Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7905725?dq=7800613
Timestamp: 2014-07-11 00:24:39
Document Index: 541849704

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 60', 'art 120', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 2', 'art 1', 'art 2']

Patent US7905725 - Clinician review of an orthodontic treatment plan and appliance - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign in<nobr>Advanced Patent Search</nobr>PatentsA computer is used to create a plan for repositioning an orthodontic patient's teeth. The computer receives an initial digital data set representing the patient's teeth at their initial positions and a final digital data set representing the teeth at their final positions. The computer then uses the...http://www.google.com/patents/US7905725?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7905725 - Clinician review of an orthodontic treatment plan and applianceAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7905725 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 11/981,666Publication dateMar 15, 2011Filing dateOct 31, 2007Priority dateJun 20, 1997Also published asCA2346299A1, EP1119309A1, EP1119309A4, EP2289458A2, US20080248443, US20110184762, WO2000019929A1, WO2000019929A9Publication number11981666, 981666, US 7905725 B2, US 7905725B2, US-B2-7905725, US7905725 B2, US7905725B2InventorsMuhammad Chishti, Andrew Beers, Huafeng Wen, Phillips Alexander BentonOriginal AssigneeAlign Technology, Inc.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (100), Non-Patent Citations (153), Referenced by (2), Classifications (16) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetClinician review of an orthodontic treatment plan and applianceUS 7905725 B2Abstract A computer is used to create a plan for repositioning an orthodontic patient's teeth. The computer receives an initial digital data set representing the patient's teeth at their initial positions and a final digital data set representing the teeth at their final positions. The computer then uses the data sets to generate treatment paths along which teeth will move from the initial positions to the final positions.
1. A method of providing a custom orthodontic appliance for repositioning teeth of a patient, the method comprising:
providing for display on a computer screen, with interaction by an operator, data of images of the teeth of the patient in suggested post-treatment tooth positions and orientations that are based on three-dimensional information of the shapes of the teeth of the patient;
receiving feedback information on the suggested post-treatment positions and orientations from a person, other than the operator, who has interactively viewed a display of the provided images on the computer screen; and
providing a custom orthodontic shell appliance configured to reposition teeth of the patient based on the suggested tooth positions and orientations in accordance with the feed back information, the shell appliance having cavities shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth.
the person viewing the display of the images is an orthodontic practitioner; and
the feedback information includes information of approval by the orthodontic practitioner of the suggested post-treatment tooth positions and orientations toward which the teeth of the patient are to be moved by the appliance.
the feedback information includes information of a change in position or orientation of at least one tooth from the suggested post-treatment tooth positions and orientations toward which the at least one tooth of the patient is to be moved by the appliance.
providing revised images of the teeth of the patient for redisplay in revised post-treatment tooth positions and orientations based on the suggested tooth positions and orientations as changed in accordance with the feedback information.
5. A method of providing a custom orthodontic appliance configured to the individual anatomy of a patient for repositioning teeth of the patient, the method comprising:
providing for display on a computer screen images of the teeth of the patient in suggested post-treatment tooth positions and orientations that are based on three-dimensional information of the shapes of the teeth of the patient;
receiving feedback information on the suggested post-treatment positions and orientations from a person who has interactively viewed a display of the provided images on a computer screen wherein the feedback information includes one or more of:
information approving at least some of the suggested post-treatment positions and orientations, and
information changing at least one of the suggested post-treatment tooth positions or orientations; and
providing a custom orthodontic shell appliance configured to reposition teeth of the patient based on the suggested post-treatment tooth positions and orientations in accordance with the feedback information, the shell appliance having cavities shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth.
providing revised images of the teeth of the patient in revised post-treatment tooth positions and orientations based on the suggested post-treatment tooth positions and orientations as changed in accordance with the feedback information.
receiving from a person who has viewed a display of the provided revised images feedback information approving the revised post-treatment tooth positions and orientations toward which the teeth of the patient are to be moved by the appliance.
providing the person viewing the display with a capability to enter the feedback information.
the person viewing the display of the images is an orthodontic practitioner.
