Systems and methods for adjusting dental appliances using additive manufacturing
By using additive manufacturing technology and automatic digital model adjustment in dental clinics, the problem of inaccurate adaptation in traditional dental appliance manufacturing is solved, and fast and accurate dental appliance manufacturing is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202380074055.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-10-21
- Filing Date
- 2023-10-23
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-27
AI Technical Summary
During the manufacturing process of traditional dental appliances, the appliance cannot correctly adapt to the patient's teeth, resulting in repeated impression acquisition, model production and off-site manufacturing processes, which are expensive and time-consuming.
Administrative manufacturing technology and digital models are used to manufacture dental appliances on site in the dentist clinic, and the digital models are automatically adjusted through the computer system to achieve adaptive modifications and reprint the appliances.
It realizes rapid adjustment and manufacturing of adapted dental appliances on site in the clinic, reducing the cost and time of repeated processes and improving the accuracy of adaptation.
Smart Images
Figure CN120225112A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to dental appliances and includes a system and method for adjusting the fit of a dental appliance using additive manufacturing. Background Art
[0002] The traditional dental appliance manufacturing process involves first obtaining an impression of the patient's teeth and then using that impression to create a physical model that can be used to manufacture the appliance. The acquisition of the impression and the creation of the model can be done by dental professionals in a dentist's office. However, the impression and / or model must be sent to a specialized dental laboratory located off-site for the production of the corresponding dental appliance.
[0003] Once the appliance is manufactured, it is sent back to the dentist's office for a fit test with the patient. However, if the appliance does not fit properly, for example, if it is too loose or too tight, the process starting from obtaining a new impression, creating a new model and sending it to the off-site laboratory, then manufacturing a new appliance off-site and sending it back to the dentist must be repeated. Therefore, this process can be very expensive and time-consuming.
[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a system and method for manufacturing dental appliances on-site in a dentist's office using additive manufacturing and a digital model of the appliance, which can automatically modify the digital model when it is determined that the dental appliance does not fit properly and reprint the appliance using the newly modified digital model. Summary of the Invention
[0005] According to one aspect, one or more embodiments of a system and method for adjusting a dental appliance using additive manufacturing are provided below.
[0006] In one embodiment, the method for adjusting a dental appliance includes: determining whether a first dental appliance provides a proper fit with a patient; in response to a determination that the first dental appliance does not provide a proper fit with the patient; then, receiving, by one or more computer systems, a first digital dental appliance model corresponding to the first dental appliance; closing and / or opening one or more pixels on a first side of the first digital dental appliance model by one or more computer systems to modify the size of the first digital dental appliance model; and storing, by one or more computer systems, the modified digital dental appliance model as a second digital dental appliance model.
[0007] In another embodiment, the method includes: manufacturing a second dental appliance using an additive manufacturing system and the second digital dental appliance model.
[0008] In another embodiment, closing and / or opening one or more pixels on a first side of the first digital dental appliance model includes: closing and / or opening one or more pixels at the outermost contour of the first digital dental appliance model.
[0009] In another embodiment, closing one or more pixels at the outermost contour of the first digital dental appliance model results in a reduction in the size of the first digital dental appliance model.
[0010] In another embodiment, the reduction in the size of the first digital dental appliance model is distributed proportionally over the entire digital dental appliance model.
[0011] In another embodiment, opening one or more pixels at the outermost contour of the first digital dental appliance model results in an increase in the size of the first digital dental appliance model.
[0012] In another embodiment, the increase in the size of the first digital dental appliance model is distributed proportionally over the entire digital dental appliance model.
[0013] In another embodiment, closing and / or opening one or more pixels on the first side of the first digital dental appliance model includes: closing and / or opening one or more pixels at the contour of a designed feature within the first digital dental appliance model.
[0014] In another embodiment, closing one or more pixels at the contour of a designed feature within the first digital dental appliance model increases the size of the designed feature within the first digital dental appliance model.
