Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide a mechanism that can make more smooth communication related to manufacturing a dental technical material.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus that comprises a control unit that creates a UI screen for displaying one teeth row image indicating the row of teeth, acquires information indicating a first operation to select a tooth from the row of teeth and a second operation to input an instruction to manufacture a dental technical material for the tooth selected by the first operation, and generates electronic data of a dental technical material instruction book based on a plurality of combinations of the tooth selected by the first operation and the instruction to manufacture the dental technical material input by the second operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the production of dental prostheses has become smarter. For example, it has become common to design and produce dental prostheses using 3D (dimensional) cameras, CT (computed tomography) scanners, CAD / CAM (computer-aided design / computer-aided manufacturing) devices, etc.

[0003] Communication between dental clinics or dental laboratories that place orders for the production of dental prostheses and dental laboratories that receive orders and produce the dental prostheses is also becoming smarter. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses technology related to an online ordering system for dental prostheses. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6441419 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 has only recently been developed, and there is still room for improvement in various respects.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a system that enables smoother communication regarding the production of dental prostheses. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing device including a control unit that generates a UI screen that displays one tooth row image showing a tooth row, acquires information indicating a first operation of selecting a tooth from the tooth row image and a second operation of inputting production instructions for a dental prosthesis for the tooth selected by the first operation, both of which are accepted multiple times on the UI screen, and generates electronic data of a dental prosthesis instruction sheet based on multiple combinations of the tooth selected by the first operation and the production instructions for the dental prosthesis input by the second operation.

[0008] The UI screen may accept, as the first operation, an operation to select one tooth to be the target of the dental prosthesis for a single crown, or an operation to select multiple teeth to be the target of the dental prosthesis for a multiple crown or bridge.

[0009] The UI screen may accept, as the first operation, an operation to select one tooth from the dentition image, an operation to select either the single-crown dental prosthesis targeted at the selected tooth or the connected crown or bridge dental prosthesis starting from the selected tooth, and an operation to select another tooth as an end point when the connected crown or bridge dental prosthesis is selected.

[0010] The UI screen may display an input form displaying one or more options that can be selected as the production instructions for the dental prosthesis for the tooth selected by the first operation, and may accept, as the second operation, an operation to select an option to be adopted in the production instructions for the dental prosthesis from the one or more options displayed in the input form.

[0011] The input form may display the options regarding at least one of the material, shade, type of technique, presence or absence of a removable knob, position of the removable knob, or position of the tooth supporting the removable knob.

[0012] The UI screen may display the price of the dental prosthesis to be produced according to the option selected in the second operation.

[0013] The UI screen may accept an operation to upload 3D data of the patient's oral cavity, and may display information recommending the options narrowed down based on the uploaded 3D data in the input form.

[0014] The UI screen may accept an operation to upload 3D data of the patient's oral cavity, and may display in the dentition image in a distinguishable manner teeth that may be the subject of the dental prosthesis and teeth that are not the subject of the dental prosthesis, as determined based on the uploaded 3D data.

[0015] The UI screen may accept an operation to upload 3D data of the patient's oral cavity, and may display an image showing a rendering of the finished dental prosthesis to be produced based on the electronic data of the dental prosthesis instruction, estimated based on the 3D data.

[0016] The control unit may generate electronic data of a plurality of the dental technique instruction documents based on a plurality of the combinations, and each of the electronic data of the plurality of the dental technique instruction documents may be generated based on a different combination from the others.

[0017] In addition, in order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing method comprising the steps of: generating a UI screen that displays one tooth row image showing a tooth row; acquiring information indicating a first operation of selecting a tooth from the tooth row image, which has been accepted multiple times on the UI screen, and a second operation of inputting production instructions for a dental prosthesis for the tooth selected by the first operation; and generating electronic data of a dental prosthesis instruction sheet based on multiple combinations of the tooth selected by the first operation and the production instructions for the dental prosthesis input by the second operation.

[0018] In addition, in order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program that causes an information processing device to function as: means for generating a UI screen that displays one tooth row image showing a tooth row; means for acquiring information indicating a first operation of selecting a tooth from the tooth row image, which has been accepted multiple times on the UI screen, and a second operation of inputting production instructions for a dental prosthesis for the tooth selected by the first operation; and means for generating electronic data of a dental prosthesis instruction sheet based on multiple combinations of the tooth selected by the first operation and the production instructions for the dental prosthesis input by the second operation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] As described above, the present invention provides a mechanism that allows smoother communication regarding the production of dental prostheses. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a UI screen displayed by the terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a UI screen displayed by the terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a UI screen displayed by the terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a UI screen displayed by the terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a UI screen displayed by the terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a UI screen displayed by the terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a UI screen displayed by the terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a UI screen displayed by the terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a UI screen displayed by the terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a flow of processing executed by the system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the information processing device according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0022] Furthermore, in this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configuration may be distinguished by adding different letters after the same reference numeral. For example, multiple elements having substantially the same functional configuration may be distinguished as necessary, such as terminal devices 10A, 10B, and 10C. However, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between multiple elements having substantially the same functional configuration, only the same reference numeral is used. For example, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between terminal devices 10A, 10B, and 10C, they will simply be referred to as terminal device 10.

[0023] <1. Overview> Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the system 1 includes a plurality of terminal devices 10 (10A to 10C), a control device 20, and a plurality of dental laboratories 30 (30A to 30C). The terminal devices 10 and the control device 20, and the control device 20 and the dental laboratories 30 are connected via a network such as the Internet.

[0024] The terminal device 10 is an information processing device that accepts user operations to input production instructions for a dental prosthesis. The user operating the terminal device 10 is a dentist or a staff member, such as a dental technician or nurse, working under the supervision of the dentist. The terminal device 10 is installed in a dental clinic. The terminal device 10 displays a UI (User Interface) screen and accepts user operations to input production instructions for a dental prosthesis to be fitted into a patient's oral cavity. The production instructions for the dental prosthesis here refer to information described in a dental laboratory instruction manual, such as the design of the dental prosthesis, the method for producing the dental prosthesis, and the materials to be used for the dental prosthesis. The dental laboratory instruction manual is a document that is handed over from the dentist to the dental laboratory and contains the production instructions for the dental prosthesis. The terminal device 10 then transmits the input production instructions for the dental prosthesis to the control device 20.

[0025] The dental laboratory 30 is a facility that produces dental prostheses. The dental laboratory 30 owns processing equipment such as a 3D printer and a milling machine, as well as materials for the dental prostheses. The materials here refer to dental materials. The dental laboratory 30 produces the dental prostheses based on dental laboratory instructions. The dental laboratory 30 then sends the produced dental prostheses to the client.

