Fiducial markers and methods for generating position data for oral prosthesis

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of generating a digital model for the construction of an oral prosthesis, wherein the method comprises using scannable fiducial markers including a bite fiducial to stack and register pre-surgical IOS data and PG data, and further stacking post-surgical PG data to accurately reflect positions of abutment fiducials and a prosthesis, thereby generating a reliable three-dimensional digital model representing precise spatial relationships of teeth, tissue, abutments, and implants.

Description

ROE.P.W00002FIDUCIAL MARKERS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING POSITION DATA FOR ORAL PROSTHESIS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 693,152 filed on September 10, 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Embodiments of the present invention provide fiducial markers and methods for generating position data for oral prosthesis.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] In the art of fabricating and installing oral prosthesis, especially full-arch oral prosthesis, a patient’s existing teeth are removed, and implants and abutments are installed. The prosthesis, namely the full-arch prosthesis, is fabricated and then secured in place through the abutments. When fabricating the prosthesis, the location and position of the abutments are critical to the proper seating of the prosthesis within the patient’s mouth.

[0004] Historically, the location and position of the abutments have been determined through physical impressions, and then the prosthesis is fabricated from information obtained from these impressions. Modern technology employs digital imagining to creating digital models from which the prosthesis is fabricated. For example, post-surgical digital imagery of the abutments take place directly within the patient’s mouth.

[0005] Common digital imaging techniques include intraoral scanning (IOS) or photogrammetry (PG). IOS employs a device that emits electromagnetic radiation (e.g. light or laser) that contacts objects within the mouth (e.g. teeth and tissue), and then with the use of image scanners and point clouds, a digital model is produced. In order to determine the location and position of the abutments, devices, often referred to as scan bodies, which have a scannable feature, are temporarily installed into the abutments during the IOS process.

[0006] PG employs photographic equipment to collect a plurality of images of the desired object and, using triangulation algorithms, a 3D digital model can be produced. Those skilled in the art appreciate that PG methodologies provide maximum precision whenROE.P.W00002 known dimensions are captured by the photographic images. It is therefore common to temporarily install scan bodies into the abutments, where the scan bodies include markers, which are often referred to as targets, that have known distances (e.g. the scan bodies include a plurality of dots).

[0007] While PG methodologies are useful for producing very accurate 3D digital models of the location and position of the abutments, PG does not provide useful imaging of the teeth and tissue.

[0008] In order to fabricate useful prosthesis, information regarding the original bite pattern is extremely useful. A patient’s original bite pattern can be captured through physical impressions or using IOS. The limitations of PG imaging typically prevents it’s use in pre-surgical imaging of teeth and tissue. The pre-surgical data (i.e. data obtained from physical impressions or IOS) can then be correlated, which is also referred to as stacking, with the post-surgical imaging of the location and position of the abutments.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] One or more embodiments of the present invention provide a method of generating a digital model for the construction of an oral prosthesis wherein the patient’s mouth includes teeth and tissue prior to surgery, the method comprising the steps of (i) installing a bite fiducial in the mouth, where said bite fiducial includes a plurality of scannable features; (ii) conducting a pre-surgical IOS scan to capture data relative to at least a portion of the teeth and at least one of said scannable features; (hi) conducting a pre- surgical PG scan to capture data relative to at least one of said scannable features; (iv) stacking data obtained from the pre-surgical IOS scan with the data from the pre-surgical PG scan to obtain information on the position of the teeth and tissue relative to the position of the bite fiducial; (v) optionally removing the bite fiducial; (vi) removing the teeth; (vii) installing implants within the patient's mouth; (vih) installing abutments into the implants; (ix) mounting abutment fiducials directly or indirectly into the abutments, where said abutment fiducials include a plurality of scannable features; (x) conducting a post-surgical PG scan to capture data relative to at least one of said scannable features of said bite fiducial and one or more features of said abutment fiducials; and (xi) stacking data obtained from the post-surgical PG scan with information obtained from the pre-surgical IOS scan to obtainROE.P.W00002 information on the position of the abutment fiducials relative to the teeth prior to said step of removing the teeth.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 is a planar pre-surgical view of a patient's maxilla with a bite fiducial installed in the palate.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a planar pre-surgical view of a patient's maxilla with a surgical guide installed in a posterior land area of the maxilla.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a planar post-surgical view of a patient’s maxilla with an abutment fiducials installed within abutments and a bite fiducial installed in the palate.

[0013] FIG. 4 is a planar view of a fiducial and an abutment.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0014] A first aspect of the invention includes the use of a bite fiducial that is digitally imaged before and after surgery. The bite fiducial is installed in a patient’s mouth at a location where its pre-surgery location will not be disrupted by the surgery. In this regard, reference is made to FIG. 1, which shows an exemplary embodiment where a bite fiducial 101 is installed within the palate 111 of a patient. Another exemplary embodiment is shown in FIG. 2, where bite fiducial 101 is installed within a surgical guide 121 that is mounted to a posterior land area of the patient’s maxilla.

