separating the base from the at least three connecting portions after completing the milling process of the first and second outer contours, wherein the clamp comprises a bridge plate having a groove, and a fixing ring, an inner periphery of the fixing ring and an inner periphery of the groove of the bridge plate being adapted to the shape of the workpiece to be processed, the workpiece to be processed being able to be fixed on the bridge plate through the fixing ring, The numerical control machine tool comprises a first rotary table and a second rotary table, the clamp is fixed between the first rotary table and the second rotary table, and the numerical control machine tool can drive the clamp to rotate around the rotation axis relative to an initial position to a plurality of different positions through the first rotary table.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein, The computing device also includes an input device configured to input adjustment data.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein, The bending machine comprises a wire feeding mechanism, a vertical position adjusting mechanism, a rotating mechanism and a bending mechanism, The wire feeding mechanism can feed the wire to be bent towards the bending mechanism along a first direction; The rotating mechanism can rotate the wire to be bent along its axial direction to a corresponding angular position; The vertical position adjusting mechanism is connected with the bending mechanism and can adjust the vertical position of the bending mechanism along a vertical direction; The bending mechanism can bend the wire to be bent along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction at a bending position.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein, The bending machine further comprises a tensioning mechanism for tensioning the wire to be bent before bending processing by the bending mechanism.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein, The system further comprises a polishing device for polishing the base.

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