System and method for generating a three-dimensional digital patient model of a patient's oral anatomy having an edentulous portion

Abstract

Computer-implemented method, computer program product and computing system for generating a three-dimensional digital patient model of a patient's oral anatomy, wherein the patient has a first at least half edentulous arch of a jaw and has at least one first dental implant placed in the jaw bone of the first at least half edentulous arch and has a prosthesis fitted to the at least half edentulous arch.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to the generation of digital twins, and more specifically, to the generation of a digital patient model of a patient's oral anatomy having at least one edentulous portion fitted with a prosthesis. Background Technology

[0002] A portion of the jaw arch in a human patient who has no teeth in at least half of the maxilla or mandible is referred to herein as a hemi-edentulous jaw arch. A jaw arch with no teeth at all is referred to as a dentate jaw arch. A patient may have one or more hemi-edentulous jaw arches (up to four in the case of no teeth at all). At least a hemi-edentulous jaw arch according to this disclosure refers to either the hemi-edentulous jaw arch or the dentate jaw arch described herein.

[0003] Typically, a prosthesis is fitted to such edentulous jaw regions. The fabrication of this prosthesis is crucial because it must fit the patient's edentulous jaw region very precisely, allowing the maxilla and mandible to properly engage and close together to avoid inconvenience to the patient's chewing and to preserve the patient's natural facial impression.

[0004] Traditionally, prosthesis fabrication typically involves creating a mold of the patient's edentulous jaw using resin material to obtain an initial impression. A plaster model is then made using the initial impression to create a master model for the edentulous jaw. The recording base is then fabricated on the master model using resin or wax and a wax rim placed on the recording base. The artificial teeth are positioned, oriented, and positioned at the appropriate height on this wax rim. At this point, taking into account the occlusal relationship, the position and orientation of the artificial teeth to be mounted on the prosthesis are adjusted using devices such as an articulator.

[0005] During this process, the wax-lined prosthesis is fitted onto the patient's edentulous jaw several times to check and adjust the occlusion. The placement of the artificial teeth on the wax rim is primarily done manually, therefore the degree of completion is greatly influenced by the operator's experience and skill.

[0006] Furthermore, the process of manufacturing wax rim prostheses requires patients to visit the dentist multiple times, and the operator must also make numerous adjustments to the occlusal vertical dimensions of the wax rim and the arrangement of the artificial teeth, placing a considerable burden on both the patient and the operator. Once the wax rim prosthesis is complete, it is placed in a mold, the wax is melted and removed with hot water, and then the resin that replaces the wax rim is filled and cured, thus completing the prosthesis manufacturing process.

[0007] Typically, these prostheses are simply attached to the missing dentition of the jaw by their conforming shape. However, such prostheses may have drawbacks in terms of material strength and durability, as well as the stability of the connection between the prosthesis and the edentulous portion of the jaw. Additionally, very high precision is required to avoid stress on the patient's soft or hard tissues, which could have serious consequences such as tissue damage or pain.

[0008] Therefore, it may be desirable to provide a prosthesis that can be made of more permanent and rigid materials and is securely attached to the patient's jaw via a corresponding implant in the edentulous portion of the jaw. However, a prosthesis that is rigidly mounted on one or more jaw implants must also be manufactured with great precision and must not exert any tension or stress on the implant in the patient's jawbone, as such tension or stress could also cause damage to the patient's bone tissue. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Therefore, it is desirable to support the highly precise design of a prosthesis fitted onto at least half of a patient's edentulous jaw, the prosthesis being securely connected to the patient's jaw via one or more corresponding dental implants. Such support is provided by a highly accurate digital patient model of the patient's oral anatomy, generated by a computer-implemented method executed by the corresponding computer system disclosed herein.

[0010] The generated digital patient model, including the prosthesis—which may be a conventional preliminary prosthesis or a pre-prosthesis requiring replacement—ensures an accurate match between the prosthesis designed and manufactured using a digital patient model of the patient's oral anatomy generated by the computer-implemented method of this disclosure. The method of this disclosure, while the patient is wearing an existing prosthesis, also obtains the corrected relative position of at least half of the edentulous jaw in occlusion and places a model of such a prosthesis in the appropriate position within the digital patient model such that, if the prosthesis is manufactured based on a digital patient model generated from the patient's oral anatomy, the prosthesis does not exert tension on the implant, and therefore does not exert tension on the jawbone.

[0011] In a first aspect, a computer-implemented method, running on a computer system, is provided for generating a three-dimensional digital patient model of a patient's oral anatomy. In other words, the method generates a digital twin of the patient's oral anatomy. The patient has a first at least half-edentulous jawbone and at least one first dental implant placed in the jawbone of the first at least half-edentulous jawbone. The generated three-dimensional digital patient model provides the location and orientation of the implant in the patient's jawbone and an accurate representation of the first at least half-edentulous jawbone relative to the patient's opposing jaw. The method is performed by one or more processors of the computer system and includes the steps disclosed below.

[0012] In the steps of the method, the computer system receives a second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset and a third three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset obtained from the patient's oral anatomy, which includes the hemi-edentulous arch and a first prosthesis fitted to the first at least hemi-edentulous arch. In the field of digital dentistry, scan datasets of anatomical structures are typically determined optically or radiographically. Optical surface scan data is often preferred for evaluating or calculating virtual dental restorations because it allows for high accuracy without exposing the patient to high doses of radiation.

[0013] Optical (intraoral) scanners are commonly used for three-dimensional measurements directly from intraoral or extraoral impressions of oral surface structures. Typically, surface data is represented by a surface mesh comprising triangular elements, which are usually stored and exchanged between systems in an STL or similar surface definition format. The computer system has a corresponding data interface configured to receive datasets in this format.

[0014] The second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset includes a digital three-dimensional surface representation of at least a portion of the patient's jaw arch positioned opposite the first at least half-edentulous jaw arch. For example, if the patient has no teeth in half of the maxillary arch, a first prosthesis is fitted to the missing portion of the maxillary half-edentulous jaw arch. The second intraoral surface scan dataset may then include teeth from the opposite half of the mandibular arch and adjacent soft tissue of the mandible.

[0015] The mandibular arch may also have missing dentition portions with corresponding second prostheses. The alternative aspects further described below are suitable for generating digital patient models also for patients with at least half of their edentulous jaw arches in both the maxilla and mandible.

[0016] Optionally, in another step, the system may also receive a first three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset, which includes a digital three-dimensional surface representation of a first at least partially edentulous arch. The first intraoral surface scan dataset is obtained when the prosthesis is fitted to the partially edentulous arch and also includes a three-dimensional surface representation of the visible portion of the prosthesis and adjacent soft tissues of the maxilla. If the patient has a fully edentulous arch, the first prosthesis can be adapted to fit the entire arch.

[0017] The third three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset includes a digital three-dimensional surface representation of at least a portion of at least one of the patient's posterior buccal or lingual / maxillary portions in occlusion. The third intraoral surface scan dataset is sometimes referred to as an occlusal scan. The occlusal scan shows the position and orientation of the opposing maxillary and mandibular portions fitted with a prosthesis and can be considered as a reference configuration of the patient's oral anatomy in occlusion, which needs to be matched with any prosthesis designed and / or manufactured according to the digital patient model generated according to this disclosure. In practice, it is not always necessary to obtain a third intraoral surface scan dataset of the full maxillary and full mandibular arches. Instead, a representation of the patient's posterior buccal or lingual / maxillary portions is sufficient as a reference configuration of the oral anatomy.

[0018] In another step of the method, the system further receives a fourth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset relating to at least a portion of the gingival surface of the first at least half-edentulous arch in the patient's oral anatomy. The fourth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset includes surface information of the first implant head interface of at least one first implant located in the first at least half-edentulous arch. The first implant head interface is exposed through the gingiva.

