Magnetic clear aligner system

Abstract

An aligner utilizes a magnetic interaction to reposition teeth. The aligner includes an inner layer sized and shaped to correspond to an exterior of a dental mold for an arrangement of teeth. The aligner includes an aligner magnet coupled to an exterior of the inner layer. The aligner includes an outer layer sized and shaped to correspond to an exterior of the inner layer and the aligner magnet. The inner layer is received within the outer layer and the aligner magnet is between the inner layer and the outer layer. The aligner magnet is positioned to magnetically interact with a magnetizable component attached to a select one of the teeth.

1 . An aligner, comprising:
 an attachment form provided to a dental mold for an arrangement of teeth, the attachment form having an enlarged size greater than a size of a magnetizable component that is to be attached to a select one of the teeth;   an inner layer formed by thermoforming a sheet to correspond to a size and a shape of at least a portion of an exterior of the dental mold with the attachment form, such that the inner layer has a recess corresponding to the attachment form;   an aligner magnet placed on the recess of the inner layer such that the aligner magnet directly contacts an outer exterior surface of the recess of the inner layer; and   an outer layer formed by thermoforming a further sheet to correspond to a size and a shape of an exterior of the inner layer and the aligner magnet, the outer layer having one continuous recess that houses both the aligner magnet and the recess of the inner layer, wherein:   the inner layer is received within the outer layer, and the aligner magnet is between the inner layer and the outer layer,   the inner layer is made of a polymer having one or more polymeric layers,   the inner layer is fused with the outer layer by at least one of heat and pressure, such that the inner layer is not detachable from the outer layer, and   the aligner magnet is positioned to magnetically interact with the magnetizable component attached to the select one of the teeth, such that:   an inner surface of the inner layer directly contacts the teeth,   an outermost surface of the recess of the inner layer directly contacts a surface of the aligner magnet while an opposing surface of the aligner magnet directly contacts an innermost surface of the one continuous recess of the outer layer, and   an interface between the inner layer and the outer layer where the aligner magnet is not located is a fused interface where the inner layer is fused with the outer layer by at least one of heat and pressure.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The aligner of  claim 1 , wherein the recess of the inner layer is sized and shaped based on the attachment form. 
     
     
         5 . The aligner of  claim 4 , wherein the recess of the inner layer is enlarged relative to a size of the attachment form. 
     
     
         6 . The aligner of  claim 1 , wherein the inner layer and the outer layer are both polymeric layers. 
     
     
         7 . The aligner of  claim 6 , wherein the inner layer, the outer layer, or both are thermoplastic layers. 
     
     
         8 . The aligner of  claim 1 , wherein the aligner magnet is coated. 
     
     
         9 . An aligner system including the aligner of  claim 1  and a magnetizable component bonded to a tooth, which corresponds to the magnetizable component of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetizable component is made of either (i) a magnetizable material or (ii) a combination of a magnetizable material and a non-magnetizable material.