[0015] In another embodiment, opening one or more pixels at the contour of a designed feature within the first digital dental appliance model reduces the size of the designed feature within the first digital dental appliance model.
[0016] The presently disclosed orthodontic brackets and bracket support systems and methods of making and using the same will be more fully described in the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] Other objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention, the operating methods and functions of related structural elements, and the combination and manufacturing costs of components will become more apparent and understandable when considering the following description and the appended claims and referring to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification. Unless otherwise clearly stated, all of the drawings are not drawn to scale:
[0018] Figure 1 Shows a dental appliance adjustment system according to an exemplary embodiment herein;
[0019] Figure 2 Shows various aspects of a digital dental appliance model according to an exemplary embodiment herein;
[0020] Figure 3 Shows various aspects of a digital dental appliance model according to an exemplary embodiment herein;
[0021] Figure 4Shows various aspects of a digital dental appliance model according to an exemplary embodiment herein;
[0022] Figure 5 Shows various aspects of a digital dental appliance model according to an exemplary embodiment herein;
[0023] Figure 6 Shows various aspects of a digital dental appliance model according to an exemplary embodiment herein;
[0024] Figure 7 Shows various aspects of a digital dental appliance model according to an exemplary embodiment herein;
[0025] Figure 8 Shows various aspects of a digital dental appliance model according to an exemplary embodiment herein;
[0026] Figure 9 Shows various aspects of a digital dental appliance model according to an exemplary embodiment herein;
[0027] Figure 10 Shows various aspects of a graphical user interface (GUI) according to an exemplary embodiment herein;
[0028] Figure 11 Shows operations that a dental appliance adjustment system according to an exemplary embodiment herein can take;
[0029] Figure 12 Shows operations that a dental appliance adjustment system according to an exemplary embodiment herein can take; and
[0030] Figure 13 Depicts aspects of a computing and computer device according to an exemplary embodiment herein. Detailed Description
[0031] Generally, systems and methods according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention include a system and method for adjusting the fit of a dental appliance using additive manufacturing. For example, the system and method can perform the following operations: (1) three-dimensionally print a dental appliance using an initial digital dental appliance model; (2) determine any parts of the printed dental appliance that need to be modified (e.g., some areas of the dental appliance do not fit correctly onto the patient's teeth); (3) automatically adjust the digital model of the appliance to effect the modification (resulting in a modified digital dental appliance model); and (4) re-print the appliance using the modified digital model. The system and method can also provide other functions described herein.
[0032] In a first example, the system can 3D print a first dental appliance using a first digital model. The first appliance can then be physically tested to determine if it properly fits the patient's teeth. If the first appliance does not fit properly, e.g., is too loose or too tight, the system can receive information about the situation and can automatically adjust the size of the appliance digital model using that information to correct the corresponding fit. The system can then reprint the appliance using the adjusted digital model, and the newly printed appliance can be retested to ensure it properly fits the patient's teeth.
[0033] In another example, the system can 3D print a dental surgical guide appliance that includes one or more surgical guide holes. The surgical guide appliance can then be tested for fit to confirm if the size, location, and angle of the guide holes are correct. If the guide holes are determined to need modification, the system can receive information about the situation and can automatically adjust the digital model of the dental surgical guide as needed using that information. The system can then reprint the dental surgical guide appliance using the adjusted digital model, and the newly printed appliance can be tested to ensure proper fit. It should be understood that the example use cases described above are for demonstration purposes only and are not limiting.
[0034] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 shown, a dental appliance adjustment system 10 (also simply referred to herein as system 10) includes an additive manufacturing system 100 (e.g., a 3D printing system) and a controller 200. System 10 can also include other elements for system 10 as needed to perform its functions.
[0035] For the purposes of this specification, the additive manufacturing system 100 will be primarily described as a 3D printer 100 (e.g., a stereolithography (SLA) system). However, it should be understood that any suitable type of additive manufacturing system can be used and the scope of system 10 is not limited by any particular type of additive manufacturing system used.
[0036] In some embodiments, the controller 200 includes a computing device that runs the software described in other parts.
