Method and device for generating corrective tooth alignment shape

Abstract

To provide a method and device for generating an orthodontic teeth alignment shape for an orthodontic treatment.SOLUTION: A method for generating an orthodontic teeth alignment shape for an orthodontic treatment includes the steps of: extracting specific points from a plurality of teeth in at least one of the upper and lower jaws, based on a patient's teeth shape information; generating a three-dimensional user arch form based on the extracted specific points; comparing the user arch form with a plurality of standard arch forms to select the standard arch form most similar to the user arch form from the plurality of standard arch forms; and generating the orthodontic teeth alignment shape based on the selected standard arch form.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and device for generating an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape for the correction of tooth alignment. [Background technology]

[0002] Orthodontics or orthodontics is generally performed to straighten teeth for medical or cosmetic purposes. Orthodontics does not simply straighten teeth that are out of position, but aims to improve various skeletal disharmony that may occur during growth and life, enable normal dental function, and provide healthy oral tissue. Skeletal disharmony is one of the important treatment targets because it affects not only the user's appearance but also the facial skeletal structure.

[0003] In the orthodontic treatment, a treatment is generally provided in which a certain force is applied to the teeth to move them to a desired position in the alveolar bone so that the teeth are positioned in the correct position or at a normal angle. Orthodontic treatment can be performed by a wide variety of methods, one example of which is the use of an orthodontic device using metal or ceramic brackets and wires. When using an orthodontic device, brackets are fixed to the surface of each tooth to be corrected, and orthodontic wires are connected to multiple brackets, and the elasticity or restoring force of the wire is used to apply an orthodontic force to the teeth to gradually correct misaligned teeth.

[0004] In an orthodontic process in which various types of orthodontic devices are provided, it may be necessary to generate a standard tooth arrangement shape that serves as a target for correcting the alignment of a user's teeth, and an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape for manufacturing the orthodontic device based on that standard tooth arrangement shape. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention has been devised to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method and device for generating an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape for correcting the alignment of teeth.

[0006] The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned technical problems, and other technical problems not mentioned above will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for generating an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape, which may include the steps of: extracting specific points from a plurality of teeth for at least one of the upper and lower jaws based on user's tooth shape information, generating a three-dimensional user arch form based on the extracted specific points, comparing the user arch form with a plurality of standard arch forms, and selecting a standard arch form that is most similar to the user arch form among the plurality of standard arch forms, and generating an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape based on the selected standard arch form.

[0008] Preferably, the specific points may be the Facial Axis Points (FA points) of each tooth.

[0009] In addition, preferably, the method may further include a step of obtaining the plurality of standard arch forms from tooth shape information of a plurality of individuals with normal occlusion.

[0010] Furthermore, preferably, the step of obtaining the multiple standard arch forms may include the steps of extracting the specific points from multiple teeth for at least one of the upper and lower jaws based on tooth shape information of each of the multiple individuals with normal occlusion, performing a three-dimensional cluster analysis on the specific points extracted from the tooth shape information of each of the multiple individuals with normal occlusion, and generating the multiple three-dimensional standard arch forms based on the results of the cluster analysis.

[0011] Furthermore, preferably, in the step of generating a plurality of standard arch forms, the plurality of standard arch forms may be generated by reflecting an occlusal curvature in the result of the cluster analysis.

[0012] Furthermore, preferably, the step of selecting a standard arch form most similar to the user arch form may include the steps of generating a three-dimensional reference surface defined by the extracted specific points and including the user arch form, projecting the multiple standard arch forms onto the reference surface, and comparing the user arch form with the multiple standard arch forms projected onto the reference surface.

[0013] Furthermore, preferably, in the step of generating the reference surface, the reference surface may be generated based on a plurality of planes each defined by connecting a predetermined reference point in three-dimensional space and two adjacent ones of the extracted specific points.

