Method for manufacturing orthodontic device and device for performing same

Abstract

A method for manufacturing an orthodontic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is performed by a computing device, and may comprise the steps of: loading a medical image obtained by photographing the oral cavity of a patient; determining an insertion path for teeth included in the medical image and identifying an undercut region obtained by the insertion path; inserting virtual volume data into each undercut region; and determining a region remaining in each undercut region as a result of the insertion as a block-out region.

Description

Method for manufacturing orthodontic devices and devices for performing the same

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing an orthodontic device, and more specifically, to a method for manufacturing an orthodontic device capable of determining a blockout area for optimizing the detachability and corrective power of a transparent orthodontic device.

[0002] Clear aligners are an orthodontic treatment method for moving teeth to a desired position. They offer the advantage of allowing patients to attach and detach the device as needed during long-term treatment. Typically, before the clear aligners are fabricated based on a model of the teeth moved to the desired position, an additional area, called a blockout area, is used to provide removable teeth. This additional area is made more convex than the original model, reducing the pressure exerted by the aligner when worn, facilitating attachment and removal.

[0003] Excessive blockout application can lead to a lack of contact between the clear aligner and the teeth, weakening the force that pushes and supports the teeth, thus reducing corrective force. Furthermore, under- or no blockout application can lead to difficulty in removing the clear aligner. Therefore, a method is needed that can optimize the blockout area and amount, as well as minimize the inconsistency in the determination of the blockout area and amount depending on user intervention.

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a method for manufacturing an orthodontic device that satisfies both the detachability and orthodontic power of the transparent orthodontic device in manufacturing an orthodontic device that enables the planned tooth movement to be accurately expressed in the oral cavity, and a device for performing the same.

[0005] A method for manufacturing an orthodontic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be performed by a computing device and may include the steps of loading a medical image of a patient's oral cavity, determining an insertion path for a tooth included in the medical image and identifying an undercut area obtained by the insertion path, inserting virtual volume data into a space between teeth of each of the undercut areas, and determining an area remaining in each of the undercut areas as a result of the insertion as a blockout area.

[0006] In one embodiment, the step of identifying an undercut area of ​​the medical image may include the steps of determining a first insertion path for a first set of teeth included in the medical image input from a user, determining a second insertion path for a second set of teeth included in the medical image input from the user, determining insertion angles of the first insertion path and the second insertion path, and identifying an undercut area obtained by each of the first insertion path and the second insertion path.

[0007] In one embodiment, the step of identifying an undercut area of ​​the medical image may further include, prior to the step of determining a first insertion path for the first set of teeth, a step of determining whether a space between a first tooth and a second tooth included in the medical image is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value, and, if the space between the first tooth and the second tooth is greater than or equal to the reference value, a step of forming a virtual straight line structure connecting the midpoints of the occlusal surfaces of the first tooth and the second tooth.

[0008] In one embodiment, the step of determining the insertion angles of the first insertion path and the second insertion path may include the step of determining the average of the axial positions of teeth included in the first tooth set as the insertion angle of the first insertion path, and the step of determining the average of the axial positions of teeth included in the second tooth set as the insertion angle of the second insertion path.

[0009] In one embodiment, the step of identifying an undercut region obtained by each of the first insertion path and the second insertion path may include the steps of transmitting light in a direction consistent with the first insertion path to the first set of teeth, transmitting light in a direction consistent with the second insertion path to the second set of teeth, and identifying an area where a shadow is generated as a result of the transmission as an undercut region obtained by each of the first insertion path and the second insertion path.

[0010] In one embodiment, the virtual volume data is characterized by having a three-dimensional spherical shape.

[0011] In one embodiment, the method may further include the step of displaying to the user an oral model in which the determined blockout area is filled with virtual wax.

[0012] In one embodiment, the amount of virtual wax peeled may be adjustable by the user.

[0013] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, an orthodontic device manufacturing device may include a memory storing one or more instructions, and a processor that performs an operation of loading a medical image of a patient's oral cavity by executing the one or more instructions, an operation of determining an insertion path for a tooth included in the medical image and identifying an undercut area obtained by the insertion path, an operation of inserting virtual volume data into a space between teeth of each of the undercut areas, and an operation of determining an area remaining in each of the undercut areas as a result of the insertion as a blockout area.

