Patent ID: 11890157
Assignee: LIGHTFORCE ORTHODONTICS, INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A  B  C  G  Y | IPC A  B  G

Claim 0:
1. A method of manufacturing at least one ceramic clear aligner attachment by additive manufacturing, said method comprising:
accessing dentition data of a profile of teeth of a patient;
based on the dentition data, creating a three dimensional computer-assisted design model of the patient's teeth, and saving the three dimensional computer-assisted design model;
designing a three dimensional computer-assisted design structure model for the at least one ceramic clear aligner attachment, wherein the at least one ceramic clear aligner attachment comprises:
a base for attachment to a tooth of the patient, wherein the base comprises four edges around a surface of the base, comprising:
a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge;
a third edge and a fourth edge opposite the third edge; and
wherein the surface of the base comprises a first side and a second side, wherein:
the first side includes the third edge and a first portion of the first edge adjacent the third edge and a first portion of the second edge adjacent the third edge; and
the second side comprises the fourth edge and a second portion of the first edge adjacent the fourth edge and a second portion of the second edge adjacent the fourth edge;
a first retaining edge at the first side of the base, wherein:
the first retaining edge comprises a first surface that extends upwards from the first portion of the first edge of the base to a first top of the first surface;
a first back surface of the first retaining edge extends from the first top of the first surface downwards towards the first portion of the second edge of the base; and
the first surface comprises a first angle relative to the base; and
a second retaining edge at the second side of the base, wherein:
the second retaining edge comprises a second surface that extends from the second portion of the second edge of the base to a second top of the second surface;
a second back surface of the second retaining edge extends from the second top of the second surface downwards towards the second portion of the first edge of the base; and
the second surface comprises a second angle relative to the base, such that the first and second retaining edges can be subject to different forces by a clear aligner;
importing data related to the three dimensional computer-assisted design of the at least one ceramic clear aligner attachment structure model into a ceramic slurry-based additive manufacturing machine; and
directly producing the at least one ceramic clear aligner attachment in the ceramic slurry-based additive manufacturing machine by layer manufacturing, wherein the at least one ceramic clear aligner attachment includes the base, the first retaining edge, and the second retaining edge, wherein the at least one ceramic clear aligner attachment is configured to be delivered by an indirect bonding method to the patient's tooth.