[0019] In other words, the fourth intraoral surface dataset includes a representation of the surface of the partially edentulous arch that is concealed by the first prosthesis during fitting. The at least one first implant is used to position and attach the first prosthesis to the first at least edentulous arch. For this purpose, the first prosthesis has at least one first abutment interface configured to substantially orthogonally engage with the first implant head interface of the at least one first implant. Alternative methods for obtaining the fourth intraoral surface dataset are described in further detail below.

[0020] In another step, the system receives a fifth three-dimensional 4π surface dataset comprising a three-dimensional surface representation of the first sculptor. The 4π surface dataset used herein is a dataset comprising data obtainable through complete 4π measurements, i.e., measurements from a surrounding sphere (around the first sculptor) in at least a sufficient number of directions, but most of the time substantially in any direction.

[0021] In other words, the fifth 4π surface dataset includes sufficient or substantially all views of the prosthesis surface from the surrounding sphere. Alternative methods for obtaining the fifth 4π surface dataset are described in further detail below. The fifth surface dataset includes a three-dimensional surface representation of at least one first abutment interface configured to engage orthogonally with the first implant head interface of the at least one first implant located in the first at least half-dentate arch when the first prosthesis is fitted.

[0022] The system includes an alignment module that, in another step of the method, is adapted to align a fourth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset and a fifth three-dimensional 4π surface dataset of the first prosthesis relative to each other in a common reference frame by registering surface information of the first implant head interface of the at least one first implant with surface information of the at least one first abutment interface. This alignment step ensures that the first prosthesis in the digital patient model is accurately positioned relative to the patient's edentulous portion, such that any abutment interface of the first prosthesis substantially matches the corresponding implant head interface.

[0023] In the context of this disclosure, "substantially matched," "substantially positively mating," or "aligned" refers to the relative positions and orientations of surfaces such as an abutment interface and its corresponding implant head interface in a digital patient model, which represents a digital representation of the substantially positive mating of these two surfaces. For example, when a first prosthesis is fitted to an edentulous arch portion such that the abutment interface would not exert forces on the corresponding implant head interface in the real world, the digital model represents this situation as a substantially positive mating between surfaces, or simply, surface alignment. To achieve such positions and orientations of two surfaces or their digital representations, various methods can be applied, such as automated methods that find the minimum sum of the squares of the distances between the vertices of the surface mesh representations of the corresponding surfaces, or manual positioning.

[0024] In another step of the method, the alignment module is adapted to align the fifth 3D 4π surface dataset with the second 3D intraoral surface scan dataset in a common reference frame by registering portions of the fifth 3D 4π surface dataset and portions of the second 3D intraoral surface scan dataset with the third 3D intraoral surface scan dataset. The alignment of the fourth 3D intraoral surface dataset and the fifth 3D 4π surface dataset can be maintained, such that the second alignment step also ensures that the previously aligned fourth and fifth 4π surface datasets are also aligned with the second intraoral surface scan dataset of the opposing jaw arch, resulting in an accurate and high-precision representation of the patient's entire oral anatomy.

[0025] In a second alternative aspect, if the patient has a second at least half-edentulous arch positioned relative to the first at least half-edentulous arch in the jaw, modifications to the above-described method and system can be applied. In this case, the step of receiving a second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset is optional, which includes a digital three-dimensional surface representation of the second at least half-edentulous arch, and also includes a second prosthesis fitted to the second at least half-edentulous arch. In this regard, processing steps similar to those performed on the first at least half-edentulous arch in the first embodiment are also performed for the second at least half-edentulous arch.

[0026] In this second aspect, in a first optional step, the system receives a third three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset obtained from a patient's oral anatomy, the oral anatomy including a first at least half-edentulous arch, and having a first prosthesis fitted to the first at least half-edentulous arch and a second prosthesis fitted to a second at least half-edentulous arch. In the second aspect, the third three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset includes a digital three-dimensional surface representation of at least a portion of the patient's posterior buccal or lingual portion in an occlusal position.

[0027] Similar to the first aspect, in another step, the system receives a fourth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset relating to at least a portion of the gingival surface of the first at least half-edentulous arch in the patient's oral anatomy. The fourth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset includes surface information of a first implant head interface of at least one first implant located in the first at least half-edentulous arch, the first implant head interface being exposed through the gingiva.

[0028] Then, similar to the first aspect, in another step, the system receives a fifth three-dimensional 4π surface dataset, which includes a three-dimensional surface representation of the first prosthesis and surface information of at least one first abutment interface, the at least one first abutment interface being configured to engage orthogonally with a first implant head interface of at least one first implant located in a first at least half-orifice edentulous arch when the first prosthesis is fitted.

[0029] In a second aspect, in another step, the system further receives a sixth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset of at least a portion of the gingival surface of the second at least half-edentulous arch of the patient's oral anatomy. The sixth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset includes surface information of the second implant head interface of at least one second implant located in the second at least half-edentulous arch, the second implant head interface being exposed through the gingiva.

[0030] In another step, the system receives a seventh three-dimensional 4π surface dataset, which includes a three-dimensional surface representation of the second prosthesis and surface information of at least one second abutment interface, the at least one second abutment interface being configured to engage orthogonally with a second implant head interface of at least one second implant located in a second at least half-orifice edentulous arch when the second prosthesis is fitted.

[0031] However, the fourth and sixth three-dimensional intraoral surface datasets, as well as the fifth and seventh three-dimensional intraoral surface datasets, are essentially similar and can refer to at least two parts of the patient's jaw arches.

[0032] Similar to the first aspect, in another step, the system's alignment module aligns the fourth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset and the fifth three-dimensional 4π surface dataset of the first prosthesis relative to each other in a common reference frame by registering the surface information of the first implant head interface of the at least one first implant with the surface information of the at least one first abutment interface.

[0033] In another step of the second aspect, the system's alignment module aligns the sixth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset and the seventh three-dimensional 4π surface dataset of the second prosthesis with each other in a common reference frame by registering the surface information of the second implant head interface of the at least one second implant with the surface information of the at least one second abutment interface.

[0034] In another step, the system's alignment module aligns the fifth and seventh 3D 4π surface datasets relative to each other in a common reference frame by registering portions of the fifth and seventh 3D 4π surface datasets with corresponding portions of the third 3D intraoral surface scan dataset. This maintains the alignment of the fourth and fifth 3D intraoral surface datasets, as well as the sixth and seventh 3D intraoral surface datasets, ensuring that the previously aligned fourth and fifth 4π surface datasets are also aligned with the previously aligned sixth and seventh 4π surface datasets relative to the jaw arch, resulting in an accurate and high-precision representation of the patient's entire oral anatomy.

[0035] In this embodiment, the location and orientation of the specific first implant head interface can be derived from an eighth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset obtained from the corresponding first at least half-mouth edentulous arch, while the corresponding first prosthesis has been removed. With the prosthesis removed, the scanned body is then mounted on the corresponding first implant.

[0036] Technicians are aware that a scanning body is a specialized digital positioning device used in high-precision scanning technology to accurately capture three-dimensional structural data of a patient's oral cavity. The scanning body has a known geometry, and its position and orientation relative to the first at least half of the edentulous arch can be determined from an eighth intraoral surface scan dataset. This allows for the calculation with high accuracy of the position and orientation of the corresponding first implant head interface to which the scanning body is attached, and therefore also the calculation of the implant position and orientation.