[0014] Furthermore, preferably, in the comparing step, a standard arch form most similar to the user arch form may be selected based on the minimum value of the area or distance of a space generated by overlapping a plurality of standard arch forms projected onto the reference plane with the user arch form.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for generating an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and a memory for storing a program executable by the processor, the processor may execute the program to extract specific points from a plurality of teeth for at least one of the upper and lower jaws based on user tooth shape information, generate a three-dimensional user arch form based on the extracted specific points, compare the user arch form with a plurality of standard arch forms, select a standard arch form that is most similar to the user arch form from among the plurality of standard arch forms, and generate an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape based on the selected standard arch form. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the various embodiments of the present invention described above, an orthodontic tooth alignment shape for correcting the alignment of a user's teeth can be generated and applied to the alignment of the user's teeth more quickly, conveniently and accurately.

[0017] The effects obtained by the method and apparatus according to the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and other effects not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. In order to more fully understand the drawings referred to in the Detailed Description of the Invention, a brief description of each drawing is provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a simplified configuration of a system for generating an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for generating a standard arch form according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a flowchart for explaining a method for generating an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]4 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of step S340 in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining a method of setting facial axis points for multiple teeth according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining a method of setting facial axis points for multiple teeth according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a diagram for illustratively explaining a standard arch form generated according to the method of FIG. 2. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is a diagram for illustratively explaining a standard arch form generated according to the method of FIG. 2. [Figure 9] FIG. 3 is a diagram for illustratively explaining a standard arch form generated according to the method of FIG. 2. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a method for generating a user arch form according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a method for comparing a user arch form with a standard arch form according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a method for comparing a user arch form with a standard arch form according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 1 is a block diagram showing a simplified configuration of an apparatus for generating an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Since the technical concept of the present invention can be modified in various ways and can have various embodiments, a specific embodiment will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific embodiment, and it should be understood that the technical concept of the present invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives.

[0020] In explaining the technical idea of ​​the present invention, if a detailed explanation of related publicly known technologies is deemed to be likely to make the gist of the present invention more ambiguous, the detailed explanation will be omitted. Note that numbers (e.g., "first", "second", etc.) used in the process of explaining the present invention can only be used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

[0021] In addition, throughout the specification, when a component is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component is directly coupled or connected to the other component, or that there is another component between them, unless otherwise specifically indicated in the specification or clearly contradicted by context.

[0022] Furthermore, the terms used in the present invention, such as "unit", "device", "subsystem", and "module", refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and this can be realized by hardware or software such as a processor, microprocessor, microcontroller, central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), accelerated processing unit (APU), digital signal processor (DSP), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a combination of hardware and software.

[0023] It should be made clear that the distinction between components in the present invention is merely a distinction between the main functions each component performs. In other words, two or more components described below may be combined into one component, or one component may be divided into two or more components for each further subdivided function. It goes without saying that each of the components described below may perform some or all of the functions performed by the other components in addition to the main functions it performs, and some of the main functions performed by each component may be exclusively performed by the other components.

[0024] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in order.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a block diagram simply showing the configuration of a system for generating an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 1, an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating system may include an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 1100 and a server 1200.

[0027] The orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 can acquire tooth shape information of a user. For orthodontic treatment, it is necessary to measure the oral cavity of the user who is the subject of orthodontic treatment. The user's tooth shape information may include the shapes, formation positions and directions of multiple teeth formed in the user's oral cavity. The tooth shape information may include a subgingival area below the gum line. The orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 may be provided with a tooth shape information acquiring unit to acquire the user's tooth shape information by itself, or may be provided with pre-generated user's tooth shape information from outside.

[0028] In an embodiment, the tooth shape information of the user can be acquired by a scanning method. The scanning method is a method of acquiring intraoral information of the user using an information acquisition device such as an optical 3D scanner or a CT for treatment, and acquiring overall tooth shape information by processing the acquired information. The scanning method using an optical 3D scanner or a CT can be said to be a useful method because it can acquire tooth shape information without physically contacting the user's teeth or gums.

[0029] In an embodiment, the tooth shape information may be obtained by a plaster method. The plaster method is a method of obtaining tooth shape information by introducing a hardened plaster material into a user's oral cavity and creating a dental model of the teeth in the oral cavity of the user through the hardened shape. The plaster method may cause inconvenience to the patient and may require a relatively long time compared to the scan method.

[0030] The information obtained by scanning or plaster can be converted into the form of 3D modeling through digital processing.