[0037] In some embodiments, system 10 can use its controller 200 to turn on and / or off one or more pixels in the X-axis and / or Y-axis plane to modify the size of the model (e.g., its width and / or length), while maintaining the design details and overall geometry of the model. This can be referred to as pixel offset.
[0038] This concept is in Figure 2is described, where the digital dental appliance models are each represented as simple blocks for demonstration purposes. In this example, the initial dental appliance is formed by using the initial digital dental appliance model (1). As shown, the width of the initial model (1) is 460 μm. The background grid represents an example grid of pixels, where each pixel is a square of 100 μm.
[0039] In this example, if the first printed dental appliance made from the first digital dental model (1) is considered too large (e.g., too loose when worn on the patient's teeth), the system 10 can close one (or more) pixels at the contour of the first digital dental model (1) to create a second digital dental model (2) with a reduced size. In this example, the pixels at the rightmost contour of the first model (1) are closed, resulting in its width being reduced by 60 μm. The modified model is then saved as the second digital model (2) with a width of 400 μm. The system 10 can then use the second digital dental model (2) to print a second dental appliance with a reduced size.
[0040] In another example, if the first printed dental appliance is considered too small (e.g., too tight when worn on the patient's teeth), the system 10 can open one or more pixels at the contour of the first digital dental model (1) to create a third digital dental model (3) with an increased size. In this example, the pixels at the rightmost contour of the first model (1) are opened, resulting in its width being increased by 40 μm. The modified model is then saved as the third digital model (3) with a width of 500 μm. The system 10 then can use the third digital dental model (3) to print a third dental appliance with an increased size.
[0041] Figure 3 A similar example is shown, but the system 10 opens and / or closes one (or more) pixels on opposite sides (e.g., on the left and on the right) of each digital dental model. In this example, the width of the initial digital dental appliance model (4) is 460 μm, and the background grid represents an example grid of pixels, where each pixel is a square of 100 μm.
[0042] In this example, if the fourth printed dental appliance fabricated from the fourth digital dental appliance model (4) is deemed too large, the system 10 can turn off one (or more) pixels on both sides of the fourth digital dental model (4) (e.g., at the leftmost and rightmost contours) to create a fifth digital dental model (5) of reduced size. In this example, the pixels on both sides of the leftmost and rightmost contours of the fourth digital model (4) are turned off, resulting in a 30 μm reduction in width on each side (a total reduction of 60 μm). The modified model is then saved as the fifth digital model (5) with a width of 400 μm. The system 10 can then use the fifth digital dental model (5) to print a fifth dental appliance of reduced size.
[0043] In another example, if the fourth printed dental appliance is deemed too small (e.g., too tight when worn on the patient's teeth), the system 10 can turn on one (or more) pixels on both sides of the fourth digital dental model (4) (e.g., at the leftmost and rightmost contours) to create a sixth digital dental model (6) of increased size. In this example, the pixels on both sides of the leftmost and rightmost contours of the fourth digital model (4) are turned on, resulting in a 70 μm increase in width on each side (a total increase of 140 μm). The modified model is then saved as the sixth digital model (6) with a width of 600 μm. The system 10 can then use the sixth digital dental model (6) to print a sixth dental appliance of increased size.
[0044] Figures 4 - 5 The above concepts are shown applied to an exemplary dental appliance. As Figure 4 shown, the system 10 can turn off the outer edge of one or more pixels at the entire outer edge (outer contour) of the digital appliance model to reduce the overall size of the resulting appliance, and as Figure 5 shown, the system 10 can turn on the outer edge of one or more pixels at the entire outer edge (outer contour) of the digital appliance model to increase the overall size of the resulting appliance.
