Patent Application
20200035353
The present disclosure relates generally to the field of intraoral scanning, and more specifically, to intraoral scanning for generating a three-dimensional image of a user's teeth that is used in treating misalignment of the user's teeth.
A dental impression can be used to make a digital model of a user's teeth. Alternatively, a three-dimensional (“3D”) scanner can be used to create a digital model of a user's teeth. For example, a user may visit a location at which a location employee uses an intraoral scanner to scan the user's teeth, with the scan being used to create a digital model of the user's teeth. In order for an intraoral scan of the user's teeth to be taken, the user may need to determine where a location that offers intraoral scanning is and how to travel to the location. If the closest location is far away from the user, it may be inconvenient or prohibitive for the user to travel to that location. Additionally, in some cases, the user may be unaware that a location that offers intraoral scanning exists such that the user can have an intraoral scan of the user's teeth taken.
One embodiment relates to a mobile intraoral scanning site. The mobile intraoral scanning site includes a vehicle and one or more three-dimensional intraoral scanners provided on the vehicle and configured to perform intraoral dentition scans of users on the vehicle. The vehicle may include at least two compartments configured to be used as scan stations for performing the intraoral dentition scans of users on the vehicle. The vehicle may further include a reception compartment separating the two scan station compartments. The vehicle may further include a reception compartment separating the two scan station compartments. At least one of the scan station compartments may further include a fixed chair configured to be used by a user during an intraoral dentition scan. At least one compartment may further include a disability access entrance. The vehicle may be retrofitted to be used for the mobile intraoral scanning site. The one or more three-dimensional intraoral scanners may be wall-mounted on the vehicle. The vehicle may be with an intraoral connection such that the intraoral dentition scans are uploaded to a cloud server via the internet connection.
Another embodiment relates to a method for intraoral dentition scanning. The method includes providing a mobile intraoral scanning site including a vehicle and one or more three-dimensional intraoral scanners provided on the vehicle and performing, by the one or more three-dimensional intraoral scanners, one or more intraoral dentition scans on one or more users on the vehicle. The vehicle may include at least two compartments configured to be used as scan stations for performing the one or more intraoral dentition scans on the vehicle. The vehicle may further include at least two compartments configured to be used as scan stations for performing the one or more intraoral dentition scans on the vehicle. The vehicle may further include a reception compartment separating the two scan station compartments. At least one of the scan station compartments may further include a fixed chair configured to be used by a user during an intraoral dentition scan. At least one compartment may include a disability access entrance. The vehicle may be retrofitted to be used for the mobile intraoral scanning site. The one or more three-dimensional may be wall-mounted on the vehicle.
Another embodiment relates to a method for intraoral dentition scanning. The method includes providing a mobile intraoral scanning site including a vehicle and one or more three-dimensional intraoral scanners provided on the vehicle, locating the vehicle at a site for a limited period of time, and sending messages associated with the mobile intraoral scanning site to a plurality of individuals, the messages inviting the plurality of individuals to schedule an appointment to receive an intraoral dentition scan at the vehicle. The method includes performing, by the one or more three-dimensional intraoral scanners, one or more intraoral dentition scans on one or more users on the vehicle. The vehicle may include at least two compartments configured to be used as scan stations for performing the one or more intraoral dentition scans on the vehicle.
Various other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure will become apparent based on the drawings and detailed description of the following disclosure.
The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for conducting an intraoral scan of a user at a location. A user can request an appointment at an intraoral scanning site. For example, the user can request an appointment in advance of the requested appointment time (e.g., online, via a mobile application, via a telephone call) or the user can request an appointment at the time of requested appointment (e.g., a “walk in”). In requesting the appointment at the intraoral scanning site, the user can provide various information for reserving the appointment, such as a reason for making the appointment (e.g., misaligned teeth) or a dental condition of the patient (e.g., having crowns, an impacted tooth). The user can make the request online (e.g., via an internet scheduling website associated with the intraoral scanning site). When the appointment timeslot is held for the user, one or more scheduling alerts can be communicated to the user (e.g., confirmation notification, reminder notification, appointment modification query). Upon arriving at the appointment, the user can provide health history and consent information. The user can receive the intraoral scan, and upon confirmation from the user to purchase the aligners, one or more sets of aligners configured to modify the alignment of the user's teeth can be sent to the user.
The systems and methods described herein may have many benefits including, but not limited to, increasing user excitement about the alignment process, increasing the likelihood of a user showing up for their appointment, and increasing the likelihood of a user purchasing aligners at the intraoral scanning site, as will be discussed in greater detail below.
Referring to
The computing system 102 includes a processor 108 and memory 110. Processor 108 may be a general purpose or specific purpose processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a group of processing components, or other suitable processing components. Processor 108 may be configured to execute computer code or instructions stored in memory 110 or received from other computer readable media (e.g., CDROM, network storage, a remote server, etc.) to perform one or more of the processes described herein. Memory 110 may include one or more data storage devices (e.g., memory units, memory devices, computer-readable storage media, etc.) configured to store data, computer code, executable instructions, or other forms of computer-readable information. Memory 110 may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard drive storage, temporary storage, non-volatile memory, flash memory, optical memory, or any other suitable memory for storing software objects and/or computer instructions. Memory 110 may include database components, object code components, script components, or any other type of information structure for supporting the various activities and information structures described in the present disclosure. Memory 110 may be communicably connected to processor 108 via a processing circuit and may include computer code for executing (e.g., by processor 108, etc.) one or more of the processes described herein.
The memory 110 is described below as including various circuits 112. While the exemplary embodiment shown in the figures shows each of the circuits 112 as being separate from one another, it should be understood that, in various other embodiments, the memory 110 may include more, less, or altogether different circuits 112. For example, the structures and functions of one circuit 112 may be performed by another circuit 112, or the activities of two circuits 112 may be combined such that they are performed by only a signal circuit 112. Additionally, it should be understood that any of the functionalities described as being performed by a circuit 112 that is a part of the controller 112 may also be performed by a separate hardware component having its own processors, network interfaces, etc.
As shown in
Generating an Appointment
In some implementations, the user 104 may access a website (or other network-based portal) associated with the appointment management system 100. The user 104 may book an appointment at an intraoral scanning site 106 on the website. The user 104 may be directed to the website through, for instance, an advertisement on the user's 104 social media account. Additionally or alternatively, the user 104 may search for (e.g., on the internet, etc.) the website associated with the appointment management system 100.
Additionally or alternatively, the user 104 may receive a message directing them to the website to book an appointment at an intraoral scanning site 106. The processor 108 may control the communications device 114 to send the message to the user 104 in response to various conditions. For instance, the processor 108 may determine that the user 104 previously signed up to receive an in-home dental impression kit and never returned the completed kit. The processor 108 may identify a time between an order date (or shipment date) of the dental impression kit and the current date. The processor 108 may compare the identified time to a threshold time indicative of the user 104 likely not returning impressions from the dental impression kit. Where the identified time exceeds the threshold time, the processor 108 may automatically generate and send the message to the user 104. As another example, the processor 108 may determine that the impressions received from the user 104 were, for instance, incomplete. A technician may review the impressions (or a scan thereof) to determine their suitability for manufacturing dental aligners. When the impressions are determined to be incomplete, the technician may flag the impressions as incomplete. When the impressions are flagged, the processor 108 may automatically generate and send the message to the user 104 prompting the user to schedule an intraoral scan.
The website may include a home page, an instructional page detailing how the customer aligner process works, a results page, a locations page, and/or additional or alternative pages. Each of these pages may present different information to the user 104. For instance, the home page may present information pertaining to an overall user experience. The instructional page may present a step-by-step overview starting from an appointment to receiving customized aligners. Additionally, the instructional page may present a video to the user 104. The video may include graphics and/or text that show how the customized aligners reposition the user's 104 teeth, among other information. The video may also show the user 104 what to expect upon arrival at their appointment location, should they choose to book an appointment. The results page may include before-and-after pictures (or a rolling video of before-and-after pictures) of previous users who have used aligners to reposition their teeth. The locations page includes locations associated with each of the respective intraoral scanning sites 106.
