3D Dental Model Transition Using an Adapter Tooth Morph
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods struggle to efficiently morph digital 3D models of dental situations, particularly when significant geometric changes occur, leading to challenges in visualizing and quantifying clinical changes over time.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method involving aligning teeth in an intermediate position, generating an adapter tooth as a weighted average of two shapes, and applying transparency transitions to simulate a smooth transition between digital 3D models, using techniques like rigid transformations and Dijkstra algorithm for alignment and Iterative Closest Point for mapping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If direct morphing of digital 3D models of teeth is performed, then transition visualization is attempted, but the process becomes computationally expensive and challenging when significant geometric changes occur
Solution Approach 1:
The method segments the complex morphing process into distinct stages: (1) rigid transformation to align teeth at intermediate position, (2) generation of adapter tooth as weighted average of shapes, (3) mapping adapter tooth to source and destination positions, (4) applying transparency transitions. This segmentation reduces computational complexity by breaking down the challenging direct morphing into manageable steps that can be processed efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter tooth serves as an intermediary element between the source tooth and target tooth. It is generated as a weighted average of the two shapes and used as a mediator to facilitate the transition. This intermediary approach simplifies the morphing process by providing a intermediate geometric form that bridges significant geometric changes, making the transition computationally more efficient and visually more accurate.
2Loss of information
If snapshots of dental situation at multiple time instances are displayed, then diagnostic information is provided, but the dynamic progression of dental changes is not conveyed
Solution Approach 1:
The method performs preliminary alignment of the source and target teeth at an intermediate position through rigid transformation before generating the transition. This preliminary action establishes a common reference frame and optimizes the starting configuration for subsequent morphing operations, ensuring that the transition accurately represents the clinical progression while maintaining computational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The method applies transparency transitions (analogous to color/optical property changes) to visualize the morphing process. By gradually changing the transparency of the source tooth while introducing the adapter tooth and eventually the target tooth, the system conveys the dynamic progression of dental changes in a visually intuitive manner, allowing clinicians to easily understand the progression without losing diagnostic information.
3Stability of the object's composition
If adapter tooth is generated as weighted average of two tooth shapes, then smooth transition is achieved, but additional computational steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The method uses parameter changes by representing the adapter tooth as a weighted average of the source and target tooth shapes. By adjusting the weight parameter, the system can control the interpolation between the two shapes, achieving smooth transitions. This parameter-based approach, combined with efficient mapping algorithms, maintains processing efficiency while ensuring visual smoothness of the transition.
Data Source
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AI summary
A computer-implemented method for processing digital 3D models of a dental situation is disclosed. The method comprises receiving, in a common 3D space, a first digital 3D model (100)representative of the dental situation at a first time, and a second digital 3D model (101) representative of the dental situation at a second time, the second time being later than the first time. The method further comprises displaying a transition of a tooth (102) of the first digital 3D model (100) into a corresponding tooth (104) of the second digital 3D model (101), wherein the displaying comprises aligning the tooth (102) and the corresponding tooth (104) at an intermediate position between the tooth (102) and the corresponding tooth (104), generating an adapter tooth (301) based on the shape of the tooth (102) and the shape of the corresponding tooth (104), wherein the shape of the adapter tooth (301)is a weighted average of the shape of the tooth (102) and the shape of the corresponding tooth (104), mapping the adapter tooth (301) to the tooth (102) to obtain the adapter tooth at a source position, and mapping the adapter tooth (301) to the corresponding tooth (104) to obtain the adapter tooth at a destination position. Displaying further comprises applying a first transparency transition from the tooth (102) to the adapter tooth at the source position, displacing the vertices of the adapter tooth at the source position to the adapter tooth at the destination position, applying a second transparency transition from the adapter tooth at the destination position to the corresponding tooth (104).