[0031] In an embodiment, the tooth shape information may include both the shapes of a plurality of teeth and gums. The orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 may determine and distinguish a plurality of teeth and gums included in the tooth shape information. For example, the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 may distinguish a plurality of teeth and gums based on information such as a color difference, a brightness difference, and a previously set boundary line between the teeth and gums. However, the information used by the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 for the distinguishing operation is not limited to the above-mentioned example.

[0032] The orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 can extract a specific point from each of a plurality of teeth for at least one of the upper jaw and the lower jaw of the user based on the acquired tooth shape information. Here, the specific point can be a facial axis point (FA point) of each tooth, and the details thereof will be described later in connection with Figs. 5 and 6.

[0033] The orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 generates a user arch form and a three-dimensional reference surface including the user arch form based on the extracted specific points, and projects a plurality of standard arch forms stored in a database onto the reference surface to compare the user arch form and the standard arch forms with each other.

[0034] Based on the result of the comparison, the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 can select a standard arch form that is most similar to the user arch form from among the multiple standard arch forms. Here, the multiple standard arch forms may be obtained by performing a statistical three-dimensional cluster analysis on specific points (i.e., facial axis points of teeth) extracted from tooth shape information of multiple persons with normal occlusion.

[0035] Meanwhile, the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 can generate an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape based on the selected standard arch form. The orthodontic tooth arrangement shape is a shape for modeling an orthodontic device for converting the user's teeth into a tooth arrangement (i.e., standard tooth arrangement) shape corresponding to the selected standard arch form. In an embodiment, the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape may be provided to convert the user's teeth into the standard tooth arrangement shape all at once, but may be provided multiple times so that the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape is gradually changed to reduce the burden applied to the user's teeth, and the overall change is aimed at the standard tooth arrangement shape.

[0036] The server 200 can provide information required for the operation of forming an orthodontic tooth arrangement to the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 while communicating with the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100. The server 200 can store orthodontic device modeling provided by the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100, and provide modeling to the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device for actually realizing the orthodontic device.

[0037] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for generating a standard arch form according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] In step S210, the apparatus 100 for generating an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape can obtain tooth shape information on a plurality of individuals with normal occlusion.

[0039] For example, the device 100 for generating an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape can acquire tooth shape information of a plurality of subjects with normal occlusion by receiving tooth shape information of a plurality of subjects classified as having normal occlusion by a specialist or the like from an internal database and / or an external database server or the like.

[0040] In this case, the tooth shape information may be generated by acquiring information about the user's oral cavity using an information acquisition device such as an optical 3D scanner or a therapeutic CT, and processing the acquired information.

[0041] In step S210, the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 can extract specific points from multiple teeth for the upper jaw and / or the lower jaw based on the tooth shape information of each of multiple normal occlusion subjects. Here, the specific points may be facial axis points of each tooth, and the extracted specific points may be represented by specific coordinates in a three-dimensional space.

[0042] In one embodiment, the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 can extract facial axis points according to a user's input. For example, the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 can provide a predetermined user interface on a user terminal connected by communication or on its own display, and can generate facial axis points of each tooth in a manner that allows the user to select a certain point of each tooth based on tooth shape information displayed on the user interface.

[0043] In one embodiment, the orthodontic tooth alignment shape generator 100 can extract facial axis points from tooth shape information using a trained network function.

[0044] The network function may be one that has been trained in advance to detect the facial axis points of each tooth using training data (e.g., tooth shape information in which the facial axis points of each tooth have been labeled by a specialist or other network function, etc.).

[0045] In step S230, the apparatus 100 for generating an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape can perform a statistical three-dimensional cluster analysis on specific points (facial axis points) extracted corresponding to a plurality of individuals with normal occlusion.

[0046] By performing cluster analysis, the specific points extracted from each tooth can form multiple clusters at each specific location in three-dimensional space.

[0047] In step S240, the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 can generate a plurality of standard arch forms based on the results of the three-dimensional cluster analysis.

[0048] The standard arch form is a curve limited in a three-dimensional space, and can be formed by connecting a plurality of groups classified by performing cluster analysis in a predetermined manner. In this case, the occlusal curvature may be reflected when generating the standard arch form. The occlusal curvature may indicate an occlusal curvature (anterior-posterior curvature, lateral curvature, etc.) that can be observed in the sagittal plane (sagittal plane) and the frontal plane (coronal plane), and the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 can generate a plurality of standard arch forms in a three-dimensional space by reflecting such an occlusal curvature.