[0026] The control device 20 is an information processing device that controls the entire system 1. The control device 20 generates electronic data of dental laboratory instructions based on information input to the terminal device 10. The control device 20 then transmits the generated electronic data of dental laboratory instructions to the dental laboratory 30. Sending the electronic data of dental laboratory instructions also serves as ordering a dental prosthesis. Therefore, the dental laboratory 30 produces a dental prosthesis based on the received electronic data of dental laboratory instructions and sends it to the user who placed the order.

[0027] The control device 20 controls the display of a UI screen by the terminal device 10. Specifically, the control device 20 generates a UI screen to be displayed by the terminal device 10 and updates the UI screen in response to a user operation on the terminal device 10. For example, the control device 20 may provide the UI screen as a Web application. In this case, the terminal device 10 accesses the Web application provided by the control device 20, displays the UI screen, and accepts a user operation.

[0028] The control device 20 matches dental clinics where the terminal devices 10 are located with dental laboratories 30 for each electronic data of the generated dental laboratory instruction. For example, the control device 20 stores information on each of the multiple dental clinics where the terminal devices 10 are located and the multiple dental laboratories 30. The control device 20 then selects one of the multiple dental laboratories 30 as the destination for the electronic data of the dental laboratory instruction. Examples of information stored by the control device 20 include the address of the dental clinic, the address of the dental laboratory 30, the specifications of the processing equipment owned by the dental laboratory 30, and the inventory of materials at the dental laboratory 30. This configuration makes it possible to assign the production of a dental prosthesis to the dental laboratory 30 that is most suitable in terms of various aspects such as delivery time, price, and quality.

[0029] Conventional paper dental laboratory instruction sheets have various issues, such as insufficient space, difficulty in writing instructions, lack of intuitiveness, and difficulty in reading. In particular, because paper dental laboratory instruction sheets do not have a unified format, these issues become a major obstacle in an environment where new transactions frequently occur due to the above-mentioned matching. Therefore, this embodiment provides a mechanism for improving the usability of dental laboratory instruction sheets.

[0030] <2. Example of UI screen> The terminal device 10 displays a UI screen and accepts user operations on the UI screen. Then, the control device 20 generates electronic data of a dental technique instruction sheet based on the user operations accepted by the terminal device 10. An example of a UI screen displayed by the terminal device 10 will be described below with reference to Figs. 2 to 10. Figs. 2 to 10 are diagrams showing an example of a UI screen displayed by the terminal device 10 according to this embodiment.

[0031] The production instruction input screen 100A shown in Fig. 2 is a UI screen that accepts input of production instructions for a dental prosthesis. The production instruction input screen 100A constitutes an electronic dental prosthesis instruction sheet. As shown in Fig. 2, the production instruction input screen 100A includes a tooth alignment display field 110 and a total price display field 120.

[0032] The row-of-teeth display field 110 is a field that displays a first row-of-teeth image 111 and a second row-of-teeth image 112 as row-of-teeth images. The row-of-teeth image is an image showing a total of 32 teeth, including teeth 1 to 8 on the upper right side, teeth 1 to 8 on the upper left side, teeth 1 to 8 on the lower right side, and teeth 1 to 8 on the lower left side, arranged in the same order as teeth. The first row-of-teeth image 111 is a row-of-teeth image that shows a realistic row of teeth. In particular, the first row-of-teeth image 111 accepts a user operation to select teeth that will be the subject of a dental prosthesis. The second row-of-teeth image 112 is a row-of-teeth image based on Palmer notation. The second row-of-teeth image 112 displays the manufacturing instructions for a dental prosthesis input using the first row-of-teeth image 111 in the same order as teeth.

[0033] The total price display field 120 is a field that displays the total price entered on the UI screen when ordering one or more dental prostheses. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the total price is calculated assuming free shipping, but shipping charges may be added depending on the locational relationship between the dental clinic where the terminal device 10 is located and the dental laboratory 30, the delivery date, etc.

[0034] 2, the terminal device 10 displays a cursor 101 on the UI screen. The cursor 101 moves in response to a user operation and selects a UI element at a superimposed position in response to the user operation. Various user operations on the UI screen are performed via the cursor 101, but hereinafter, reference to the cursor 101 will be omitted.

[0035] The user performs a user operation to select a tooth to be processed into a dental prosthesis from the first row-of-teeth image 111 displayed on the production instruction input screen 100A. Here, it is assumed that the icon 111A indicating the first tooth on the left side of the upper jaw is selected on the first row-of-teeth image 111 on the production instruction input screen 100A. The screen transition in this case will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

[0036] The production instruction input screen 100B shown in FIG. 3 is a UI screen that is displayed when the above-described user operation is performed on the production instruction input screen 100A shown in FIG. 2. The production instruction input screen 100B displays a pop-up technical technique type selection field 130. The technical technique type selection field 130 is a field that accepts a user operation to select the technical technique type of a dental prosthesis for a tooth selected in the first dentition image 111. The technical technique type selection field 130 displays an option 131 indicating a single crown, an option 132 indicating a single inlay, an option 133 indicating a single onlay, and an option 134 indicating a bridge / multiple crown (more precisely, a double crown). By selecting one of the options 131 to 134, the user can select the technical technique type from single crown, single inlay, single onlay, or bridge / multiple crown.

[0037] A crown is a dental prosthesis that is fixed to cover an existing tooth or a base that exists in the gums, such as a metal core. An inlay is a dental prosthesis that is fixed by being entirely embedded in a recess of an existing tooth. An onlay is a dental prosthesis that is fixed by being partially embedded in a recess of an existing tooth and partially covering the existing tooth. A single crown is a dental prosthesis that is intended for a single tooth. Multiple crowns and bridges are dental prostheses that are intended for multiple teeth and are integrated into one by connecting dental prostheses corresponding to adjacent teeth. In particular, multiple crowns are dental prostheses that are fixed to all of the multiple teeth that they target. A bridge is a dental prosthesis that is fixed to some of the multiple teeth that it targets, and dental prostheses corresponding to the other teeth are supported by dental prostheses fixed to adjacent teeth. A bridge that is supported by dental prostheses fixed to adjacent teeth is also called a pontic.

[0038] The user performs a user operation to select a technique type in the technique type selection field 130 displayed on the production instruction input screen 100B. Here, it is assumed that the option 131 indicating a single crown is selected on the production instruction input screen 100B. The screen transition in this case will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0039] The production instruction input screen 100C shown in Fig. 4 is a UI screen that is displayed when the above-described user operation is performed on the production instruction input screen 100B shown in Fig. 3. The first dentition image 111 on the production instruction input screen 100C displays an icon 111A indicating the first tooth on the left side of the maxilla in a color that corresponds to the single crown technique selected in the technique type selection field 130. Furthermore, the second dentition image 112 on the production instruction input screen 100C displays information indicating the single crown technique selected in the technique type selection field 130 in accordance with Palmer notation at the position of the icon 112A indicating the first tooth on the left side of the maxilla.