10. A method of providing a custom orthodontic appliance, configured to the individual anatomy of a patient, for orthodontically repositioning teeth of the patient, the method comprising:
providing digital data of suggested post-treatment tooth positions and orientations of teeth of the patient that are based on three-dimensional information of the shapes of the teeth of the patient;
providing images of teeth of the patient from the digital data, for display on at least one computer screen to an orthodontic practitioner in the suggested post treatment tooth positions and orientations for either (a approval for use in creating a custom orthodontic appliance for the patient or (b revision;
receiving from an orthodontic practitioner, who has interactively viewed on a computer screen a display of the provided images, feedback information approving the suggested post-treatment positions and orientations; and
providing a custom orthodontic shell appliance configured to the individual anatomy of the patient to reposition teeth of the patient based on the suggested post-treatment tooth positions and orientations approved in accordance with the feedback information, the shell appliance having cavities shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the receiving of the feedback information approving the suggested post-treatment positions and orientations for a custom orthodontic appliance for the patient includes:
receiving from an the orthodontic practitioner, who has interactively viewed on a computer screen a display of the provided images, feedback information of revisions to the suggested post-treatment positions and orientations;
providing further images of teeth of the patient based on the three dimensional information, for redisplay on the computer display device to the orthodontic practitioner, in suggested post-treatment tooth positions and orientations that have been changed in accordance with the feedback information of the revisions; and
receiving from the orthodontic practitioner, who has viewed a redisplay of the provided further images on a computer screen, the feedback information approving the suggested post-treatment positions and orientations, as changed in accordance with the feedback information of the revisions.
the providing of digital data of suggested post-treatment tooth positions and orientations of teeth of the patient that are based on three-dimensional information of the shapes of the teeth of the patient includes providing for display on a computer screen, with interaction by an operator, the digital data; and
the orthodontic practitioner who has interactively viewed on a computer screen a display of the provided images is a person other than the operator.
the receiving of feedback information from an orthodontic practitioner approving the suggested post-treatment positions and orientations includes receiving feedback information wherein the feedback information can include either information approving the suggested post-treatment tooth positions and orientations or information modifying at least one of the suggested post-treatment tooth positions or orientations.
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/745,825, filed on Dec. 21, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,474,307, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/169,276, filed on Oct. 8, 1998 now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of PCT Application No. PCT/US98/12861, filed on Jun. 19, 1998, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/947,080, filed on Oct. 8, 1997 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,893), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/050,342, filed on Jun. 20, 1997, the full disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect, the invention relates to the computer-automated creation of a plan for repositioning an orthodontic patient's teeth. A computer receives an initial digital data set representing the patient's teeth at their initial positions and a final digital data set representing the teeth at their final positions. The computer uses the data sets to generate treatment paths along which the teeth will move from the initial positions to the final positions.
FIG. 8B is a flow chart illustrating the steps for performing a �visibility� function.
FIG. 8C is a flow chart illustrating the steps for performing a �children� function.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS Systems and methods are provided for moving teeth incrementally using a plurality of discrete appliances, where each appliance successively moves one or more of the patient's teeth by relatively small amounts. The tooth movements will be those normally associated with orthodontic treatment, including translation in all three orthogonal directions relative to a vertical centerline, rotation of the tooth centerline in the two orthodontic directions (�root angulation� and �torque�), as well as rotation about the centerline.
A slicing mechanism (�cutter�) in the destructive scanning system mills a thin slice (typically between 0.001″ and 0.006″ thick) from the mold, and a positioning arm places the milled surface near an optical scanner. The optical scanner, which may be an off-the-shelf device such as a flatbed scanner or a digital camera, scans the surface to create a 2D image data set representing the surface. The positioning arm then repositions the mold below the cutter, which again mills a thin slice from mold. The resulting output of the destructive scanning system is a 3D image data set, which later is converted into a digital model of surfaces, as described in detail below. A destructive scanning system and the corresponding destructive scanning and data processing are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,648.
The waxbite can also be scanned separately to provide a second set of data about the teeth in the upper and lower arches. In particular, the plaster cast provides a �positive� image of the patient's teeth, from which one set of data is derived, and the waxbite provides a �negative� image of the teeth, from which a second, redundant set of data is derived. The two sets of data can then be matched to form a single data set describing the patient's teeth with increased accuracy and precision. The impression from which the plaster cast was made also can be used instead of or in addition to the waxbite.