[0049] Depending on the embodiment, different numbers and shapes of standard arch forms can be set based on the race, sex, age distribution, etc. of individuals with normal occlusion.

[0050] FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a method for generating an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an embodiment of step S340 in FIG.

[0051] In step S310, the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 can acquire tooth shape information of the user (that is, the person who is the subject of orthodontic treatment).

[0052] For example, the user's tooth shape information may be received from an external computing device (such as a server) connected via wired or wireless communication, or may be acquired via an information acquisition device such as an optical 3D scanner or a therapeutic CT.

[0053] In step S320, the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 can extract specific points from multiple teeth for the upper jaw and / or the lower jaw based on the acquired tooth shape information. Here, the specific points may be facial axis points of each tooth, and the extracted specific points may be represented by specific coordinates in a three-dimensional space.

[0054] Depending on the embodiment, the specific points may be extracted (or generated) based on user input, or may be extracted by a trained network function.

[0055] In step S330, the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 can generate a three-dimensional user arch form based on the extracted specific points. For example, the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 can generate a three-dimensional user arch form by sequentially connecting a plurality of specific points represented by three-dimensional coordinates to each other.

[0056] In step S340, the apparatus 100 for generating an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape can compare the user arch form with a plurality of standard arch forms stored in a database, and select the standard arch form that is most similar to the user arch form. At this time, the standard arch form may be generated based on tooth shape information of a person with normal occlusion by the method (200) described above with reference to Fig. 2 and stored in the database, or may be a three-dimensional curve.

[0057] In one embodiment, step S340 may include steps S341 to S343 as shown in FIG.

[0058] First, in step S341, the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 can generate a three-dimensional reference surface that is limited by the extracted specific points and includes the user arch form.

[0059] Specifically, the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 can generate a reference plane based on a plurality of planes each defined by connecting a predetermined reference point in the three-dimensional space and two adjacent ones of the extracted specific points. In one embodiment, the reference point may be the origin in the three-dimensional space to which the user arch form is mapped.

[0060] That is, since one plane can be defined by two straight lines passing through two adjacent specific points from a predetermined reference point, a plurality of planes can be defined by connecting two adjacent specific points to the reference point, and a three-dimensional reference plane can be generated by combining these planes. In this case, the user arch form may be placed on the reference plane.

[0061] Next, in step S342, the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generator 100 can project a plurality of standard arch forms onto the reference plane.

[0062] For example, the corrective tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 can align multiple standard arch forms with the user arch form based on reference points or the like, and project them onto the reference plane.

[0063] In step S343, the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 can compare the user arch form with a plurality of standard arch forms projected onto the reference plane and select the most similar standard arch form.

[0064] In one embodiment, the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generating device 100 can select the standard arch form that is most similar to the user arch form based on the minimum area or distance of the space generated by overlapping multiple standard arch forms projected onto a reference plane with the user arch form.

[0065] Once the standard arch form is selected through step S340, in step S350, the orthodontic tooth arrangement shape generation device 100 can generate an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape to be applied to the user based on the selected standard arch form.

[0066] Here, an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape may refer to a shape for modeling an orthodontic device for converting a user's teeth into a tooth arrangement corresponding to a selected standard arch form (i.e., a standard tooth arrangement shape).

[0067] 5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining a method for setting facial axis points for a plurality of teeth according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] Fig. 5 shows an example of teeth having a crown and a root. Referring to Fig. 5, the bisection point separating the gingiva and occlusion of the clinical crown of each tooth, i.e., the intersection point of the illustrated axes, is the facial axis point of the tooth.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 6, it can be seen that the facial axis points for each tooth are shown as points. The facial axis points for each of the multiple teeth may be extracted independently of each other and may be mapped as coordinates in a three-dimensional space. The line connecting the facial axis points of each tooth may represent an arch form.

[0070] In one embodiment, the orthodontic tooth alignment shape generator 100 determines the long axis of each tooth based on the shape of the tooth, and based on this, can determine the facial axis point for each tooth without user input.

[0071] In one embodiment, the orthodontic tooth alignment shape generator 100 can use a trained network function to extract facial axis points for each of the multiple teeth included therein from the tooth shape information.