[0040] Furthermore, the production instruction input screen 100C additionally displays an input form 140A, which is a field for accepting input of production instructions for a dental prosthesis for the most recently selected tooth. That is, the input form 140A accepts input of production instructions for a dental prosthesis for a single crown for the first tooth on the left side of the maxilla, based on user operations on the production instruction input screen 100A and the production instruction input screen 100B.

[0041] 4, input form 140A includes an identification information display field 141A, a single crown / bridge / multiple crown display field 142A, an image display field 143A, a material selection field 144A, a removable knob position selection field 145-1A, a dental technique type selection field 146A, a guide display field 147A, and a cancel button 149A. The user can input instructions for producing the dental prosthesis related to input form 140A by selecting a desired option from one or more options presented in input form 140A. Here, the dental prosthesis related to input form 140A is a single crown dental prosthesis for the maxillary left tooth no. 1.

[0042] The identification information display field 141A is a field for displaying the identification information of the tooth that will be the target of the dental prosthesis related to the input form 140 A. On the production instruction input screen 100C, the identification information display field 141A displays that the tooth that will be the target of the dental prosthesis is the first tooth on the left side of the upper jaw.

[0043] The single crown / bridge / multiple crown display field 142A is a field that displays information indicating whether the dental technical product related to the input form 140A is a single crown, a bridge, or a multiple crown. On the production instruction input screen 100C, the single crown / bridge / multiple crown display field 142A displays that the dental technical product related to the input form 140A is a single crown.

[0044] The image display field 143A is a field for displaying an image of the material of the dental technical product related to the input form 140A. On the production instruction input screen 100C, the material of the dental technical product has not yet been selected, so the image display field 143A is blank.

[0045] The material selection field 144A is a field that accepts a user operation to select a material for the dental prosthesis related to the input form 140A. Since the material for the dental prosthesis has not yet been selected on the production instruction input screen 100C, the material selection field 144A displays a message prompting the user to select a material.

[0046] The removable knob position selection field 145-1A is a field that accepts a user operation to select the position of a removable knob of the dental prosthesis related to the input form 140A. A removable knob is a knob that serves as a handle for removing the dental prosthesis from the oral cavity. In the removable knob position selection field 145-1A, it is possible to select whether or not to provide a removable knob. If a removable knob is provided, the removable knob position selection field 145-1A allows the user to select the position of the removable knob from one or more options. The one or more options may include at least one of buccal mesial, buccal distal, palatal mesial, and palatal distal. The removable knob position selection field 145-1A may display these one or more options as a pull-down menu and accept a user operation to select one of the options. In the production instruction input screen 100C, it is selected in the removable knob position selection field 145-1A that a removable knob is not required, i.e., that a removable knob is not provided.

[0047] The dental prosthesis type selection field 146A is a field that accepts a user operation to select a dental prosthesis type for the input form 140A. In the dental prosthesis type selection field 146A, the dental prosthesis type can be selected from one or more options. The one or more options may include at least one of crown, inlay, onlay, or pontic. The dental prosthesis type selection field 146A displays these one or more options as a pull-down menu and accepts a user operation to select one of the options. Note that pontic can only be selected when the dental prosthesis is a bridge or a crown. If a dental prosthesis type has already been selected in the dental prosthesis type selection field 130 shown in FIG. 3, the dental prosthesis type selection field 146A may reflect this selection. On the production instruction input screen 100C, the dental prosthesis type selection field 146A automatically selects and displays crown, which is the dental prosthesis type already selected in the dental prosthesis type selection field 130.

[0048] The guide display field 147A is a field that displays input guidance for the input form 140A. Since the material for the dental prosthesis has not yet been selected on the production instruction input screen 100C, the guide display field 147A displays a message urging the user to select a material.

[0049] The cancel button 149A is a UI element that accepts a user operation to cancel the production of the dental technical product related to the input form 140A.

[0050] The user performs a user operation to input production instructions for a dental prosthesis in an input form 140A displayed on the production instruction input screen 100C. Here, it is assumed that the material selection field 144A is selected on the production instruction input screen 100C. The screen transition in this case will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

[0051] The material selection screen 150A shown in FIG. 5 is a UI screen that is displayed when the user performs the above-described operation on the production instruction input screen 100C shown in FIG. The terminal device 10 pops up the material selection screen 150A on the production instruction input screen 100C when the material selection field 144A is selected. The material selection screen 150A displays options for materials that can be selected for the dental prosthesis related to the input form 140A. The material selection screen 150A is a UI element that displays options similar to a pull-down menu, and can be considered as one of the input forms 140A. The material selection screen 150A includes a material description field 151A, a shade display field 152A, a price display field 153A, and a cancel button 159A. The material selection screen 150A displays the materials that can be selected as the dental prosthesis related to the input form 140A in a vertical row, and displays the characteristics of each material in a material description column 151A, a shade display column 152A, and a price display column 153A in a horizontal row.

[0052] The material description field 151A is a field that displays a description of a material that can be selected as a dental prosthesis related to the input form 140A. The material description field 151A displays, for the material in the first row, that the name is XXX, that the raw material is hybrid resin, and that the color is gradation. The material description field 151A displays, for the material in the second row, that the name is YYY, that the raw material is zirconia, and that the structure is a single-layer structure. The material description field 151A displays, for the material in the third row, that the name is ZZZ, that the raw material is zirconia, and that the structure is a multi-layer structure.

[0053] The shade display field 152A is a field that displays the shades of materials that can be selected for the dental prosthesis related to the input form 140A. The shade corresponds to the color of the dental prosthesis. The shade display field 152A indicates that four shades, A1, A2, A3, and A3.5, can be selected for the material XXX in the first row. The shade display field 152A indicates that four shades, A1, A2, A3, and A3.5, can be selected for the material YYY in the second row. The shade display field 152A indicates that two shades, gradation light and gradation medium, can be selected for the material ZZZ in the third row.

[0054] The price display field 153A is a field that displays the prices of materials that can be selected as dental prostheses related to the input form 140A. The price display field 153A displays that the price of material XXX in the first row is 6,500 yen per tooth. The price display field 153A displays that the price of material YYY in the second row is 6,000 yen per tooth. The price display field 153A displays that the price of material ZZZ in the third row is 6,000 yen per tooth.

[0055] The cancel button 159A is a UI element that accepts a user operation to cancel the selection of the material of the dental technical product related to the input form 140A.

