Patent Application
20240339213
The present invention relates to an arrangement of at least one orthodontic treatment planning software to create a treatment plan installed on at least one server and at least one local client in the form of a plug-in running on a processing unit of a local computer or a mobile device, whereby the local computer or mobile device and the at least one server are in signal-conducting data connection or can be brought into a signal-conducting data connection. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a web browser-based or app-based method for visualizing at least one three-dimensional virtual model of at least part of a dentition by means of such an arrangement. Moreover, the present invention relates to a computer program product and a computer-readable medium.
A server comprising an orthodontic treatment planning software is shown by prior art document U.S. Pat. No. 8,260,591 B2, whereby a user—a lab staff or a doctor—can manipulate a three-dimensional virtual model in order to generate a treatment plan that is used by a doctor to treat a patient's orthodontic condition.
A disadvantage of the prior art is that this system is connected to a particular treatment planning software and hence uses an algorithm limited to this specific treatment planning software. Moreover, if a user wants to display the three-dimensional virtual model, the user needs to access the whole functionality of the system since the system comprises the treatment planning software to generate an adapted treatment plan by means of the three-dimensional virtual model. Furthermore, treatment planning software need a high amount of processing power as well as a high reliability to ensure a required quality of the treatment plan to be generated.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement as well as a web browser-based or app-based method for visualizing at least one three-dimensional virtual model of at least part of a dentition that are appropriate to eliminate at least some of the disadvantages of the prior art, are particularly flexible, use resources such as processing power efficiently and/or are applicable to a broad field of application or rather various input files and/or ensure a high quality of desired treatment plans.
The object of the present invention is accomplished by a method and arrangement of at least one orthodontic treatment planning software (1) to create a treatment plan (15) installed on at least one server (2) and at least one local client (3) in the form of a plug-in running on a processing unit (30) of a local computer (4) or a mobile device (5), whereby the local computer (4) or mobile device (5) and the at least one server (2) are in signal-conducting data connection (6) or can be brought into a signal-conducting data connection (6), wherein:
By means of the transmission of the at least one digital data record, the arrangement enables a doctor to communicate a desired treatment plan or approve a specific treatment plan, whereby the doctor is able to display the required information like the treatment plan or the three-dimensional virtual model resource-saving on devices with low processing power without affecting the quality of the treatment plan (which is essential for required quality standards especially in the field of orthodontics of example). Moreover, the doctor can consider the proposed treatment plan visually in a user-friendly way remotely from the at least one server that comprises the treatment planning software, whereby the number of servers is in general arbitrary and the local client can communicate with all servers or rather all treatment plans of these servers by means of the second data transmission interface. It is also possible that a doctor guides a trained staff to generate a desired treatment plan within the at least one server.
The information of the at least one digital data record is in general arbitrary and can comprise comments, desired amendments of the treatment plan or rather particular tooth movement steps of the treatment plan or modified three-dimensional virtual models for the use within the at least one treatment planning software. An information for a lab—which supervises the treatment plans—that the proposed treatment plan is a proved by the doctor can be sufficient as well. By the at least one digital data record, a guarantee can be ensured that the treatment plan that finally is used for a treatment of a patient's dentition is at least double-checked.
The lab can adapt the treatment plan according to a doctor's wishes by means of the treatment planning software of the at least one server without requiring the doctor to install or enter a treatment planning software at all by simultaneously meet predefined quality benchmarks which are required to treat a patient appropriate and/or save resources at the doctor's end.
More the at least one server can use a higher amount of computational power and less-complex and/or expensive devices for the local client can be used to visualize all relevant information for the doctor, whereby the doctor can nevertheless compare and change the at least one three-dimensional virtual model inside the viewer by means of a plug-in of the local client. After checking and/or manipulating the information provided by the at least one server, a final sign off and/or modification of the treatment plan through the lab by creating the corresponding treatment plan or approving the treatment plan is possible.
The arrangement ensures an open-ended solution which is independent of the specific treatment planning software and in particular of input digital data records and/or digital data records that are uploaded or exported by the local client. Hence, the stand-alone web browser-based or app-based treatment plan viewer of the local client can be provided to and interact with a wide variety of different servers and/or treatment planning software, which constitutes a particular flexible, user-friendly and simple to adjust system or rather arrangement.
