Oral appliance for delivery of medicaments and/or other substances
Inventors
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-9089388-B2
Publication Date
2015-07-28
Expiration Date
Abstract
An oral appliance is provided for delivering a medicament to at least a portion of teeth and/or soft tissue areas inside a mouth. The oral appliance contains an interior surface having a medicament disposed in or on at least a portion of and/or the entire interior surface of the oral appliance. The interior surface of the oral cavity is formed to fit contours of at least the portion of the teeth and/or soft tissue areas inside the oral cavity and is configured for holding the medicament in contact with at least the portion of the teeth and/or soft tissue areas inside the oral cavity to deliver the medicament to strategic areas in need of treatment. In some embodiments, computer, network and computer readable storage media are provided.
Core Innovation
The invention is a computer implemented method of producing an oral appliance containing at least one medicament using a computer. The method generates first digital data representing a first virtual layer overlying and conforming to a Base Image, where the Base Image is a digitally stored topography of an oral cavity produced by an imaging device. The method also generates second digital data by performing digital segmentation defining at least one treatment surface area including discrete regions of the oral cavity in need of treatment.
A second virtual layer is represented as circumscribed by the at least one treatment surface area and including a volume extending into the topography. The first digital data and the second digital data are combined to form third digital data representing the first virtual layer with the second virtual layer added onto the surface, and the third digital data is configured to direct a 3D printer. The treatment surface comprises discrete regions where at least one medicament is to be placed.
The method includes directing the 3D printer to produce the oral appliance containing the at least one medicament. In related independent subject matter, the invention extends to producing an oral appliance containing at least one medicament or at least a tissue for grafting by creating a virtual 3D oral appliance from combined Dig1/Dig2/Dig3, displaying it on a computer screen using a user interface, performing interactive treatment plans to select the medicament or grafting tissue for target areas, and then directing the 3D printer.
The invention further covers computer systems and network based computer systems that implement the generation of Dig1, Dig2, and Dig3, including user interface and network functionality.
Claims Coverage
The provided set includes four independent claims. Across these, the coverage centers on generating Dig1/Dig2/Dig3 from an imaged Base Image, defining segmented treatment surface areas, combining digital layers configured to direct a 3D printer, and producing an oral appliance containing at least one medicament, with additional system/network and interactive treatment-plan elements.
Generating first digital data representing a first virtual layer conforming to a Base Image
Generating first digital data representing a first virtual layer overlying and conforming to a Base Image which is a digitally stored topography of an oral cavity produced by an imaging device.
Digital segmentation defining a second virtual layer circumscribed by treatment surface area
Generating a second digital data from the Base Image by performing a digital segmentation defining at least one treatment surface area including discrete regions of the oral cavity in need of treatment, and producing said second digital data so as to represent a second virtual layer circumscribed by said at least one treatment surface area and including a volume extending into said topography.
Combining Dig1 and Dig2 into Dig3 configured to direct a 3D printer
Combining the first digital data (Dig1) and the second digital data (Dig2) to form third digital data (Dig3) representing said first virtual layer having a surface with said at least one second virtual layer added onto the surface and being configured to direct a 3D printer.
Directing a 3D printer to produce an oral appliance with medicament
Directing the 3D printer to produce the oral appliance containing the at least one medicament.
Interactive treatment plans to select medicament or grafting tissue for target areas
Performing interactive treatment plans including the selection of the at least one medicament or the at least a tissue for grafting for disposing at target areas of the patient's oral cavity.
Creating a virtual 3D oral appliance and displaying it using a user interface
Creating a virtual 3D oral appliance containing the at least one medicament or at the least a tissue for grafting from the third digital image (dig3), displaying the virtual 3D oral appliance on a computer screen using a user interface.
Computer logic generating Dig1, Dig2, and combining into Dig3 to direct a printer
A computer system comprising logic encoded in the computer for generating first digital data (Dig1) representing a first layer overlying and conforming to a Base Image, generating second digital data (Dig2) by performing a digital segmentation defining at least one treatment surface area, and combining the first digital data and the second digital data to form third digital data (Dig3) configured to direct a 3D printer to produce the oral appliance containing the at least one medicament.
Network based generation of Dig1, Dig2, and combining into Dig3
A network based computer system comprising logic encoded in the network for generating first digital data representing at least a portion of the teeth and/or soft tissues areas of the oral cavity of a patient, logic encoded in the network for generating second digital data (Dig2) by performing a digital segmentation defining at least one treatment surface area, and logic encoded in the network for combining the first digital data and the second digital data to form third digital data (Dig3) configured to direct a 3D printer to produce the oral appliance containing the at least one medicament.
Across the independent claims, the inventive concept is the computer implemented generation and combination of first and second virtual layers derived from a digitally stored Base Image and segmented treatment surface areas, producing third digital data configured to direct a 3D printer to manufacture an oral appliance containing at least one medicament, with further coverage for interactive treatment planning for selecting medicament or grafting tissue and for computer and network-based system implementations that generate and combine Dig1/Dig2/Dig3.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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