[0015] With regard to bite fiducial 101, which is also shown in FIG. 4, the skilled person will understand that bite fiducial 101 can be mounted by use of a conventional fastener such as a tenter screw. Although not shown, bite fiducial 101 includes an opening to receive a fastener and allow the fastener to penetrate therethrough into the mount location. In one or more embodiments, the bite fiducial 101 includes a scannable feature (optionally multiple scannable features] that can be readily recognized by an intraoral scanning [IOS] device. For example, and without limitation, bite fiducial 101 may include one or more flat surfaces that are readily recognized by IOS scan. Additionally, according to embodiments of the invention, bite fiducial 101 includes a feature having a predetermined characteristic for photogrammetry triangulation. For example, and as shown in the figures, bite fiducial 101 includes at least two targets (shown as a plurality of dots) that have a predetermined patternROE.P.W00002 and known distance of separation. In one or more embodiments, the bite fiducial is adapted or configured to remain in the mouth during surgery. In this regard, the bite fiducial may be of sufficiently compact size so as to not interfere with the surgical process.

[0016] According to the present invention, bite fiducial 101 is installed and a pre- surgical IOS scan is performed to collect data on at least a portion of the patient’s teeth, surrounding tissue, and the bite fiducial. From this scan, a digital image of the patient’s teeth and the relative position of the bite fiducial to the teeth is created using conventional techniques including the use of computer-driven algorithms. Additionally, pre-surgical PG images are captured of the bite fiducial.

[0017] The pre-surgical data i.e. the data captured from IOS and PG] can be captured simultaneously or in series, with no particular order for the latter. In one or more embodiments, the PG and IOS pre-surgical data can be captured by a device that integrates both techniques into a single device.

[0018] The data obtained from the IOS scan and the PG imaging are stacked to thereby correlate digital images of the bite fiducial obtained from the PG imaging with digital images of the bite fiducial obtained from the IOS scan. This stacking may be facilitated by computer- driven algorithms and pre-stored dimensions of the bite fiducial (i.e. registrations], which allows for precise matching of the two scans relative to the bite fiducial. This then allows correlation of the position of the bite fiducial relative to the teeth as obtained from the IOS scan. In combination with the predetermined information about the targets on the bite fiducial, computer-driven algorithms can then be used to determine the exact location of the targets on the bite fiducial relative to the teeth and tissue.

[0019] Following conventional procedures, the patient then undergoes surgery whereby the existing teeth are removed, implants are installed, and abutments are mounted into the implants.

[0020] Once the abutments are mounted, post-surgical imaging is then conducted with the goal of establishing the location and position of the abutments for fabrication of the prosthesis. According to the present invention, the position and location of the abutments is determined using PG imaging. Additionally, the present invention provides for determining the positioning and location of the abutments relative to the bite fiducial, which was installed pre-surgery. It will be appreciated that information relative to the position and location ofROE.P.W00002 the abutments relative to the bite fiducial, in combination with the pre-surgical information relative to the position of the bite fiducial relative to the patient's teeth, will allow for fabricating a prosthesis that matches the patient’s original bite pattern.

[0021] In performing the post-surgical imaging, abutment fiducials are mounted to the abutments. In this regard, reference is made to FIG. 3 which shows a plurality of abutment fiducials 103 mounted to the abutments (not shown] and the bite fiducial 101. Images obtained from the PG imaging are triangulated to determine with a high degree of precision, the relative location and position of the abutment relative to the bite fiducial.

[0022] Various modifications and alterations that do not depart from the scope and spirit of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art. This invention is not to be duly limited to the illustrative embodiments set forth herein.

Claims

ROE.P.W00002CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A method of generating a digital model for the construction of an oral prosthesis wherein the patient’s mouth includes teeth and tissue prior to surgery, the method comprising the steps of:(i) installing a bite fiducial in the mouth, where said bite fiducial includes a plurality of scannable features;(ii) conducting a pre-surgical IOS scan to capture data relative to at least a portion of the teeth and at least one of said scannable features;(hi) conducting a pre-surgical PG scan to capture data relative to at least one of said scannable features;(iv) stacking data obtained from the pre-surgical IOS scan with the data from the pre-surgical PG scan to obtain information on the position of the teeth and tissue relative to the position of the bite fiducial;(v) optionally removing the bite fiducial;(vi) removing the teeth;(vii) installing implants within the patient's mouth;(viii) installing abutments into the implants;(ix) mounting abutment fiducials directly or indirectly into the abutments, where said abutment fiducials include a plurality of scannable features;(x) conducting a post-surgical PG scan to capture data relative to at least one of said scannable features of said bite fiducial and one or more features of said abutment fiducials; and(xi) stacking data obtained from the post-surgical PG scan with information obtained from the pre-surgical IOS scan to obtain information on the position of the abutment fiducials relative to the teeth prior to said step of removing the teeth.ROE.P.W000022. The method of claim 1, where said installing a bite fiducial includes installing the bite fiducial into bone within the palate or bone in the posterior land areas.

3. The method of any of the preceding claims, where said installing a bite fiducial includes installing the bite fiducial on a surgical guide or bite platform that is installed in the posterior land area or subsequently installed in the posterior land area.

4. The method of any of the preceding claims, where said stacking data obtained from the pre-surgical IOS scan with the data obtained from the pre-surgical PG scan correlates the data obtained relative to the one or more scannable features of the bite fiducial obtained from the pre-surgical PG scan to data obtained relative to the one or scannable features of the bite fiducial obtained from pre-surgical IOS to obtain information regarding the data obtained relative to the position of the one or more scannable features of the bite fiducial obtained from the pre-surgical PG scan to the data obtained relative to the position of the teeth and tissue obtained from the pre- surgical IOS scan.

5. The method of any of the preceding claims, where said step of conducting a pre- surgical IOS scan and said step of conducting a pre-surgical PG scan are performed simultaneously or consecutively.

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