[0056] The user performs a user operation to select a material to be used for the dental prosthesis related to the input form 140A, including specifying the shade, from the materials displayed on the material selection screen 150A. Here, it is assumed that the icon 154A corresponding to the material XXX of the shade A2 is selected on the material selection screen 150A. The screen transition in this case will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

[0057] The production instruction input screen 100D shown in FIG. 6 is a UI screen displayed when the user performs the above-described operation on the material selection screen 150A shown in FIG. 5. The terminal device 10 stops the pop-up display of the material selection screen 150A and displays the production instruction input screen 100D in response to the selection of the icon 154A. As shown in FIG. 6, the input form 140A on the production instruction input screen 100D reflects the material selected on the material selection screen 150A shown in FIG. 5. Specifically, the image display field 143A displays an image of the shade A2 of material XXX. The material selection field 144A displays the name of material XXX. The input form 140A also displays a new price display field 148A. The price display field 148A displays the price of the dental prosthesis related to the input form 140A. The dental prosthesis related to the input form 140A is a single-crown crown, and the dental prosthesis is for one tooth. Therefore, the unit price of material XXX per tooth, 6,500 yen, is displayed as the price of the dental prosthesis related to input form 140A.

[0058] The total price display field 120 displays the price of the dental prosthesis related to the input form 140A, 6,500 yen, as the total price.

[0059] The series of procedures described above completes the input of dental prosthesis production instructions for the maxillary left tooth No. 1. The terminal device 10 can repeatedly accept input of dental prosthesis production instructions on the production instruction input screen 100. Below, an example will be described in which production instructions for a dental prosthesis for a bridge / multiple crown are subsequently input. As an example, it is assumed that the icon 111B-4 indicating the maxillary right tooth No. 4 is selected on the production instruction input screen 100D, and then the option 134 indicating a bridge / multiple crown is selected in the pop-up displayed dental prosthesis type selection field 130. The screen transitions in this case will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0060] The end point selection screen 160 shown in Fig. 7 is a UI screen that is displayed when the above-described user operation is performed on the production instruction input screen 100D shown in Fig. 6. The terminal device 10 pops up the end point selection screen 160 when the icon 111B-4 indicating the fourth tooth on the upper right side is selected on the production instruction input screen 100D, and then the option 134 indicating a bridge / multiple crown is selected, which is used as a trigger. The end point selection screen 160 is a screen that accepts a user operation to select the end point of a bridge / multiple crown. The end point selection screen 160 includes the first dentition image 111, a guide display field 161, and a cancel button 169.

[0061] On the end point selection screen 160, the first tooth row image 111 accepts user operation to select the tooth that will be the end point of the bridge / double crown dental prosthesis, which starts from the fourth tooth on the right side of the upper jaw selected on the production instruction input screen 100D.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 7 , the first tooth-row image 111 displays an icon 111B-4 representing the maxillary right tooth No. 4 in a color corresponding to the type of the selected dental prosthesis, which is a bridge / multiple crown. The first tooth-row image 111 also distinguishably displays teeth that cannot be selected as the end point of a bridge / multiple crown dental prosthesis starting from the maxillary right tooth No. 4 and selectable teeth. That is, the first tooth-row image 111 grays out icons representing the mandibular teeth and the teeth to the left of the maxillary left tooth No. 1, which are the target of other dental prostheses, making them unselectable. Meanwhile, the first tooth-row image 111 displays icons representing the maxillary right teeth Nos. 1 to 3 and Nos. 5 to 8 as selectable. This configuration makes it possible to prevent input errors.

[0063] The guide display field 161 is a field that displays input guides to the end point selection screen 160. Since the tooth that will be the end point of the dental prosthesis for the bridge / multiple crown has not yet been selected on the end point selection screen 160, the guide display field 161 displays a message urging the user to select the tooth that will be the end point of the dental prosthesis for the bridge / multiple crown.

[0064] The cancel button 169 is a UI element that accepts a user operation to cancel the production of the dental prosthesis related to the end point selection screen 160, i.e., the bridge / double crown dental prosthesis starting from the fourth tooth on the right side of the upper jaw selected on the production instruction input screen 100D.

[0065] The user performs a user operation to select a tooth to be the end point of the dental prosthesis for the bridge / multiple crown from the first tooth row image 111 displayed on the end point selection screen 160. Here, it is assumed that the icon 111B-7 indicating the seventh tooth on the upper right side is selected as the end point of the dental prosthesis for the bridge / multiple crown on the end point selection screen 160. The screen transition in this case will be described with reference to FIG. 8.

[0066] The production instruction input screen 100E shown in Fig. 8 is a UI screen that is displayed when the above-mentioned user operation is performed on the end point selection screen 160 shown in Fig. 7. The first tooth row image 111 on the production instruction input screen 100E displays icons 111B-4 to 111B-7 representing the maxillary right tooth number 4 to the maxillary right tooth number 7 in a color corresponding to a bridge / multiple crown. Furthermore, the second tooth row image 112 on the production instruction input screen 100E displays information indicating a bridge / multiple crown in accordance with Palmer notation at the positions of icons 112B-4 to 112B-7 representing the maxillary right tooth number 4 to the maxillary right tooth number 7.

[0067] Furthermore, the production instruction input screen 100E additionally displays an input form 140B, which is a field for accepting input of production instructions for a dental prosthesis for the most recently selected tooth. That is, the input form 140B accepts input of production instructions for a dental prosthesis for a bridge / multiple crown for the maxillary right tooth number 4 to the maxillary right tooth number 7, based on user operations on the production instruction input screen 100D and the end point selection screen 160.

[0068] 8, input form 140B includes an identification information display field 141B, a single crown / bridge / multiple crown display field 142B, an image display field 143B, a material selection field 144B, a removable knob position selection field 145-1B, a removable knob abutment tooth position selection field 145-2B, a dental technique type selection field 146B, a guide display field 147B, and a cancel button 149B. The user can input instructions for producing the dental prosthesis related to input form 140B by selecting a desired option from one or more options available in input form 140B. Here, the dental prosthesis related to input form 140B is a dental prosthesis for a bridge or multiple crown intended for maxillary right tooth number 4 through maxillary right tooth number 7.

[0069] Each UI element included in input form 140B basically has the same configuration as the corresponding UI element included in input form 140A described with reference to Fig. 4. The following mainly describes the differences.

[0070] The removable knob abutment tooth position selection field 145-2B is a field that accepts a user operation to select the position of a tooth that will support the removable knob of the dental prosthesis related to the input form 140B. The removable knob is placed at a position corresponding to at least one of the multiple teeth that are the target of the dental prosthesis related to the input form 140B. The removable knob abutment tooth position selection field 145-2B accepts a user operation to select the position of a tooth corresponding to one of the multiple teeth that are the target of the dental prosthesis related to the input form 140B at which the removable knob will be provided. The removable knob abutment tooth position selection field 145-2B displays the upper right teeth Nos. 4 to 7 that are the target of the dental prosthesis related to the input form 140B as a pull-down menu, and can accept a user operation to select any one of the teeth. On the production instruction input screen 100E, the removable knob abutment tooth position selection field 145-2B is blank.