[0037] Typically, the geometry of the corresponding implant (including the implant head interface) can be known. For example, the implant geometry can be determined from an existing CAD model of the implant or from the implant's technical specifications. The implant geometry can also be determined based on radiographic data previously obtained through radiometric measurements (e.g., volumetric CT scans or X-ray images). The calculation of the position and orientation of the implant head interface is based on the position, orientation, and known geometry of the scanned body, as well as the known geometry of the implant to which the scanned body is attached. The calculated position and orientation of the implant head interface are sufficiently accurate to allow the prosthesis to be secured to the corresponding implant head via the corresponding abutment interface without applying any stress or tension to the patient's soft or hard tissues, such as the gingiva or jawbone.

[0038] If the patient has two at least partially edentulous jaws, a ninth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset can be obtained from the second at least partially edentulous jaw arch, which is opposite to the eighth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset, in which the second prosthesis is removed and the scan body is attached to a specific second implant. The position and orientation of the corresponding second implant and its second implant head interface can then be determined in the same manner by the corresponding scan body used for the second implant in the second at least partially edentulous jaw arch.

[0039] In one embodiment, a fourth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset and / or a sixth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset are derived. For example, this is achieved through calculations in the digital domain, based on an eighth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset and / or a ninth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset, respectively. This can be accomplished by detecting at least one scan body location of at least one corresponding scan body and cleaning at least one modified region around the at least one detected scan body location from the eighth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset.

[0040] As used herein, the modified region representation comprises a portion of the eighth or ninth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset containing the representation of the scan volume. Cleaning the modified region involves removing the scan volume representation from the corresponding modified region. Then, at least one cleaned modified region is supplemented with surface information of the known geometry of the corresponding implant head interface, based on the known geometry and calculated position and orientation of the corresponding scan volume within the eighth or ninth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset.

[0041] Various alternative methods can be used to clean up at least one modified area.

[0042] For example, in a first alternative, a clone copy is generated from the eighth surface scan dataset using a data modification tool suitable for removing each volume representation from the eighth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset. For instance, in a system employing a graphical user interface, appropriate brush and / or lasso tools, suitable for three-dimensional surface regions, can be used as data modification tools. Such brush tools allow selection of surface regions of the three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset using an additive "painting" method with a brush of variable size, and specifically, selection of its mesh representation. Similarly, lasso tools allow selection of surface regions of the three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset by outlining these regions using polygonal or free-form "lassos," and specifically, selection of its mesh representation.

[0043] Clones can create deep copies of the source dataset. In information technology, a deep copy typically represents a copy of an object that does not share the same references as the original object. This way, when changes are made to the copy (clone), the original (source dataset) remains unchanged. On the other hand, shallow copies share the properties and references of the original object, so when the copy is modified, the original object may be modified along with the copy.

[0044] For example, in a second alternative, a deep or shallow copy is generated from the eighth and / or ninth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset, and each scan volume representation is automatically removed from the corresponding modified regions of the eighth and / or ninth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset using appropriately trained artificial intelligence tools.

[0045] Supplementing at least one cleaned modification area can be achieved by using any of the following alternatives, for example.

[0046] In an exemplary first alternative, a three-dimensional intraoral gingival surface scan dataset of the corresponding cleaned modification area is obtained, wherein the corresponding scan volume is physically removed from the corresponding implant. The cleaned modification area can then be supplemented with a corresponding portion of the gingival surface scan dataset, said portion including a three-dimensional representation of the corresponding implant head interface. During this process, the representation of the corresponding implant head interface can be incorporated, for example, added to the modification area, such that the representation is accurately placed at a position and orientation derived from earlier calculations of the implant head interface location and orientation within the corresponding three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset.

[0047] In a second exemplary alternative, the modification area is supplemented by calculation alone, without any further scanning steps. For each cleaned modification area, three-dimensional surface information of the corresponding implant head interface with the known geometry is calculated based on the known geometry and the position and orientation of the corresponding scan volume.

[0048] The purpose of using a scanning body is to determine the location and orientation of the implant head interface with very high accuracy. This information is then used to incorporate the calculated implant head interface surface information into the cleaned modification area of ​​the corresponding surface dataset at the correct location. In this alternative, surface information related to the gingiva surrounding the implant head interface is essentially not incorporated into the cleaned modification area.

[0049] In embodiments where receiving a third three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset further includes receiving a first three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset obtained from the patient's oral anatomy and / or receiving a second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset obtained from the patient's oral anatomy, the fifth and / or seventh three-dimensional 4π surface datasets of the first and / or second prostheses can be obtained through any of the following exemplary alternatives. The first three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset includes a digital three-dimensional surface representation of at least a portion of a first at least half-edentulous arch of the patient fitted with the first prosthesis, and the second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset includes a digital three-dimensional surface representation of at least a portion of a second at least half-edentulous arch of the patient fitted with the second prosthesis.

[0050] In a first exemplary alternative, a first and / or second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset is used as a basis. Clones (e.g., deep copies) of the representations of the first and / or second prostheses in the first and / or second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan datasets are generated, respectively. In these clones, soft tissue representations are removed from the representations of the respective prostheses. Thus, a first portion of the fifth and / or seventh three-dimensional 4π surface dataset is obtained.

[0051] Then, during the removal of the prosthesis from the patient's oral anatomy, a complementary second portion of the surface information of the corresponding prosthesis, having at least one corresponding abutment interface, is obtained from continuous surface scanning of the corresponding prosthesis. Once the corresponding prosthesis is removed from the patient's mouth, the concealed (invisible to intraoral scanners) portions of the prosthesis in the first and / or second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan datasets become visible, and continuous surface scanning generates a complementary second portion of the fifth and / or seventh three-dimensional 4π surface datasets. Thus, a three-dimensional dataset is obtained representing the surface of the corresponding entire prosthesis, including the corresponding one or more abutment interfaces from substantially all viewpoints.

[0052] In a second exemplary alternative, a fifth and / or seventh three-dimensional 4π surface dataset is obtained from a full 4π surface scan of the corresponding prosthesis during removal from the patient's oral cavity, providing surface information of at least one first or second abutment interface. This second alternative abandons the reuse of surface information of the corresponding prosthesis already available in the first and / or second intraoral surface scan datasets.

[0053] In a third exemplary alternative, a fifth and / or seventh three-dimensional 4π surface dataset with surface information of at least one corresponding abutment interface is obtained from an existing digital three-dimensional geometric model of the corresponding prosthesis. Such a geometric model of the corresponding prosthesis may already exist when the prosthesis is designed using digital design tools such as CAD tools.

[0054] In one embodiment, a computer program product is provided for generating a three-dimensional digital patient model of a patient's oral anatomy. The computer program product includes computer-readable instructions that, when loaded into the memory of a computing device and processed by one or more processors or the computing device, cause the computing device to perform any step of the computer-implemented method disclosed above. It should be noted that the above disclosure relates to steps implemented or performed by a suitable computerized system or its submodules.

[0055] Other aspects and embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the elements and combinations specifically depicted in the appended claims. It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0056] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a computer system for generating a three-dimensional digital patient model of a patient's oral anatomy, according to an embodiment.

[0057] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a computer-implemented method for generating a three-dimensional digital patient model of a patient's oral anatomy, according to an embodiment.

[0058] Figure 3 Elements of a patient's oral anatomy, represented by a dataset used to generate a digital patient model, are shown according to various embodiments.

[0059] Figure 4 The definition of an example three-dimensional 4π surface dataset is shown;

[0060] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating examples of general-purpose computer devices and general-purpose mobile computer devices that can be used with the technologies described herein. Detailed Implementation

[0061] Figure 1 The diagram includes an embodiment of a first aspect of a computer system 100, wherein a corresponding dataset serves as input to the system for generating a three-dimensional digital patient model 210 of the patient's oral anatomy. System 100 is adapted to perform operations by... Figure 2The flowchart depicts a computer-implemented method 1000. Therefore, the functionality of system 100 will be described with respect to method 1000. System 100 has a data interface adapted to receive multiple datasets 201 to 205, 208 as input.