Due to the fact, that a plurality of different treatment planning software and servers for processing the data records or rather file formats exist with respect to treatment plans, the procedure to interpret the individual file formats as well as the communication between the specific systems is cumbersome and error-prone. Moreover, an applicability of viewers connected to treatment planning software are limited to a finite number of systems or rather the related connections points between the systems. Furthermore, a conversion of the viewer is complex as well as problematic with respect to an appropriate processing of the sensible data to treat a patient and is difficult to adapt. However, the stand-alone web browser-based or app-based treatment plan viewer is configured to work as an interpreter between the local computer or mobile device and the various systems with their own different treatment planning software such that various input digital data records can be processed and digital data records can be exported to be used with these different systems.
The processing unit can be designed for example in the form of a processor comprised by a mobile device like a smartphone, a table, a notebook, a computer or like that for processing input digital data records and/or for visualization the at least one three-dimensional virtual model of the at least part of the dentition and/or the at least one input digital data record comprising the treatment plan by means of a monitor for instance. The processing unit can further cause the local computer or the mobile device to export the at least one digital data record.
Stand-alone web browser-based or app-based treatment plan viewer means in this context that the viewer does not comprise a treatment planning software on it's own and is in general not limited to a specific treatment planning software of the at least one server. Thus, STL files or OBJ files of a variety of different treatment planning software can be uploaded as an input for the viewer to export the at least one digital data record for the at least one server, whereby occlusal states can be visualized and adapted virtually to a desired state for a treatment plan to adjust a given orthodontic condition within the local client.
The stand-alone web browser-based or app-based treatment plan viewer can be provided for example in the form of an app or within a web-browser which allows a user to display a photorealistic tooth model of the three-dimensional virtual model of various movement steps of a treatment plan for the at least part of the dentition, whereby movement steps of the treatment plan can be visualized in the form of a tooth/teeth movement table for instance.
The plug-in can be implemented for example by use of protocols like FTP, SMTP and/or HTTP (for checking, transferring and/or translating digital data records), whereby it is particularly preferred provided that the plug-in acts as an interface between data transmission protocols of the local computer or mobile device and the at least one server using for example TCP/IP and/or UDP. It is particularly provided that the plug-in itself comprises at least one data transmission protocol for communication with data transmission protocols of the local computer or mobile device and the at least one server.
As stated above, protection is also sought after a web browser-based or app-based method for visualizing at least one three-dimensional virtual model of at least part of a dentition by means of such an arrangement, whereby the following steps are performed:
As stated above, protection is also sought after a computer program product, which, when the program is executed by a processing unit, causes the processing unit to carry out such a method.
As stated above, protection is also sought after a, particular non-volatile, computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to carry out such a method.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention are defined in the dependent claims. Features of the arrangement claims are applicable with respect to the web browser-based or app-based method claims and vice versa.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that the at least one client is
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that the at least one client is configured to facilitate a user of the at least one client to approve the treatment plan or the at least one three-dimensional virtual model and/or to generate a desired treatment plan by adding notes to the treatment plan and/or
It is particularly preferred provided that the at least one digital data record comprises supplementary information of the at least part of the dentition, a virtual representation of a desired orthodontic condition and/or a desired treatment plan, whereby it is particularly preferred that the at least one digital data record is in the form of an OBJ file, an STL file, a CAD file and/or a CSV file.
Supplementary information can comprise information about the at least part of the dentition of interest like temporal steps of a proposed movement, patient's information and/or structural data with respect to the at least part of the dentition like segmented entities as teeth, gingiva or attachments—in particular together with their location to one another—for instance which can be identified by the local client. The local client can generate desired modification which can be notes for or within the treatment plan, comments, amended virtual representations for a desired change with respect to an improved treatment of the patient, screenshots of three-dimensional virtual models et cetera.
It is particularly preferred provided that the at least one client is configured to upload at least one input digital data record, particularly preferred an OBJ file, an STL file, a CAD file and/or a CSV file, for visualizing the at least one visual representation of the at least one three-dimensional virtual model and/or at least one treatment plan of the at least part of the dentition, whereby it is particularly preferred that the at least one client is configured to simultaneously upload a plurality of input digital data records, whereby each input digital data record comprises information about a movement step of a treatment plan of the at least part of the dentition.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that the at least one digital data record and/or the at least one input digital data record comprises supplementary information of the at least part of the dentition, preferably in the form of an intraoral scan, a scan, an x-ray, a photograph, patient data, user comments, a number of trays, comments on interproximal reductions, a number or a location of attachments and/or a number of steps of the treatment plan.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that the at least one client is configured to
It is particularly preferred provided that the at least one client is configured to move and/or rotate the at least one virtual representation and to modify the at least one three-dimensional virtual model, particularly preferred by moving at least one tooth relative to at least one other tooth and/or gingiva and/or by locating at least one attachment to at least one tooth.
It is particularly preferred provided that the at least one virtual representation includes at least one attachment based on a treatment plan, measurements of at least one tooth and/or movement steps based on a treatment plan.
In a preferred embodiment of the arrangement and the method, it is provided that the at least one client comprises
A treatment plan is a plan which comprises consecutive steps to move an orthodontic condition into a subsequent desired orthodontic condition—for example in the form of a table that is used for a treatment with an orthodontic appliance like an orthodontic aligner. To ensure that the viewer is independent from a particular treatment planning software, an improved process of uploading the STL or OBJ files that are usually inputted in the treatment planning software in a specific form adapted to the individual treatment planning software can be used.
In general, for each tooth movement step of the treatment plan one STL file or OBJ file has to be inputted iteratively for the treatment planning software and processed by the at least one server, whereby by means of the viewer it is possible to upload multiple STL files and/or OBJ files—generated by at least one treatment planning software—simultaneously to be visualized within the local client.
The local client is particularly preferred configured to analyze the at least one input digital data record by means of transformation matrix searching, preferably by outputting at least one digital data record comprising an updated transformation matrix.
OBJ and STL files have their own characteristics and can differ dependent on the treatment planning software by which they are generated. OBJ files can incorporate information like the color of structures but does not distinguish between individual structures like specific teeth and/or gingiva. STL files can provide a high-resolution representation of the geometry of a dentition but are in their mere form not suitable to represent a segmented orthodontic condition temporal, whereby the data structure that map to the dentition can differ significantly based on the used format. It is crucial to read these digital data records correctly and in the correct order to be able to visualize a virtual model of at least part of the dentition correctly with respect to the at least one digital data record and to prevent mistakes during the use of the arrangement which can have serious effects on the treatment of a patient's orthodontic condition.
A preferred preparation of the at least one digital data record can be exemplified as followed: A plurality of input digital data records for every tooth movement step of the treatment plan is uploaded by the local client. The input digital data records can already comprise segmented objects (OBJ files for instance) of the dentition of represent a surface-structure of the dentition (STL files or CAD files for instance). The input digital data records can comprise a movement table for each movement step of the teeth (CSV files for instance) and/or interproximal reduction values. Data of the following form have to be processed by the local client to identify every object of an arbitrary input digital data record to be matched with respect to the three-dimensional virtual model, whereby the explicit form can vary for a specific treatment plan software or rather the corresponding file format and interpreted by the local client accordingly:
It can be useful to provide a folder and/or sub-folders with a certain case ID in order to label the input digital data records and/or the digital data records for improved processing by means of the local client, whereby the input digital data records and/or the digital data records are labelled such that the viewer can process them in order to visualize the doctor the virtual representations for instance. Summary-files can be generated as an intermediate processing step.
Means for importing and/or means for exporting can be constituted for example by the second data transmission interface and/or a user interface of the viewer.
Means for visualizing and/or modifying can be constituted for example by a monitor of the local computer or the mobile device and/or can comprise a web browser interface.
Means for processing can be constituted for example by a processor or rather a processing unit, whereby it is particularly preferred provided that the the means for processing are configured to generate the at least one digital data record out of the at least one input digital data record, preferably by transforming the at least one input digital data record. used to generate the at least one digital data record. It is conceivable that the means for processing comprises a module for visualizing the at least one input digital data record and/or communicates with the means for visualizing and/or modifying.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that
Features of the arrangement are applicable with respect to the method claims and vice versa. Further details and advantages of the present invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the description of the figures and with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings. In the drawings, the figures show:
The server 2, the local computer 4 and the mobile device 5 are spatially separated from each other, whereby the server 2 comprises a first data transmission interface 12 for sending and receiving data via a data network 32. The local computer 4 and the mobile device 5 comprise a second data transmission interface 13 for sending and receiving data via the data network 32, whereby the first data transmission interface 12 and the second data transmission interface 13 are separated from each other.
