Patent ID: 9668834
Date: 2017-06-06
CPC Classifications: A61C,G16H

Claim:
1. A method for developing a patient-specific prosthesis to be coupled to an implant installed in a mouth of a patient, the method comprising: scanning a scanning member that is attached to the implant to obtain scan data, the scanning member having a top surface with a first code thereon, the first code being indicative of a first size of the scanning member and an orientation of a non-rotational fitting of the scanning member; from the scan data, creating a virtual three-dimensional model of the mouth, the virtual three-dimensional model including a virtual scanning member with a first virtual code thereon, the first virtual code corresponding to the first code on the scanning member attached to the implant in the mouth of the patient; obtaining, from the virtual three-dimensional model, the first virtual code associated with the virtual scanning member; based on a scanning-member library, determining the first size of the scanning member from the first virtual code, wherein the scanning-member library correlates the first virtual code indicative of the first size that corresponds to the first code, wherein the scanning-member library includes a second virtual code different from the first virtual code, the second virtual code indicative of a second size that corresponds to a second code different from the first code, wherein the second size is the same as the first size; based on the first virtual code, determining the orientation of the non-rotational fitting of the scanning member; replacing the virtual scanning member in the virtual three-dimensional model with a virtual proxy abutment to create a modified virtual three-dimensional model, the virtual proxy abutment having known characteristics for determining a location and an orientation for the patient-specific prosthesis to be attached to the implant; designing, by use of the virtual proxy abutment, the patient-specific prosthesis to be coupled to the implant in the mouth of the patient; and fabricating the patient-specific prosthesis to be coupled to the implant in the mouth of the patient.