[0071] The dental technique type selection fields 146B-4 to 146B-7 are fields that accept a user operation to select a dental technique type for the dental prosthesis related to the input form 140B. In particular, each of the dental technique type selection fields 146B-4 to 146B-7 accepts a user operation to select a dental technique type for each of the multiple teeth that will be the target of a dental technique for a bridge or multiple crown. On the production instruction input screen 100E, the dental technique type for each of the multiple teeth has not yet been selected, so each of the dental technique type selection fields 146B-4 to 146B-7 is blank.

[0072] The user performs a user operation to input production instructions for a dental prosthesis in the input form 140B displayed on the production instruction input screen 100E. Here, it is assumed that the material selection field 144B is selected on the production instruction input screen 100E. The screen transition in this case will be described with reference to FIG. 9.

[0073] The material selection screen 150B shown in Fig. 9 is a UI screen that is displayed when the user performs the above-described operation on the production instruction input screen 100E shown in Fig. 8. The terminal device 10 pops up the material selection screen 150B on the production instruction input screen 100E in response to selection of the material selection field 144B. The configuration of the material selection screen 150B is similar to the configuration of the material selection screen 150A described with reference to Fig. 5.

[0074] The user performs a user operation to select a material to be used for the dental prosthesis related to the input form 140B, including specifying the shade, from the materials displayed on the material selection screen 150B. Here, it is assumed that the icon 154B corresponding to material YYY of shade A3.5 is selected on the material selection screen 150B. The screen transition in this case will be described with reference to FIG. 10.

[0075] The production instruction input screen 100F shown in Fig. 10 is a UI screen that is displayed when the technical type of the dental prosthesis corresponding to each tooth is selected in the technical type selection fields 146B-4 to 146B-7 after the user operation described above is performed on the material selection screen 150B shown in Fig. 9. As shown in Fig. 10, the input form 140B of the production instruction input screen 100F reflects the material selected on the material selection screen 150B shown in Fig. 9. Also, as shown in Fig. 10, each of the technical type selection fields 146B-4 to 146B-7 indicates that onlay, inlay, pontic, and crown have been selected as the technical types for the maxillary right tooth number 4 to the maxillary right tooth number 7. Accordingly, the second dentition image 112 displays the selected types of dental prosthesis for the maxillary right tooth number 4 to the maxillary right tooth number 7. Information indicating the selected type of dental prosthesis, i.e., onlay, inlay, pontic, and crown, is displayed in accordance with Palmer notation at the positions of icons 112B-4 to 112B-7 representing teeth 4 to 7 on the side. Since there are four teeth that will be the subject of the dental prosthesis related to input form 140B, price display field 148B displays 24,000 yen, which is four times the unit price of material YYY per tooth, i.e., 6,000 yen, as the price of the dental prosthesis related to input form 140B.

[0076] The total price display field 120 displays the total price of 30,500 yen, which is the sum of the price of the dental prosthesis related to input form 140A (6,500 yen) and the price of the dental prosthesis related to input form 140B (24,000 yen).

[0077] By selecting the confirmation button (not shown), the user can cause the control device 20 to generate electronic data for a dental prosthesis instruction sheet that includes information on the dental prosthesis related to input form 140A and the dental prosthesis related to input form 140B.

[0078] 3. Technical Features The above describes an example of a UI screen displayed by the terminal device 10. Below, the technical features of the system 1 will be described in detail while supplementing the features of the UI screen described above.

[0079] The terminal device 10 displays a UI screen displaying one first row-of-teeth image 111. The terminal device 10 then accepts, multiple times on the displayed UI screen, a first operation for selecting a tooth from the first row-of-teeth image 111 and a second operation for inputting production instructions for a dental prosthesis for the tooth selected by the first operation. Specifically, as described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 7, the terminal device 10 first accepts a user operation for selecting a tooth to be produced as a dental prosthesis on the first row-of-teeth image 111 displayed on the production instruction input screen 100 or the end point selection screen 160. Next, as described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6 and 8 to 10, the terminal device 10 then accepts a user operation for inputting production instructions for a dental prosthesis related to the input form 140 on the input form 140 or the material selection screen 150. Furthermore, as described with reference to FIG. 8, the terminal device 10 additionally displays an input form 140 each time a new tooth is selected, and accepts input of production instructions for the dental prosthesis. This configuration makes it possible to intuitively select teeth and easily input instructions for producing a dental prosthesis.

[0080] The control device 20 acquires from the terminal device 10 multiple combinations of teeth selected by the first operation and dental prosthesis production instructions input by the second operation, which are information input to the terminal device 10. The control device 20 then generates electronic data of dental prosthesis production instructions based on the multiple combinations of teeth selected by the first operation and dental prosthesis production instructions input by the second operation acquired from the terminal device 10. For example, the control device 20 generates electronic data of dental prosthesis production instructions by directly converting the input content of the production instruction input screen 100 into an electronic document in a predetermined format. This configuration allows the user to easily order multiple dental prostheses by repeating the first and second operations on the UI image. In this case, it is also possible to order a mixture of multiple dental prostheses of different technical types. Even when ordering multiple dental prostheses, the user can individually and intuitively select the target teeth for each dental prosthesis. This synergistic effect can eliminate problems with paper dental technician instructions, such as insufficient space, difficulty in writing instructions, lack of intuitiveness, and difficulty in reading.

[0081] The terminal device 10 accepts, as a first operation on the UI screen, an operation to select one tooth to be the target of a single-crown dental prosthesis, or an operation to select multiple teeth to be the target of a double crown or bridge dental prosthesis. In detail, as described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 7, the terminal device 10 accepts, as a first operation, a user operation to select one or more teeth to be the target of a dental prosthesis on the first dentition image 111 displayed on the production instruction input screen 100 or the end point selection screen 160. This configuration enables the user to easily select the teeth to be the target of a dental prosthesis for each dental prosthesis.

[0082] The terminal device 10 accepts an operation to select one tooth from the first dentition image 111 on the UI screen. Next, the terminal device 10 accepts an operation to select either a single-crown dental prosthesis for the selected tooth or a multiple-crown or bridge dental prosthesis starting from the selected tooth. Furthermore, if a multiple-crown or bridge dental prosthesis is selected, the terminal device 10 accepts an operation to select another tooth as an end point. The terminal device 10 accepts this series of operations as a first operation. In detail, as described with reference to FIG. 2, the terminal device 10 accepts a user operation to select one tooth on the production instruction input screen 100. Then, as described with reference to FIG. 3, the terminal device 10 accepts a selection in the dental prosthesis type selection field 130 as to whether the selected tooth is a tooth to be used as a target for a single-crown dental prosthesis or a tooth to be used as a starting point for a bridge or multiple-crown dental prosthesis. 7, when the option 134 indicating bridge / multiple crown is selected in the dental technique type selection field 130, the terminal device 10 accepts the selection of the tooth to be the end point of the dental technique for the bridge or multiple crown on the end point selection screen 160. With this configuration, it becomes possible to easily select the tooth to be used for the dental technique for a single crown and the tooth to be used for the dental technique for a bridge or multiple crown, starting from the same operation of selecting one tooth on the production instruction input screen 100.