[0014] In one embodiment, the operation of identifying an undercut area of ​​the medical image may include an operation of determining a first insertion path for a first set of teeth included in the medical image input from a user, determining a second insertion path for a second set of teeth included in the medical image input from the user, determining insertion angles of the first insertion path and the second insertion path, and identifying an undercut area obtained by each of the first insertion path and the second insertion path.

[0015] In one embodiment, the operation of identifying an undercut area of ​​the medical image may further include, prior to the operation of determining a first insertion path for the first set of teeth, an operation of determining whether a space between a first tooth and a second tooth included in the medical image is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value, and, if the space between the first tooth and the second tooth is greater than or equal to the reference value, an operation of forming a virtual straight line structure connecting the midpoints of the occlusal surfaces of the first tooth and the second tooth.

[0016] In one embodiment, the processor may further perform an action of displaying to the user an oral model in which the determined blockout area is filled with virtual wax.

[0017] Figure 1 shows the configuration of a orthodontic device manufacturing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 2 is a flowchart exemplarily showing a method for manufacturing a correction device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a flowchart specifically illustrating the steps of determining an insertion path for a tooth included in the medical image of FIG. 2 and identifying an undercut area acquired by the insertion path.

[0020] FIG. 4 is a flowchart exemplarily showing a method for forming a virtual straight-line structure according to the inter-tooth distance prior to the insertion decision steps of FIG. 3.

[0021] FIG. 5 is a flowchart specifically illustrating a step of determining the insertion angles of the first insertion path and the second insertion path of FIG. 3.

[0022] FIG. 6 is a flowchart specifically illustrating a step of identifying an undercut area obtained by each of the first insertion path and the second insertion path of FIG. 3.

[0023] FIGS. 7 to 10 conceptually illustrate a blockout generation process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 11 shows a screen of a planned tooth movement model for performing orthodontic treatment on a patient.

[0025] Figure 12 shows the screen after clicking the blockout button of Figure 11.

[0026] Figure 13 shows an example screen that allows detailed confirmation of the blockout creation results.

[0027] Figure 14 shows an example screen that can confirm the basis for blockout creation.

[0028] Figures 15 to 17 show screens that can check the blockout creation results for each tooth region as examples.

[0029] Figure 18 shows an example screen where the blockout generation results and insertion information for each tooth region can be checked together.

[0030] Figure 19 illustrates an example screen for performing user adjustments to the blockout generation results.

[0031] FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computing device for manufacturing a correction device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The advantages and features of the present disclosure, and methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the attached drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below and may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided only to ensure that the present disclosure is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the present disclosure of the scope of the invention, and the present disclosure is defined solely by the scope of the claims.

[0033] When designating components in each drawing, it should be noted that identical components are assigned identical reference numerals whenever possible, even if they appear on different drawings. Furthermore, when describing the present disclosure, detailed descriptions of related known components or functions are omitted if they are deemed to obscure the gist of the present disclosure.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein may be used in the same sense as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Furthermore, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not to be interpreted ideally or excessively unless explicitly and specifically defined otherwise. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, singular forms also include plural forms, unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0035] Additionally, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used to describe components of the present disclosure. These terms are only intended to distinguish the components from other components, and the nature, order, or sequence of the components are not limited by the terms. When a component is described as being "connected," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but another component may also be "connected," "coupled," or "connected" between each component.

[0036] The terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" as used in the specification do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations and / or elements.

[0037] FIG. 1 illustrates the configuration of an orthodontic device manufacturing system (100) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1, the orthodontic device manufacturing system (100) may include an image capturing device (110) and an orthodontic device manufacturing device (120).

[0038] The imaging device (110) can collect three-dimensional dental image data by scanning the patient's oral cavity. For example, the imaging device (110) may include a three-dimensional oral scanner, etc. In the following descriptions, the three-dimensional dental image data collected by the imaging device (110) will be referred to as a medical image.