[0045] In some embodiments, as Figures 6 - 7 shown, the reduction or increase in the size of the appliance caused by the system 10 by turning off or on one or more pixels, respectively, can be distributed proportionally across the entire appliance. In this way, the size of one or more design features of the digital appliance model (e.g., individual grooves designed for each tooth) can also be adjusted proportionally. For example, Figure 6 shows an initial digital dental appliance model with a first design feature F1 (depicted as a star) and a second design feature F2 (depicted as a diamond). Figure 6Also shown is a version of the original digital model, where the original digital model has been reduced in size by the system 10 using the pixel offset techniques described herein (i.e., by turning off one or more pixels). As shown, the sizes of both the first design feature F1 and the second design feature F2 have been proportionally reduced by corresponding amounts based on the overall reduction in size of the entire appliance.
[0046] In another example, Figure 7 Shown is an initial digital dental appliance model having a first design feature F1 and a second design feature F2, followed by a version of the original digital model that has been increased in size by the system 10 using the pixel offset techniques described herein (i.e., by turning on one or more pixels). As shown, the sizes of both the first design feature F1 and the second design feature F2 have been proportionally increased by corresponding amounts based on the overall increase in size of the entire appliance.
[0047] In some embodiments, the system 10 enables a user to lock one or more design features in the digital dental appliance model (e.g., Figures 6 - 7 F1 and / or F2 in ), such that the sizes of these locked features are not affected by the system 10's overall reduction and / or overall increase in the size of the appliance model. In such cases, the locked features are not resized, while the unlocked features can be resized proportionally. For example, a user may wish to adjust the size of an entire dental appliance, including its respective tooth sockets, but not wish to adjust the size of one or more surgical guide holes located within the dental appliance. In such a case, the user can simply lock one or more surgical guide holes, such that when the system 10 uses the pixel offset to adjust the size of the entire appliance as described herein, the size of the guide holes is not adjusted.
[0048] In some embodiments, as Figures 8 - 9 shown, the system 10 enables a user to select specific design features of the digital dental appliance model to be adjusted. For example, a user can use the system 10 to adjust the size of a surgical guide hole inside a dental model. As Figure 8 shown, the system 10 can reduce the size of the guide hole by turning on one or more pixels around the circular perimeter (its profile) of the hole; as Figure 9 shown, the system 10 can increase the size of the guide hole by turning off one or more pixels around the circular perimeter (its profile) of the hole. In some embodiments, the user can select to have the system 10 not affect the size of any other elements in the digital appliance model, including its overall size, when adjusting the size of the selected guide hole; while in other embodiments, the user can select to have the system 10 proportionally adjust the size of other design features and / or the overall appliance model.
[0049] In all embodiments described herein, system 10 can adjust the size of a digital dental appliance model and / or any selected portion of the digital dental appliance model while preserving the overall design details of the model (e.g., tooth grooves, surgical guide holes, etc.), thereby ensuring that the accuracy of the digital appliance model is not negatively affected by the modification.
[0050] In some embodiments, as Figure 10 shown, system 10 includes a graphical user interface (GUI) to facilitate adjusting the size (pixel offset) of one or more aspects of the digital dental appliance model. In some embodiments, the GUI can include one or more control elements that enable a user to perform desired modifications to the digital model. For example, the GUI can include a first control element C1 (e.g., a drop-down menu) to select the type of resin material for printing the appliance. This information can enable system 10 to determine various characteristics of the appliance, such as the size of one or more pixels that can be turned on or off during the modification process. In another example, the GUI can also include a second control element C2 (e.g., a slider bar) to select the amount of reduction and / or increase applied to the appliance model (e.g., the number of pixels that system 10 needs to turn off and / or on). In some embodiments, the GUI can also include one or more input fields for a user to input various desired information and / or any other type of GUI control element.
[0051] In some embodiments, system 10 can perform the following actions 300 to modify the digital dental appliance model and its printed dental appliance:
[0052] At 302, system 10 can 3D print a first dental appliance using a first digital dental appliance model.
[0053] At 304, the first appliance can be physically tested to ensure its proper fit with the patient's teeth.
[0054] At 306, if it is determined that the first appliance does not fit properly (e.g., the appliance is too tight and / or too loose), system 10 can receive information about this situation.