Many types of scan data, such as that acquired by an optical scanning system, provide a 3D geometric model (e.g., a triangular surface mesh) of the teeth when acquired. Other scanning techniques, such as the destructive scanning technique described above, provide data in the form of volume elements (�voxels�) that can be converted into a digital geometric model of the tooth surfaces.
FIG. 14 is a flowchart of a process for forming a surface mesh from voxel image data. This approach involves receiving the image data from the destructive scanner (step 1400), processing the data to isolate the object to be modeled (step 1401), and applying a conventional �marching cubes� technique to create a surface mesh of the object (step 1402).
Each set of image data can include images of multiple tooth casts or of a tooth cast and extraneous, �noisy� objects, such as air bubbles in the potting material. The system identifies each object in the image by assigning each voxel a single-bit binary value (e.g., �0� for black and �1� for white) based on the voxel's 8-bit gray scale image value, and then connecting adjacent voxels that have been assigned the same single-bit value. Each group of connected voxels represents one of the objects in the image. The system then isolates the tooth casting to be modeled by masking from the image all objects except the tooth casting of interest. The system removes noise from the masked image data by passing the data through a low-pass filter.
Once a 3D model of the tooth surfaces has been constructed, models of the patient's individual teeth can be derived. In one approach, individual teeth and other components are �cut� to permit individual repositioning or removal of teeth in or from the digital data. After the components are �freed,� a prescription or other written specification provided by the treating professional is followed to reposition the teeth. Alternatively, the teeth may be repositioned based on the visual appearance or based on rules and algorithms programmed into the computer. Once an acceptable final arrangement has been created, the final tooth arrangement is incorporated into a final digital data set (FDDS).
As an initial step, while viewing the three-dimensional image of the patient's jaw, including the teeth, gingivae, and other oral tissue, the user usually deletes structure which is unnecessary for image manipulation and final production of an appliance. These unwanted sections of the model may be removed using an eraser tool to perform a solid modeling subtraction. The tool is represented by a graphic box. The volume to be erased (the dimensions, position, and orientation of the box) are set by the user employing the GUI. Typically, unwanted sections would include extraneous gum area and the base of the originally scanned cast. Another application for this tool is to stimulate the extraction of teeth and the �shaving down� of tooth surfaces. This is necessary when additional space is needed in the jaw for the final positioning of a tooth to be moved. The treating professional may choose to determine which teeth will be shaved and which teeth will be extracted. Shaving allows the patient to maintain teeth when only a small amount of space is needed. Typically, extraction and shaving are used in the treatment planning only when the actual patient teeth are to be extracted or shaved prior to initiating repositioning.
To the user, all changes made to the high resolution model appear to occur simultaneously in the low resolution model, and vice versa. However, there is not a one-to-one correlation between the different resolution models. Therefore, the computer �matches� the high resolution and low resolution components as best as it can subject to defined limits. One process for doing so is described in FIG. 5.
Other feature detection techniques use databases of known cases or statistical information against which a particular 3D image is matched using conventional image pattern matching and data fitting techniques. One such technique, known as �Maximum a posteriori� (MAP), uses prior images to model pixel values corresponding to distinct object types (classes) as independent random variables with normal (Gaussian) distributions whose parameters (mean and variance) are selected empirically. For each class, a histogram profile is created based on a Gaussian distribution with the specified mean and variance. The prior images supply for each pixel and each class the probability that the pixel belongs to the class, a measure which reflects the relative frequency of each class. Applying Bayes' Rule to each class, the pixel values in the input image are scaled according to the prior probabilities, then by the distribution function. The result is a posterior probability that each pixel belongs to each class. The Maximum a posteriori (MAP) approach then selects for each pixel the class with the highest posterior probability as the output of the segmentation.
Another feature detection technique uses automatic detection of tooth cusps. Cusps are pointed projections on the chewing surface of a tooth. In one implementation, cusp detection is performed in two stages: (1) a �detection� stage, during which a set of points on the tooth are determined as candidates for cusp locations; and (2) a �rejection� stage, during which candidates from the set of points are rejected if they do not satisfy a set of criteria associated with cusps.
One process for the �detection� stage is set forth in FIG. 6A. In the detection stage, a possible cusp is viewed as an �island� on the surface of the tooth, with the candidate cusp at the highest point on the island. �Highest� is measured with respect to the coordinate system of the model, but could just as easily be measured with respect to the local coordinate system of each tooth if detection is performed after the cutting phase of treatment.
