Method and system for customizing an orthodontic archwire

Abstract

A method for applying a desired shape to an orthodontic archwire includes the steps of obtaining a numerical description of the desired shape of an orthodontic archwire, generating a description of the design of a fixture basing on the numerical description, manufacturing a fixture basing on this description of the design, constraining a wire into the fixture and applying an adequate treatment to the wire in order to cause it to adopt the shape dictated by the fixture.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method to permanently apply a desired non-planar shape to an orthodontic archwire, the method comprising the steps of:
 obtaining a numerical description of a desired non-planar shape of an orthodontic archwire; 
 generating a description of aderiving a design of a fixture reflecting saidfrom the numerical descriptionof an orthodontic archwire; 
 deriving numerical control data from the design;  
 manufacturing a fixture based on the description of the design at least partially in response to the numerical control data so that at least a portion of the fixture is adapted to receive and constrain a wire has to a non-planar shape to thereby cause the wire to permanently adopt a shape matching the desired non-planar shape; 
 constraining a wire in the at least a portion of the fixture causing it to cause the wire to adopt have a non-planar shape as dictated by the fixture; and 
 exposing the fixture with the wire constrained therein to certain conditions to thereby cause the wire to permanently adopt a shape matching the desired non-planar shapeas dictated by the fixture constrained therein.; and 
 removing the wire from the fixture, the removed wire permanently having the desired non-planar shape. 
 
     
     
       2. A method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising applying at least one modification to the description of the design of the fixture before the step of manufacturing the fixture wherein the desired non-planar shape is at least partially customized for an individual orthodontic patient. 
     
     
       3. A method as defined in claim  2  1, wherein the step of further comprising applying the at least one modification of to the design of the fixture includes applying the at least one modification in order to reflect changes of the desired non-planar wire shape. 
     
     
       4. A method as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the step of further comprising applying the at least one modification of to the design of the fixture includes applying the at least one modification responsive to data related to the resilience of material of the wire. 
     
     
       5. A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the wire is made from shape memory alloy and is exposed to the certain conditions include a heat treatment, causing it the wire to permanently adopt the desired non-planar shape dictated by said fixture. 
     
     
       6. A method of as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the fixture is manufactured using at least partially a numerically controlled manufacturing finishing process. 
     
     
       7. A method as defined in claim  6  1, wherein said the fixture is completed by use of at least one an assembly including a plurality of reusable retainer retainers. 
     
     
       8. A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the fixture comprises at least one retainer having a tubular slot. 
     
     
       9. A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the fixture comprises at least one retainer having an open slot. 
     
     
       10. A method as defined in claim  9  1, wherein the wire is constrained in the open slot of the retainer fixture by a clamp a plurality of clamps. 
     
     
       11. A method to apply a desired non-planar shape to a plurality of orthodontic archwires having different cross-sections, the method comprising:
 obtaining a numerical description of a desired non-planar shape of an orthodontic archwire, the description including a plurality of coordinate systems each defining separate segments of the desired shape of the orthodontic archwire; 
 generating a description of aderiving a design of a virtual fixture responsive tofrom the numerical description, the generating includingderiving includes:
 obtaining a largest wire archwire cross-section to be heat-treated in the fixture,   retrieving eachobtaining the plurality of coordinate system represented in the description of the designsystems,   obtaining length a plurality of lengths of a wire an archwire portion associated each corresponding with each coordinate system a respective one of the plurality of coordinate systems,   generatingderiving a plurality of points defining apositions for a plurality of virtual retainer for eachretainers from the plurality of coordinate systemsystems, and   merging allcombining the plurality of virtual retainers from each coordinate system with adjacent retainers andwith a base plate to create thedefine the design of a virtual fixture;   
 deriving numerical control data from the design;  
 supplyingtransferring the numerical control data defining the virtual fixture to a numerically controlled manufacturing device system; 
 manufacturing a fixture based on the virtual fixture at least partially by the manufacturing system in response to the numerical control data so that at least a portion of the fixture adapted to receive a wire has and constrain portions of an archwire to a non-planar shape; 
 for each of a plurality of wires having a different cross-section, performing the steps of:  manually inserting each of a plurality of wires having a different cross-section the wire into the at least a portion of the fixture;,    exposing the fixture with each the wire inserted therein to heat to thereby cause each the wire to permanently adopt a shape dictated by the fixture;, and   removing the wire from the fixture, the wire having a shape matching the desired non-planar shape; and   
 reiterating the steps of inserting, exposing, and removing to thereby receive a customized a resulting plurality of orthodontic archwire archwires having a desired non-planar shape. 
 
     
     
       12. A method as defined in  claim 11 , further comprising applying at least one modification to the description of the design of the fixture before manufacturing the fixture wherein the desired non-planar shape is at least partially customized for an individual orthodontic patient. 
     
     
       13. A method as defined in claim  12  11, wherein the step of further comprising applying the at least one modification of to the design of the a virtual fixture includes applying the at least one modification in order to reflect changes of to the desired wire non-planar shape. 
     