[0039] The orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) may be a computing device including one or more processors and memory. The orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) may load a medical image of a patient's oral cavity from an image capturing device (110), identify an undercut area in the medical image, determine a blockout area for the identified undercut area, and generate an oral cavity model by filling the determined blockout area with a predetermined amount of virtual wax. Here, blockout refers to an operation of filling the undercut area of ​​the oral cavity. Consequently, the oral cavity model finally generated by the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) may refer to a model in which the undercut area is removed from the initially acquired medical image by filling the undercut area, and may be used to manufacture a transparent orthodontic device for orthodontic treatment of a patient.

[0040] The orthodontic appliance manufacturing device (120) may determine one or more insertion paths for the patient's teeth to identify an undercut area based on user input. At this time, the range corresponding to one insertion path may overlap with the range corresponding to another insertion path. For example, the orthodontic appliance manufacturing device (120) may determine a first insertion path for an anterior region among a plurality of teeth, and a second insertion path for a posterior region. According to an embodiment, the orthodontic appliance manufacturing device (120) may determine as many insertion paths as the maximum number of teeth. For example, the insertion angle of an insertion path may be determined as the average of the axial angles of teeth included in a set of teeth corresponding to the insertion path, and may also be arbitrarily set by the user.

[0041] In addition, prior to determining the insertion path, for teeth whose inter-tooth distance exceeds a preset reference value, the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can form a virtual straight-line structure connecting the occlusal centers of the teeth in the medical image. For example, the preset reference value may correspond to the thickness of the transparent orthodontic device to be manufactured, and may also be arbitrarily set by the user. Such a virtual straight-line structure can serve to ensure that the transparent orthodontic device is created as one without being separated, and to maintain elasticity.

[0042] After determining the insertion path, the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can identify an undercut area obtained by the determined insertion path. Specifically, the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can identify a location where a shadow is generated when light matching the direction of each insertion path is transmitted through a range corresponding to each determined insertion path as an undercut area obtained by the corresponding insertion path.

[0043] Next, the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can insert virtual volume data (also called a checker) into each of the identified undercut areas to determine the blockout area. For example, the virtual volume data may be a three-dimensional spherical shape whose size can be adjusted, and the radius of the virtual volume data may be initially set based on the thickness of the transparent orthodontic device to be manufactured. The orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) may determine an area where the spherical virtual volume data does not adhere to the undercut area (i.e., the remaining area after inserting the virtual volume data) as a blockout area. For example, the blockout area may correspond to an area where the transparent orthodontic device does not adhere to the oral cavity when actually wearing the transparent orthodontic device. In other words, whether the inserted virtual volume data adheres to the undercut area may be the same as whether the transparent orthodontic device adheres to the oral cavity during orthodontic treatment. At this time, as the size of the virtual volume data decreases, the size of the blockout area that can be derived decreases, and as the size of the virtual volume data increases, the size of the blockout area that can be derived increases.

[0044] The orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can generate an oral cavity model by filling the determined blockout area with virtual wax, and can display the generated oral cavity model to the user. At this time, the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can determine a blockout amount so that the blockout area where the virtual volume data cannot be adhered can be adhered, and can fill the blockout area with virtual wax in the amount of the determined blockout amount. In this way, the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can determine an optimal blockout area and blockout volume using the virtual volume data. In addition, the oral cavity model generated in this way can be used to manufacture a transparent orthodontic device.

[0045] When manufacturing clear aligners, both orthodontic power and removableness must be guaranteed to achieve the intended orthodontic treatment effect. The orthodontic power of a clear aligner increases as the device's free space, i.e., the smaller the blockout area, increases. Removability increases as the device's free space, i.e., the larger the blockout area, the stronger the removal. For example, if the blockout area is insufficient or absent, the clear aligner will be difficult to remove, but if it is excessive, the clear aligner will not adhere to the teeth, weakening the tooth-pushing and tooth-supporting power, thus weakening the orthodontic power. In other words, while securing a blockout area is essential for removableness, if the blockout area is excessively large, the orthodontic power will decrease, defeating the purpose of orthodontic treatment. Therefore, to ensure orthodontic power, the blockout area should be minimized.

[0046] Since the corrective power and removableness of a transparent aligner are determined by a single factor, the blockout area, it is important to determine an appropriate blockout area that ensures both corrective power and removableness. Through a series of operations according to the embodiments of the present disclosure described above, an appropriate blockout area and amount can be consistently determined from a patient's 3D dental image, minimizing user intervention.

[0047] As illustrated in Fig. 1, the image capturing device (110) and the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can communicate via a network. For example, the network can be implemented as any type of wired / wireless network, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a mobile radio communication network, or Wibro (Wireless Broadband Internet).

[0048] FIG. 2 is a flowchart exemplarily illustrating a method for manufacturing an orthodontic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For reference, the steps / operations described below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6 represent steps / operations of a blockout generation method performed on a computing device (e.g., the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) of FIG. 1). Therefore, in the following descriptions, if the subject of a specific step / operation is omitted, it can be understood that it is performed on a computing device (e.g., the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) of FIG. 1). The following description will be made with reference to FIG. 1 together with FIG. 2.

[0049] In step (210), the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can load a medical image of the patient's oral cavity from the imaging device (110). For example, the medical image may be a 3D dental image of the patient scanned using a 3D oral scanner. In step (220), the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can identify an undercut area of ​​the loaded medical image. More specifically, in step (220), the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can determine an insertion path for a tooth included in the medical image and identify an undercut area acquired by the insertion path. Step (220) will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6 .

[0050] FIG. 3 is a flowchart specifically illustrating a step (220) of determining an insertion path for a tooth included in the medical image of FIG. 2 and identifying an undercut area obtained by the insertion path.

[0051] First, in step (221), the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can determine a first insertion path for a first set of teeth among teeth included in a medical image based on user input, and in step (222), can determine a second insertion path for a second set of teeth among teeth included in the medical image. For example, the first set of teeth may be anterior teeth, and the second set of teeth may be posterior teeth.

[0052] Additionally, a virtual straight line structure can be formed based on the inter-tooth distance prior to the insertion path determination. FIG. 4 is a flowchart exemplifying a method for forming a virtual straight line structure based on the inter-tooth distance prior to the insertion path determination steps (221, 222) of FIG. 3.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 4, after loading a medical image in step (210), in step (211), the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can check the space between all individual teeth (adjacent teeth) and correct it if necessary. For example, if the tooth to be reviewed is the first tooth and the tooth adjacent to the tooth to be reviewed is the second tooth, the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can determine whether the space between the first tooth and the second tooth is greater than or equal to a preset reference value. Specifically, the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can determine whether there is a point where the outline of the first tooth and the outline of the second tooth touch each other. If there is no point of contact, the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can generate a virtual line connecting the midpoints of the occlusal surfaces of the first tooth and the second tooth, and calculate the distance between the virtual lines touching the outlines of the first tooth and the second tooth, respectively, to determine whether the distance is greater than or equal to a preset reference value. However, the method for checking the space between individual teeth is not limited to this, and various methods for calculating the space between teeth other than the above-described method may be applied.

[0054] If the space between the first tooth and the second tooth is greater than the reference value, in step (212), the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can form a virtual straight line structure connecting the midpoints of the occlusal surfaces of the first tooth and the second tooth, and can proceed to step (221). If the space between the first tooth and the second tooth is less than the reference value for all individual teeth, the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can proceed directly to step (221) and perform the insertion determination operations described with reference to FIG. 3. Through the operations described with reference to FIG. 4, separation of the transparent orthodontic device can be prevented and elasticity can be maintained so that the transparent orthodontic device can be connected as one.

[0055] Returning to FIG. 3 again, in step (223), the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can determine the insertion angles of the first insertion path and the second insertion path, and in step (224), the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can identify the undercut area obtained by each of the first insertion path and the second insertion path. Steps (223) and (224) will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0056] FIG. 5 is a flowchart specifically showing the step (223) of determining the insertion angles of the first insertion path and the second insertion path of FIG. 3.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 5, in step (223-1), the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can determine the average of the axes of the teeth included in the first tooth set as the insertion angle of the first insertion path, and in step (223-2), can determine the average of the axes of the teeth included in the second tooth set as the insertion angle of the second insertion path. For example, assuming that the first tooth set is the anterior teeth and the second tooth set is the posterior teeth, the insertion angle of the first insertion path can be determined as the average of the axes of six teeth in the anterior teeth, and the insertion angle of the second insertion path can be determined as the average of the axes of eight teeth in the posterior teeth. In addition, in the posterior teeth, the insertion angles of the insertion paths corresponding to the left posterior teeth and the right posterior teeth may be determined separately.