After the �detection� stage, the cusp detection algorithm proceeds with the �rejection� stage. One process for the �rejection� stage is set forth in FIG. 6B. In this stage, the local geometries around each of cusp candidates are analyzed to determine if they possess �non-cusp-like features.� Cusp candidates that exhibit �non-cusp-like features� are removed from the list of cusp candidates.
Various criteria may be used to identify �non-cusp-like features.� According to one test, the local curvature of the surface around the cusp candidate is used to determine whether the candidate possesses non-cusp-like features. As depicted in FIG. 6B, the local curvature of the surface around the cusp candidate is approximated and then analyzed to determine if it is too large (very pointy surface) or too small (very flat surface), in which case the candidate is removed from the list of cusp candidates. Conservative values are used for the minimum and maximum curvature values to ensure that genuine cusps are not rejected by mistake.
deviation=1−Abs(N�CN),
One tool for use in visualizing the interaction of a patient's upper and lower teeth at the final positions is a computer-implemented �virtual� articulator. The virtual articulator provides a graphical display that simulates the operation of the patient's jaw or the operation of a conventional mechanical articulator attached to a physical model of the patient's teeth. In particular, the virtual articulator orients the digital models of the patient's upper and lower arches in the same manner that the patient's physical arches will be oriented in the patient's mouth at the end of treatment. The articular then moves the arch models through a range of motions that simulate common motions of the human jaw.
An automated system for determining final tooth positions and creating the FDDS is described in the above-mentioned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/169,036. That application describes a computer-implemented process for generating a set of final positions for a patient's teeth. The process involves creating an ideal model of final tooth positions based on �ideal� tooth arrangements, repositioning the individual teeth in a digital model of the patient's teeth to mimic the ideal model, and modeling the motion of the patient's jaw to perfect the final tooth arrangement.
Some methods for manufacturing the tooth repositioning appliances require that the separate, repositioned teeth and other components be unified into a single continuous structure in order to permit manufacturing. In these instances, �wax patches are used to attach otherwise disconnected components of the INTDDS's. These patches are added to the data set underneath the teeth and above the gum so that they do not effect the geometry of the tooth repositioning appliances. The application software provides for a variety of wax patches to be added to the model, including boxes and spheres with adjustable dimensions. The wax patches that are added are treated by the software as additional pieces of geometry, identical to all other geometries. Thus, the wax patches can be repositioned during the treatment path, as can the teeth and other components. One method of separating the teeth using vertical coring, as described above, removes the need for most of these �wax patches�.
Key frames: The user may also specify �key frames� by selecting an intermediate state and making changes to component position(s). In some embodiments, unless instructed otherwise, the software automatically linearly interpolates between all user-specified positions (including the initial position, all key frame positions, and the target position). For example, if only a final position is defined for a particular component, each subsequent stage after the initial stage will simply show the component an equal linear distance and rotation (specified by a quaternion) closer to the final position. If the user specifies two key frames for that component, the component will �move� linearly from the initial position through different stages to the position defined by the first key frame. It will then move, possibly in a different direction, linearly to the position defined by the second key frame. Finally, it will move, possibly in yet a different direction, linearly to the target position.
Orthodontic constraints that may be applied by the path-generating program include the minimum and maximum distances allowed between adjacent teeth at any given time, the maximum linear or rotational velocity at which a tooth should move, the maximum distance over which a tooth should move between treatment steps, the shapes of the teeth, the characteristics of the tissue and bone surrounding the teeth (e.g., ankylose teeth cannot move at all), and the characteristics of the aligner material (e.g., the maximum distance that the aligner can move a given tooth over a given period of time). For example, the patient's age and jaw bone density may dictate certain �safe limits� beyond which the patient's teeth should not forced to move. In general, a gap between two adjacent, relatively vertical and non-tipped central and lateral teeth should not close by more than about 1 mm every seven weeks. The material properties of the orthodontic appliance also limit the amount by which the appliance can move a tooth. For example, conventional retainer materials usually limit individual tooth movement to approximately 0.5 mm between treatment steps. The constraints have default values that apply unless patient-specific values are calculated or provided by a user. Constraint information is available from a variety of sources, including text books and treating clinicians.