[0062] The input dataset used by the first embodiment will now be described in more detail. In this first embodiment, datasets 201 and 208 are optional (shown by dashed lines). Datasets 202 and 203 are three-dimensional intraoral surface scan datasets obtained from the oral cavity of patient 1. Intraoral scanners used to obtain such surface scan datasets are known in the art and are commercially available. The scan datasets 202 and 203 received by system 100 1100 represent the current (medical) state of elements of the patient's oral anatomy obtained in both occlusal and occlusal states. The patient has at least one edentulous jaw arch and a prosthesis fitted to said at least one edentulous jaw arch.

[0063] exist Figure 1 In the example, the patient's maxilla is completely edentulous. That is, Patient 1 in the example has no teeth in the maxilla. The patient is fitted with a prosthesis fitted to at least half of the edentulous jawbone, and scan datasets 202 and 203 are obtained. In this example, the prosthesis, represented by dataset 205, is mounted on the patient's edentulous jaw via abutment interfaces 205-1 to 205-4, which substantially orthogonally engage with the corresponding implant head interfaces of the corresponding implants fitted to the patient's maxilla. The position and orientation of each abutment interface and its corresponding implant head interface ensure that the prosthesis matches the edentulous jawbone and the patient's occlusion in the same manner as the patient's original maxillary teeth.

[0064] Scan dataset 202 was obtained from patient 1 when the oral cavity was in a non-occlusal state, and scan dataset 203 was obtained from patient 1 when the oral cavity was in an occlusal state.

[0065] Figure 1 The example also illustrates an optional first three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset 201, which includes a digital three-dimensional surface representation of a partially edentulous arch in the patient's maxilla. The first embodiment of the first aspect does not require the optional scan dataset 201, but the optional scan dataset can be used as another system input in an optional embodiment of system 100, as will be further described below.

[0066] Figure 3The surface datasets also used in the methods for generating digital patient models in optional embodiments are summarized. An illustration of the optional intraoral surface scan dataset 201 shows a scan of the patient's maxillary edentulous arch, including a representation of the prosthesis 201-2 fitted into the maxillary edentulous jaw. Adjacent to the prosthesis 201-1, the intraoral scanner also obtains the portion of the patient's soft tissue 201-1 covering the edentulous jaw. The scan is performed with the patient's mouth open (non-occlusal state) while the occlusal plane of the prosthesis has been scanned.

[0067] A second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset 202 is received 1100 by a first embodiment of system 100 and includes a digital three-dimensional surface representation of the patient's jaw arch positioned relative to at least half of the edentulous jaw arch. In this example, the second scan dataset 202 represents the patient's mandible with natural teeth. (Returning briefly...) Figure 3 The second scan dataset 202 includes a representation 202-2 of the patient's mandibular dentition. In cases where the patient's mandible may also be edentulous and another prosthesis is fitted to the mandible (in the second embodiment of system 100), the second scan dataset 202 will include a representation 202-2' of that other prosthesis. In both cases, a representation 202-1 of the portion of the patient's soft tissue covering the mandible, adjacent to the teeth or the other prosthesis, is obtained as part of the second scan dataset 202.

[0068] In this example, the third three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset 203 includes digital three-dimensional surface representations of the patient's maxilla and mandible in occlusal position. This type of scan is also known as an occlusal scan. This scan shows how the patient's maxilla and mandible align in occlusal position when a prosthesis is in place. Typically, occlusal registration is sufficient to obtain scan data from at least a portion of at least one of the patient's posterior buccal or lingual portions in occlusal position. For this purpose, a full scan of the maxilla and mandible as shown in the third dataset 203 of this example is not required.

[0069] System 100 also receives a fourth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset 204 of at least a portion of the gingival surfaces 204-g in the at least half-mouth edentulous arch of 1200 patient oral anatomy structures. In this example, the fourth surface dataset 204 includes a representation of the gingival surface of the patient's maxilla, which also shows segments concealed by the prosthesis during fitting. That is, it includes surface data of the edentulous jaw covered by the gingiva beneath the prosthesis when fitted with the prosthesis 205. In this example, the maxillary edentulous arch also includes an implant for positioning the prosthesis correctly when it is fitted thereto. Representations of the corresponding implant head interfaces 204-1 to 204-4 are exposed through the gingiva and also form part of the fourth intraoral surface dataset 204.

[0070] For the long-term stability of the prosthesis, it is important that the position and orientation of each implant head interface match the position and orientation of the corresponding abutment interface of the prosthesis to prevent any tension or stress applied to the patient's soft and / or hard tissues, such as the gingiva or jawbone. Therefore, any digital patient model used to design and manufacture the corresponding prosthesis must include the accurate position and orientation of each implant head interface to minimize the risk of the prosthesis applying any stress or strain to the corresponding implant, which is designed to ensure proper engagement of the abutment interface with the corresponding implant head interface when mounted on the implant head interface. To this end, the fourth surface dataset 204 includes accurate surface information, particularly the accurate position and / or orientation, of the implant head interfaces 204-1, 204-2, 204-3, and 204-4 in at least a partially edentulous arch, enabling the design of a fully matched prosthesis.

[0071] In addition, system 100 receives a fifth three-dimensional 4π surface dataset 205 of 1300 sculptors. Generally, the 4π surface dataset should be understood as a dataset including representations of three-dimensional objects that can be viewed from the surface of a virtual sphere 400 surrounding the objects from virtually all possible perspectives, such as... Figure 4 As shown for prosthesis 205. It is important that not all surface mesh information must always be free of gaps or holes when viewed from every possible perspective; in fact, defects in the surface mesh can be repaired by manual or automated processes based on statistical information or information from other surface mesh datasets generated during the creation of the digital patient model.

[0072] Figure 4 The three arrows in the image are examples of three different perspectives. The fifth surface dataset 205 includes a three-dimensional surface representation of the portion 201-2 of the prosthesis visible to the oral scanner when the prosthesis is fitted (e.g., the portion that matches the optional first intraoral surface scan dataset 201), as well as surface information of the abutment interfaces 205-1, 205-2, 205-3, and 205-4.

[0073] Figure 3 An example embodiment of an option to generate a fifth surface dataset 205 by reusing an existing scan dataset is shown. In this alternative embodiment, the system also receives a first intraoral surface scan dataset 201. A submodule 120-2 of an optional generation module 120 of system 100 generates a 1300a clone copy (e.g., a deep copy) from the first surface scan dataset 201. Based on this clone copy, the generation module removes a 1300b soft tissue representation 201-1 from the clone copy to obtain a first portion 201c1 of the fifth three-dimensional 4π surface dataset 205.

[0074] The first part 201c1 cannot include the surface portion of the prosthesis including the abutment interface because the prosthesis is fitted into the patient's edentulous arch during the scanning of the first surface scan dataset 201. The prosthesis is then removed from the patient's mouth, and a continuous surface scan of the prosthesis is performed outside the patient's mouth (extraoral) because only the complementary second part 201c2 of the fifth 4π surface dataset 205 can be scanned, which includes such prosthesis surface portions that were occluded in the first surface scan dataset 201.

[0075] Once the complementary second part 201c2 of 1300c is obtained, it can be merged with the first part 201c1 to form the final fifth 4π surface dataset, which includes surface information of abutment interfaces 205-1, 205-2, 205-3, and 205-4. Other options for obtaining the fifth 4π surface dataset 205 with surface information of at least one abutment interface 205-1, 205-2, 205-3, and 205-4 have been previously described (performing a full extraoral surface scan of the prosthesis using an existing digital 3D geometric model of the prosthesis, etc.).