[0058] FIG. 6 is a flowchart specifically illustrating a step (224) of identifying an undercut area obtained by each of the first insertion path and the second insertion path of FIG. 3.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 6, in step (224-1), the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can transmit light in a direction matching the first insertion path to the first set of teeth, and in step (224-2), can transmit light in a direction matching the second insertion path to the second set of teeth. Thereafter, in step (224-3), the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can identify an area where a shadow occurs as a result of the transmission as an undercut area obtained by each of the first insertion path and the second insertion path.

[0060] Meanwhile, the steps of determining a first insertion path for a first set of teeth, determining a second insertion path for a second set of teeth, determining insertion angles of the first and second insertion paths, and identifying an undercut area have been described so far. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and a greater number of insertion paths may be determined. For example, the first set of teeth may be anterior teeth, the second set of teeth may be left posterior teeth, and the third set of teeth may be right posterior teeth, thereby determining three insertion paths, or the maximum number of insertion paths may be determined. Even if the number of insertion paths increases, the above-described operations may be performed for each insertion path.

[0061] Returning to FIG. 2, in step (230), the orthodontic appliance manufacturing device (120) may insert virtual volume data (also called checkers) into each identified undercut area (e.g., into the interdental space of each undercut area). As described with reference to FIG. 1, the virtual volume data may be in the form of a three-dimensional sphere. Thereafter, in step (240), the orthodontic appliance manufacturing device (120) may determine the remaining area in each undercut area as a blockout area as a result of the insertion of the virtual volume data.

[0062] Specifically, the remaining area as a result of inserting virtual volume data corresponds to an area where the virtual volume data is not adhered to the undercut area, which may correspond to an area where the device is not adhered to the oral cavity when actually wearing the transparent aligner. That is, the blockout area may play a role in filling the remaining area, and may prevent the device from not being adhered to the oral cavity when actually wearing the transparent aligner. When performing step (240), the aligner manufacturing device (120) may store information on the remaining area where the virtual volume data is not adhered to the undercut area, and at this time, the location of the virtual volume data may also be stored separately.

[0063] Finally, in step (250), the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) can display to the user an oral cavity model in which the determined blockout area is filled with virtual wax. At this time, the amount of virtual wax to be filled may correspond to the blockout amount determined based on the size of the blockout area determined in step (240). The oral cavity model generated in step (250) can be used in the manufacture of a transparent orthodontic device and can be further adjusted by the user. The screen displayed to the user will be described later with reference to FIGS. 11 to 19.

[0064] So far, we have examined the operations of the orthodontic device manufacturing device (120) identifying an undercut area, inserting virtual volume data into the identified undercut area, and then determining the remaining area as a blockout area to create an oral model. In addition, in relation to the identification of the undercut area, we have also examined the operations of forming a virtual straight-line structure according to the distance between teeth, determining an insertion path, determining an insertion angle of the insertion path, and identifying the undercut area of ​​the insertion path through light transmission. Hereinafter, the operations examined so far will be conceptually confirmed with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10.

[0065] FIGS. 7 to 10 conceptually illustrate a blockout generation process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0066] First, referring to FIG. 7, four teeth (21-1 to 21-4) are illustrated as examples. In addition, a space (22-1) between a tooth (21-1) and a tooth (21-2), a space (22-2) between a tooth (21-2) and a tooth (21-3), and a space (22-3) between a tooth (21-3) and a tooth (21-4) are illustrated. The space (22-1) between a tooth (21-1) and a tooth (21-2), and the space (22-3) between a tooth (21-3) and a tooth (21-4) do not contact each other, so there is a possibility that the transparent aligner will not be connected as one but will be divided. In addition, the space (22-2) between a tooth (21-2) and a tooth (21-3) may cause interference when the transparent aligner is removed, as the teeth (21-2) and (21-3) are adjacent to each other. Therefore, the spaces (22-1 to 22-3) shown in Fig. 7 require determination of the blockout area.