Flow chart 120 in FIG. 8A depicts a simplified path scheduling algorithm. As shown in FIG. 8A, first step 122 involves construction of the �configuration space� description. A �configuration,� in this context, refers to a given set of positions of all the teeth being considered for movement. Each of these positions may be described in multiple ways. In a common implementation, the positions are described by one affine transformation to specify change in location and one rotational transformation to specify the change in orientation of a tooth from its initial position to its final position. The intermediate positions of each tooth are described by a pair of numbers which specify how far to interpolate the location and orientation between the two endpoints. A �configuration� thus consists of two numbers for each tooth being moved, and the �configuration space� refers to the space of all such number pairs. Thus, the configuration space is a Cartesian space, any location in which can be interpreted as specifying the positions of all teeth.
The configuration space is made of �free space� and �obstructed space.� �Free� configurations are those which represent valid, physically realizable positions of teeth, while �obstructed� configurations are those which do not. To determine whether a configuration is free or obstructed, a model is created for the positions of the teeth which the configuration describes. A collision detection algorithm is then applied to determine if any of the geometries describing the tooth surfaces intersect. If there are no obstructions, the space is considered free; otherwise it is obstructed. Suitable collision detection algorithms are discussed in more detail below.
At step 124, a �visibility� function V(si, s2) is defined which takes two vectors in the configuration space, �s1� and �s2�, as input and returns a true or false boolean value. The visibility function returns a true value if and only if a straight line path connecting s1 and s2 passes entirely through a free and unobstructed region of the configuration space. One process for carrying out the visibility function is set forth in FIG. 8B. The visibility function is approximately computed by testing the teeth model for interferences at discretely sampled points along the line s1-s2. Techniques such as early termination on failure and choosing the order of sample points by recursively subdividing the interval to be tested, may be used to increase the efficiency of the visibility function.
At step 126 of FIG. 8A, a �children� function C(s) is defined whose input parameter, �s�, is a vector in the configuration space and which returns a set of vectors �sc� in the configuration space. FIG. 8C depicts a simplified flow chart illustrating the steps followed for computing children function C(s). Each vector within set sc satisfies the property that V(s, sc) is true and that each of its components are greater than or equal to the corresponding component of �s.� This implies that any state represented by such a vector is reachable from �s� without encountering any interferences and without performing any motion which is not in the direction prescribed by treatment. Each vector of set �sc� is created by perturbing each component of �s� by some random, positive amount. The visibility function V(s, sc) is then computed and �s� added to the set �sc� if the visibility function returns a true boolean value. Additionally, for each such vector generated, a pointer to its parent �s� is recorded for later use.
After the configuration space has been defined, at step 128, path scheduling is performed between an initial state �sinit� and a final state �Sfinal�. FIG. 8D depicts a flow chart for performing step 128 depicted in FIG. 8A. As illustrated in FIG. 8D, at step 128 a, a set of states �W� is defined to initially contain only the initial state sinit. Next, at step 128 b, the visibility function is invoked to determine if V(s, Sfinal) is true for at least one state si in W. If the visibility function returns a false boolean value, at step 128 c, the set of states �W� is replaced with the union of C(si) for all si in W. Steps 128 b and 128 c are repeated until V(si, Sfinal) returns a true boolean value for any si belonging to W.
Moreover, the triangles in the model which are not required for collision data may also be specifically excluded from consideration when building an OBB tree. As depicted in FIG. 9C, additional information is provided to the collision algorithm to specify objects in motion. Motion may be viewed at two levels. Objects may be conceptualized as �moving� in a global sense, or they may be conceptualized as �moving� relative to other objects. The additional information improves the time taken for the collision detection by avoiding recomputation of collision information between objects which are at rest relative to each other since the state of the collision between such objects does not change.
FIG. 18 illustrates an alternative collision detection scheme, one which calculates a �collision buffer� oriented along a z-axis 1802 along which two teeth 1804, 1806 lie. The collision buffer is calculated for each treatment step or at each position along a treatment path for which collision detection is required. To create the buffer, an x,y plane 1808 is defined between the teeth 1804, 1806. The plane must be �neutral� with respect to the two teeth. Ideally, the neutral plane is positioned so that it does not intersect either tooth. If intersection with one or both teeth is inevitable, the neutral plane is oriented such that the teeth lie, as much as possible, on opposite sides of the plane. In other words, the neutral plane minimizes the amount of each tooth's surface area that lies on the same side of the plane as the other tooth.