[0076] At this stage, system 100 receives all surface datasets that can be associated with the first aspect of system 100 for generating a digital patient model 210 of the patient's oral anatomy. To accurately match the patient's current medical condition reality, the received surface datasets are then aligned such that the surface datasets reflect this current medical condition in the generated digital patient model 210. Surface datasets 202 to 205 are obtained independently either by capturing 3D images (scans) relative to a specific 3D coordinate system of the respective imaging system using independent imaging systems, or by generating or exporting datasets from corresponding data sources.

[0077] To cross-mount 3D surface datasets within a single view pane, each having its own 3D coordinate system, the 3D surface datasets need to be aligned with each other. This process is commonly referred to as scan matching or registration. Methods exist for aligning 3D meshes to a single 3D coordinate system. Two common examples of such methods are intensity-based and feature-based image registration or alignment algorithms. Here, the reference frame in the target image is fixed, while other datasets are transformed to match the target. Intensity-based methods compare intensity patterns in the images via correlation metrics, while feature-based methods find correspondences between image features such as points, lines, and contours. Other registration methods, particularly concerning surface mesh representations, are known to those skilled in the art.

[0078] In order to perform alignment, system 100 includes alignment module 110, which is adapted to perform the following alignment steps using an appropriate registration / alignment algorithm.

[0079] In the first alignment step 1400, the fourth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset 204 and the fifth three-dimensional 4π surface dataset 205 of the prosthesis are aligned relative to each other in a common reference frame by registering 1410 the surface information of the implant head interfaces 204-1 to 204-4 of the at least one implant with the surface information of the at least one abutment interfaces 205-1 to 205-4. In this example, the first alignment step ensures that the edentulous portion (the patient's maxillary arch) accurately matches the assembled prosthesis in the digital patient model.

[0080] In the second alignment step 1500, the mutually registered surface datasets 204 and 205 need to be aligned with the patient's opposing jaw arch in the occlusal state. In this example, the opposing jaw arch is the patient's mandibular arch with the original teeth represented by the second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset 202.

[0081] The second surface scan dataset 202 is aligned with mutually registered datasets 204 and 205 to generate the final digital patient model 210 in the context of the occlusal scan dataset 203. For this purpose, the alignment module 110 aligns the fifth three-dimensional 4π surface dataset 205 of the prosthesis with the second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset 202 of the mandibular arch relative to each other in a common reference frame by registering portions of the fifth 4π surface dataset 205 and portions of the second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset 202 with the third three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset 203 (occlusal scan dataset) 1510.

[0082] The generated digital patient model 210 can then be provided to operator 2 as a specification for the design and manufacture of a new prosthesis, which, for example, can be rigidly attached to the head of an edentulous implant (e.g., by using a screw that matches the internal threads of the implant). Alternatively or additionally, the digital patient model 210 can be used, for example, by printing, to generate a physical model of the patient's oral anatomy.

[0083] Secondly, the disclosed system 100 and method 1000 can also be used to generate a digital patient model in cases where the patient has at least half of a dentitionless jawbone in both the maxilla and mandible. Figure 1 and Figure 3 In the example, in addition to prosthesis 201-2 in the maxilla, another prosthesis will be fitted to the mandible, which is at least half edentulous. In the second aspect, in Figure 3 In the second surface scan dataset 202, the representation 202-2 of the real tooth is replaced with the representation 202-2' of another prosthesis 202-2' in the second surface scan dataset 202.

[0084] However, the second surface scan dataset 202 is optional in the second aspect and is not required for generating a digital patient model. In other words, in the second embodiment, the system 100 may only receive the third intraoral scan dataset 203 (in which two prostheses are fitted to the maxillary and mandibular arches for occlusal scans).

[0085] In this embodiment of the second aspect, the steps previously applied to the surface dataset representing the maxilla are similarly applied to the corresponding surface dataset representing the mandible. In other words, system 100 also receives a sixth and a seventh three-dimensional surface dataset (not shown). The sixth surface dataset includes at least a portion of the gingival surface located relative to the gingival surface 204-g of the fourth intraoral surface dataset 204. That is, the sixth surface dataset corresponds to the fourth dataset of the patient's mandible and includes surface information of at least one additional implant head interface of at least one additional implant located in at least one half-mouth edentulous arch (in this example, an edentulous mandibular arch). Again, said additional implant head interface is exposed through the gingiva (of the mandible). The seventh surface dataset (not shown) is another 4π surface dataset of another prosthesis (fitted to the mandibular arch), which is similar to the fifth surface dataset (for the maxillary arch). The sixth and seventh three-dimensional surface datasets have interface elements (abutment interface, implant head interface) similar to those of the fourth and fifth three-dimensional surface datasets.

[0086] Then, alignment module 110 can align the sixth and seventh three-dimensional surface datasets relative to each other, and align them to the fourth and fifth three-dimensional surface datasets in a common reference frame by registering the mutually aligned sixth and seventh surface datasets with the third surface dataset 203. As a result of the second embodiment, an accurate digital patient model is generated for patients with edentulous jaw portions in the maxillary and mandibular arches.

[0087] In one embodiment, the location and orientation of a specific implant head interface are derived from an eighth 3D intraoral surface scan dataset 208, which is obtained from the at least half-edentulous arch when the prosthesis has been removed. This can be performed by another submodule 120-1 of the optional generation module 120.

[0088] In this embodiment, the scanning body is mounted on the corresponding implant. Figure 3 In the example, four scanning bodies 208-1, 208-2, 208-3, and 208-4 are mounted on the corresponding implant head interfaces exposed through the gingiva in the patient's maxilla. This can be accomplished by removing the prosthesis from the patient's mouth after the first, second, and third surface scans have been obtained. The scanning bodies are then attached to the corresponding implants, for example, by screwing them onto the respective implants.

[0089] Figure 3 The eighth intraoral surface scan dataset 208 is shown from two different perspectives. The top view is a top view of scan bodies 208-1, 208-2, 208-3, and 208-4, showing the horizontal geometry of the scan body head, which indicates the horizontal position of the scan body relative to the patient's gingiva. The bottom view is a front view (viewed from the opening of the oral cavity) showing the vertical geometry of the scan body, which indicates the vertical position of the scan body relative to the patient's gingiva (in the z-direction).

[0090] Since the geometry of the scanned bodies is known, submodule 120-1 can calculate the position and orientation of the corresponding implant head interfaces 204-1 to 204-4 (which also have known geometry). The position and orientation of each scanned body 1200a can be detected from the eighth 3D surface scan dataset 208. To derive the fourth surface dataset 204 from the eighth surface scan dataset, submodule 120-1 cleans up modified regions 208-1ma, 208-2ma, 208-3ma, and 208-4ma around the position of each detected scanned body 1200b. Each modified region represents a portion of the eighth 3D surface scan dataset 208, which includes a representation of the corresponding scanned body to be removed.

[0091] exist Figure 3 In the example, surface dataset 208c shows an example where the modification region is defined as a circle with a given radius around the detected scan volume position. Those skilled in the art can also choose other shapes for the modification region. The surfaces within each modification region have a three-dimensional structure. Therefore, cleaning the modification region in this example means setting the values ​​of all surface voxels within the modification region to '0'. In the surface mesh representation, the corresponding action would be to remove vertices from the cleaned region, resulting in a surface mesh with holes.

[0092] exist Figure 3 In the example, each modified region is computed as a hole punched into the eighth surface scan dataset by a virtual cylindrical tool, wherein the detected scan volume position is located at the center of the corresponding cylindrical cross-section. To clean up the 1200b modified regions (remove scan volume representations from the dataset), those skilled in the art can use alternative known methods, such as: generating a clone (e.g., a deep copy) from the eighth surface scan dataset 208 using a modification tool (e.g., a brush and / or a lasso tool) to remove each scan volume representation from the clone, or generating a deep or shallow copy from the eighth surface scan dataset 208 and automatically removing each scan volume representation from the clone using separately trained artificial intelligence tools.

