Patent ID: 6532299
Filing Date: 2003-03-11
Classification: A61C,A61F,B33Y

Abstract:
A method of fabricating a dental or orthodontic appliance for a patient, comprising the steps of:(a) manually scanning an oral structure of a patient with a reference-independent, hand-held scanner, said reference-independent hand-held scanner obtaining a series of overlapping images of a projection pattern reflected off of said oral structure; (b) converting said series of images into three-dimensional frames; (c) automatically determining X and Y coordinates of a potential entry point into a registration algorithm based on a two dimensional analysis of at least two of said images or said frames and attempting registering three-dimensional frames from said images to one another; (d) in the event that registration in step (c) is not successful, automatically testing other pentential entry points into a registration algorithm and attempting registering three-dimensional frames from said images to one another; (e) storing a three-dimensional model representing scan data as a result of the registration in step c) or step d); (f) transmitting said scan data to a first remote location; and (g) designing with a computer an orthodontic or prosthetic device for the patient at said remote location; and (h) fabricating said orthodontic or prosthetic device and shipping said orthodontic or prosthetic device to a treatment location for treatment of said patient.