Referring now to
In some embodiments, the computing system 102 may include a scheduler 122. The scheduler can be or include instructions that, when executed by the processor 108, cause the processor 108 to generate and/or manipulate pages and displays for scheduling an appointment at an intraoral scanning site 106. While shown as embodied on memory 110 of the computing system 102102, in some implementations, the scheduler 122 may be separate from the computing system 102. For instance, the scheduler 122 may be located remotely from the computing system 102. In instances such as these, the scheduler 122 may have a separate processor 108 and memory 110 (a dedicated processor and memory, for example). A user 104 may schedule an intraoral scan at a particular intraoral scanning site 106 via the website. The website may be controlled by the processor 108 using instructions from the scheduler 122. Following the intraoral scan, the user 104 may, in some instances, order aligners that are customized for the user 104. For instance, the user 104 may be satisfied with the overall process at the intraoral scanning site 106 and results of other users 104. Therefore, the user 104 may purchase aligners for aligning the user's 104 teeth. The aligners may be constructed of a polymer material, such as Polyethylenterephthalat-Glycol Copolyester (PET-G), which is thermoformed to positive molds (or models) of the user's 104 dentition at various intervals between a starting position and an ending position. The positive molds of the user's dentition 104 may be generated based on the treatment plan. The aligners may be used by the user 104 in stages to move the user's teeth towards the ending position. For example, the user 104 may be directed to wear a first aligner during a first month, a second aligner during a second month, a third aligner during a third month, and so on for a treatment period. These aligners may be shipped to the user 104 following production of the aligners (e.g., at a fabrication site which generates or otherwise produces the aligners). In some instances, the aligners may be shipped in stages, all at once in one box, etc. Each of the aligners may be administered by the user in a predetermined sequence and for a predetermined duration. For instance, a first aligner (which corresponds to a starting position of the user's teeth) may be administered by the user for a duration (e.g., a month, 90 days, etc.), a second (and additional intermediate) aligner(s) may be administered by the user for the same duration, and a final aligner may be administered for the same duration. Each of these aligners may move the user's teeth from the starting position to one or more intermediate positions, and from the one or more intermediate positions to the final positions based on the treatment plan.
As shown in
In some implementations, a user 104 may search for specific locations 202 (instead of selecting ones that are nearest to the user's 104 location). The user 104, for instance, may be traveling to a different city than their city of residence and may want to schedule an appointment at an intraoral scanning site 106 located in that different city. As a result, the user 104 is not limited to scheduling appointments at intraoral scanning sites 106 in their own city, but may schedule appointments at any of the intraoral scanning sites 106. In implementations such as these, the user 104 may provide a zip code that is different from their current zip code (e.g., the zip code associated with the city to which they are traveling).
In still other implementations, one or more of the intraoral scanning sites 106 may be a mobile intraoral scanning site 106. For instance, the mobile intraoral scanning site 106 may be implemented in a vehicle (e.g., an automobile, a truck, a van, a bus, etc.), as part of a kiosk (e.g., located within another store or within a shopping mall), or comprise a pop-up location in operation for only a limited time period (e.g., one day, one week, one month). The mobile intraoral scanning site 106 may be included in the locations 202 on the reservation page 200. As will be described in further detail below, a user 104 may be able to arrange for the mobile intraoral scanning site 106 to travel to a set location (e.g., a location set by the user, such as their home or place of business), and the user 104 may receive an intraoral scan at the set location.
Upon selecting a location 202 of an intraoral scanning site 106 from the list of locations 202 of intraoral scanning sites 106, the user 104 may select an available date from the list of dates 204. Each intraoral scanning site 106 may maintain a schedule 124. The schedule 124 may be maintained locally (e.g., at each respective intraoral scanning site 106, etc.) and communicated to the computing system 102. The scheduler 122 can include instructions to access the schedule 124 of the intraoral scanning site 106 selected by the user 104 and determine available days/times for an appointment for the user 105 based on the schedule 124 for the intraoral scanning site 106. The scheduler 122 can include instructions to display available times and dates for the intraoral scanning site 106 based on the schedule 124 associated with the intraoral scanning site 106. Additionally or alternatively, the schedule 124 may be a cloud-based schedule that is remotely accessible by the processor 108 and by the respective intraoral scanning site 106. In implementations such as these, the memory 110 may store intraoral scanning site data 126 corresponding to each respective intraoral scanning site 106. The intraoral scanning site data 126 may be stored in a database 128 within memory 110. The intraoral scanning site data 126 may include a location 130 associated with the intraoral scanning site 106 (or other information usable to identify a particular intraoral scanning site 106) and a corresponding schedule 132 for the intraoral scanning site 106. The scheduler 122 can include instructions to determine the schedule for the selected location 202 of the intraoral scanning site 106 by cross-referencing data for the selected location 202 with location 130 within the intraoral scanning site data 126. Following cross-referencing the data for the selected location 202, the scheduler 122 can include instructions to identify the schedule for the corresponding selected location 202.
In each of these arrangements, the scheduler 122 can include instructions to identify available appointment times for the intraoral scanning site 106. These available appointment times may be presented to the user 104 for selection and booking an appointment.
As shown in
The processor 108 may access the schedule 124, 132 for the selected location 202 to determine available dates via the instructions from the scheduler 122. The processor 108 may display the available dates in the list of dates 204. Following a selection of an available date from the list of dates 204, the times available for the selected date may be displayed to the user 104. The processor 108 may determine the available times in the same manner in which the available dates are determined. The user may select an available time to book their scan from the list of available times 206.
While described herein as the user first selecting a location, in some embodiments, the user may first select a preferred date and/or time and available locations (and/or dates and locations) may then be displayed based on the selected preferred date and/or time (and/or dates and locations). In each of these implementations, the user 104 may reserve a time at a particular intraoral scanning site 106, and at the reserved time, the user 104 may arrive at the particular intraoral scanning site 106 and receive their intraoral scan, as will be discussed in further detail below.
In some implementations, the user 104 may select the mobile intraoral scanning site 106. In implementations such as these, the processor 108 may identify a schedule 124, 132 associated with the mobile intraoral scanning site 106 using instructions from the scheduler 122. The user 104 may request a date 204 and time 206 that is available for the mobile intraoral scanning site 106. The user 104 may then provide a location to arrange the appointment with the mobile intraoral scanning site 106. The mobile intraoral scanning site 106 may have a predetermined radius (e.g., 10 miles, 20 miles, 25 miles, 50 miles, etc.) within which the mobile intraoral scanning site 106 operates. The user 104 may provide a location within the predetermined radius. At the reserved time, the mobile intraoral scanning site 106 may be driven to the location provided by the user 104. The user 104 may similarly arrive at the provided location at the reserved time and receive an intraoral scan, as will be discussed in further detail below.
Referring now to
As shown in
Referring now to
In some implementations, the hold may be optional. For instance, the user 104 may be able to hold the reservation (through selection of button 404) or opt out of holding the reservation (through selection of button 406). The user 104 may provide their credit card information 402 and select button 404. In selecting prompt 404, confirmation window 500 may be displayed to the user 104 (e.g., indicating that the user's 104 reservation has been confirmed). Additionally, the user 104 may not provide their credit card information 402, and instead, opt out by selecting button 406. In some implementations, selecting button 406 may direct the user 104 back to the reservation page 200. In other implementations, selecting button 406 may cause confirmation window 502 to be displayed to the user 104 (e.g., indicating that the user's 104 reservation is still confirmed despite the user 104 not providing credit card information 402). By providing credit card information 402, the user 104 may be more likely to show up for their appointment, despite their credit card never being charged.