[0093] To supplement the cleaned modification areas, those skilled in the art can choose from various alternatives. In one alternative, after obtaining the eighth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset 208, the scan body is physically removed again from the implant head interface. Then, for each cleaned modification area, a three-dimensional surface scan dataset of the patient's gingiva is obtained for the at least half of the edentulous arch. The obtained gingival surface scan dataset (or a mesh representation derived from it) can then be incorporated into the corresponding cleaned modification area. The obtained gingival surface scan dataset associated with the modification area includes a three-dimensional representation of the corresponding implant head interface exposed through the gingiva. When supplementing the cleaned modification areas so that the implant head interface representation is inserted, the calculated position and orientation of the implant head interface are considered so that the resulting fourth surface dataset 204 reflects the patient's true intraoral maxillary dimensions with high accuracy, particularly regarding the position and orientation of the implant / implant head interface.

[0094] In another alternative, the modified area cleaned by 1200c is calculated based on the position and orientation of each corresponding scan body detected and the known geometry of the scan body and the implant / implant head interface.

[0095] In practical applications, dental professionals can use the methods disclosed herein in their daily practice, for example, as described below: A dental professional initially uses an intraoral scanning device to obtain a three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset from the patient's oral anatomy. Therefore, the scanning device is introduced into the patient's oral cavity, and corresponding scans of the oral anatomy are performed as required by the first or second embodiment.

[0096] In the application of the first aspect, at least a second and a third intraoral surface scan dataset are obtained. For the second embodiment, a third intraoral surface scan dataset is sufficient. Where the 4π surface dataset of the corresponding prosthesis is partially derived from the intraoral surface scan dataset obtained with the prosthesis fitted, the dental expert can also obtain a first three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset while the scanning device is in the patient's mouth.

[0097] In an embodiment using a scanning volume to obtain a fourth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset, the dental specialist then removes the scanning device and corresponding prosthesis from the patient's mouth. The scanning volume is then installed at the implant head interface, which is exposed through the gingiva in the patient's edentulous portion. With the application of the scanning volume, the dental specialist obtains another three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset (scanning volume scan), which allows the computer system to calculate the position and orientation of the corresponding implant head interface with high precision.

[0098] In an embodiment where a fourth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset is derived from a scanning body scan by supplementing the cleaned modified areas with surface information from the corresponding gingival surface scan dataset, the dental expert will first remove the scanning body from the implant head interface again, and then use the scanning device again to obtain a gingival surface scan dataset of the patient's edentulous jaw. The computer system then uses the gingival surface scan dataset to supplement the cleaned modified areas of the scanning body scan with the corresponding surface information from the gingival surface scan dataset.

[0099] To obtain a three-dimensional 4π surface dataset including a three-dimensional surface representation of the corresponding prosthesis, a dental expert can preload a copy of the corresponding intraoral scan dataset of at least half of the edentulous arch fitted with the prosthesis into a computer system, and after removing the soft tissue representation from the copy, continue to perform an external surface scan (outside the patient's mouth) of the surface portion of the prosthesis hidden in the original surface scan dataset of at least half of the edentulous arch.

[0100] Alternatively, dental specialists can create a complete scan of the entire outer surface of the prosthesis, or even retrieve an existing 3D model of the prosthesis (e.g., a CAD model) from a relevant data source and provide it as input to a computer system for alignment procedures.

[0101] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating examples of a general-purpose computer device 900 and a general-purpose mobile computer device 950 that can be used with the technologies described herein. The computing device 900 is intended to represent various forms of digital computers, such as laptops, desktops, workstations, personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframes, and other suitable computers. The general-purpose computer device 900 may correspond to... Figure 1 Computer system 100. Computing device 950 is intended to represent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digital assistants, cellular phones, smartphones, and other similar computing devices. For example, computing device 950 can be used as a user's GUI front end to enable user 2 to... Figure 1 The generated digital patient model 210 is visualized. The components, their connections and relationships, and their functions shown herein are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the invention described and / or claimed herein.

[0102] The computing device 900 includes a processor 902, a memory 904, a storage device 906, a high-speed interface 908 connected to the memory 904 and a high-speed expansion port 910, and a low-speed interface 912 connected to a low-speed bus 914 and the storage device 906. The processor 902, memory 904, storage device 906, high-speed interface 908, high-speed expansion port 910, and low-speed interface 912 are interconnected using various buses and can be mounted on a common motherboard or in other suitable manner.

[0103] Processor 902 can process instructions for execution within computing device 900, including instructions stored in memory 904 or storage device 906, to display graphical information of a GUI on an external input / output device such as display 916 coupled to high-speed interface 908. In other embodiments, multiple processing units and / or multiple buses, as well as multiple memories and memory types, may be suitably used. Additionally, multiple computing devices 900 can be connected, each providing a portion of the necessary operation (e.g., as a server library, blade server group, or processing unit).

[0104] Memory 904 stores information within computing device 900. In one embodiment, memory 904 is one or more volatile memory cells. In another embodiment, memory 904 is one or more non-volatile memory cells. Memory 904 may also be another form of computer-readable medium, such as a magnetic disk or optical disk.

[0105] Storage device 906 is capable of providing large-capacity storage for computing device 900. In one embodiment, storage device 906 may be a computer-readable medium or containing computer-readable media, such as a floppy disk device, hard disk device, optical disk device or magnetic tape device, flash memory or other similar solid-state storage device, or an array of devices (including devices in a storage area network or other configuration).

[0106] Computer program products can be tangibly embodied in an information carrier. A computer program product may also contain instructions that, when executed, perform one or more methods (such as those described above). The information carrier is a computer or machine-readable medium, such as memory 904, storage device 906, or memory on processor 902.

[0107] High-speed interface 908 manages bandwidth-intensive operations of computing device 900, while low-speed interface 912 manages less bandwidth-intensive operations. This functional allocation is merely exemplary. In one embodiment, high-speed interface 908 is coupled to memory 904, display 916 (e.g., via a graphics processor or accelerator), and high-speed expansion port 910, which can accept various expansion cards (not shown). In another embodiment, low-speed interface 912 is coupled to storage device 906 and low-speed expansion bus 914. The low-speed expansion port, which may include various communication ports (e.g., USB, Bluetooth, Ethernet, Wireless Ethernet), may be coupled to one or more input / output devices, such as keyboards, pointing devices, scanners, or networking devices, such as switches or routers, for example, via a network adapter.

[0108] The computing device 900 can be implemented in a variety of different forms, as shown in the figure. For example, the device can be implemented as a standard server 920, or it can be implemented multiple times in a group of such servers. The device can also be implemented as part of a rack server system 924. Alternatively, the device can be implemented in a personal computer such as a laptop computer 922. Alternatively, components from the computing device 900 can be combined with other components in a mobile device (not shown), such as a computing device 950. Each of such devices can contain one or more of the computing devices 900, 950, and the entire system can consist of multiple computing devices 900, 950 communicating with each other.

[0109] The computing device 950 includes a processor 952, a memory 964, input / output devices such as a display 954, a communication interface 966, a transceiver 968, and other components. The computing device 950 may also have a storage device, such as a microdrive or another device, to provide additional storage. The processor 952, memory 964, display 954, communication interface 966, and transceiver 968 are interconnected using various buses, and some of these components may be mounted on a common motherboard or otherwise suitably mounted.

[0110] The processor 952 can execute instructions within the computing device 950, including instructions stored in the memory 964. The processor can be implemented as a chipset comprising individual and multiple analog and digital processing units. The processor can provide coordination for, for example, other components of the computing device 950, such as controlling the user interface, applications running by the computing device 950, and wireless communications conducted by the computing device 950.