Because the data file contains a large amount of data, the download software in the remote host employs a �level-of-detail� technique to organize the download into data groups with progressively increasing levels of detail, as described below. The viewer program uses knowledge of orthodontic relevance to render less important areas of the image at a lower quality than it renders the more important areas. Use of these techniques reduces the time required to generate a single rendered image of the tooth models and the time required to display a rendered image on the screen after the download has begun.
FIGS. 21A and 21B illustrate the use of the �level-of-detail� technique by the download software in the remote host. The software transfers the data in several groups, each of which adds detail incrementally for the rendered image of the teeth. The first group typically includes just enough data to render a rough polygon representation of the patient's teeth. For example, if a tooth is treated as a cube having six faces, the tooth can be rendered quickly as a diamond 2100 having six points 2102 a-f, one lying in each face of the cube (FIG. 21A). The download software begins the download by delivering a few points for each tooth, which the interface program uses to render polygon representations of the teeth immediately.
The viewer program also includes an animation routine that provides a series of images showing the positions of the teeth at each intermediate step along the treatment path. The clinician controls the animation routine through a VCR metaphor, which provides control buttons similar to those on a conventional video cassette recorder. In particular, the VCR metaphor includes a �play� button 2006 that, when selected, causes the animation routine to step through all of the images along the treatment path. A slide bar 2008 moves horizontally a predetermined distance with each successive image displayed. Each position of the slide bar 2008 and each image in the series corresponds to one of the intermediate treatment steps described above.
The VCR metaphor also includes a �step forward� button 2010 and a �step back� button 2012, which allow the clinician to step forward or backward through the series of images, one key frame or treatment step at a time, as well as a �fast forward� button 2014 and a �fast back� button 2016, which allow the clinician to jump immediately to the final image 2004 or initial image 2002, respectively. The clinician also can step immediately to any image in the series by positioning the slide bar 2008 at the appropriate location.
Another feature of the viewer program allows the clinician to receive information about a specific tooth or a specific part of the model upon command, e.g., by selecting the area of interest with a mouse. The types of information available include tooth type, distance between adjacent teeth, and forces (magnitudes and directions) exerted on the teeth by the aligner or by other teeth. Finite element analysis techniques are used to calculate the forces exerted on the teeth. The clinician also can request graphical displays of certain information, such as a plot of the forces exerted on a tooth throughout the course of treatment or a chart showing the movements that a tooth will make between steps on the treatment path. The viewer program also optionally includes �virtual calipers,� a graphical tool that allows the clinician to select two points on the rendered image and receive a display indicating the distance between the points.
FIG. 11 is a simplified block diagram of a data processing system 300 that may be used to develop orthodontic treatment plans. The data processing system 300 typically includes at least one processor 302 which communicates with a number of peripheral devices via bus subsystem 304. These peripheral devices typically include a storage subsystem 306 (memory subsystem 308 and file storage subsystem 314), a set of user interface input and output devices 318, and an interface to outside networks 316, including the public switched telephone network. This interface is shown schematically as �Modems and Network Interface� block 316, and is coupled to corresponding interface devices in other data processing systems via communication network interface 324. Data processing system 300 could be a terminal or a low-end personal computer or a high-end personal computer, workstation or mainframe.
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Concept and Implementation of Transparent Silicone Resin (Orthocon)," Nippon Dental Review, 452:61-74 (Jun. 1980).Referenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS8026943Feb 6, 2008Sep 27, 2011Institut Straumann AgSurface mapping and generating devices and methods for surface mapping and surface generationUS20130204583 *Feb 2, 2012Aug 8, 2013Align Technology, Inc.Identifying forces on a tooth* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification433/24International ClassificationA61C7/00, G06Q50/00, A61C3/00, A61B5/055, A61C9/00, G06T1/00, A61C19/00Cooperative ClassificationA61C7/002, A61C9/0053, A61C7/00, A61C9/00, G06Q50/24European ClassificationA61C9/00, A61C7/00, G06Q50/24RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google