Method of making a tooth mold
US5452219A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 29, 1994 |
| Grant date | Sep 19, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 29, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P90/02
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method for the making of a tooth mold which includes the steps of scanning the surface of a model of a tooth to obtain data on the three-dimensional surface locations of the model, processing the data in a CAD/CAM computer, and using the processed data to fabricate a tooth mold. The scanning step involves subjecting a rotating tooth model to radiant energy from a laser beam, receiving and translating reflections of the radiant energy into electronic signals, and digitizing the signals into data of the three-dimensional surface locations of the tooth model. The processing step involves translating the data, editing the data, creating a three-dimensional surface pattern of the tooth model, evaluating the surface pattern by visual analysis and comparison to known geometric values of the tooth model, and creating a tooth path program. Finally, the fabricating step involves using the tooth path program to direct a machine to mill a tooth mold and using the same program to direct a machine to finish-polish the mold.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.