[0055] At 308, system 10 can use the information from 306 to automatically adjust the size of the appliance digital model to correct the fit accordingly. This can include performing the pixel offset described herein, i.e., system 10 can turn off and / or on one or more pixels (e.g., at the contour of the digital dental appliance model).
[0056] At 310, system 10 can reprint the appliance using the adjusted digital model, and the newly printed appliance can be retested to ensure its proper fit with the patient's teeth.
[0057] In some embodiments, system 10 may perform the following actions 400 to modify a digital surgical guidance appliance model and its printed surgical guidance appliance:
[0058] At 402, system 10 may three-dimensionally (3D) print a first dental surgical guidance appliance using a first digital surgical guidance appliance model, which includes one or more surgical guidance holes.
[0059] At 404, the surgical guidance holes in the first surgical guidance appliance may be physically tested to ensure their correct size, position, and angle, and proper fit with the patient's teeth.
[0060] At 406, if it is determined that the surgical guidance holes need to be modified (e.g., if the guidance holes are too small and / or too large), system 10 may receive information about such a situation.
[0061] At 408, system 10 may automatically adjust the size of the guidance holes accordingly using the information from 406. This may include performing pixel offsets as described herein, i.e., system 10 may turn off and / or turn on one or more pixels (e.g., at the profile or edge of the guidance holes in the digital surgical guidance appliance model).
[0062] At 410, system 10 may reprint the surgical guidance appliance using the adjusted digital model, and the newly printed appliance may be retested to ensure its size and proper fit with the patient's teeth.
[0063] It is understood that any aspect or element of any embodiment described herein may be combined with any aspect or element of any other embodiment to form other embodiments of system 10, all of which are within the scope of system 10.
[0064] Computing
[0065] The services, mechanisms, operations, and behaviors shown and described above are at least partially implemented by software running on one or more computers or computer systems or devices. It should be understood that each user device is a computer system or includes a computer system.
[0066] Programs (and other types of data) for implementing such methods may be stored and transmitted in various ways via various media (e.g., computer-readable media). Hardwired circuitry or custom hardware may be used in place of or in combination with some or all of the software instructions, which may implement the processes of various embodiments. Thus, various combinations of hardware and software may be used, rather than just software.
[0067] Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily understand and recognize after reading this specification that the various processes described herein can be implemented by, for example, a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, and a computing device that are appropriately programmed. One or more such computers or computing devices may be referred to as a computer system.
[0068] Figure 13 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a computer system 200 on which the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented and executed.
[0069] According to the current example, the computer system 200 includes a bus 202 (i.e., an interconnect), one or more processors 204, one or more communication ports 214, a main memory 210, a removable storage medium 210, a read-only memory 208, and a mass storage 212. The communication port 214 can be connected through one or more networks, and the computer system 200 can receive and / or transmit data through these networks.
[0070] As used herein, "processor" refers to one or more microprocessors, central processing units (CPUs), computing devices, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, or similar devices, or any combination thereof, regardless of its architecture. The means for executing a program may include, for example, a processor and those input and output devices suitable for executing the program.
[0071] The processor 204 may be (or include) any known processor, for example, but not limited to, or Itanium processor, or Athlon processor, or a series of processors, etc. The communication port 214 may be any of the following: an RS-232 port for a modem dial-up connection, a 10 / 100 Ethernet port, a gigabit port using copper wire or optical fiber, or a USB port, etc. The selection of the communication port 214 may depend on the network type, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a content delivery network (CDN), or any network to which the computer system 1600 is connected. The computer system 200 can communicate with peripheral devices (such as a display screen 210 and an input device 218) through an input / output (I / O) port 220. Some or all of the peripheral devices may be integrated into the computer system 200, and the input device 218 may be integrated into the display screen 210 (such as in the case of a touch screen).