     
       14. A method as defined in claim  12  11, wherein the step of further comprising applying the at least one modification of to the design of the a virtual fixture includes applying the at least one modification responsive to data related to the resilience of material of the wire. 
     
     
       15. A method to apply a desired non-planar shape to an orthodontic archwire, the method comprising:
 obtaining a numerical description of a desired non-planar shape of a customized orthodontic archwire; 
 generating a description of the design of a virtual fixture at least partially responsive to the numerical description; 
 supplyingtransferring control data defining thecorresponding to the description of the design of a virtual fixture to a numerically controlled manufacturing devicesystem; 
 manufacturing a fixture based at least partially on the virtual fixture control data so that at least a portion of the fixture adapted is configured to receive insert and constrict a wire has to a non-planar shape; 
 manually inserting portions of the wire into the at least a portion of the fixture; 
 exposing the fixture with the wire inserted therein to heat; and 
 removing the wire from the fixture to thereby receive a non-planar customized orthodontic archwire having a shape matching the desired non-planar shape. 
 
     
     
       16. A method as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the step of generating includes: 
 retrieving each a plurality of coordinate system represented in the systems defining virtual archwire segments as part of the numerical description; of the design, 
 generating a plurality of points defining a positions of a corresponding plurality of virtual retainer for each retainers responsive to the plurality of coordinate system systems, and 
 merging allincluding the plurality of virtual retainers from each coordinate system with respective adjacent retainers to create theinto the design of a virtual fixture. 
 
     
     
       17. A method to permanently apply a desired non-planar shape to an orthodontic archwire, the method comprising the steps of:
 manufacturing a fixture at least partially in response to numerical control data derived from a numerical description of an orthodontic archwire having a desired non-planar shape so that the fixture is adapted to receive and constrain a wire to a non-planar shape dictated by the fixture;   constraining the wire in the at least a portion of the fixture to thereby cause it to adopt a non-planar shape dictated by the fixture to permanently adopt a non-planar shape matching the desired non-planar shape when exposed to certain conditions; and   removing the wire from the fixture to thereby receive a non-planar customized orthodontic archwire permanently having a post-removal non-planar shape matching the desired non-planar shape.   
     
     
       18. A method as defined in claim 17,
 wherein the numerical control data is derived by performing the following steps:
 deriving a design of the fixture from the numerical description of the desired non-planar shape of the orthodontic archwire, and 
 deriving numerical control data from the design; and 
   wherein the method further comprises the step of exposing the fixture with the wire constrained therein to certain conditions to thereby cause the wire to permanently adopt the desired non-planar shape.   
     
     
       19. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein the certain conditions include a temperature of greater than 300° C. 
     
     
       20. A method to permanently apply a desired non-planar shape to an orthodontic archwire, the method comprising the steps of:
 deriving a design of a fixture responsive to a numerical description of a non-planar shape of a custom orthodontic archwire, the derived design comprising a design of a fixture adapted to receive and constrain a wire to a first non-planar shape to thereby cause the wire to permanently adopt a shape matching a second non-planar shape defining a desired non-planar shape;   deriving numerical control data from the design;   manufacturing the fixture, at least portions of the fixture being manufactured responsive to the numerical control data;   constraining a wire in the fixture to cause the wire to have the first non-planar shape as dictated by the fixture;   exposing the fixture, when the wire is constrained therein, to heat treatment to thereby cause the wire to permanently adopt a shape matching the desired non-planar shape; and   removing the wire from the fixture, the removed wire having the desired non-planar shape after resiling from the first non-planar shape dictated by the fixture.   
     
     
       21. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the step of deriving a design of a fixture is further responsive to one or more values indicating an adjustment to a bending value of at least one portion of the wire. 
     
     
       22. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the wire has one or more material properties to include a tendency to resile after being exposed to the heat treatment when in a constrained state and removed from the constrained state, and wherein the step of deriving a design of a fixture is further responsive to one or more values indicating an adjustment to a bending value of at least a portion of the wire to provide compensation for the tendency to resile, the bending value comprising one or more of the following: bending angle and torque. 
     
     
       23. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the wire has one or more material properties to include a tendency to resile after being exposed to the heat treatment when in a constrained state and removed from the constrained state, wherein the numerical description of a non-planar shape of the custom orthodontic archwire does not account for tendency of the wire to resile after being heat-treated when constrained in the fixture, and wherein the step of deriving a design of a fixture is further responsive to one or more values indicating an adjustment to a bending value of at least a portion of the wire to provide compensation for the tendency to resile, the bending value comprising one or more of the following: bending angle and torque. 
     
     
       24. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the step of deriving a design of a fixture includes the steps of:
 obtaining a largest wire cross-section to be heat-treated in the fixture;   obtaining the plurality of coordinate systems;   obtaining a plurality of lengths of a wire portion corresponding with the plurality of coordinate systems;   deriving a plurality of positions for a plurality of retainers from the plurality of coordinate systems; and   combining virtual descriptions of the plurality of retainers with a virtual description of a base plate of the fixture to define the design of the fixture.