Patent ID: 8142187
Filing Date: 2012-03-27
Classification: A61C

Abstract:
1. A method of determining one or more recommended starting points for inserting a virtual target custom arch wire into a set of virtual brackets, comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining a model of a set of virtual of brackets placed up on the virtual teeth of a patient in a jaw in an initial state; (b) obtaining a virtual model of a target custom arch wire designed to be inserted into said virtual brackets; wherein said custom arch wire comprises alternating sequence of straight segments and bent segments; wherein each of said straight segments is designated to be inserted into the slot of a specific virtual bracket from said set of virtual brackets; (c) selecting a virtual bracket from said set of virtual brackets as a starting point; (d) inserting the designated straight segment of said target custom arch wire into the slot of said starting point virtual bracket; (d) inserting said target custom arch wire successively into the slot of each of said virtual brackets remaining from said set of virtual brackets first on one side of said starting point virtual bracket and then the other side; wherein if at least one bent segment or a portion thereof is unavoidably inserted into a bracket slot, then the arch wire insertion is identified as having collision; and otherwise collision-free; (e) finding the total length of said straight segments; (f) repeating steps (c)-(f) until each of the virtual brackets from said set of virtual brackets has been considered as a starting point virtual bracket; and (g) selecting one or more of said starting point virtual brackets having collision-free arch wire insertion and minimal total length of straight segments as recommended starting points for arch wire insertion; wherein step (d) further comprises optimizing said target arch wire if a collision is detected during step (d); wherein said step of optimizing said target custom arch wire comprises modifying the length of the straight segment so as attempt to remove said collision.