[0067] Referring to Fig. 8, virtual straight-line structures (23-1 to 23-3) connecting the occlusal midpoints of each tooth are formed as described with reference to Fig. 4. Thereafter, referring to Fig. 9, an undercut area is identified and virtual volume data (24 to 29) is inserted. For example, the radius of the virtual volume data (24 to 29) may be equal to the thickness of the transparent aligner. Then, the remaining areas after the virtual volume data (24 to 29) is inserted are determined as blockout areas. Thereafter, virtual wax is peeled (i.e., 3D surface data is added) for a determined blockout amount for the determined blockout areas, and the blockout generation result can be finally displayed as in Fig. 10. Thereafter, an oral model including the teeth shown in Fig. 10 can be generated.

[0068] Fig. 11 shows a screen of a planned tooth movement model for performing orthodontic treatment of a patient, and Fig. 12 shows a screen after clicking the blockout button (30) of Fig. 11. Referring to Fig. 11, a 3D tooth image of the patient and numerical values ​​required for orthodontic treatment are displayed. When the blockout button (30) is clicked on this screen, the determined blockout area on the 3D tooth image of the screen is displayed in black, as shown in Fig. 12.

[0069] Fig. 13 shows an example screen for checking the blockout generation result in detail. Referring to Fig. 13, the original tooth image data is processed transparently so that the blockout generation result for the 3D tooth image data that requires blockout generation, i.e., the tooth image data that is the target of the production of the transparent orthodontic device, can be easily checked, and the blockout generation result is displayed in a different color (black in Fig. 13). Additionally, referring to Fig. 13, a total of 6 models are displayed simultaneously in each axis direction (3 directions) of the 3D tooth image data and in a direction symmetrical to each axis (3 directions) without a separate user operation.

[0070] Fig. 14 shows an example screen that can confirm the basis for blockout creation. Referring to Fig. 14, the insertion path direction and undercut area are displayed as the basis for blockout creation based on the jaw from which the transparent aligner is removed. Specifically, different insertion paths (e.g., anterior insertion paths and posterior insertion paths) are displayed with different properties (in the case of Fig. 14, the anterior insertion path is displayed with a dotted line and the posterior insertion path is displayed with a solid line), and when an average representative insertion path for multiple insertion paths is used, the thickness is displayed differently (the representative insertion path is displayed in bold compared to other insertion paths), and when a designated insertion path is reflected, the undercut area that occurs is also displayed. In addition, in the case of Fig. 14, the visibility of the opposite jaw is adjusted through transparency adjustment, so that necessary details can be emphasized.

[0071] Figures 15 to 17 illustrate screens for checking the results of blockout creation by tooth region. Referring to Figures 15 to 17, a cross-section of a blockout region is displayed, and when a transparent aligner is worn, the area reflecting the blockout region is also displayed, thereby confirming the validity of orthodontic treatment. At this time, the cross-section of the relevant region and the results in the anterior and posterior directions of the cross-section are displayed together, allowing for easy confirmation.

[0072] Figure 18 illustrates an example screen where the results of blockout generation by tooth region and insertion route information can be confirmed together. For example, the screen shown in Figure 18 corresponds to the screen of Figure 17 where insertion route information is also displayed. Referring to Figure 18, the direction of the insertion route is intuitively displayed, and additionally, a plane perpendicular to the insertion route in the occlusal plane direction is displayed together, thereby supporting auxiliary judgment regarding orthodontic treatment.

[0073] Fig. 19 illustrates an example screen for performing user adjustments to the blockout generation results. Referring to Fig. 19, an interface (40) for adjusting the blockout generation amount through the user's numerical input or clicking of an increase or decrease button is displayed on the screens shown in Figs. 15 to 17. This allows the user to freely modify the blockout generation results, including the amount of virtual wax peeling, and can confirm and reflect the modifications made based on the review results of the previously described screens along with the cross-section in real time.