[0072] Here, the network function can be used as the same meaning as a neural network and / or a neural network. Here, a neural network may be generally composed of a set of interconnected computational units called nodes, which may be referred to as neurons. A neural network generally comprises a plurality of nodes. The nodes constituting a neural network may be connected to each other by one or more links.

[0073] Some of the nodes that make up the neural network can form a layer based on their distance from the first input node. For example, a set of nodes whose distance from the first input node is n can form an n-layer. The neural network may include a deep neural network (DNN) that has multiple hidden layers in addition to the input layer and the output layer.

[0074] The network function may include multiple convolutional layers and a fully connected layer. The multiple convolutional layers may be implemented to abstract the image and extract features, and the fully connected layer may be implemented to predict the output probability of a detected object, etc.

[0075] 7 to 9 are diagrams for illustrative purposes showing a standard arch form produced according to the method of FIG. 2.

[0076] The standard arch form 10 can be created by performing a three-dimensional cluster analysis on specific points (i.e., facial axis points) extracted from each tooth based on tooth shape information for multiple individuals with normal occlusion.

[0077] As shown in Fig. 7, the standard arch form 10 may be formed to have a predetermined curved shape in a three-dimensional space. In this case, the shape, such as the curvature, of the standard arch form can be determined to reflect the occlusal curvature.

[0078] With reference to Figures 8 and 9, occlusal curvature may refer to the occlusal curvature observable from the sagittal plane (anterior-posterior curvature, Spee's curve) and the occlusal curvature observable from the frontal plane (lateral curvature, Wilsen curve).

[0079] Although one standard arch form is shown in FIG. 7, this is merely an example, and three or more standard arch forms may be formed depending on the cluster analysis results.

[0080] Also, depending on the embodiment, different numbers and shapes of standard arch forms may be set based on the race, sex, age distribution, etc. of people with normal occlusion.

[0081] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a method for generating a user arch form according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0082] The facial axis points determined for each of the multiple teeth can be expressed by coordinates in a three-dimensional space, and the three-dimensional coordinates of each facial axis point can be calculated based on a predetermined reference point as shown in Fig. 10. It is preferable that the reference point is set so as to exist inside the user arch form generated by connecting the facial axis points to each other.

[0083] The three-dimensional coordinates of each facial axis point can be calculated by extending the x, y, and z axes from the reference point. In this case, the three-dimensional coordinates of the reference point are (0,0,0). For ease of explanation, Figure 10 shows the three-dimensional coordinates of the facial axis points of each tooth limited to the upper jaw.

[0084] By connecting each facial axis point in three-dimensional space, a three-dimensional user arch form 20 can be formed.

[0085] 11 and 12 are diagrams illustrating a method for comparing a user arch form with a standard arch form according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0086] In one embodiment, a three-dimensional reference surface 30 can be generated to compare the user arch form 20 and multiple standard arch forms 10 with each other.

[0087] The three-dimensional reference plane 30 can be generated by sequentially selecting two adjacent facial axis points and connecting a plane defined by two straight lines passing from the reference points through the two facial axis points.

[0088] A user arch form 20 may be placed on the reference plane 30, connecting the facial axis points.

[0089] A number of standard arch forms 10 may then be projected simultaneously or sequentially onto the reference surface 30, and the most similar standard arch form 10 can be selected by comparing the standard arch form 10-1 projected onto the reference surface 30 with the user arch form 20.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 12, the selection of the most similar standard arch form 10 may be based on the area of ​​the space n1 created by overlapping the standard arch form and the user arch form.

[0091] For example, the area of ​​n1 may be calculated while sequentially projecting a number of standard arch forms 10 onto the reference plane 30, and the standard arch form 10 that results in the smallest area of ​​n1 may be selected as the standard arch form 10 that is most similar to the user arch form 20.

[0092] FIG. 13 is a block diagram simply showing the configuration of an apparatus for generating an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0093] The communication unit 1310 can transmit and receive data (e.g., tooth shape information, etc.) from an external device and / or server. The communication unit 1310 may include a wired / wireless communication unit. When the communication unit 1310 includes a wired communication unit, the communication unit 1310 may include one or more components for performing communication by a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a value added network (VAN), a mobile radio communication network, a satellite communication network, or a combination of these. When the communication unit 1310 includes a wireless communication unit, the communication unit 1310 can transmit and receive data or signals wirelessly using cellular communication or wireless LAN (e.g., Wi-Fi, etc.). In one embodiment, the communication unit can transmit and receive data or signals to and from an external device or an external server under the control of the processor 1340.

