Treatment Plan Specific Bite Adjustment Structures
Patent No. US10980616 (titled "Treatment Plan Specific Bite Adjustment Structures") was filed by Align Technology Inc on May 29, 2019.
What is this patent about?
’616 is related to the field of dental treatment, specifically orthodontic procedures aimed at repositioning misaligned teeth and correcting bite configurations. Traditional methods for bite correction, such as using metal blocks or headgear, can be uncomfortable and unstable. This patent addresses the need for a more precise and comfortable approach to bite adjustment during orthodontic treatment using clear aligners.
The underlying idea behind ’616 is to integrate bite adjustment structures directly into clear aligners, customizing their shape and location for each stage of a treatment plan. Instead of relying on generic attachments, these integrated structures provide targeted forces to correct malocclusions like deep bites by controlling the vertical relationship between the jaws. This is achieved by strategically positioning these structures to interface with the opposing jaw's teeth, creating a disocclusion that allows for controlled tooth movement.
The claims of ’616 focus on a system comprising a series of clear aligners, each with integrated bite adjustment structures. Claim 1 details a first aligner with a first set of bite adjustment structures at first distances from the incisal surface, and a second aligner with a second set of bite adjustment structures at second distances from the incisal surface. Claim 12 focuses on the first and second bite adjustment structures having different distances from the incisal surface, specific to the treatment stage. Claim 20 focuses on the distance from the incisal surface changing for a plurality of aligners in the series.
In practice, a dentist or orthodontist would use a digital model of the patient's teeth to design a series of aligners. For each aligner, the software would determine the optimal shape and location of the bite adjustment structures to achieve the desired tooth movement and bite correction for that specific stage. The aligners, including the integrated bite adjustment features , are then manufactured using a process like vacuum forming, ensuring that the structures are made of the same material as the aligner itself.
This approach differs from prior solutions by eliminating the need for separate, bonded attachments. The integrated bite adjustment structures offer a more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing experience for the patient. Furthermore, the ability to customize the shape and location of these structures for each stage of treatment allows for more precise control over the forces applied to the teeth, potentially leading to more efficient and predictable orthodontic outcomes. The planar surfaces of the bite adjustment structures allow for controlled sliding contact with opposing teeth, further refining the force application.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the early 2010s when ’616 was filed, orthodontic treatments commonly relied on physical appliances to apply controlled forces to teeth for repositioning. At a time when aligners were typically implemented using transparent materials for aesthetic reasons, systems commonly relied on iterative adjustments of these appliances to achieve the desired tooth configuration. Hardware or software constraints made precise, treatment-plan-specific adjustments to the aligners non-trivial.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner approved the application because the prior art failed to teach or suggest a system of appliances with planar surface bite adjustment structures. These structures have an edge where they meet a tooth-receiving cavity, and the edges are located at a specific distance from an incisal surface of the respective first cavity. Furthermore, the distance of the edge to the incisal surface changes for the series of appliances, in combination with other claim limitations.
Claims
This patent contains 26 claims, with independent claims numbered 1, 12, and 20. The independent claims are directed to systems that include a series of appliances for incrementally implementing a treatment plan using bite adjustment structures. The dependent claims generally add further details and limitations to the features described in the independent claims.
Key Claim Terms New
Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.
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Date
Description
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US10980616
- Application Number
- US16425845
- Filing Date
- May 29, 2019
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Feb 21, 2034
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents