Prior art

Analysis of Prior Art for US Patent 12,409,014 B2

Based on the file wrapper and the text of US Patent 12,409,014 B2, the following prior art references were cited during its prosecution. This analysis assesses their relevance to the patent's claims, particularly focusing on potential anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

The core invention of US 12,409,014 B2 is a method for manufacturing patient-specific orthodontic brackets using additive manufacturing (AM) with specific design features for improved performance and debonding. These features include a custom-contoured base, a fracture wall, a fracture groove, specific retentive structures, and compensation angles in the archwire slot.

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Cited U.S. Patent References:

1. U.S. Pat. No. 8,694,142 B2 (to Riton)

   • Full Citation: US Patent 8,694,142 B2, "Method for producing a customized orthodontic brace," assigned to Orametrix, Inc.

   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: April 8, 2014; Filing Date: December 21, 2005.

   • Brief Description: This patent describes a method for producing a customized orthodontic brace (bracket) using a generative manufacturing process like selective laser melting (SLM). It details obtaining a 3D model of the patient's teeth and designing a bracket with a base customized to the tooth's surface. The '142 patent is explicitly mentioned in the background art section of US 12,409,014 B2, noting that the SLM technique it describes "suffers from insufficient resolution and surface finish."

   • Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference potentially anticipates the broad concept of creating a custom-fit orthodontic bracket using additive manufacturing, as described in the introductory clauses of Claim 1. Specifically, it discloses:

     • Measuring dentition data to create a 3D CAD model of the patient's teeth.
     • Designing a virtual 3D CAD bracket structure model based on the tooth model.
     • Using an additive manufacturing machine (SLM) to produce the bracket.
     • The concept of a custom-contoured base to match the tooth shape.

     However, the '142 patent does not appear to disclose the specific, detailed features claimed in the dependent clauses of Claim 1 of '014 B2, such as the compensation angle for slot walls, the peripheral fracture wall, the fracture groove in the base for predictable debonding, the specific trapezoidal retentive structures, or the rounded gingival corners. Therefore, while it is highly relevant art, it likely does not fully anticipate Claim 1 on its own.

2. U.S. Pat. No. 8,690,568 B2 (to Sachdeva et al.)

   • Full Citation: US Patent 8,690,568 B2, "Custom orthodontic appliance," assigned to Orametrix, Inc.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: April 8, 2014; Filing Date: December 14, 2011.
   • Brief Description: This patent details a method for creating a custom orthodontic appliance by attaching a customized archwire slot component to a stock (non-custom) bracket base. The position and orientation of the slot are customized, but the base that bonds to the tooth is a standard part. The '568 patent is also cited in the background of US 12,409,014 B2, which criticizes this approach for "inaccuracy in slot position and premature debonding due a stock bracket base that doesn't match the tooth morphology."
   • Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference does not anticipate the core elements of Claim 1 of '014 B2. Its fundamental teaching is contrary to the '014 patent's invention, as it relies on a stock bracket base rather than a fully custom, additively manufactured base contoured to the tooth. It fails to disclose the custom-contoured base, the integrated fracture features, or the specific retentive structures that are central to the '014 patent's claims.

3. U.S. Pat. No. 8,623,264 B2 (to Gmeiner et al.)

   • Full Citation: US Patent 8,623,264 B2, "Method for layer-by-layer construction of a three-dimensional object from a light-polymerizable material," assigned to Lithoz GmbH.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: January 7, 2014; Filing Date: June 15, 2011.
   • Brief Description: The '264 patent describes a specific apparatus and method for lithography-based additive manufacturing using a photo-reactive suspension (slurry). It focuses on the mechanics of the printing process, including the movement of a trough and build platform for precise layer-by-layer construction of ceramic objects. The '014 B2 patent references this patent directly as an example of a "lithography-based DLP process" suitable for manufacturing its claimed brackets.
   • Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference anticipates the method of manufacturing, but not the product being manufactured. It describes a suitable additive manufacturing process (lithography-based slurry process) as recited in Claim 1 of '014 B2. However, it is a general manufacturing patent and does not describe designing or producing an orthodontic bracket, let alone one with the specific geometric features recited in Claim 1 (fracture groove, fracture wall, retentive structures, etc.). It is relevant as a "how-to" for the manufacturing step but does not anticipate the novel design of the bracket itself.

Cited U.S. Patent Application Publication:

1. US 2007/0015104 A1 (to Cinader, Jr. et al.)
   • Full Citation: US Patent Application Publication 2007/0015104 A1, "Methods and systems for producing and using custom orthodontic appliances."
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: January 18, 2007; Filing Date: July 15, 2005.
   • Brief Description: This application describes a system for creating custom orthodontic appliances, including custom lingual brackets and custom-bent archwires. It teaches designing brackets based on a digital treatment plan derived from a scan of the patient's dentition. The focus is on the integrated system of custom brackets and wires to achieve a planned orthodontic outcome. The '014 B2 patent notes that custom lingual brackets fabricated by its method "may receive a pre-bent customized archwire as described by US 2007/0015104 A1."
   • Potential Anticipation of Claims: Similar to the '142 patent, this application teaches the broad concept of using digital models to design custom orthodontic appliances (specifically lingual brackets). It anticipates the initial steps of Claim 1 related to scanning, creating a 3D model, and designing a bracket for a specific patient. However, a review of its text and figures does not show disclosure of the specific debonding features (fracture wall, fracture groove) or the particular retentive structures claimed in '014 B2. Its primary contribution is the system-level integration of custom brackets and custom wires, rather than the micro-level design features of the bracket itself.

Conclusion on Anticipation

No single prior art reference cited appears to fully anticipate all the elements of independent Claim 1 of US 12,409,014 B2. While references like US 8,694,142 B2 and US 2007/0015104 A1 teach the general concept of additively manufacturing custom-fit orthodontic brackets from digital models, they lack the specific combination of inventive features that define the '014 patent's contribution. These features, including the fracture wall, fracture groove, specific retentive structure geometry, and slot compensation angle, appear to be the novel elements that differentiate this invention from the prior art. Therefore, an argument under 35 U.S.C. § 102 would likely fail, as no single reference discloses every claimed element. The novelty of the '014 patent likely resides in the unique combination of these specific design features, which collectively improve the bracket's performance, placement accuracy, and safety during debonding.