[0094] The input unit 1320 may receive various user inputs and / or commands by performing external operations. To this end, the input unit 1320 may include or be connected to one or more input devices. For example, the input unit 1320 may be connected to various input interfaces such as a keypad, a mouse, etc., to receive user inputs and / or commands. To this end, the input unit 1320 may include an interface such as a Thunderbolt as well as a USB port. In addition, the input unit 1320 may include various input devices such as a touch screen, a button, etc., and may be combined with these to receive external user inputs and / or commands.

[0095] The memory 1330 may store a program for the operation of the processor 1340, and may temporarily or permanently store input / output data. The memory 130 may include at least one type of storage medium among a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory, etc.), a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk.

[0096] Memory 1330 may also store various network functions and algorithms, and may store various data, programs (one or more instructions), applications, software, instructions, code, etc. for driving and controlling device 1300.

[0097] The processor 1340 may control the overall operation of the device 1300. The processor 1340 may execute one or more programs stored in the memory 1330. The processor 1340 may refer to a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor on which the methods according to various embodiments of the present invention are performed.

[0098] In one embodiment, the processor 1340 can extract specific points from a plurality of teeth for at least one of the upper and lower jaws based on the user's tooth shape information, generate a three-dimensional user arch form based on the extracted specific points, compare the user arch form with a plurality of standard arch forms, select a standard arch form from the plurality of standard arch forms that is most similar to the user arch form, and generate an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape based on the selected standard arch form.

[0099] Here, the specific point may be a facial axis point (FA point) of each tooth.

[0100] In one embodiment, the processor 1340 can derive the multiple standard arch forms from tooth shape information of multiple individuals with normal occlusion.

[0101] In one embodiment, the processor 1340 extracts the specific points from a plurality of teeth for at least one of the upper and lower jaws based on the tooth shape information of each of the plurality of persons with normal occlusion, performs a three-dimensional cluster analysis on the specific points extracted from the tooth shape information of each of the plurality of persons with normal occlusion, and generates the plurality of three-dimensional standard arch forms based on the cluster analysis results.

[0102] In one embodiment, the processor 1340 may generate the plurality of standard arch forms by incorporating occlusal curvature into the cluster analysis results.

[0103] In one embodiment, the processor 1340 is capable of generating a three-dimensional reference surface defined by the extracted specific points and including the user arch form, projecting the multiple standard arch forms onto the reference surface, and comparing the user arch form with the multiple standard arch forms projected onto the reference surface.

[0104] In one embodiment, the processor 1340 can generate the reference surface based on a number of planes, each defined by connecting a predetermined reference point in three-dimensional space and two adjacent ones of the extracted specific points.

[0105] In one embodiment, the processor 1340 can select the standard arch form that is most similar to the user arch form based on the minimum area or distance of the space generated by overlapping the user arch form and a plurality of standard arch forms projected onto the reference plane.

[0106] On the other hand, although not shown, the device 1300 may further include a display. The display displays and outputs information processed in the device 1300. For example, the display can display a user interface for providing a user with the user's tooth arrangement shape information, standard tooth arrangement shape information to be a target of orthodontics, or an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape. The display can be used as an input device in addition to an output device. Examples of the display include at least one of a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, a 3D display, and an electrophoretic display.

[0107] The method according to the present invention can be realized in the form of program commands executable by various computer means and recorded on a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium may include program commands, data files, data structures, and the like, alone or in combination. The program commands recorded on the medium may be specially designed and constructed for the present invention, or may be known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of computer readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program commands, such as read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include high-level language codes executable by a computer using an interpreter, as well as machine language codes such as those produced by a compiler.

[0108] Furthermore, the method according to the embodiment of the present invention may be provided embedded in a computer program product, which can be traded as a commodity between a seller and a buyer.

