Method for manufacturing dental implant components
Inventors
Suttin, Zachary B. • Powell, Theodore M • Amber, John T • Berckmans, III, Bruce
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11897201-B2
Publication Date
2024-02-13
Expiration Date
Abstract
A method for making a rapid prototype of a patient's mouth to be used in the design and fabrication of a dental prosthesis. The method takes an impression of a mouth including a first installation site having a dental implant installed in the first installation site and a gingival healing abutment having at least one informational marker attached to the dental implant. A stone model is prepared based on the impression, including teeth models and model markers indicative of the at least one informational marker. The model is scanned. Scan data is generated from the scanning. The scan data is transferred to a CAD program. A three-dimensional model of the installation site is created in the CAD program. The at least one informational marker is determined to gather information for manufacturing the rapid prototype. Rapid prototype dimensional information is developed. The rapid prototype dimensional information is transferred to a rapid prototyping machine which fabricate a rapid prototype of the patient's dentition as well as a dental implant analog position.
Core Innovation
The invention describes a method of creating a three-dimensional virtual model of a patient's mouth by receiving scan data from the patient's mouth. The scan data includes at least an attachment member attached to an implant installed in the patient's mouth at an installation site, where the attachment member includes at least one informational marker for identifying physical characteristics of the attachment member.
Using the scan data, a three-dimensional virtual model of the installation site is created that includes a virtual attachment member corresponding to the attachment member in the patient's mouth. Information is determined from the at least one informational marker, and a modified three-dimensional virtual model is formed based on that information by replacing the virtual attachment member with at least one of an implant analog receptacle, a three-dimensional model of a portion of an implant analog, and a three-dimensional model of a portion of a dental restoration.
In the described implementations, the attachment member can be a gingival healing abutment and the virtual installation-site model can include virtual soft tissue elements. The informational markers are used to determine characteristics of the attachment member and support modification of the virtual model so that it can be used to develop a custom dental prosthesis, including replacing the virtual healing abutment with implant analog receptacles and/or three-dimensional portions of an implant analog or a dental restoration.
Claims Coverage
The partial content contains three independent claims (one method, one system, and one non-transitory computer-readable medium) covering the same core workflow of scan-data acquisition, marker-based information determination, and modified three-dimensional model formation by replacement of a virtual attachment member with implant-analog and/or restoration components. Across the independent claims, the inventive features revolve around informational markers on an attachment member attached to an installed implant and using those marker-derived physical-characteristic information to modify an installation-site virtual model through specific replacement targets.
Informational markers on a scanned attachment member
Receiving scan data from a patient's mouth, the scan data including at least an attachment member attached to an implant installed in the patient's mouth at an installation site, the attachment member including at least one informational marker for identifying physical characteristics of the attachment member.
Marker-based determination and virtual attachment member replacement
Creating a three-dimensional virtual model of the installation site including a virtual attachment member using the scan data, the virtual attachment member corresponding to the attachment member in the patient's mouth; determining information from the at least one informational marker; and forming, based on the information, a modified three-dimensional virtual model by replacing the virtual attachment member with at least one of: (i) an implant analog receptacle, (ii) a three-dimensional model of a portion of an implant analog, and (iii) a three-dimensional model of a portion of a dental restoration.
Virtual healing abutment model for custom dental prosthesis development
Receiving scan data from a patients mouth, the scan data including at least a healing abutment attached to an implant installed in the patient's mouth at an installation site, the healing abutment including at least one informational marker for identifying physical characteristics of the healing abutment; creating a three-dimensional model of the installation site including a virtual healing abutment corresponding to the healing abutment in the patient's mouth; determining information from the at least one informational marker about the healing abutment; and forming, based on the information, a modified three-dimensional model to be used to develop a custom dental prosthesis, wherein the modified three-dimensional model has the virtual healing abutment replaced with one of: (i) an implant analog receptacle, (ii) a three-dimensional model of a portion of an implant analog, and (iii) a three-dimensional model of a portion of a dental restoration.
Processor-executable system performing marker-driven model modification
A system comprising at least one processor and a storage device comprising instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor configure the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: receiving scan data from a patient's mouth including an attachment member attached to an implant installed in the patient's mouth at an installation site, the attachment member including at least one informational marker for identifying physical characteristics of the attachment member; creating a three-dimensional model of the installation site including a virtual attachment member using the scan data; determining information from the at least one informational marker; and forming, based on the information, a modified three-dimensional model by replacing the virtual attachment member with at least one of: (i) an implant analog receptacle, (ii) a three-dimensional model of a portion of an implant analog, and (iii) a three-dimensional model of a portion of a dental restoration.
Overall claim coverage centers on using scan data that includes an implant attachment member with at least one informational marker, converting that into a corresponding virtual attachment member within a three-dimensional installation-site model, determining information from the informational marker, and then modifying the virtual model by replacing the virtual attachment member with an implant analog receptacle and/or three-dimensional portions of an implant analog and/or a dental restoration, including for developing a custom dental prosthesis in the healing-abutment variant.
Stated Advantages
Enables accurate positioning of implant analogs for a dental laboratory model/rapid prototype by using a modified CAD model rather than relying on additional modeling steps described in the partial content.
Avoids creating a second stone model/surgical index by removing the need for removing healing abutments as described in the partial content.
Reduces the need to remove healing abutments as described in the partial content.
Improves prosthesis accuracy as described in the partial content.
Documented Applications
Developing a dental laboratory model/rapid prototype by modifying a scanned installation-site 3-D CAD model to replace a virtual attachment member with implant analog receptacles or implant analog portions.
Developing a custom dental prosthesis using a modified three-dimensional model where a virtual healing abutment is replaced with an implant analog receptacle and/or a portion of an implant analog and/or a portion of a dental restoration.
Using marker-based virtual modeling with imaging approaches such as CT scan, intraoral scanning, and ultrasonic scan as described in the partial content.
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