WO2023148762A1

WO2023148762A1 - An aligner, a sheet, an apparatus for preparing the aligner, and a method thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2023148762A1
Application number: PCT/IN2023/050093
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sameer Merchant; Yogesh BAGUL
Original assignee: Vedia Solutions [Div Of Laxmi Dental Exports Pvt Ltd]
Priority date: 2022-02-01
Filing date: 2023-02-01
Publication date: 2023-08-10

Abstract

The present disclosure describes an aligner, a sheet, an apparatus for preparing the aligner, and a method thereof. An apparatus (100) for preparing a aligner (200) includes a sheet receptacle unit (120) including a sheet holder (130) and an adapter (150) for receiving and securing the sheet (190), a dental impression unit including a locating plate (172) for receiving a dental impression mould, a heating unit (110) for heating the sheet (190) secured by the adapter (150) and received by the sheet holder (130), and a mechanism (140) for enabling movement of the sheet receptacle unit (120) from a first position to a second position relative to the dental impression unit such that the sheet (190) overlaps the dental impression mould to obtain shape of dental impression mould, thereby forming the aligner (200).

Description

AN ALIGNER, A SHEET, AN APPARATUS FOR PREPARING THE ALIGNER, AND

A METHOD THEREOF

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[001] The present invention relates to an aligner, a sheet, an apparatus for preparing the aligner, and a method thereof, and more particularly relates to the aligner, the sheet, and the apparatus for preparing the aligner for proper alignment of teeth.

BACKGROUND

[002] Orthodontic aligners are commonly used to align the teeth in the correct position for aesthetic as well as medical reasons. The function of the aligners is to apply force on the teeth in order to move them to the corrected positions.

[003] These aligners are made through a thermoforming process where a thermoformable material, for example, a synthetic plastic sheet is used to make these aligners to suit each individual user's teeth size and shape.

[004] In the process of thermoforming for making orthodontic aligners which is suitable for each user, a large amount of thermoformable material such as synthetic plastic sheet, is wasted. Due to the rapid increase in the demand of these aligners, the wastage of synthetic plastic is increased thus harmfully impacting the environment.

SUMMARY

[005] The following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the disclosed embodiment and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the various aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein can be gained by taking into consideration the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole.

[006] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for preparing an aligner is disclosed. The apparatus includes a sheet receptacle unit that further includes a sheet holder to receive a sheet and an adapter to secure the sheet received by the sheet holder. In addition, the sheet receptacle unit is configured to move between a first position and a second position. The apparatus further includes a dental impression unit that comprises a locating plate to receive a dental impression mould. The apparatus further includes a heating unit that is configured to heat the sheet secured by the adapter and received by the sheet holder when the sheet receptacle unit is in the first position. In addition, the apparatus includes a mechanism to enable movement of the sheet receptacle unit from the first position to the second position relative to the dental impression unit such that the sheet overlaps the dental impression mould to obtain shape of the dental impression mould, and thereby forming the aligner. In addition, the sheet forming the aligner is an arch shape sheet.

[007] In one of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the sheet includes one or more notches for extracting the aligner from the sheet.

[008] In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the sheet holder includes a first portion and a second portion such that the first portion receives the sheet. In addition, the first portion includes an opening that is covered by the sheet when received by the first portion of the sheet holder.

[009] In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the adapter includes a first part including a cavity and a second part such that the first part of the adapter secures the sheet on the sheet holder.

[0010] In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the locating plate includes an elevated surface in the shape of a dental arch to hold the dental impression mould.

[0011] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a kit for an apparatus for preparing an aligner is disclosed. The arch kit for the apparatus includes a sheet holder that further includes a first portion and a second portion such that the first portion receives a sheet. In addition, the first portion includes an opening that is covered by the sheet when received by the first portion of the sheet holder. The arch kit for the apparatus further includes an adapter to secure the sheet received by the sheet holder. In addition, the adapter includes a first part including a cavity that secures the sheet on the sheet holder and a second part. The arch kit for the apparatus further includes a dental impression unit including a locating plate to receive a dental impression mould. In addition, the locating plate includes an elevated surface in the shape of a dental arch to hold the dental impression mould.

[0012] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a method for preparing an aligner is disclosed. The method includes an initial step of receiving a sheet by a sheet holder of a sheet receptacle unit. In addition, the sheet receptacle unit is configured to move between a first position and a second position. Further, the method includes another step of securing the sheet by an adapter of the sheet receptacle unit when the sheet receptacle unit is in the first position. In addition, the sheet forming the aligner is in arch shape. Further, the method includes another step of receiving a dental impression mould by a locating plate of a dental impression unit. Further, the method includes another step of heating the sheet secured by the adapter and received by the sheet holder when the sheet receptacle unit is in the first position by a heating unit. Furthermore, the method includes a final step of enabling movement of the sheet receptacle unit from the first position to the second position relative to the dental impression unit such that the sheet overlaps the dental impression mould to obtain shape of dental impression mould, and thereby forming the aligner by a mechanism.