[0072] The main memory 210 can be a random access memory (RAM), or any other dynamic storage device common in the art. The read-only memory 208 can be any static storage device, such as a programmable read-only memory (PROM) chip, for storing static information, such as the instructions for the processor 204. The mass storage 212 can be used to store information and instructions. For example, a hard disk can be used, such as a small computer serial interface (SCSI) drive of the series, an optical disk, a disk array (such as a redundant array of independent disks RAID), such as
[0073] a RAID drive of the series, or any other mass storage device.
[0074] Embodiments herein can be provided as one or more computer program products, which can include a machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that can be used to program a computer (or other electronic device) to execute a program. As used herein, the term "machine-readable medium" refers to any medium, multiple identical media, or a combination of different media that participate in providing data (e.g., instructions, data structures) that can be read by a computer, a processor, or a similar device. Such media can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical disks or magnetic disks and other persistent memories. Volatile media includes dynamic random access memories, which typically constitute the main memory of a computer. Transmission media includes coaxial cables, copper wire, and fiber optics, including the cables that form a system bus connecting to a processor. Transmission media can include or transmit acoustic waves, light waves, and electromagnetic radiation, such as the radiation generated in radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data communications.
[0075] A machine-readable medium can include, but is not limited to, floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards, flash memory, or other media / machine-readable media suitable for storing electronic instructions. Additionally, the embodiments described herein may also be downloaded as a computer program product, wherein the program may be transmitted from a remote computer to a requesting computer via a communication link (such as a modem or network connection) by a data signal (the data signal being embodied in a carrier wave or other propagated medium).
[0076] Various forms of computer-readable media can be involved in transferring data (e.g., a sequence of instructions) to a processor. For example, the data can be: (1) transferred from RAM to the processor; (2) transmitted via a wireless transmission medium; (3) formatted and / or transmitted according to various formats, standards, or protocols; and / or (4) encrypted in various ways known in the art.
[0077] A computer-readable medium can store (in any suitable format) those program elements suitable for executing a method.
[0078] As shown, the main memory 210 encodes an application 222 that supports the functions discussed herein (the application 222 can be an application that provides all or part of the functions of one or more of the mechanisms described herein). The application 222 (and / or other resources described herein) can be embodied as software code, such as data and / or logical instructions (e.g., code stored in memory or on other computer-readable media, such as a disk), which support the execution of processing functions according to different embodiments described herein.
[0079] During the operation of one embodiment, the processor 204 accesses the main memory 210 via the bus 202 to initiate, run, execute, interpret, or otherwise execute the logical instructions of the application 222. Executing the application 222 results in processing functions for services or mechanisms associated with the application. In other words, the process 224 represents a portion of one or more applications 222 being executed within or on the processor 204 in the computer system 200.
[0080] Note that, in addition to process 224 that performs the operations discussed herein, other embodiments herein include application 222 itself (i.e., logical instructions and / or data that are not executed or run). Application 222 can be stored on a computer-readable medium (e.g., a repository), such as on a magnetic disk or optical medium. According to other embodiments, application 222 can also be stored in a memory type system, such as firmware, read-only memory (ROM), or as executable code stored in main memory 210 (e.g., in random access memory or RAM) as shown in this example. For example, application 222 can also be stored in removable storage medium 210, read-only memory 208, and / or mass storage device 212.
[0081] Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that computer system 200 can include other processes and / or software and hardware components, such as an operating system that controls the allocation and use of hardware resources.
[0082] As described herein, embodiments of the present invention include various steps or operations. Many of these steps can be performed by hardware components or can be embodied in machine-executable instructions that can be used to cause a general or special-purpose processor programmed with these instructions to perform these operations. Alternatively, these steps can be performed by a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. The term "module" refers to a self-contained, functional component that can include hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.
[0083] After reading this specification, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily understand and recognize that embodiments of the apparatus can include a computer / computing device operable to perform some (but not necessarily all) of the described processes.
[0084] Embodiments of a computer-readable medium storing a program or data structure include a computer-readable medium storing a program that, when executed, can cause a processor to perform some (but not necessarily all) of the described processes.
[0085] In cases where a process is described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the process can operate without any user intervention. In another embodiment, the process includes some human intervention (e.g., steps are performed by a person or with the assistance of a person).