In one or more embodiments, following the user 104 reserving (and optionally holding) their appointment, the user 104 may want to reschedule their appointment. To do so, the user 104 may call the intraoral scanning site 106 to reschedule their appointment. Additionally, the user 104 may go onto the website associated with the appointment management system 100, provide log-in information or other identifying information to look-up their appointment and access, for instance, a user portal (as will be discussed in greater detail below). The user portal may include various appointment-related information including the time, date, and location for their appointment. Following the user's appointment, the user portal may include various treatment plan information (such as a virtual representation of the user's 104 treatment plan at different stages or a simulated representation of the user's 104 teeth through progression of the treatment plan), progress information provided by the user 104, etc., as will be discussed in greater detail below. The user 104 may select their appointment and reschedule their appointment in substantially the same manner by which the user 104 booked their appointment
Pre-Appointment Messaging SERVICES
Referring back to
In some implementations, one or more messages that are generated via the message generator 136 may be communicated to a notification center 138. The notification center 138 may be, for instance, a call center. The messages that are communicated to the notification center 138 may be instructions to call a particular user 104 at a particular time to deliver a verbal message, as will be discussed in further detail below.
In some embodiments, the message generator 136 can include instructions for generating an appointment confirmation message. The message generator 136 can include instructions to determine when a user 104 has successfully reserved an appointment. The message generator 136 can include instructions to automatically communicate (e.g., via respective communications devices 114) the appointment confirmation message in response to the user 104 successfully reserving the appointment. The appointment confirmation message may be or include a message that indicates that the user's 104 appointment has successfully been reserved. In some implementations, the appointment confirmation message may include a link, which the user 104 may select, that causes the appointment to be automatically added to a calendar associated with the user 104. For instance, the appointment confirmation message may include a plurality of links associated with different types of calendar software. The user 104 may select the link corresponding to whichever type of calendar that is used by the user 104. Upon selecting the appropriate link, the appointment may automatically be added to the user's 104 calendar. The appointment added to the user's 104 calendar may include contact information associated with the corresponding intraoral scanning site 106, a location associated with the intraoral scanning site 106, time, and an expected duration of the appointment (e.g., 30 minutes).
In some embodiments, the message generator 136 can include instructions for generating one or more appointment reminder messages. The message generator 136 can include instructions to determine a current time and an appointment time (e.g., the time of the user's 104 appointment at the intraoral scanning site 106). The message generator 136 can include instructions to compare a time difference between the current time and appointment time to a threshold time. If the difference in time is less than (or equal to) the threshold time, the message generator can include instructions to automatically generate the appointment reminder message.
In some implementations, the threshold time may be set based on a number of days (e.g., two days, three days, a week, etc.) until the user's 104 appointment. In implementations such as these, the appointment reminder message may be a message reminding the user 104 that they have an upcoming appointment. The appointment reminder message may be generated when the user 104 books an appointment well in advanced. Accordingly, where the user 104 books an appointment for a number of days in advanced that is less than a threshold number of days (e.g., two days, three days, a week, etc.), the appointment reminder message may not be generated. As one non-limiting example, the user 104 may book an appointment on a Monday. Where the user 104 books the appointment for the next Friday, the user 104 may be reminded of their appointment through generation of an appointment reminder message on the upcoming Wednesday. However, where the user 104 books the appointment for the next day (e.g., Tuesday), the user 104 may not receive an appointment reminder message. The appointment reminder message that is communicated to the user 104 may include various information including, for instance, directions to the intraoral scanning site 106, a phone number for the intraoral scanning site 106, etc. Additionally, the appointment reminder message may include various information pertaining to the user's 104 appointment. For example, the appointment reminder message may include a health and consent questionnaire for the user 104 to fill out. In some implementations, the health and consent questionnaire may have a plurality of Yes/No questions corresponding to various health-related conditions. The responses to the questions may be defaulted to “No”, whereby the user 104 may only need to change those answers to the questions that do apply to the user 104. Referring briefly to
In some implementations, the threshold time may be set based on a location of the user 104 (e.g., as determined based on data provided by the user's 104 mobile device 116 and/or personal computer 118) with respect to the location of the intraoral scanning site 106. In implementations such as these, the appointment reminder message may be a message reminding the user 104 to leave for their appointment. The threshold may be determined based on factors in addition to the location of the user 104 including, for instance, a distance between the respective locations, traffic between the respective locations, weather, time of day, day of the week, etc. The appointment reminder message that is communicated to the user 104 may include various information including, for instance, directions to the intraoral scanning site 106, a phone number for the intraoral scanning site 106, etc.
In some implementations, the message generator 136 may include instructions to generate multiple appointment reminder messages. For instance, the message generator 136 may generate a first appointment reminder message to remind the user 104 that they have an upcoming appointment and a second appointment reminder message to indicate to the user 104 that they should leave for their appointment (e.g., now, in 15 minutes, in one hour, etc.).
In some embodiments, the message generator 136 can include instructions to identify specific users 104 for voice messages. For instance, where the user 104 does not provide credit card information 402 (thus opting out of reserving the appointment), such information may be stored in the user file 134. Where the user 104 does not provide credit card information 402, the message generator 136 can include instructions to generate a prompt for a voice message to communicate to the notification center 138. The prompt may instruct a person at the notification center to initiate a telephone call with the user 104, in which the user 104 will be informed about the overall process and experience at the intraoral scanning site 106, and the user 104 may provide one or more concerns regarding their smile. The call may be initiated by the person at the notification center a certain number of days prior to the user's 104 appointment (e.g., three days, five days, etc.). The person may annotate (or record) the conversation, and portions thereof may be saved to the user file 134. In embodiments such as these, the voice message may increase user 104 excitement for the appointment and increase the likelihood that the user 104 shows up for their scheduled appointment.
Appointment Management at an Intraoral Scanning Site
Referring now to
In some instances, the intraoral scanning site 106 may include a screen (e.g., of a television or other display system) that displays before-and-after pictures of customers who previously used aligners. The before-and-after pictures may be similar to those described above with reference to the results page. The before-and-after pictures may be displayed on a rolling basis. In instances such as these, consumer confidence may be increased by observing historical results.
Referring now to
As shown in
Following check-in and providing the responses to the health and consent questionnaire, the user 104 may be directed to a room where the user 104 will receive their intraoral scan. A technician at the scan shop 106 may administer the intraoral scan. The technician may administer the intraoral scan using, for instance, an iTero® scanner. As the technician administers the intraoral scan, the intraoral scanner may produce data which is visually represented on a display. The data may correspond to a three-dimensional scan of the user's 104 mouth. In some embodiments, the technician may administer the intraoral scan in a predetermined position. For instance, the technician may be instructed to administer the intraoral scan from over the user's 104 shoulder with the display in the field of view of the user 104. Accordingly, as the intraoral scanner generates data that is visually represented on the display, both the user 104 and technician may be able to observe the display. Such arrangements and instructions may enhance the user's 104 experience by engaging the user 104 in the scanning process.
In some embodiments, the administration of the intraoral scan may be recorded for quality assurance purposes. For instance, the room in which the user 104 has the intraoral scan administered may have a camera. The user 104 may approve or deny the recording. In some instances, the user 104 may be incentivized to approve the recording by, for instance, one free set of aligners or one free set of retainers.
In some embodiments, the user 104 may be shown a simulated movement of the user's teeth from the starting position (e.g., as represented by the three-dimensional scan) to a simulated final position. Such capabilities presently exist through use of the iTero® scanner.
Following administration of the intraoral scan, in some embodiments, a quality control technician may review and approve the intraoral scan. The quality control technician may be located at the intraoral scanning site 106. Additionally or alternatively, the quality control technician may be located remotely. The quality control technician may be a manager or other guide who has the authority to approve (or not approve) the intraoral scan. Where the quality control technician does not approve of the intraoral scan, the quality control technician may highlight particular areas on the intraoral scan that need to be re-scanned. The quality control technician may also approve some or all of the information provided by the user 104 (e.g., the personal information 302, the health and consent information provided in the health and consent questionnaire, various other information such as shipping information, etc.). In implementations such as these, the quality control technician may ensure that subsequent visits to the intraoral scanning site 106 or unnecessary calls to the user 104 are avoided by collecting all necessary information during a single appointment of the user 104.
In some embodiments, following administration of the intraoral scan, the technician may take one or more photographs of the user's 104 mouth. The technician may take the photographs of the user's 104 upper and lower jaw (in some instances with a smile spreader). The technician may take a head-on photograph of the user's 104 smile. The technician may take the one or more photographs using a digital camera. Additionally or alternatively, the technician may take the one or more photographs using a camera of the user device 600. In each of these implementations, the photographs may be an initial set of photos that is used for compliance checks. The photographs may be saved to the user file 134.
Once the quality control technician approves of the intraoral scan (and photographing), the user 104 may leave the room where the user 104 received their intraoral scan. The user may go to, for instance, a waiting area or front desk area. At the front desk area, the user 104 may be shown or given various products. For instance, the user 104 may be shown what the aligners generally look like (e.g., substantially transparent, translucent, etc.). The user 104 may also be shown the packaging in which the aligners are delivered and the corresponding instruction manual. The user 104 may be provided with various dental-related items. For instance, the user 104 may be provided with lip balm, teeth whitening kits, a tote bag, etc. Each of these examples may further increase the likelihood of the user 104 purchasing aligners that are custom to the user's 104 teeth. In some embodiments, instead of receiving products at a front desk area, the user 104 may be shown or given various products in the room where they received the intraoral scan. In some embodiments, the user 104 may be shown the aligners/packaging prior to receiving the intraoral scan (e.g., at check-in), during a break, etc.
In some embodiments, the user 104 may be presented with a fast track option for generating a set of aligners from the intraoral scan. The fast track option may be a form that is filled out by the user 104, may be an oral agreement from the user, etc. The fast track option may authorize a provider of the aligners to automatically generate the aligners once the treatment plan (or the final teeth position) for the user 104 is approved by a doctor (e.g., a dentist, an orthodontist, etc.).
The user 104 may be prompted to pay at the time of the intraoral scan (or set up a payment plan at the time of the intraoral scan). Once the user 104 pays (or sets up the payment plan), the user 104 may authorize fast tracking the generation of the aligners. In implementations such as these, the user 104 may not be required to authorize the treatment plan. Rather, the treatment plan may be shown in the user portal, as will be discussed in greater detail below. Additionally, once the treatment plan is approved by the doctor, the treatment plan may be automatically used for generating the aligners and automatically uploaded to the user portal.
In some embodiments, the doctor (e.g., the dentist, orthodontist, etc.) may approve of the treatment plan following the doctor seeing the user via a video conference or a video of the user. For instance, the doctor may “see” the user remotely prior to approving the treatment plan. In still other embodiments, the doctor may approve of the treatment plan without the video conference or the video of the user. In each of these embodiments, the doctor may approve of the treatment plan for the user without having to physically see the user in person. Accordingly, the user may not be inconvenienced with a trip to a doctor's office, which may also save time for the user.
Where the user 104 does not authorize fast tracking the generation of the aligners, the user 104 may authorize the treatment plan once the treatment plan is sent to the user 104 via the user portal. Following authorization of the treatment plan, the aligners may be generated and sent to the user 104. Additionally, following authorization of the treatment plan, the user 104 may then be prompted to pay for the aligners (or sign up for a payment plan).
In some embodiments, the treatment plan may be generated by a dental professional using a computing system at a treatment plan site. The treatment plan site may be separate from the intraoral scan sites, the fabrication site, etc. In other embodiments, the treatment plan site may be the same as the intraoral scan site and/or the fabrication site. Accordingly, two or more of these sites may be consolidated into one site.
The treatment plan may be generated by manipulating individual teeth in the three-dimensional representation of the user's mouth. For instance, the dental professional may manipulate one or more teeth of the user's mouth (as represented in the three-dimensional data) from a starting position (at the time of the intraoral scan) to an ending position (following treatment). Following the teeth being moved to the ending position, the treatment plan may automatically be generated (e.g., by a computer or computing system) in accordance with a set of rules. The set of rules may include rules which constrict an amount of movement of a single tooth between two sequential aligners (for instance, 3.00 mm). Following the treatment plan being generated, various models (e.g., positive molds of the user's dentition) may be generated which correspond to the position of the teeth at various intervals between the starting and ending position. The aligners may then be generated by thermoforming a polymer material to each of the various models (with a first aligner corresponding to the starting position of the user's teeth in the user's dentition, the second [and subsequent] aligner corresponding to an intermediate position[s], and the final aligner corresponding to the final position of the user's teeth in the user's dentition).
Following generation of the aligners, all aligners associated with the treatment plan may be sent to the user 104. In some implementations, the aligners may be generated and sent to the user 104 in packaging similar to the packaging described in U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 62/522,847, filed on Jun. 21, 2017, titled “DENTAL IMPRESSION KITS AND METHODS THEREFOR,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/725,430, filed on Oct. 5, 2017 and having the same title, and U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 62/648,229, filed on Mar. 26, 2018 and having the same title, each of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety as noted herein.
Post-Appointment
Following the user 104 having their intraoral scan administered at the scan shop 106, the user 104 may receive one or more messages generated via the message generator 136. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the message generator 136 can include instructions for generating and communicating one or more messages to the user 104 following the user's 104 appointment.
In some implementations, the message generator 136 can include instructions to generate a message including various surveys and/or questionnaires. These surveys may be used for evaluating the user's 104 experience at the intraoral scanning site 106. In some implementations, the surveys may solicit the user 104 for a review on a customer review website such as Yelp®, Google®, etc. Additionally, where the user 104 receives a whitening kit at their appointment, the message generated via the message generator 136 may include whitening tips for the user 104. In each of these implementations, the messages generated via the message generator 136 may be used as feedback for subsequent user's appointments, and to enhance the experience for the user 104.
In some implementations, the message generator 136 can include instructions for generating various messages specifically when a user 104 does not attend their appointment. For instance, when the user file 134 indicates the user 104 did not show up for their appointment, the message generator 136 can include instructions for automatically generating a message including a survey for evaluating reasons why the user 104 did not showed up for their appointment. The survey generated in these implementations may solicit the user 104 to provide suggestions of what the intraoral scanning site 106 (or website) could do differently. The survey generated in these implementations may also solicit the user 104 to provide information as to how the user 104 would like to be contacted in the future (e.g., via phone call, text message, email, etc.). In some instances, the message generated via the message generator 136 may include an indication to the user 104 that the user 104 does not require an appointment for an intraoral scan and that the user can show up at an intraoral scanning site 106 any time during business hours (e.g., that walk-ins are welcome). In each of these implementations, the messages are provided to the user 104 when the messages may increase the likelihood of the user 104 scheduling or otherwise visiting the intraoral scanning site 106, and may assist in improvements to the overall experience for other users.
Additionally, where the user 104 misses their appointment, in some instances, the user 104 may be provided a free at-home impression kit (similar to those described in U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 62/522,847 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/725,430). The at-home impression kit may be sent to the user 104 via first class mail. For instance, when the user file 134 indicates the user 104 did not show up for the appointment, the message generator 136 can include instructions to automatically generate a message to the user 104 that indicates that an at-home impression kit will be sent at no charge to the user 104. Additionally, the message generator 136 can include instructions to generate a prompt that is transmitted to, for instance, a processing or shipping warehouse. The prompt may include an address or shipping label and instructions to send an at-home impression kit to the user 104 at the address.
User Portal
Referring now to
Referring now to
Additionally, the user 104 may be required (or requested) to provide progress information. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the progress information provided by the user 104 may be used for evaluating compliance and issuing a mid-course correction.
The user 104 may select a button 902 for providing progress information. The user 104 may be required to provide progress information at various stages along the treatment plan. For instance, the user 104 may be required to provide progress information at the outset of the treatment plan, as each aligner is used, following 90 days from the outset of the treatment plan, and/or other stages in the treatment plan. In some implementations, the appointment management system 100 may issue reminders to the user 104 for providing the progress information. For instance, the message generator 136 and/or portal manager 140 can include instructions to automatically generate one or more messages to communicate to the user 104 at various points throughout the treatment plan. As one example, when the aligners are received by the user 104 (e.g., as detected by a delivery notification), the delivery notification may be indicated in the user file 134. When the user file 134 indicates the delivery notification, the message generator 136 and/or portal manager 140 can include instructions to automatically generate one or more messages for the user 104 instructing the user 104 to provide initial progress data. When uploaded, the portal manager 140 can include instructions to store the initial progress data in the user file 134 as a baseline. The message generator 136 and/or portal manager 140 may include instructions to generate subsequent messages reminding the user 104 to upload progress data at various stages of the treatment plan, as described above. The message generator 136 and/or portal manager 140 can include instructions to identify a send date upon which the message corresponding to the initial progress data was communicated to the user 104. Additionally, the message generator 136 and/or portal manager 140 can include instructions to identify a current date. Based on a difference between the send date and the current date, the processor 108 may generate subsequent messages based on the instructions from the message generator 136 (and/or portal manager 140). Similarly, the message generator 136 and/or portal manager 140 can include instructions to generate messages directing the user 104 to change which aligners they are using (e.g., directing the user 104 to stop using a first set of aligns and to instead use a second set of aligners, directing the user 104 to stop using a third set of aligners and instead use the second set of aligners, to stop using the aligners altogether and to wait for new aligners to be sent to the user 104, etc.). Such messages may be generated similar to the messages for providing progress data.
Referring now to
The user 104 may provide comments regarding the progress or fit of the aligners in comments box 1010. For instance, the user 104 may indicate that the user 104 is not satisfied with the progress of realigning the user's 104 teeth or how the user's 104 smile looks. As another example, the user 104 may indicate that the aligners do not fit or are uncomfortable. Each of these indications may indicate that the user 104 may require a mid-course correction. As used herein, a mid-course correction is defined as a new treatment plan developed for the user 104 following an indication that the current treatment plan is no longer desirable for the user 104. Accordingly, the user 104 receives a new intraoral scan, a new set of aligners, etc. In this regard, no cross-reference is made between the first treatment plan and the second treatment plan. However, in some implementations, the mid-course correction comprises receipt of at least one new set of aligners, which may be created for the user 104 following new intraoral scan or new impressions to be made of the user's 104 teeth. In some implementations, the mid-course correction may be free to the user 104. For instance, as discussed below, the mid-course correction may be free following a compliance check indicating that the user 104 is correctly following the treatment plan.
The compliance check may be a review of the progress data provided by the user (e.g., via progress tracker 1000). In some implementations, following the user 104 uploading any comments via comments box 1010, the portal manager 140 may include instructions to automatically flag the user file 134 and communicate the file to a professional terminal 142. The professional terminal 142 may be a computer associated with one or more professionals (e.g., doctors, dentists, orthodontists, etc.). The professional terminal 142 may display the user file 134 including the images uploaded by the user 104 and the current aligner which is being used by the user 104. The user file 134 may be evaluated by the professionals to determine whether the user 104 is progressing according to the treatment plan, whether the user 104 is following the treatment plan as instructed, etc. Where the user 104 is not following the treatment plan as instructed, the user file 134 may be flagged as not being in compliance. Where the user 104 is following the treatment plan but is not progressing according to the treatment plan, portal manager 140 may flag the user file 134 for a mid-course correction. Where the user file 134 is flagged as not being in compliance, the user 104 may be required to pay for the mid-course correction. However, where the user 104 is following the treatment plan, the mid-course correction may be offered to the user 104 for free.
In some implementations, when the user 104 is following the treatment plan as instructed and progresses through the treatment plan, the message generator 136 and/or portal manager 140 may include instructions to automatically generate a message (and corresponding flag in the user file 134) indicating that the user 104 is eligible for a free dental check-up and cleaning at a dental clinic or associated dental office.
Mobile Dentition Scanning
As indicated above, in some embodiments, one or more of the intraoral scanning sites 106 may be a mobile intraoral scanning site 106. For example, a mobile intraoral scanning site 106 may be implemented as a vehicle, such as a bus.
The vehicle 1100 include multiple entrances, shown as doors, for entering and exiting the vehicle 1100. For example, as shown in
The various compartments of the vehicle 1100 may be outfitted with hardware for facilitating the use of the vehicle in performing intraoral scanning for various users. As an illustration, each of the scan stations 1104, 1106, and 1110 may include a chair for the user receiving the intraoral scan to sit in during the scan. The scan stations 1104, 1106, and 1110 may further include a stool for the staff member performing the intraoral scan to use, a guest bench, a wall-mounted television, a wall-mounted intraoral scanner, coat hooks, etc. Similarly, the reception area 1108 may include a guest bench or one or more guest chairs, a chair, a desk, a sink and mirror, a fridge, etc. The scan stations 1104, 1106, and 1110 and the reception area 1108 may further include storage, such as cabinets, drawers, closets, and wardrobes, for storing the supplies for performing intraoral scans and other related supplies (e.g., reference manuals) when not in use. For example, cabinets in the second scan station 1106 and the third scan station 1110 may store wall-mounted 3D scanners when not in use or when the vehicle 1100 is traveling (e.g., in protective pelican cases).
Referring now to
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It should be understood that the vehicle 1100 is exemplary and that other configurations of a vehicle 1100 used as a mobile intraoral scanning site 106 are contemplated herein. For example, a vehicle 1100 may include one compartments, two compartments, or more than three compartments for conducting intraoral scans. Furthermore, any type of vehicle may be used in place of vehicle 1100, such as a bus, a Recreational Vehicle, a vehicle towing a trailer, or a van, among others.
In some embodiments, the vehicle 1100 may be custom-built to be the mobile intraoral scanning site 106. In other embodiments, the vehicle 1100 may be retrofitted to be the mobile intraoral scanning site 106. For example, the vehicle 1100 may be a commercial Winnebago® that is modified to include, for example, fixed captain's chairs, a passenger seat that rotates as shown in
As an illustration of the use of the vehicle 1100 for performing intraoral scanning of various users, a user may be checked in by staff at the greeting area 1120 (e.g., using the check-in process described above). Alternatively, if weather is poor such that the greeting area 1120 cannot be set up (e.g., it is too windy to release the awning 1118), the user may be checked in by staff in the reception area 1108. The user may wait in the reception area 1108 or outside the vehicle 1100 (e.g., in the greeting area 1120) until the user's scan can be performed. For example, the user may wait until it is time for the user's appointment, or the user may wait until one of the scan stations 1104, 1106, and 1110 is available for a walk-in appointment. The user is then guided to one of the scan stations 1104, 1106, and 1110. For example, if the user's scan is to be performed in the second scan station 1106 or the third scan station 1110, a staff member may guide the user from the reception area 1108 through a sliding door into the adjacent scan station 1106 or 1110. If the user's scan is to be performed in the first scan station 1104, a staff member may guide the user from the reception area 1108 through a sliding door into the second scan station 1106 and then through a sliding partition into the first scan station 1104. Alternatively, if the second scan station 1106 is in use, the staff member may guide the user out the main door 1112 and through the secondary door 1114 into the first scan station 1104 (e.g., to ensure the privacy of a user having an intraoral scan performed in the second scan station 1106). A staff member then performs the intraoral scan of the user's dentition using an intraoral scanner (e.g., a wall-mounted intraoral scanner or a mobile intraoral scanner stored in cabinets of the vehicle), using the processes described above. A staff member may also take pictures of the user's teeth, for example, while the user is biting or while the user has their mouth open. After the intraoral scan has been performed, the user can then leave the vehicle 1100, and the post-scanning process described above is applied to the user's situation.
