3D Dental Element Prioritization for Hidden Landmark Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital dental references in 3D computerized graphics are often incorrectly identified due to blocked surfaces from crowding, and identifying correct surfaces is difficult when teeth are worn down, broken, or restored to atypical shapes.
Innovation Solution
A method for prioritizing 3D dental elements by setting prioritization values for elements in a virtual initial dental data set, allowing elements to be selected based on their values, and rendering certain elements transparent or opaque to facilitate accurate landmark identification and manipulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If teeth are crowded in the 3D scene, then the spatial arrangement reflects the actual dental condition, but certain surfaces (e.g., interproximal surfaces) are blocked out making landmark identification incorrect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies transparency changes (a visual property similar to color changes) to dental elements in the 3D scene. By making certain teeth or surfaces transparent or semi-transparent, the system allows users to see through blocked surfaces and accurately identify landmarks on teeth that would otherwise be obscured by crowding, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining realistic spatial arrangement and enabling surface accessibility.
2Measurement precision
If teeth are worn down, broken, or restored to atypical shapes, then the digital model reflects the actual dental condition, but identifying correct surfaces becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses transparency modifications to highlight or reveal specific surfaces on teeth with atypical shapes. By adjusting the transparency of surrounding or overlapping dental elements, users can clearly identify correct surfaces even when teeth are worn down, broken, or restored, thereby maintaining measurement precision despite altered tooth morphology.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces transparency control as an intermediary mechanism between the user and the complex dental geometry. This intermediary allows users to selectively view or hide portions of the dental model, making it easier to identify correct surfaces on atypically shaped teeth without being confused by irregular geometries or overlapping structures.
3Loss of information
If all dental elements are displayed with equal visibility, then the complete dental model is visible, but key landmarks may be obscured by other elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different transparency properties to different dental elements based on their importance and spatial relationships. Instead of uniformly displaying all elements, the system selectively adjusts transparency of specific teeth or surfaces to ensure key landmarks remain visible while reducing visual complexity from less important or obstructing elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system preliminarily adjusts transparency settings for dental elements before user interaction, based on the initial spatial configuration and crowding analysis. This preliminary action ensures that key landmarks are not obscured in the default view, reducing the need for users to manually adjust settings and minimizing information loss from the outset.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for prioritization of three-dimensional dental elements. A dental data set including spatial information regarding presentation of a three-dimensional (3D) digital model configured for viewing on a user interface may be accessed. A perspective of the 3D digital model may be presented on the user interface such that a reference object is behind a first object such that the reference object it not viewable through the first object, where the reference object is on a surface of the first object. A priority may be changed such that the reference object has a higher priority than the first object, where once the priority is changed, a transparency of the first object may be changed such that the reference object is viewable through at least a portion of the first object.