The clients 3 are configured to transmit digital data records 14 of a modified three-dimensional virtual model 10 of the dentition 11 or with information for a desired treatment plan 15 of dentition 11 by means of the second data transmission interface 13 of the local computer 4 or mobile device 5 to the first data transmission interface 12 of the server 2. The client 3 is free of any orthodontic treatment planning software 1 and configured to transmit the digital data records 14 comprising information suitable to amend the treatment plan 15 to server 2. The digital data records 14 are based on a modification of the three-dimensional virtual model 10 of the dentition 11 within the clients 3 or comprise information for a desired treatment plan 15 for the dentition 11.
The local computer 4 and the mobile device 5 comprise means for importing 22 (cf.
The number of servers 3 is in general arbitrary, whereby the client 3 is capable of uploading input digital data records 19 from different treatment planning software 1 simultaneously or consecutively.
Input digital data record 19 of the treatment plan 15 of the orthodontic treatment planning software 1 based on the dentition 11 can be uploaded and input digital data records 19 of three-dimensional virtual models 10 of the dentition 11 based on digital data records of the treatment plan 15 or movement steps of the orthodontic treatment planning software 1 for the dentition 11 can be uploaded.
The local client 3 processes the input digital data records 19 by means of a processing unit 30 or an interpreter between the local computer 4 or mobile device 5 and the server 3 in order to
The local client 3 visualizes by means of a browser or app interface 25 within a web browser 26 or an app 31 the input digital data records 19, the treatment plan 15, movement steps of the treatment plan 15 and virtual representations 9 of the three-dimensional virtual models 10 of the dentition 11 to be treated. A user of the local client 3 can move or rotate the virtual representations 9 to a desired size and viewing angle modify the three-dimensional virtual model 10 of the dentition 11.
The local client 3 exports by means of a user interface 7 the digital data record 14 suitable for approving the treatment plan 15 or creating a new treatment plan 15 by means of server 2. The digital data record 14 is in the form of modified input digital data records 19 based on a modification of the three-dimensional virtual model 10 or a desired modification of movement steps of the treatment plan 15 for the dentition 11.
The client 3 is configured to facilitate a user of the client 3 to approve the treatment plan 15 or the three-dimensional virtual model 10 and to generate a desired treatment plan 15 by adding notes 16 to the treatment plan 15. However, the treatment plan 15 itself is not generated within the client 3 as no treatment planning software 1 is comprised by the stand-alone web browser-based or app-based treatment plan viewer 8.
For example, the user of the client 3 can
The client 3 is configured to move and rotate the virtual representation 9 and to modify the three-dimensional virtual model 10 by moving teeth 20 relative to other teeth 20 or the gingiva 21 and by locating attachments 17 to teeth 20.
The arrangement can comprise a computer program product, which, when the program is executed by the processing unit 30, causes the processing unit 30 to carry out the method for visualizing three-dimensional virtual models 10. The arrangement can comprise a volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by the processing unit 30, cause the processing unit 30 to carry out the method for visualizing three-dimensional virtual models 10.
The client 3 is configured to upload input digital data records 19 like OBJ files, STL files, CAD files, CSV files et cetera for visualizing the visual representations 9 of the three-dimensional virtual models 10 or treatment plans 15 of the dentition 11. The client 3 is configured to simultaneously upload a plurality of input digital data records 14, whereby each input digital data record 14 comprises information about a movement step of a treatment plan 15 of the dentition 11.
The digital data records 14 and the input digital data records 19 comprise supplementary information of dentition 11 in the form of an intraoral scan, a scan, an x-ray, a photograph, patient data, user comments, a number of trays, comments on interproximal reductions, a number or a location of attachments 17 or a number of steps of the treatment plan 15.
The local client 3 has exported a virtual representation 9 of a modified three-dimensional virtual model 10 and can export the treatment plan 15 with notes 16 for a desired treatment plan 15 or information of discrepancies and measurements of objects 18 of the three-dimensional virtual model 10. This can be done in textual form, by means of a table or via a graphical visualization.
This application is a continuation of and Applicant claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of International Application No. PCT/EP2021/087540 filed on Dec. 23, 2021, The international application under PCT article 21(2) was published in English. The disclosure of the aforesaid International Application is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/EP2021/087540 | Dec 2021 | WO |
| Child | 18749694 | US |