[0109] The computer program product may include a S / W program, a computer-readable storage medium on which the S / W program is stored. For example, the computer program product may include a S / W program type product (e.g., downloadable up) that is electronically distributed by a manufacturer of electronic devices or via an electronic market (e.g., Google Play Store, App Store). For electronic distribution, at least a part of the S / W program may be stored in a storage medium or may be temporarily generated. In this case, the storage medium may be a storage medium of a manufacturer's server, an electronic market's server, or a relay server that temporarily stores the SW program.

[0110] In a system consisting of a server and a client device, the computer program product may include a storage medium of the server or a storage medium of the client device. Alternatively, when there is a third device (e.g., a smartphone) connected by communication with the server or the client device, the computer program product may include a storage medium of the third device. Alternatively, the computer program product may be transmitted from the server to the client device or the third device, or may include the S / W program itself transmitted from the third device to the client device.

[0111] In this case, one of the server, the client device, and the third device may execute the computer program product to perform the method according to the disclosed embodiment, or two or more of the server, the client device, and the third device may execute the computer program product to perform the method according to the disclosed embodiment in a distributed manner.

[0112] For example, a server (e.g., a cloud server or an artificial intelligence server) may execute a computer program product stored on the server to control client devices communicatively connected to the server to perform methods according to disclosed embodiments.

[0113] Although the embodiments have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is in no way limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the claims below also fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. 1. A method for generating an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape for correcting tooth alignment, comprising: Extracting specific points represented by three-dimensional coordinates from a plurality of teeth for at least one of the upper jaw and the lower jaw based on tooth shape information of a user; generating a three-dimensional user arch form by connecting the extracted specific points; Comparing the user arch form with a plurality of three-dimensional curved standard arch forms, and selecting a standard arch form that is most similar to the user arch form from among the plurality of standard arch forms; generating an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape based on the selected standard arch form; Including, The step of selecting a standard arch form that is most similar to the user arch form comprises: generating a three-dimensional reference surface defined by the extracted specific points and including the extracted specific points and the user arch form; Aligning the plurality of three-dimensional curved standard arch forms with the user arch form and projecting the plurality of standard arch forms onto the reference plane including the user arch form; comparing said user arch form with a plurality of standard arch forms projected onto said reference surface; A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular points are Facial Axis Points (FA points) of each tooth.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of obtaining the plurality of standard arch forms from tooth shape information of a plurality of subjects with normal occlusion.

4. The step of obtaining a plurality of standard arch forms comprises: extracting the specific points from a plurality of teeth for at least one of the upper jaw and the lower jaw based on tooth shape information of each of the plurality of individuals with normal occlusion; performing a three-dimensional cluster analysis on the specific points extracted from the tooth shape information of each of the plurality of normal occlusion subjects; generating the plurality of three-dimensional standard arch forms based on the cluster analysis results; The method of claim 3 , comprising:

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein in the step of generating a plurality of standard arch forms, the plurality of standard arch forms are generated by reflecting an occlusal curvature in the cluster analysis result.

6. In the step of generating the reference surface, The method according to claim 1 , further comprising generating the reference surface based on a plurality of planes each defined by connecting a predetermined reference point in a three-dimensional space with two adjacent ones of the extracted specific points.

7. In the comparing step, The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting a standard arch form that is most similar to the user arch form based on a minimum value of an area or distance of a space generated by overlapping a plurality of standard arch forms projected onto the reference plane and the user arch form.

8. An apparatus for generating an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape for correcting tooth alignment, comprising: At least one processor; A memory for storing a program executable by the processor; Equipped with The processor, by running the program, extracts specific points from a plurality of teeth for at least one of the upper and lower jaws based on user tooth shape information, generates a three-dimensional user arch form based on the extracted specific points, compares the user arch form with a plurality of standard arch forms, selects a standard arch form that is most similar to the user arch form from the plurality of standard arch forms, and generates an orthodontic tooth arrangement shape based on the selected standard arch form, When selecting a standard arch form that is most similar to the user arch form, generating a three-dimensional reference surface defined by the extracted specific points and including the extracted specific points and the user arch form; Aligning the plurality of three-dimensional curved standard arch forms with the user arch form and projecting the plurality of standard arch forms onto the reference plane including the user arch form; A process of comparing the user arch form with a plurality of standard arch forms projected onto the reference surface, Device.

9. A computer program stored on a recording medium for carrying out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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