[0083] The terminal device 10 displays, on the UI screen, an input form 140 that displays one or more options selectable as production instructions for a dental prosthesis for the tooth selected by the first operation. The terminal device 10 then accepts, as a second operation, an operation to select an option to be adopted for the production instructions for the dental prosthesis from the one or more options displayed on the input form 140. In detail, as described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the terminal device 10 displays one or more options on a pull-down menu or a material selection screen 150 and accepts a user operation to select the option to be adopted. With this configuration, the user can easily input production instructions for the dental prosthesis by selecting a desired option from the one or more options presented.

[0084] The terminal device 10 may present to the user one or more options selectable as instructions for producing a dental prosthesis for the tooth selected by the first operation. For example, just as the selectable materials on the material selection screen 150A shown in FIG. 5 and the material selection screen 150B shown in FIG. 9 are different, the options selectable as materials for the dental prosthesis may differ depending on the type of dental prosthesis and / or the target tooth. In this case, the control device 20 may narrow down the options selectable in the second operation based on the tooth and / or type of dental prosthesis selected in the first operation and cause the terminal device 10 to present the options. The control device 20 may further narrow down the options selectable in the second operation based on attribute information such as the patient's age or gender and cause the terminal device 10 to present the options. This configuration makes it possible to prevent input errors.

[0085] The input form 140 displays options for at least one of the dental prosthesis material, shade, technique type, presence or absence of a removable knob, the position of the removable knob, or the position of the tooth supporting the removable knob. As described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4, 5, 8, and 9, the input form 140 displays these options in a material selection screen 150, a technique type selection field 146, a removable knob position selection field 145-1, or a removable knob abutment tooth position selection field 145-2, which are popped up when a material selection field 144 is selected. This configuration allows the user to easily make fine adjustments to the dental prosthesis.

[0086] The terminal device 10 displays, on the UI screen, the prices of the dental prostheses to be produced according to the options selected in the second operation. In detail, as described with reference to Fig. 6 and Fig. 10, the terminal device 10 displays the prices of each of the one or more dental prostheses to be ordered and the total price of the one or more dental prostheses to be ordered according to the materials selected in the input form 140. With this configuration, the user can input instructions for producing the dental prostheses while grasping the prices of the dental prostheses in real time.

[0087] The production instruction input screen 100 corresponds to an electronic version of the dental laboratory instruction sheet. The production instruction input screen 100 can display multiple input forms 140 arranged vertically, so high visibility can be maintained even when multiple dental prostheses are ordered. In other words, the system 1 can provide the user and the dental laboratory 30 with a dental laboratory instruction sheet that is more visible than a paper version of the dental laboratory instruction sheet.

[0088] The terminal device 10 automatically displays the production instructions for the dental prosthesis input by the first operation and the second operation on the UI screen in accordance with Palmer's notation. In the example shown in Fig. 10, the terminal device 10 displays the production instructions for the dental prosthesis related to the input form 140A and the production instructions for the dental prosthesis related to the input form 140B in accordance with Palmer's notation. With this configuration, the user can check for input errors by referring to the Palmer's notation.

[0089] The UI screen generated by the control device 20 is displayed on each of the multiple terminal devices 10. Then, electronic data of the dental laboratory instruction written in a predetermined format, generated by the control device 20, is transmitted to each of the multiple dental laboratories 30. In this way, standardization of the format, which has been an issue with paper dental laboratory instruction, is realized.

[0090] Next, an example of the flow of processing executed by the system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the system 1 according to this embodiment. This sequence involves the terminal device 10, the control device 20, and the dental laboratory 30.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 11 , first, the terminal device 10 displays a UI screen (step S102). Then, the terminal device 10 accepts a first operation and a second operation and updates the UI screen (step S104). Specifically, the terminal device 10 displays a production instruction input screen 100, and, depending on a user operation on the production instruction input screen 100, additionally displays an input form 140 or pops up a material selection screen 150 or an end point selection screen 160. Then, the terminal device 10 repeatedly accepts input of a tooth to be processed into a dental prosthesis and production instructions for the dental prosthesis for that tooth. The UI screen is generated and updated by the control device 20, and the terminal device 10 displays the UI screen generated and updated by the control device 20. However, these processes are not illustrated in the sequence.

[0092] Next, the terminal device 10 transmits the operation result to the control device 20 (step S106). In detail, the terminal device 10 transmits to the control device 20 a plurality of combinations of the teeth selected by the first operation and the manufacturing instructions for the dental prosthesis input by the second operation.

[0093] Next, the control device 20 generates electronic data of a dental laboratory instruction sheet based on multiple combinations of the teeth selected by the first operation and the dental laboratory production instructions input by the second operation received from the terminal device 10 (step S108). For example, the control device 20 generates electronic data of a dental laboratory instruction sheet that describes the production instructions for each dental laboratory product according to a predetermined format.

[0094] Next, the control device 20 transmits the generated electronic data of the dental laboratory instruction to the dental laboratory 30 (step S110). Upon receiving the electronic data of the dental laboratory instruction, the dental laboratory 30 produces a dental prosthesis based on the received electronic data of the dental laboratory instruction (step S112).

[0095] <4. Hardware configuration example> The hardware configuration of an information processing device according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device according to this embodiment. Note that the information processing device 900 shown in Fig. 12 may be implemented as an information processing device that is arranged in the terminal device 10, the control device 20, or the dental laboratory 30 shown in Fig. 1 and communicates with the control device 20. Information processing by the information processing device arranged in the terminal device 10, the control device 20, or the dental laboratory 30 according to this embodiment is implemented by cooperation between software and hardware described below.

[0096] 12, the information processing device 900 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 902, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 903, and a host bus 904a. The information processing device 900 also includes a bridge 904, an external bus 904b, an interface 905, an input device 906, an output device 907, a storage device 908, and a communication device 909.

[0097] The CPU 901 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls the overall operation of the information processing device 900 in accordance with various programs. The information processing device 900 may include an electrical circuit such as a microprocessor, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) instead of or in addition to the CPU 901. The ROM 902 stores programs and calculation parameters used by the CPU 901. The RAM 903 temporarily stores parameters that change as appropriate when the CPU 901 executes a program. The CPU 901 may, for example, constitute a control unit that controls the overall operation of the terminal device 10. The CPU 901 may also, for example, constitute a control unit that controls the overall operation of the control device 20. The CPU 901 may also, for example, constitute a control unit that controls the overall operation of an information processing device disposed in the dental laboratory 30.

[0098] The CPU 901, ROM 902, and RAM 903 are interconnected by a host bus 904a that includes a CPU bus, etc. The host bus 904a is connected to an external bus 904b, such as a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect / Interface) bus, via a bridge 904. Note that the host bus 904a, bridge 904, and external bus 904b do not necessarily need to be configured separately, and these functions may be implemented on a single bus.