In various embodiments, feedback may be solicited from a user once the user's scan is completed at the vehicle 1100. For example, a staff member at the vehicle 1100 may ask the user directly how the user's experience at the vehicle 1100 was or ask the user to fill out a survey before leaving the vehicle 1100. As another example, the message generator 136 may generate a message for the user asking the user to provide feedback or fill out a survey on the user's experience with the vehicle 1100, which the notification center 138 sends to the user. In some embodiments, this feedback may be stored in the memory 110 and used to refine the process for providing scans at the vehicle 1100, for generating locations for the vehicle 1100, and so on in the future. To illustrate, the computing system 102 may compile the feedback into a list for an employee to review or may automatically analyze the feedback to identify the most common complaints for the employee to review. In some arrangements, the feedback may also include feedback from staff members working on the vehicle 1100 and/or statistics on the vehicle 1100 event at the location. These statistics may include how many users visited the vehicle, what the weather was like, how many intraoral scans were performed, how many users decided to purchase aligners after receiving the intraoral scan, how many users decided to preauthorize the purchase of aligners, how many five star reviews the users left on social media after visiting the vehicle 1100 (e.g., after receiving a text message created by the message generator 136 prompting the user to leave a review), and so on.
The vehicle 1100 further includes an internet connection (e.g., via the communications device 114) such that each intraoral scan taken on the vehicle 1100 can be uploaded to a central location, such as a central server or a cloud server. For example, the internet connection may be provided by a cellular network, with the vehicle 1100 including one or more antennas (e.g., eight or nine antennas on the top of the vehicle 1100) and/or one or more subscriber identification module (“SIM”) cards for facilitating the connection to the cellular network. The intraoral scanners may then connect via Wi-Fi or an Ethernet connection on the vehicle 1100 such that the intraoral scanners can upload the scans via the connection and the cellular network. Additionally, the vehicle 1100 may also be provided with one or more mobile devices (e.g., tablet computers) that can be used to take pictures of users' teeth and also upload the pictures to a cloud server via the internet connection.
In various embodiments, determining the schedule for the vehicle 1100, including the locations to which the vehicle 1100 will travel and/or how long the vehicle 1100 will be positioned in those locations, may occur according to a combination of variables associated with a likelihood of individuals scheduling intraoral scanning appointments and/or with navigating the vehicle 1100. These variables may include time of year (e.g., prioritizing traveling to colder climates during the summer and warmer climates during the winter), population density (e.g., prioritizing traveling to more dense population centers), income (e.g., prioritizing traveling to areas with higher average incomes), zip code (e.g., prioritizing traveling to zip codes with higher average incomes), age (e.g., prioritizing traveling to areas with higher numbers of individuals within a certain age range, such as 30-45), distance from a stationary intraoral scanning site 106 (e.g., maintaining the location of the vehicle within a hard or soft distance, such as 20 miles, from any stationary intraoral scanning sites 106), and history of past locations visited (e.g., prioritizing traveling to areas that have not been visited by a vehicle 1100). In some embodiments, the variables may be weighted when determining the location for the vehicle 1100 to travel. For example, income and zip code may be weighted the most heavily, with time of year, distance from a stationary intraoral scanning site 106, and history of past locations visited having a secondary weighting and the remaining variables having a tertiary weighting.
As an illustration of selecting a location for the vehicle 1100, between Area A, having an average income of $100,000 per year but with a lower population density, and Area B, having an average income of $80,000 per year with a higher population density, Area A may be selected. As another illustration, between Area C, having an average income of $100,000 per year located in Minnesota, and Area D, having an average income of $95,000 per year located in Georgia, Area D may be selected during the winter and Area C may be selected during the summer. In some embodiments, the vehicle 1100 may be one of a number of vehicles 1100, with each vehicle 1100 assigned to a particular geographic region. As an example, for vehicles 1100 within the United States, the vehicles 1100 may be assigned to one of East Coast, West, North Central, Southeast, South Central, Northwest, Texas, California, and Florida. Accordingly, the variables may include keeping the vehicle 1100 within or near the assigned geographic region.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the general locations for the vehicle 1100 may include locations where a stationary intraoral scan station 106 may be located in the future, where a stationary intraoral scan station 106 is in the process of being built, desirable areas (e.g., based on the number of visitors to a website associated with the vehicle 1100 that are from the given area) that are too small to support their own stationary intraoral scan station 106, and/or areas where it would be desirable to raise brand awareness through a visit by the vehicle 1100. Similarly, in some embodiments, the general locations for the vehicle 1100 may be based at least partially on locations where potential users have shown interest in completing intraoral scans and purchasing aligners. For example, the general locations may be at least partially based on the number of visitors to a website associated with the vehicle 1100 (e.g., discussing or advertising the process of aligning teeth with aligners) from a given area based on IP addresses and/or location information provided by the visitors. As another example, the general locations may be at least partially based on the number of users who have performed one or more actions suggesting that they would like to purchase aligners (e.g., booked an intraoral scan at a stationary intraoral scanning site 106 but missed the appointment or not purchased aligners afterwards). As an illustration, the number of visitors to the website associated with the vehicle 1100 having IP addresses within an area, the number of visitors to the website who provided location information (e.g., a zip code) located within the area, and the number of visitors to the website who performed one or more actions on the website and who are located within the area (e.g., based on a zip code provided by the visitor or the IP address of the visitor) may all be used as additional variables in determining the general location. For instance, between Area A, having an average income of $90,000 per year, and Area B, having $85,000 per year but encompassing a larger number of visitors to the website, Area B may be selected.
Once a general location (e.g., a city, a zip code) is selected, a specific location for the vehicle 1100 is determined. For example, areas with large parking lots, such as malls, within the general location may be identified as potential specific locations for the vehicle 1100. One or more variables may also factor into determining the specific location, such as accessibility and distance from stationary intraoral scanning sites 106. With the specific location for the vehicle 1100 determined, the best route for the vehicle 1100 to travel from its current location to the specific location is identified. As an example, the best route may take into account road inclines, road declines, locations of freeways or highways, fuel capacity and gas station locations, and so on. Additionally, the itinerary for the vehicle 1100 (as well as staffers working on the vehicle 1100) may be uploaded to a cloud database such that the itinerary can be accessed by other employees associated with the vehicle 1100.
In various arrangements, some or all of these determinations may be made automatically by a computing system. As an illustration,
In another example, the vehicle scheduler 1500 may output a list of potential general locations (e.g., listed in an order based on their score from the one or more variables and factors discussed above) to a staff member associated with the computing system 102. The staff member then uses the list to determine specific locations for the vehicle 1100, for example, by contacting properties with locations large enough to house the vehicle 1100 (e.g., malls with large parking lots) to gain approval for the vehicle to be stationed at the specific location, as well as any additional legwork such as filing for approval with the local municipality to use the specific location. In another example, at least some of the legwork may be performed automatically by the vehicle scheduler 1500 (e.g., with the vehicle scheduler 1500 automatically identifying and contacting the owner of the specific location to gain approval).
Additionally, the route planner 1502 may be configured to determine the route for the vehicle 1100 once the schedule for the vehicle 1100 is determined (e.g., by the scheduler 1500). As an example, the route planner 1502 may use a mapping application to determine the shortest route between the vehicle's current location and the next location in the schedule, modifying the route as needed to account for the need to refill gas, avoid construction, avoid steep hills, and the like.