[0074] FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computing device (200) for manufacturing a correction device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] Referring to FIG. 20, a computing device (2000) may include one or more processors (2010), a bus (2030), a communication interface (2040), a memory (2020) for loading a computer program executed by the processor (2010), and a storage (2050) for storing a computer program (2060). However, only components related to the embodiment of the present disclosure are illustrated in FIG. 20. Therefore, a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains will appreciate that other general components may be included in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 20. That is, the computing device (2000) may further include various components in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 20. Furthermore, in some cases, the computing device (2000) may be configured in a form in which some of the components illustrated in FIG. 20 are omitted. Hereinafter, each component of the computing device (2000) will be described.

[0076] The processor (2010) can control the overall operation of each component of the computing device (2000). The processor (2010) can be configured to include at least one of a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Micro Processor Unit (MPU), a Micro Controller Unit (MCU), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), or any other type of processor well known in the art of the present disclosure. In addition, the processor (2010) can perform operations for at least one application or program for executing operations / methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The computing device (2000) can include one or more processors.

[0077] Next, the memory (2020) can store various data, commands, and / or information. The memory (2020) can load a computer program (2060) from the storage (2050) to execute operations / methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The memory (2020) may be implemented as a volatile memory such as RAM, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0078] Next, the bus (2030) may provide communication functions between components of the computing device (2000). The bus (2030) may be implemented as various types of buses, such as an address bus, a data bus, and a control bus.

[0079] Next, the communication interface (2040) can support wired and wireless Internet communication of the computing device (2000). Furthermore, the communication interface (2040) can also support various communication methods other than Internet communication. To this end, the communication interface (2040) can be configured to include a communication module well known in the technical field of the present disclosure.

[0080] Next, the storage (2050) can non-temporarily store one or more computer programs (2060). The storage (2050) can be configured to include non-volatile memory such as Read Only Memory (ROM), Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, a hard disk, a removable disk, or any form of computer-readable recording medium well known in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.

[0081] Next, the computer program (2060) may include one or more instructions that, when loaded into the memory (2020), cause the processor (2010) to perform operations / methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. That is, the processor (2010) may perform operations / methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure by executing the one or more loaded instructions.

[0082] For example, the computer program (2060) may include instructions for loading a medical image of a patient's oral cavity, determining an insertion path for teeth included in the medical image, identifying an undercut area obtained by the insertion path, inserting virtual volume data into the inter-tooth space of each undercut area, determining an area remaining in each undercut area as a result of the insertion as a blockout area, and displaying to the user an oral cavity model in which the determined blockout area is filled with virtual wax. In addition, the computer program (2060) may also include instructions for determining a first insertion path for a first set of teeth included in the medical image, determining a second insertion path for a second set of teeth, determining insertion angles of the first insertion path and the second insertion path, and identifying an undercut area obtained by each of the first insertion path and the second insertion path.

[0083] Through the above-described embodiments, it is possible to create a blockout that can guarantee both the orthodontic power and the removal properties of a transparent aligner for orthodontic treatment, thereby allowing the tooth movement planned in advance to be accurately expressed by the device. The blockout creation according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can minimize user intervention by including a process of automatically identifying an undercut area based on pre-determined information such as an insertion path and an insertion angle. In addition, when there is a gap between teeth that is greater than the thickness of the transparent aligner to be manufactured, a virtual straight line structure connecting the gaps can be formed in advance to prevent the transparent aligner from detaching and maintain elasticity.

[0084] Various embodiments of the present disclosure and effects according to the embodiments have been described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 20. The effects according to the technical concept of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects described above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0085] The technical concepts of the present disclosure described so far can be implemented as computer-readable code on a computer-readable medium. A computer program recorded on a computer-readable recording medium can be transmitted to another computing device via a network such as the Internet, installed on the other computing device, and thus used on the other computing device.

[0086] Although all components constituting the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described as being combined or operating in combination as one, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to such embodiments. That is, within the scope of the present disclosure, all components may be selectively combined and operated in one or more combinations.