[0086] As used in this specification, the term "portion" means some or all. Thus, for example, "a portion of X" can include some or all of "X". In the context of a conversation, the term "portion" means some or all of the conversation.
[0087] As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase "at least some" means "one or more", and includes the case of only one. Thus, for example, the phrase "at least some ABCs" means "one or more ABCs", and includes the case of only one ABC.
[0088] As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase "based on" means "partially based on" or "at least partially based on", and is not exclusive. Thus, for example, the phrase "based on factor X" means "partially based on factor X" or "at least partially based on factor X". Unless expressly stated by using the word "only", the phrase "based on X" does not mean "based only on X".
[0089] As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase "using" means "at least using", and is not exclusive. Thus, for example, the phrase "using X" means "at least using X". Unless expressly stated by using the word "only", the phrase "using X" does not mean "using only X".
[0090] Generally, as used herein, including in the claims, the word "only" should not be read into a phrase unless the word "only" is expressly used in the phrase.
[0091] As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase "different" means "at least partially different". Unless expressly stated, "different" does not mean completely different. Thus, for example, the phrase "X is different from Y" means "X is at least partially different from Y", and does not mean "X is completely different from Y". Thus, as used herein, including in the claims, the phrase "X is different from Y" means that X is different from Y in at least some respects.
[0092] As used herein, including in the claims, a list can include only one item, and a list of multiple items does not need to be sorted in any particular way unless otherwise stated. A list can include repeated items. For example, as used herein, the phrase "a list of XYZs" can include one or more "XYZs".
[0093] It should be understood that the words "first" and "second" in the specification and claims are used for distinction or identification, and do not indicate a sequence or numerical limitation. Similarly, the use of alphabetical or numerical labels (e.g., "(a)", "(b)", etc.) is for the purpose of assisting in distinction and / or identification, and does not indicate any sequence or numerical limitation or ordering.
[0094] Unless expressly shown and stated, any marked box in any flowchart does not imply any ordering. When disconnected boxes are shown in a diagram, the activities associated with those boxes can be performed in any order, including fully or partially in parallel.
[0095] Although the present invention has been described in connection with what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A method of adjusting a dental appliance, comprising: Determining whether a first dental appliance provides a proper fit to a patient; In response to a determination that the first dental appliance does not provide a proper fit to the patient, then: Receiving, by one or more computer systems, a first digital dental appliance model corresponding to the first dental appliance; Closing and / or opening one or more pixels on a first side of the first digital dental appliance model by one or more computer systems to modify the size of the first digital dental appliance model; And Storing, by one or more computer systems, the modified digital dental appliance model as a second digital dental appliance model.
2. The method according to claim 1 further comprises: Manufacturing a second dental appliance using an additive manufacturing system and the second digital dental appliance model.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Closing and / or opening one or more pixels on a first side of the first digital dental appliance model includes: closing and / or opening one or more pixels at an outermost contour of the first digital dental appliance model.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein Closing one or more pixels at the outermost contour of the first digital dental appliance model results in a reduction in the size of the first digital dental appliance model.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The reduction in the size of the first digital dental appliance model is distributed proportionally across the entirety of the digital dental appliance model.
6. The method according to claim 3, wherein Opening one or more pixels at the outermost contour of the first digital dental appliance model results in an increase in the size of the first digital dental appliance model.
7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The increase in the size of the first digital dental appliance model is distributed proportionally across the entirety of the digital dental appliance model.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein Closing and / or opening one or more pixels on a first side of the first digital dental appliance model includes: closing and / or opening one or more pixels at a contour of a design feature within the first digital dental appliance model.
9. The method according to claim 8, wherein Closing one or more pixels at a contour of a design feature within the first digital dental appliance model increases the size of the design feature within the first digital dental appliance model.
10. The method according to claim 8, wherein, Opening one or more pixels at a contour of a design feature within the first digital dental appliance model decreases the size of the design feature within the first digital dental appliance model.