Tracking teeth movement correction

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for tracking teeth movement correction. One method embodiment includes using a set of positioning appliances shaped to move teeth through a number of successive stages of arrangements of an expected teeth arrangement model where each stage corresponds to a particular positioning appliance, mapping a current teeth position based upon positions of a number of physical markers attached to a number of physical teeth, comparing the positions of the number of physical markers with a corresponding number of virtual markers positioned on a number of virtual teeth of a stage in the expected teeth arrangement model, determining whether midcourse correction is needed.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for tracking teeth movement, the method comprising:
 receiving a virtual teeth model of physical teeth in an initial tooth arrangement using a computing device;   positioning at least one virtual marker on at least one virtual tooth of the virtual teeth model;   generating a successive digital tooth arrangement for the virtual teeth model using the computing device;   providing information for positioning at least one physical marker at a location on at least one of the physical teeth corresponding to a location of the at least one virtual marker on the at least one virtual tooth;   receiving an image of the at least one physical marker after the physical teeth have moved to a successive physical tooth arrangement using the computing device;   matching the at least one physical marker at the successive physical tooth arrangement with the at least one virtual marker at the successive digital tooth arrangement using computer-implemented computational geometry calculations to verify that the successive physical tooth arrangement follows the successive digital tooth arrangement using the computing device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the virtual teeth model includes receiving an image of the physical teeth in the initial tooth arrangement including the at least one physical marker at the location on the at least one of the physical teeth. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the virtual teeth model includes receiving an image of the physical teeth in the initial tooth arrangement without the at least one physical marker at the location on the at least one of the physical teeth. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , where the method includes determining a positioning appliance suitable for restarting a treatment process based upon the computer-implemented computational geometry calculations in response to a determination that midcourse correction is needed because the successive physical tooth arrangement does not follow the successive digital tooth arrangement. 
     
     
         5 . A non-transitory computer readable medium, having instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause a device to:
 receive a virtual teeth model of physical teeth in an initial tooth arrangement using a computing device;   position at least one virtual marker on at least one virtual tooth of the virtual teeth model;   generate a successive digital tooth arrangement for the virtual teeth model using the computing device;   provide information for positioning at least one physical marker at a location on at least one of the physical teeth corresponding to a location of the at least one virtual marker on the at least one virtual tooth;   receive an image of the at least one physical marker after the physical teeth have moved to a successive physical tooth arrangement using the computing device;   match the at least one physical marker at the successive physical tooth arrangement with the at least one virtual marker at the successive digital tooth arrangement using computer-implemented computational geometry calculations to verify that the successive physical tooth arrangement follows the successive digital tooth arrangement using the computing device.   
     
     
         6 . The medium of  claim 5 , where the computer-implemented computational geometry calculations include computer-implemented computational geometry calculations to detect a position of the at least one physical marker on the image. 
     
     
         7 . The medium of  claim 5 , where the computer-implemented computational geometry calculations include computer-implemented computational geometry calculations to match the at least one physical marker with the virtual tooth model to obtain actual teeth positions. 
     
     
         8 . A system for tracking teeth movement, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes instructions to:
 receive a virtual teeth model of physical teeth in an initial tooth arrangement using a computing device; 
 position at least one virtual marker on at least one virtual tooth of the virtual teeth model; 
 generate a successive digital tooth arrangement for the virtual teeth model using the computing device; 
 provide information for positioning at least one physical marker at a location on at least one of the physical teeth corresponding to a location of the at least one virtual marker on the at least one virtual tooth; 
 receive an image of the at least one physical marker after the physical teeth have moved to a successive physical tooth arrangement using the computing device; 
 match the at least one physical marker at the successive physical tooth arrangement with the at least one virtual marker at the successive digital tooth arrangement using computer-implemented computational geometry calculations to verify that the successive physical tooth arrangement follows the successive digital tooth arrangement using the computing device. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , where the at least one physical marker comprises a point object. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , where the at least one point object comprises at least three point objects. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , where the at least one physical marker comprises a number of line objects. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , where the at least one physical marker comprises a number of point objects and at least one line object. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , where the at least one physical marker comprises a number of shape objects. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , where the image comprises at least one X-ray image. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 8 , where the image comprises at least one three dimensional image. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 8 , where the at least one physical marker comprises a colorant. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , where the colorant comprises a colorant that changes color when the colorant interacts with a catalyst. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 8 , where at least one physical marker comprises a physical marker formed from a material that is at least temporarily visible within an X-ray spectral range. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 8 , where at least one physical marker comprises a physical marker formed from a material that is at least temporarily visible by an unaided human eye. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 8 , where at least one physical marker comprises an appliance attachment to at least one of the physical teeth.