[0087] Although operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood to imply that the operations must be performed in the particular order depicted, or in any sequential order, or that all depicted operations must be performed to achieve the desired results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Furthermore, the separation of the various components in the embodiments described above should not be understood to imply that such separation is absolutely necessary, and it should be understood that the program components and systems described may generally be integrated together into a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

[0088] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the attached drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present disclosure can be implemented in other specific forms without altering the technical spirit or essential features thereof. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of protection of the present disclosure should be interpreted by the claims below, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the rights of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a correction device performed by a computing device, Step of loading medical images taken of the patient's oral cavity; A step of determining an insertion path for a tooth included in the above medical image and identifying an undercut area obtained by the insertion path; A step of inserting virtual volume data into the inter-tooth space of each of the above undercut areas; and Including a step of determining the remaining area in each of the undercut areas as a result of the above insertion as a blockout area. Method of making an orthodontic appliance.

2. In paragraph 1, The steps for identifying the above undercut area are: A step of determining a first insertion path for a first set of teeth among the teeth included in the medical image input from a user; A step of determining a second insertion path for a second set of teeth included in the medical image input from the user; A step of determining the insertion angles of the first insertion path and the second insertion path; and Including a step of identifying an undercut area obtained by each of the first insertion path and the second insertion path, A method for making an orthodontic appliance.

3. In paragraph 2, The steps for identifying the above undercut area are: Prior to the step of determining the first insertion path for the first set of teeth, A step of determining whether the space between the first tooth and the second tooth included in the above medical image is greater than a predetermined standard value; and If the space between the first tooth and the second tooth is greater than or equal to the reference value, the method further includes forming a virtual straight line structure connecting the occlusal center of the first tooth and the second tooth. A method for making an orthodontic appliance.

4. In paragraph 2, The step of determining the insertion angles of the first insertion path and the second insertion path is: A step of determining the average of the axial angles of the teeth included in the first set of teeth as the insertion angle into the first insertion path; and A step of determining the average of the axial angles of the teeth included in the second set of teeth as the insertion angle into the second insertion path, A method for making an orthodontic appliance.

5. In paragraph 2, The step of identifying the undercut area obtained by each of the first insertion path and the second insertion path is: A step of transmitting light in a direction matching the first insertion direction to the first set of teeth; A step of transmitting light in a direction matching the second insertion direction to the second set of teeth; and A step of identifying an area where a shadow occurs as a result of the above penetration as an undercut area obtained by each of the first insertion path and the second insertion path, A method for making an orthodontic appliance.

6. In paragraph 1, The above virtual volume data is characterized by having a three-dimensional spherical shape. A method for making an orthodontic appliance.

7. In paragraph 1, Further comprising the step of displaying to the user an oral model in which the determined blockout area is filled with virtual wax. A method for making an orthodontic appliance.

8. In paragraph 7, The amount of the virtual wax peeling is adjustable by the user. A method for making an orthodontic appliance.

9. In a device for manufacturing a corrective device, A memory that stores one or more instructions; and By executing one or more of the above instructions, A processor comprising: a processor that performs the actions of loading a medical image of a patient's oral cavity, determining an insertion path for a tooth included in the medical image and identifying an undercut area obtained by the insertion path, inserting virtual volume data into each of the undercut areas, and determining an area remaining in each of the undercut areas as a result of the insertion as a blockout area. A device for making orthodontic appliances.

10. In paragraph 9, The actions to identify the above undercut area are: An operation including determining a first insertion path for a first set of teeth among the teeth included in the medical image input from the user, determining a second insertion path for a second set of teeth among the teeth included in the medical image input from the user, determining insertion angles of the first insertion path and the second insertion path, and identifying an undercut area obtained by each of the first insertion path and the second insertion path. A device for making orthodontic appliances.

11. In paragraph 10, The actions to identify the above undercut area are: Prior to the operation of determining the first insertion path for the first set of teeth, An operation for determining whether the space between the first tooth and the second tooth included in the above medical image is greater than a predetermined standard value; and If the space between the first tooth and the second tooth is greater than or equal to the reference value, the method further includes forming a virtual straight line structure connecting the occlusal centers of the first tooth and the second tooth. A device for making orthodontic appliances.

12. In paragraph 9, The above processor further performs an action of displaying to the user an oral model in which the determined blockout area is filled with virtual wax. A device for making orthodontic appliances.

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