[0099] The input device 906 is a device into which information is input by a user. Examples of such devices include a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, a button, a switch, and a lever. The input device 906 may also include a microphone that accepts voice input or a camera that accepts gesture input. A user of the information processing device 900 can input various data to the information processing device 900 or instruct the information processing device 900 to execute processing by operating the input device 906. The input device 906 accepts input of user operations on the terminal device 10, for example.

[0100] The output device 907 is a device that outputs information to a user. Examples of such devices include devices that output visual information such as a display and a projector, devices that output auditory information such as a speaker, and devices that output tactile information such as an eccentric motor. The output device 907 outputs, for example, results obtained by various processes performed by the information processing device 900. The output device 907 displays a UI screen on the terminal device 10, for example.

[0101] The storage device 908 is a device that stores data. Examples of such devices include magnetic storage devices such as HDDs, semiconductor storage devices, optical storage devices, and magneto-optical storage devices. The storage device 908 may include a storage medium, a recording device that records data on the storage medium, a reading device that reads data from the storage medium, and a deletion device that deletes data recorded on the storage medium. For example, in the control device 20, the storage device 908 stores information on multiple dental clinics where the terminal devices 10 are located and information on multiple dental laboratories 30.

[0102] The communication device 909 is a device that communicates with other devices via a wired or wireless connection, and performs communication in accordance with any communication standard, such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), or USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0103] The above describes an example of a hardware configuration capable of realizing the functions of the information processing device 900 according to this embodiment. Each of the above components may be realized using general-purpose components, or may be realized by hardware specialized for the function of each component. Therefore, the hardware configuration used can be changed as appropriate depending on the technical level at the time of implementing this embodiment.

[0104] <5. Supplementary Information> Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0105] (1) First Modification The terminal device 10 may accept a user operation to upload 3D data of the patient's intraoral cavity on the UI screen. The control device 20 may then analyze the uploaded 3D data of the patient's intraoral cavity and execute various processes to support input of production instructions for a dental technician instruction sheet. For example, the control device 20 may generate a UI screen based on the uploaded 3D data of the patient's intraoral cavity and display it on the terminal device 10. Examples of the format of the 3D data include STL (Stereolithography) and PLY (Polygon File Format). Specific examples of processing based on the uploaded 3D data will be described below.

[0106] The terminal device 10 may display information recommending options narrowed down based on the uploaded 3D data in the input form 140. As an example, the control device 20 identifies teeth under treatment (e.g., teeth with filed portions), missing teeth (e.g., extracted teeth), and teeth not to be treated (e.g., teeth without filed portions) based on the 3D data. The control device 20 then narrows down the preferred dental prosthesis type to inlay, onlay, or crown depending on the shape of the filed portion of the tooth under treatment, or narrows down the preferred dental prosthesis type to pontic depending on the missing tooth. The terminal device 10 highlights the narrowed down options in the input form 140, initially displays the narrowed down options, or presents only the narrowed down options. This configuration reduces the input load and prevents input errors.

[0107] The terminal device 10 may distinguishably display teeth that may be targets for dental prostheses and teeth that may not be targets for dental prostheses, as determined based on the uploaded 3D data, in the first row-of-teeth image 111. As one example, the terminal device 10 may highlight teeth that are currently being treated or missing teeth, as determined based on the 3D data, as teeth that may be targets for dental prostheses, in the first row-of-teeth image 111. As another example, the terminal device 10 may gray out teeth that may not be targets for treatment, as determined based on the 3D data, to make them unselectable. This configuration makes it possible to easily select teeth that may be targets for dental prostheses while preventing input errors.

[0108] The terminal device 10 may display an image showing a conceptual drawing of a dental prosthesis produced based on the electronic data of the dental prosthesis instruction, estimated based on the uploaded 3D data. The dental prosthesis produced based on the electronic data of the dental prosthesis instruction is a dental prosthesis that will be produced if the information being input on the production instruction input screen 100 is provisionally confirmed, and the conceptual drawing is estimated by the control device 20. The terminal device 10 may display the produced dental prosthesis alone as the conceptual drawing, or may display the produced dental prosthesis fitted to a patient's oral cavity. In the latter case, the terminal device 10 may display the state inside the oral cavity or the state of the patient's mouth as seen from the outside (so-called smile curve). In addition to such conceptual drawings from the perspective of aesthetics, conceptual drawings from the perspective of functionality may also be displayed. As an example, the terminal device 10 may display an image showing a conceptual drawing of the occlusion when the produced dental prosthesis is fitted to a patient's oral cavity (e.g., a pressure distribution diagram during occlusion). According to this configuration, it is possible to input instructions for producing a dental prosthesis while checking the rendering of the finished product in real time, thereby enabling treatment to be more in line with the intentions of the dentist and the patient.

[0109] The terminal device 10 may display an image showing the state of the patient's oral cavity represented by 3D data. This configuration allows the user to easily check the current state. It also allows the user to easily compare the current state with a rendering of the completed state.

[0110] The terminal device 10 may display an image of the patient's oral cavity represented by 3D data as the dentition image to be the target of the first operation, instead of the first dentition image 111. In this case, the user can select a tooth under treatment or a missing tooth displayed in the image of the patient's oral cavity and input instructions for producing a dental prosthesis. In this case, the selection of the tooth to be produced as a dental prosthesis can be made more intuitive, and input errors can be prevented.

[0111] (2) Second Modification The control device 20 may generate electronic data of one dental laboratory instruction based on multiple combinations of teeth selected by the first operation and dental laboratory production instructions input by the second operation, which are acquired from the terminal device 10. In this case, one dental laboratory 30 can collectively produce multiple dental laboratories based on the electronic data of one dental laboratory instruction.

[0112] The control device 20 may generate multiple electronic data of dental laboratory instructions based on multiple combinations of teeth selected by the first operation and dental laboratory production instructions input by the second operation, which are acquired from the terminal device 10. However, each of the multiple dental laboratory instructions may be generated based on a different combination. That is, the control device 20 may divide the multiple dental laboratory production instructions input on the production instruction input screen 100 into multiple electronic data of dental laboratory instructions. For example, in the example described above with reference to FIG. 10, the control device 20 may generate electronic data of dental laboratory instructions describing the dental laboratory related to the input form 140A and electronic data of dental laboratory instructions describing the dental laboratory related to the input form 140B, respectively. The control device 20 may then transmit the generated electronic data of the multiple dental laboratory instructions to different dental laboratories 30. This configuration makes it possible to assign the optimal dental laboratory 30 to each dental laboratory. In addition, compared to carbon copies of paper dental laboratory instructions being sent to multiple dental laboratories 30, security can be improved in that the minimum amount of information required can be sent to each dental laboratory 30.