[0111] Processor 952 can communicate with the user via control interface 958 and display interface 956 coupled to display 954. Display 954 can be, for example, a TFT LCD (Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display) or OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display, or other suitable display technologies. Display interface 956 can include suitable circuitry for driving display 954 to present graphics and other information to the user. Control interface 958 can receive commands from the user and translate the commands for submission to processor 952. Additionally, an external interface 962 can be provided to communicate with processor 952 to enable short-range communication between computing device 950 and other devices. External interface 962 can provide wired communication in some embodiments, wireless communication in others, and multiple interfaces can be used.

[0112] Memory 964 stores information within computing device 950. Memory 964 may be implemented as one or more computer-readable media, one or more volatile memory cells, or one or more non-volatile memory cells. Extended memory 984 may also be provided and connected to computing device 950 via an extended interface 982, which may include, for example, a SIMM (Single In-line Memory Module) card interface. Such extended memory may provide additional storage space for computing device 950, or it may store applications or other information for computing device 950. Specifically, extended memory may include instructions for performing or supplementing the above processes, and may also include security information. Thus, for example, extended memory may act as a security module of computing device 950 and may be programmed with instructions that allow secure use of computing device 950. Additionally, secure applications may be provided via a SIMM card along with additional information, such as placing identification information on the SIMM card in a non-crackable manner.

[0113] The memory may include, for example, flash memory and / or NVRAM memory, as described below. In one embodiment, the computer program product is tangibly embodied in an information carrier. The computer program product contains instructions that, when executed, perform one or more methods, such as those described above. The information carrier is a computer or machine-readable medium, such as memory 964, extended memory, or memory on processor 952, which may be received, for example, via transceiver 968 or external interface 962.

[0114] The computing device 950 can wirelessly communicate via a communication interface 966, which may include a digital signal processing circuitry system if necessary. The communication interface 966 can provide communication under various modes or protocols, such as GSM voice calls, SMS, EMS or MMS message sending and receiving, CDMA, TDMA, PDC, WCDMA, CDMA2000, or GPRS, etc. Such communication can be performed, for example, via a transceiver 968. Additionally, short-range communication can occur, for example, using Bluetooth, WiFi, or other such transceivers (not shown). Furthermore, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver module can provide the computing device 950 with additional navigation-related and location-related wireless data, which may be used by applications running on the computing device 950, as appropriate.

[0115] The device 950 can also use an audio codec 960 for audio communication, which can receive voice information from a user and convert it into usable digital information. For example, in the handheld device of the computing device 950, the audio codec 960 can similarly generate audible sounds for the user, for example, through a speaker. Such sounds can include sounds from voice telephone calls, recorded sounds (e.g., voice messages, music files, etc.), and sounds generated by applications running on the computing device 950.

[0116] The computing device 950 can be implemented in a variety of different forms as shown in the figure. For example, the device can be implemented as a cellular phone 980. The device can also be implemented as part of a smartphone, personal digital assistant, or other similar mobile device.

[0117] Various implementations of the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented in digital electronic circuit systems, integrated circuit systems, specially designed ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various implementations can include implementations in one or more computer programs that can be executed and / or interpreted on a programmable system, said programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be dedicated or general-purpose, coupled to receive and send data and instructions from a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device.

[0118] These computer programs (also referred to as programs, software, software applications, or code) include machine instructions for a programmable processor and can be implemented using high-level programming and / or object-oriented programming languages ​​and / or assembly / machine languages. As used herein, the terms “machine-readable medium” and “computer-readable medium” refer to any computer program product, device, and / or apparatus (e.g., disk, optical disk, memory, programmable logic device (PLD)) used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, including machine-readable media that receive machine instructions as machine-readable signals. The term “machine-readable signal” refers to any signal used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor.

[0119] To provide interaction with a user, the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented on a computer having a display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor) for displaying information to the user, as well as a keyboard and pointing device (e.g., a mouse or trackball) through which the user can provide input to the computer. Other types of devices can also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback); and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input.

[0120] The systems and technologies described herein can be implemented in computing devices that include back-end components (e.g., as a data server), middleware components (e.g., an application server), or front-end components (e.g., a client computer with a graphical user interface or web browser through which a user can interact with embodiments of the systems and technologies described herein), or any combination of such back-end, middleware, or front-end components. Components of the system can be interconnected via digital data communication (e.g., a communication network) of any form or medium. Examples of communication networks include local area networks (“LANs”), wide area networks (“WANs”), and the Internet.

[0121] Computing devices may include clients and servers. Clients and servers are typically geographically separated and usually interact via communication networks. The client-server relationship is established by means of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship with each other.

[0122] Several embodiments have been described. Nevertheless, it should be understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Specifically, these embodiments include interchangeable features and can also be combined with other embodiments not described in detail, however, within the scope of the claims or the general description.

[0123] The logic flow depicted in the figures does not need to follow a specific order or sequence to achieve the desired result. Furthermore, other steps may be provided, or steps may be removed from the described flow, and other components may be added to or removed from the described system. Therefore, other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method (1000) for generating a three-dimensional digital patient model (210) of a patient's oral anatomy, wherein the patient (1) has a first at least partially edentulous jawbone and at least one first dental implant placed in the jawbone of the first at least partially edentulous jawbone, the three-dimensional digital patient model providing an accurate representation of the location of the first implant in the patient's jawbone and the location of the first at least partially edentulous jawbone relative to the patient's opposing jaw, the method comprising: Receive (1100) a second and third three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset obtained from the patient's oral anatomy, the patient's oral anatomy including a first at least half-edentulous arch and having a first prosthesis fitted to the first at least half-edentulous arch, wherein The second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset (202) includes a digital three-dimensional surface representation of at least a portion of the patient's jaw arch, which is positioned relative to the first at least half-mouth edentulous jaw arch. The third three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset (203) includes a digital three-dimensional surface representation of at least a portion of at least one of the patient’s posterior buccal or lingual portions when in occlusion; Receive (1200) a fourth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset (204) of at least a portion of the gingival surface (204-g) of the first at least half-edentulous arch of the patient's oral anatomy, wherein the fourth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset includes surface information of the first implant head interface (204-1, 204-2, 204-3, 204-4) of at least one first implant located in the first at least half-edentulous arch, the first implant head interface being exposed through the gingiva; Receive (1300) a fifth three-dimensional 4π surface dataset (205), the dataset including a three-dimensional surface representation of the first prosthesis and surface information of at least one first abutment interface (205-1, 205-2, 205-3, 205-4), the at least one first abutment interface being configured to positively engage with the first implant head interface (204-1, 204-2, 204-3, 204-4) of the at least one first implant located in the first at least half-mouth edentulous arch when the first prosthesis is fitted; By registering the surface information of the first implant head interface of the at least one first implant with the surface information of the at least one first abutment interface (1410), the fourth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset (204) and the fifth three-dimensional 4π surface dataset (205) of the first prosthesis are aligned relative to each other in a common reference frame (1400), and By registering portions of the fifth three-dimensional 4π surface dataset (205) and portions of the second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset (202) with portions of the third three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset (203), the fifth three-dimensional 4π surface dataset (205) and the second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset (202) are aligned with each other in the common reference frame (1500).