In various embodiments, once the schedule for the vehicle 1100 is determined, advertising may be used to indicate the availability of the vehicle 1100 in the given area for the period of time on the schedule to various potential users. For example, in some arrangements, advertising may be used on a social media platform according to geofencing to identify potential users within a certain distance of the scheduled location of the vehicle 1100 (e.g., based on information input by the user into the social media platform, based on the user's location determined by the social media platform from the user's IP address, based on the user's location determined by an application associated with the social media platform running on a mobile device associated with the user from a global positioning system (“GPS”) on the mobile device). The social media platform may then provide advertisements to potential users on the social media platform who are within the geofence (e.g., a forty mile radius from the scheduled stop of the vehicle 1100 or a smaller radius if there is a nearby stationary intraoral scanning station 106). As an example, the advertisements may start three days before a scheduled stop of the vehicle 1100 and continue until the day before the last day of the scheduled stop. The advertisements may also be tailored to certain demographics (e.g., individuals 18-65). Further, in certain arrangements, additional factors may be used to advertise to potential users on the social media platform who are more likely to schedule an appointment with the vehicle 1100, such as potential users within the geofence that the social media platform has determined are above a certain income level or that the social media platform has determined have similar demographics to others that have clicked on the advertisement in the past. In some embodiments, the advertiser 1504 may interface with the social media platform (e.g., using an application programming interface (“API”) of the social media platform) to automatically initiate targeted advertising to potential users on the social media platform once the schedule of the vehicle 1100 is determined.
The advertisements used on the social media platforms may be tailored to the specific stop location. As an illustration, an advertisement may list the location, the dates that the vehicle 1100 will be stopped at the location, and illustrate the urgency of the individual needing to book an intraoral scan at the location due to the limited timeframe of the stop and limited number of available scanning appointments. Additionally, the advertisement may be configured to link directly to the intraoral scan booking page (e.g., the reservation page 200).
In some embodiments, the advertiser 1504 may also vary the budget for advertisements used, for example, on social media platforms based on the number of available intraoral scanning appointments over time. As an example, a vehicle 1100 may have a total of 72 intraoral scanning appointments available per day. The advertiser 1504 may determine the number or percentage of open appointments over time (e.g., based on information from the scheduler 122) and increase or decrease the budget based on how that number/percentage compares to an average or expected number/percentage given the timing relative to the scheduled stop.
Further advertising may be carried out by social media accounts associated with the vehicle 1100. For example, the schedule of the vehicle 1100 may be posted on a Twitter® account and/or an Instagram® account associated with the vehicle 1100 (e.g., the upcoming schedule for the post may be posted every Monday). In some arrangements, this may be performed directly by the advertiser 1504 (e.g., by using one or more application programming interfaces (“APIs”) to post the schedule once determined by the scheduler 1500).
In some arrangements, the computing system 102 may directly carry out at least some of the advertising based on contact information for various potential users (e.g., stored in the user file 134). For example, a user making an appointment using the reservation page 200 may be required to input both location information (e.g., the city and zip code in which the user lives) and contact information (e.g., a mobile phone number and/or an email address). As such, the computing system 102 may store the location information and contact information in the user file 134. As another example, a user may by prompted to input location information and contact information when visiting a website associated with the vehicle 1100 (e.g., a website discussing or advertising the process of aligning teeth with aligners), which is stored in the user file 134. Alternatively, the location information may be determined based on the user's IP address used to access the website. As another example, the computing system 102 may receive location information and contact information for potential users of desired demographics from a marketing list that is stored in the user file 134. As yet another example, employees associated with the computing system 102 may receive location information and contact information for potential users through in-person advertising, which they input into the user file 134.
Once the schedule of the vehicle 1100 is set, the message generator 136 may identify, based on the user file 134, users in the geofences associated with upcoming locations for the vehicle 1100 that should be contacted. These users may include, for example, users that scheduled but missed intraoral scan appointments, users that completed an intraoral scan but did not purchase aligners afterwards, users that indicated they would like to learn more about the process of receiving aligners, users in desired demographics, and so on. A given geofence used may be a certain distance from a scheduled stop of the vehicle 1100, such as within a forty-mile radius of the scheduled stop. The message generator 136 may generate messages for these users indicating when the vehicle 1100 will be in the upcoming location within their respective geofences and directing the users to make an appointment with the vehicle 1100. For example, the messages may be emailed or texted to the users, with the messages including a link that the users can select to make an appointment with the vehicle 1100 (e.g., directing the user to the reservation page 200). As another example, the messages provided by an automatic call to the users, with the automatic call including instructions for making an appointment with the vehicle 1100 (e.g., instructions for accessing the reservations page). The notification center 138 may then provide the messages to the users. However, for users that book an intraoral scanning appointment with the vehicle 1100, the message generator 136 may remove those users from the messaging list such that they do not receive unnecessary messages.
Additionally, in some arrangements, multiple types of communications may be sent to the potential users. For instance, an email communication may be sent to users in a geofence (e.g., within a forty mile radius of a scheduled stop) five days before a scheduled stop of the vehicle 1100. In addition, a text message may be sent to users in the same geofence or a narrower geofence two days (e.g., within a ten mile radius of the scheduled stop) before the scheduled stop of the vehicle 1100. Additionally, once the user books an intraoral scan with the vehicle 1100, the message generator 136 may generate an email message and a text message for the user confirming the appointment date and time, as well as including instructions for finding the location of the vehicle 1100 at the scheduled stop.
In some arrangements, the messages may include a sense of urgency for the potential users. For example, a first email communication may be sent out to the users in a geofence five days before the scheduled stop of the vehicle 1100. After that, email communications may be sent at regular times until the end of the scheduled stop of the vehicle 1100 to indicate the short timeframe of the vehicle 1100 stop, such as a reminder email communication indicating that the user can still book an intraoral scan at the time the scheduled stop begins and a last change communication the day before the last day of the scheduled stop. The email communications may also clearly state the limited time that the vehicle 1100 will be at the scheduled stop and emphasize the number of open intraoral scan appointments left, as well as indicate the limited dates and location in the subject line.
Additionally, in some arrangements, the messages may be tailored to the individual user, for example, based on the user's familiarity with the aligner process. As an illustration, a first message may be sent to users who have never made an appointment for an intraoral scan. A second message may be sent to users who have made but missed an appointment for an intraoral scan. A third message may be sent to users who have previously purchased an impression kit used to make impressions of the user's teeth (e.g., instead of the user having an intraoral scan performed). A fourth message may be sent to users that received a scan at a stationary intraoral scan station 106 but did not purchase aligners. Finally, a fifth message may be sent to users that received a scan at a stationary intraoral scan station 106 or previously used and sent in an impression kit but need a redo scan (e.g., because it has been a certain amount of time since the first scan, because there were issues with the image file for the first scan, because the dental impression the user took with the dental impression kit was not clear enough). As another illustration, different messages may be sent to different users based on their demographics (e.g., different messages based on age).
Group 1608 includes messages sent to the user after the user has booked an intraoral scan with the vehicle 1100. For example, at the point the user books the intraoral scan, the user stops receiving the group 1600 messages and starts receiving the group 1608 messages. Message 1610 includes an email and a text message confirming that the user has booked an intraoral scan appointment. Message 1612 includes an email sent three days before the user's intraoral scan appointment reminding the user of the appointment. Message 1614 includes another email and a text message reminding the user of the appointment, and message 1616, which is sent the day of the appointment (e.g., at 8AM local time), includes a text message instructing the user on how to find the location of the vehicle 1100. In addition to receiving the group 1608 messages, the user may also receive messages that are typical for users to receive before an intraoral scan at an intraoral scanning site 106, as discussed above.
If the user completes the intraoral scanning appointment, the user receives the group 1618 message. Specifically, the user receives one or more messages 1620 instructing the user on the next steps for purchasing and receiving aligners. If the user misses or cancels the intraoral scanning appointment, the user receives the group 1622 messages. Message 1624 includes an email indicating that the user missed the appointment and providing the upcoming schedule of the vehicle 1100 to the user. Additionally, the user receives one or more messages 1626 providing the user with additional information on aligners and/or what steps the user should take if the user decides to purchase aligners in the future.