[0113] (3) Other In the above embodiment, an example in which the terminal device 10 displays the price of a dental prosthesis has been described, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. The terminal device 10 may display the delivery date of the dental prosthesis together with or instead of the price of the dental prosthesis. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example in which a dental clinic orders a dental prosthesis from a dental laboratory has been described, but a dental laboratory may also order a dental prosthesis from another dental laboratory.

[0114] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the input form 140 accepts a user operation to select from options prepared in advance, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. The input form 140 may have a free-text field in which the user may freely enter text, symbols, or figures. The control device 20 may analyze the entry in the free-text field and convert it into instructions for producing a dental prosthesis.

[0115] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the control device 20 provides a UI screen as a Web application, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. The UI screen may be provided by a native application installed on the terminal device 10. In other words, the terminal device 10 may generate and display the UI screen.

[0116] The system 1 may perform final order confirmation based on legal restrictions. For example, the control device 20 may send an email to the dentist with the generated electronic data of the dental laboratory instruction attached, and only after approval is received, send the electronic data of the dental laboratory instruction to the dental laboratory 30.

[0117] The series of processes performed by each device described herein may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The programs constituting the software may be stored in advance, for example, on a recording medium (more specifically, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) provided inside or outside each device. Each program is then loaded into RAM when executed by a computer controlling each device described herein, and executed by a processing circuit such as a CPU. The recording medium may be, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a flash memory. The computer program may also be distributed, for example, via a network, without using a recording medium. The computer may be, for example, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a general-purpose processor that executes functions by loading a software program, or a computer on a server used in cloud computing. The series of processes performed by each device described herein may also be distributed among multiple computers.

[0118] Furthermore, the processes described herein using flowcharts and sequence diagrams do not necessarily have to be performed in the order shown. Some process steps may be performed in parallel. Furthermore, additional process steps may be employed, and some process steps may be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0119] 1: System, 10: Terminal device, 20: Control device, 30: Dental laboratory, 100: Production instruction input screen, 101: Cursor, 110: Tooth row display field, 111: First tooth row image, 112: Second tooth row image, 120: Total price display field, 130: Technique type selection field, 140: Input form, 141: Identification information display field, 142: Single crown / bridge / multiple crown display field, 143: Image image display field, 144: Material selection field, 145-1: Removable knob position selection field, 145-2: Removable knob abutment tooth position selection field, 146: Technique type selection field, 147: Guide display field, 148: Price display field, 149: Cancel button, 150: Material selection screen, 151: Material explanation field, 152: Shade display field, 153: Price display field, 160: End point selection screen, 161: Guide display field, 169: Cancel button

Claims

1. generating a UI screen displaying one dentition image showing a dentition; acquiring information indicating a first operation of selecting a tooth from the dentition image and a second operation of inputting a production instruction for a dental prosthesis for the tooth selected by the first operation, the first operation being received a plurality of times on the UI screen; a control unit that generates electronic data of a dental technique instruction sheet based on a plurality of combinations of the teeth selected by the first operation and the production instructions of the dental technique input by the second operation; Equipped with the UI screen displays the dentition image, and a plurality of combinations of the teeth selected by the first operation and the production instructions for the dental technician input by the second operation before electronic data of the dental technician production instructions is generated. Information processing device.

2. The UI screen receives, as the first operation, an operation of selecting one tooth to be a target of the dental technique of a single crown, or an operation of selecting multiple teeth to be a target of the dental technique of a connected crown or a bridge. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The UI screen is: Receiving an operation to select one tooth from the row of teeth image; Accepting an operation of selecting either the dental prosthesis of a single crown having a selected tooth as a target or the dental prosthesis of a connected crown or bridge having a selected tooth as a starting point; Accepting an operation to select another tooth as an end point when the dental prosthesis of the connecting crown or bridge is selected; as the first operation, When an operation to select either a dental prosthesis, a bridge, or a connected crown with a selected tooth as a starting point is received, teeth that cannot be selected as an end point are displayed in a distinguishable manner from teeth that can be selected as an end point. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The UI screen is: displaying an input form displaying one or more options selectable as the manufacturing instruction for the dental prosthesis for the tooth selected by the first operation; accepting, as the second operation, an operation of selecting an option to be adopted in the production instruction of the dental technique from one or more options displayed in the input form; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. the input form displays the options regarding at least one of the presence or absence of a removable knob, the position of the removable knob, or the position of a tooth supporting the removable knob; The information processing device according to claim 4.

6. the UI screen displays a price of the dental prosthesis to be produced according to the option selected in the second operation. The information processing device according to claim 4.

7. the UI screen accepts an operation of uploading 3D data of the patient's oral cavity, and displays, in the input form, information recommending the options narrowed down based on the uploaded 3D data; The control unit narrows down the options based on the uploaded 3D data. The information processing device according to claim 4.

8. the UI screen accepts an operation of uploading 3D data of the patient's oral cavity, and displays, on the dentition image, teeth that may be targets for the dental technique and teeth that are not targets for the dental technique, which are determined based on the uploaded 3D data, in a distinguishable manner; The control unit determines, based on the uploaded 3D data, teeth that may be targets for the dental technique and teeth that are not targets for the dental technique. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

9. The UI screen accepts an operation of uploading 3D data of the patient's oral cavity, and displays an image showing a completed image of the dental technique to be produced based on the electronic data of the dental technique instruction, the completed image being estimated based on the 3D data. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

10. The control unit generates electronic data of the dental laboratory instruction documents based on the combinations, and transmits each of the electronic data of the dental laboratory instruction documents to a different dental laboratory. Each of the plurality of electronic data of the dental technique instruction is generated based on the combination different from each other. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

11. generating a UI screen displaying one dentition image showing a dentition; acquiring information indicating a first operation of selecting a tooth from the dentition image, the first operation being received a plurality of times on the UI screen, and a second operation of inputting a production instruction for a dental prosthesis for the tooth selected by the first operation; displaying the dentition image and a plurality of combinations of the teeth selected by the first operation and the manufacturing instructions for the dental technician input by the second operation before electronic data of a dental technician manufacturing instruction is generated; generating electronic data of the dental technique instruction based on a plurality of combinations of the teeth selected by the first operation and the manufacturing instruction of the dental technique input by the second operation; An information processing method comprising:

12. An information processing device, A means for generating a UI screen for displaying one dentition image showing a dentition; a means for acquiring information indicating a first operation of selecting a tooth from the dentition image, the first operation being received a plurality of times on the UI screen, and a second operation of inputting an instruction for producing a dental prosthesis for the tooth selected by the first operation; a means for displaying a plurality of combinations of the dentition image, the teeth selected by the first operation, and the manufacturing instructions for the dental technician input by the second operation before electronic data of a dental technician manufacturing instruction sheet is generated; A program that functions as a means for generating electronic data of the dental technician instruction sheet based on multiple combinations of the teeth selected by the first operation and the production instructions for the dental technician input by the second operation.

Images