Aligner Selection via Digital Dental Setup Matching

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for orthodontic treatment using dental aligners are inefficient and costly when the treatment deviates from the planned course, requiring new treatment plans and aligners to be manufactured, which is time-consuming and expensive.

Innovation Solution

A digital workflow that compares a current dental setup to a series of preset setups to select a previously manufactured aligner by obtaining a digital 3D representation of the teeth and determining the closest match using algorithms like ICP, allowing for the reuse of aligners and reducing the need for new manufacturing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a new treatment plan and new aligners are manufactured when treatment deviates from the planned course, then the correct treatment can be resumed, but time and money are wasted due to remanufacturing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment accuracyVSAvoidtime for new manufacturing

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary comparison between the current dental setup and intermediate setups in advance to identify the closest match before new aligners need to be manufactured. By pre-calculating which intermediate setup best matches the current state, the system enables quick selection of appropriate aligners from existing inventory, avoiding the need for complete remanufacturing and reducing both time and cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If a new treatment plan and new aligners are manufactured when treatment deviates from the planned course, then the correct treatment can be resumed, but manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment accuracyVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of discarding previously manufactured aligners when treatment deviation occurs, the system recovers their value by comparing the current dental setup with intermediate setups to identify which previously manufactured aligners can still be used. This recovery approach allows continuation of treatment with existing inventory, significantly reducing the need for new manufacturing and associated costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Measurement precision

If digital comparison algorithms like ICP are used to determine the closest match, then the correct aligner can be selected from existing inventory, but computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesetup matching accuracyVSAvoidalgorithm complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates digital 3D models (copies) of dental setups at different treatment stages and stores them for comparison. By working with these digital copies rather than physical models, the system can apply computational algorithms like ICP to accurately determine the closest match between current and intermediate setups, enabling precise aligner selection without physical manipulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS10874485B2Comparing a current dental setup with a series of preset dental setups

Publication Date: 2020.12.29 3SHAPE AS

AI summary

A method that generally relates to comparing a current dental setup with a series of preset dental setups. More particularly a method where this comparison is used to determine which aligner should be used from a series of dental aligners for proceeding with an orthodontic treatment. Each aligner in the series of previously manufactured aligners is provided for moving the at least one tooth in the patient's teeth from one dental setup to a subsequent dental setup.