In various embodiments, scheduling appointments for intraoral scans at the vehicle 1100 is done using a similar process as for other intraoral scanning sites 106. In some arrangements, the user may schedule a scanning appointment at the vehicle 1100 using the reservation page 200 of the website associated with the appointment management system 100. As an illustration, once the schedule of locations, dates, and times the vehicle 1100 will be available for performing intraoral scans is determined, the vehicle 1100 may be selectable in the locations 202, dates 204, and times 206 of the reservation page 200 for those determined locations, dates, and times. For example, the vehicle 1100 may be selectable on the reservation page 200 starting seven days before the vehicle 1100 is scheduled to arrive at the location. Accordingly, a user can schedule a scanning appointment with the vehicle 1100 using the process described above with respect to the reservation page 200. The reservation page 200 may be populated with those locations 202, dates 204, and times 206 in a similar manner as described above, with the scheduler 122 accessing the schedule 124 of the vehicle 1100 acting as the intraoral scanning site 106. To ensure that the upcoming schedule for a vehicle 1100 appears on the reservation page 200, for example, the vehicle scheduler 1500 may create a ticket for the scheduler 122 confirming the days the vehicle 1100 will be at a given stop, the hours of operation at the stop, the number of available chairs per appointment time at the given stop, and so on.
Additionally, in various embodiments, the user may receive pre-appointment messaging and/or post-appointment messaging as described above. For example, in some embodiments, the message generator 136 may generate messages for users scheduled for appointments with the vehicle 1100 instructing the user how to get to the vehicle 1100 location. The messages may be automatically generated by the message generator 136 (e.g., using a mapping application) or may be input manually by a staff member working on the vehicle 1100.
Because the vehicle 1100 is a mobile intraoral scanning site 106, certain steps may also be taken to ensure that the vehicle 1100 remains stocked with supplies for performing the intraoral scans, as well as other supplies for the intraoral scanning site 106. For example, staffers working on the vehicle 1100 may count inventory levels at the beginning of a vehicle 1100 stop at the scheduled location and the end of the stop at the scheduled location or at the end of each day the vehicle 1100 is stopped at the scheduled location. The county of the inventory levels may be provided to a central database (e.g., a database incorporated as part of or communicably connected to the inventory planner 1506). As an example, the inventory levels may be provided to a shared document in the central database, which automatically tracks the inventory of supplies at each vehicle 1100. In some arrangements, the shared document may alert an employee when inventory levels are low at a vehicle (e.g., by flagging the inventory as red in the document, by sending the employee an email), such as less than five hundred, so that the employee can order additional inventory. In other arrangements, the inventory planner 1506 may automatically track the inventory at each vehicle 1100 based on the inventory counts and automatically order additional supplies for a vehicle 1100 in response to determining that inventory is low.
In some embodiments, once the vehicle 1100 is low on stock, a shipment of supplies may be sent to a hotel at which staffers working on the vehicle 1100 are staying. In other embodiments, once the vehicle 1100 is low on stock (e.g., as recorded and reported by staff working on the vehicle 1100), a shipment of supplies may be sent to the nearest current or upcoming stationary intraoral scanning site 106 such that the vehicle 1100 can pick up the supplies at the stationary intraoral scanning site 106.
In some embodiments, the vehicle 1100 may be staffed with individuals who work on the vehicle 1100 full-time. For example, the staffers may travel with the vehicle 1100, or the staffers may divided into two groups that alternate between working the vehicle 1100 at scheduled stops. In other embodiments, the vehicle 1100 may be staffed with local individuals. As an example, staffers (e.g., one manager and four to five scanning associates) working at stationary intraoral scanning sites 106 near upcoming stops scheduled for the vehicle 1100 may travel to the location of the vehicle 1100 to staff the vehicle 1100. In various arrangements, the staff planner 1508 may determine the number of individuals needed to staff the vehicle 1100 (e.g., based on the vehicle 1100 schedule) and identify individuals able to staff the vehicle 1100. As an illustration, the staff planner 1508 may automatically identify staffers working at a stationary intraoral scanning site 106 near a scheduled stop with high reviews and contact those staffers to work at the vehicle 1100 while the vehicle 1100 is at the scheduled stop. The staff planner 1508 may further automatically determine a schedule for the staffers.
In various embodiments, providing one or more mobile intraoral scanning sites 106 in addition to stationary intraoral scanning sites 106 as described above may provide a number of advantages over using only stationary intraoral scanning sites 106. For one, the mobile intraoral scanning sites 106 may allow intraoral scans to be performed in areas that are not large enough or would likely not create enough business to sustain a stationary intraoral scanning site 106. The mobile intraoral scanning sites 106 may also allow intraoral scans to be performed in areas in which a stationary intraoral scanning site 106 is being built but is not completed. Additionally, the limited nature of the mobile intraoral scanning sites 106 providing intraoral scans may attract users who would otherwise forego getting a scan done (e.g., due to a fear of missing out). As an example, in some cases, more users may sign up to have an intraoral scan performed at a vehicle 1100 and actually follow through with the scan than at a stationary intraoral scanning site 106 within the same time period due to the transience of the vehicle 1100.
Additionally, using a mobile intraoral scanning site 106 (e.g., implemented as the vehicle 1100) may be advantageous over other implementations of remote intraoral scanning performed outside of a stationary site, such as having an employee bring an intraoral scanner into a user's home to perform the intraoral dentition scan. For example, having a dedicated vehicle 1100 configured for performing intraoral dentition scans alleviates the difficulty of an employee delivering and properly setting up the highly technical intraoral scanning equipment in a user's home. Further, as discussed above, a large number of users can schedule appointments at the vehicle 1100 for a given day that the vehicle 1100 is stationed in a location (e.g., due to the efficiency and multiple scanning stations of the vehicle 1100), whereas the number of users who can schedule appointments with an employee bringing the intraoral scanner to the users' homes is more limited (e.g., due to the travel time of the employee providing the intraoral scanner). Likewise, the geographic range that can be served by an employee bringing the intraoral scanner to the user's home may be more limited due to the employee's need to travel to the user's home from a base location, such as the employee's home or a stationary intraoral scanning site. Users may also be inconvenienced by having the intraoral scanning equipment brought to their homes, as well as be uncomfortable with inviting an employee that they do not know into their homes for security, privacy, or other reasons. By contrast, users visiting the vehicle 1100 can have an intraoral dentition scan performed at a location near the user without worrying about the inconvenience and potential security, privacy, etc. concerns of inviting an unknown individual into their homes.
The construction and arrangement of the systems and methods as shown in the various exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, orientations, etc.). By way of example, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
The present disclosure contemplates methods, systems and program products on memory or other machine-readable media for accomplishing various operations. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using existing computer processors, or by a special purpose computer processor for an appropriate system, incorporated for this or another purpose, or by a hardwired system. Embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure include program products or memory comprising machine-readable media for carrying or having machine-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such machine-readable media may be any available media that may be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way of example, such machine-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of machine-readable media. Machine-executable instructions include, by way of example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing machines to perform a certain function or group of functions.
Although the figures may show a specific order of method steps, the order of the steps may differ from what is depicted. Also, two or more steps may be performed concurrently or with partial concurrence. Such variation will depend on the software and hardware systems chosen and on designer choice. All such variations are within the scope of the disclosure. Likewise, software implementations could be accomplished with standard programming techniques with rule based logic and other logic to accomplish the various connection steps, processing steps, comparison steps and decision step.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/130,762, filed Sep. 13, 2018, which claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/660,141, filed Apr. 19, 2018. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/130,762 is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/725,430, filed Oct. 5, 2017, which claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/522,847, filed Jun. 21, 2017. All of the aforementioned applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62660141 | Apr 2018 | US | |
| 62522847 | Jun 2017 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16130762 | Sep 2018 | US |
| Child | 16577912 | US | |
| Parent | 15725430 | Oct 2017 | US |
| Child | 16130762 | US |