2. A computer-implemented method (1000) for generating a three-dimensional digital patient model (210) of the oral cavity anatomy, wherein, The patient (1) has a first at least half-edentulous jawbone and a second at least half-edentulous jawbone, and has at least one first dental implant placed in the jawbone of the first at least half-edentulous jawbone and at least one second dental implant placed in the jawbone of the second at least half-edentulous jawbone. The three-dimensional digital patient model provides an accurate representation of the positions of the first and second implants in the patient's jawbone and the positions of the first and second at least half-edentulous jawbone relative to each other. The method includes: Receive (1100) a third three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset obtained from the patient's oral anatomy, the patient's oral anatomy including a first at least half-edentulous arch, and having a first prosthesis fitted to the first at least half-edentulous arch and a second prosthesis fitted to the second at least half-edentulous arch, wherein The third three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset (203) includes a digital three-dimensional surface representation of at least a portion of the patient’s posterior cheek or lingual portion when in occlusion; Receive (1200) a fourth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset (204) of at least a portion of the gingival surface (204-g) of the first at least half-edentulous arch of the patient's oral anatomy, wherein the fourth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset includes surface information of the first implant head interface (204-1, 204-2, 204-3, 204-4) of at least one first implant located in the first at least half-edentulous arch, the first implant head interface being exposed through the gingiva; Receive (1300) a fifth three-dimensional 4π surface dataset (205), the dataset including a three-dimensional surface representation of the first prosthesis and surface information of at least one first abutment interface (205-1, 205-2, 205-3, 205-4), the at least one first abutment interface being configured to positively engage with the first implant head interface (204-1, 204-2, 204-3, 204-4) of the at least one first implant located in the first at least half-mouth edentulous arch when the first prosthesis is fitted; Receive a sixth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset of at least a portion of the gingival surface of the second at least half-edentulous arch of the patient's oral anatomy, wherein the sixth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset includes surface information of the second implant head interface of at least one second implant located in the second at least half-edentulous arch, the second implant head interface being exposed through the gingiva; Receive a seventh three-dimensional 4π surface dataset, the dataset including a three-dimensional surface representation of the second prosthesis and surface information of at least one second abutment interface, the at least one second abutment interface being configured to engage orthogonally with the second implant head interface of the at least one second implant located in the second at least half-occlusal edentulous arch when the second prosthesis is fitted; and By registering the surface information of the first implant head interface of the at least one first implant with the surface information of the at least one first abutment interface (1410), the fourth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset (204) and the fifth three-dimensional 4π surface dataset (205) of the first prosthesis are aligned relative to each other in a common reference frame (1400). By registering the surface information of the second implant head interface of the at least one second implant with the surface information of the at least one second abutment interface, the sixth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset and the seventh three-dimensional 4π surface dataset of the second prosthesis are aligned relative to each other in a common reference frame, and By registering portions of the fifth three-dimensional 4π surface dataset and portions of the seventh three-dimensional 4π surface scan dataset with corresponding portions of the third three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset, the fifth three-dimensional 4π surface dataset and the seventh three-dimensional 4π surface scan dataset are aligned with each other in the common reference frame.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The position and orientation of the at least one first implant head interface are determined by an eighth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset (208) and first scan bodies (208-1, 208-2, 208-3, 208-4) with known geometry installed in the first implant. The eighth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset is obtained from the first at least half-edentulous arch when the first prosthesis has been removed. The position and orientation of the first implant head interface are calculated based on the known geometry of the first scanning body, its position and orientation, and the known geometry of the first implant head interface of the first implant.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The position and orientation of the at least one second implant head interface are determined by a ninth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset and a second scan body with a known geometry installed in the second implant. The ninth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset is obtained from the second at least half-edentulous arch when the second prosthesis is removed. The position and orientation of the second implant head interface are calculated based on the known geometry of the second scanning body, its position and orientation, and the known geometry of the second implant head interface of the second implant.

5. The method according to any one of claims 3 or 4, wherein, The fourth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset (204) and / or the sixth three-dimensional intraoral surface dataset are respectively derived from the eighth (208) and / or the ninth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset in the following manner: Detect (1200a) the location of at least one first and / or second scan body, and clean (1200b) at least one modified region (208-1ma, 208-2ma, 208-3ma, 208-4ma) around the detected location of the at least one first and / or second scan body according to the eighth and / or ninth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset; and The at least one modified area cleaned by supplementing (1200c) the surface information of the known geometry of the first and / or second implant head interface of the first and / or second implant, the first and / or second implant head interface having a position and orientation calculated based on the eighth and / or ninth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The cleaning (1200c) of at least one modified region in the eighth and / or ninth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset is performed in any of the following ways: A deep copy (208c) of the eighth (208) and / or ninth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset is generated using a data modification tool, the data modification tool being adapted to remove each scan volume representation from the clone copy (208c), or Generate a deep copy or shallow copy (208c) of the eighth (208) and / or ninth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset, and automatically remove each representation of the scan volume from the copy (208c) using an appropriately trained artificial intelligence tool.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The at least one modified region that is supplemented by the centralized cleaning of the eighth and / or ninth three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset is performed in any of the following ways: In the event of physical removal of at least one of the corresponding first and / or second implants from the corresponding first and / or second implants, a three-dimensional intraoral gingival surface scan dataset of the corresponding cleaned modified area is obtained, and the cleaned scan area is supplemented with a portion of the gingival surface scan dataset including a three-dimensional representation of the corresponding at least one first and / or second implant head interface, or For each cleaned modified area, the three-dimensional surface information of the corresponding implant head interface is calculated based on the geometry, position, and orientation of at least one first and / or second scan body.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Receiving (1100) the third three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset (203) further includes receiving a first three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset (201) obtained from the patient's oral anatomy and / or receiving a second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset obtained from the patient's oral anatomy, wherein The first three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset (201) includes a digital three-dimensional surface representation of at least a portion of the first at least half of the edentulous jawbone of the patient fitted with the first prosthesis, and The second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset (202) includes a digital three-dimensional surface representation of at least a portion of the second at least half of the edentulous jawbone of the patient fitted with the second prosthesis. Furthermore, the fifth and / or seventh three-dimensional 4π surface dataset (205) of the prosthesis receiving (1300) further includes: Generate clones (1300a) of the first and / or second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan datasets, respectively; Remove the soft tissue representation (1300b) from the cloned copy (201-1) to obtain the first portion (201c1) of the fifth and / or seventh three-dimensional 4π surface dataset (205); and At least one complementary second portion (201c2) of the fifth and / or seventh three-dimensional 4π surface dataset (205) is obtained (1300c) from continuous surface scans of the first and / or second prosthesis during removal from the oral anatomy of the patient (1), the fifth and / or seventh three-dimensional 4π surface datasets respectively including portions of the first or second prosthesis concealed in the first and / or second three-dimensional intraoral surface scan dataset (201), wherein the complementary second portion (205) respectively includes the surface information of at least one first and / or second abutment interface (205-1, 205-2, 205-3, 205-4); or The fifth and / or seventh three-dimensional 4π surface dataset (205) is obtained from the complete 4π surface scan of the first and / or second prosthesis during removal from the oral anatomy of the patient, including the surface information of at least one first and / or second abutment interface (205-1, 205-2, 205-3, 205-4). or The fifth and / or seventh three-dimensional 4π surface dataset (205) is obtained from the existing digital three-dimensional geometric model of the prosthesis, which contains the surface information having at least one first and / or second abutment interface (205-1, 205-2, 205-3, 205-4).

9. A computer program product for generating a three-dimensional digital patient model (210) of the oral cavity anatomy, wherein, The patient (1) has a first at least half-edentulous arch and at least one first dental implant placed in the jawbone of the first at least half-edentulous arch. The computer program product includes computer-readable instructions that, when loaded into the memory of a computing device and processed by one or more processors or the computing device, cause the computing device to perform any step of the computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A computer system for generating a three-dimensional digital patient model (210) of the oral cavity anatomy, wherein, The patient (1) has a first at least half-edentulous jaw arch and at least one first dental implant placed in the jawbone of the first at least half-edentulous jaw arch. The computer system has one or more functional modules adapted to perform the computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 during operation of the system.

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