[0013] In one of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the sheet holder includes a first portion and a second portion such that the first portion receives said sheet. In addition, said first portion includes an opening that is covered by the sheet when received by the first portion of the sheet holder.

[0014] In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the adapter includes a first part including a cavity and a second part such that the first part of the adapter secures the sheet on the sheet holder.

[0015] In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the locating plate includes an elevated surface in the shape of a dental arch to hold the dental impression mould.

[0016] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a sheet for preparing an aligner is disclosed. In addition, the sheet is in arch shape and includes one or more notches for extracting the aligner from the arch shaped sheet. In addition, the arch shaped sheet is thermoformed over a dental impression mould in the apparatus such that the arch shaped sheet adapts to the shape of the dental impression mould, thereby forming the aligner.

[0017] In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, an aligner is disclosed. The Aligner formed by thermoforming an arch shaped sheet over a dental impression mould in the apparatus such that the arch shaped sheet adapts to the shape of the dental impression mould for forming the aligner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS [0018] Figure 1 discloses an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, depicting a perspective view of apparatus.

[0019] Figure 2 discloses an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, depicting a perspective view of the sheet receptacle unit.

[0020] Figure 3 discloses an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, depicting a perspective view of the sheet holder.

[0021] Figure 4 discloses an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, depicting the top view of the sheet holder.

[0022] Figure 5 discloses an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, depicting a side view of the sheet holder.

[0023] Figure 6 discloses an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, depicting lateral view of the sheet holder.

[0024] Figure 7 discloses an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, depicting the perspective view of the adapter.

[0025] Figure 8 discloses an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, depicting a perspective view of the locating plate.

[0026] Figure 9 discloses an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, depicting the top view of the locating plate.

[0027] Figure 10 discloses an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, depicting a side view of the locating plate.

[0028] Figure 11 discloses an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, depicting another perspective view of the apparatus.

[0029] Figure 12 discloses an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, depicting a top view of the sheet.

[0030] Figure 13 discloses an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, depicting a perspective view of an aligner.

[0031] Figure 14 discloses an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, depicting a flow chart for the method of preparing the aligner from the sheet.

[0032] The summary above, as well as the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, exemplary constructions of the disclosure are shown in the drawings. However, the disclosure is not limited to specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed herein. Moreover, those in the art will understand that the drawings are not to scale. Wherever possible, like elements have been indicated by identical numbers.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Detailed embodiments and implementations of the claimed subject matter are disclosed herein in detail with the technical matters, structural features, achieved objects, and effects with reference to the accompanying drawings as follows. It shall be understood that the disclosed embodiments and implementations are merely illustrative of the claimed subject matter which may be embodied in various forms. The present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments and implementations set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments and implementations are provided so that description of the present disclosure is thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. Specifically, the terminologies in the embodiments of the present disclosure are merely for describing the purpose of the certain embodiment, but not to limit the disclosure. In the description below, details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presented embodiments and implementations.

[0034] The particular configurations discussed in the following description are nonlimiting examples that can be varied and are cited merely to illustrate at least one embodiment and are not intended to limit the scope thereof. [0035] The present invention discloses an aligner, a sheet, an apparatus for preparing the aligner, and a method thereof. The aligner thus formed may be used for proper alignment of teeth.

[0036] The terms such as aligner, retainer, dental aligner, dental retainer, clear aligner, invisible aligner, clear retainer, invisible retainer, orthodontic aligner, orthodontal aligner, orthodontic retainer, orthodontal retainer, and/or similar terms may be used interchangeably for the aligner that may be used for proper alignment of teeth.

[0037] Various non-limiting benefits of the present invention include less wastage of raw synthetic plastic sheet and increased convenience for laborers by saving time and energy of the laborers while preparing the aligner. The sheet used in the present invention may make the process of manufacturing aligners more cost effective and eco- friendly by reducing plastic consumption and disposal of remaining synthetic plastic after extracting the aligner from the sheet to the environment. The novel shape of the sheet that may be D- shape or arch shape may reduce a significant amount of plastic wastage and may lead into a sustainable pathway. Additionally, the sheet may include one or more notches that may reduce the time of the labourer to extract the aligner from the sheet thus ultimately bringing down the cost of labour as well. In addition, the one or more notches of the sheet allow the labourer to cut the sheet in an impeccable way for extracting the aligner thus formed from the sheet. The combination of the shape of the sheet and the one or more notches may lead to a cost-effective and environment friendly production of the aligner.

[0038] The present invention includes an apparatus that may be used for manufacturing the aligner from the sheet. The sheet used for preparing the aligner may be in arch shape or D-shape. The sheet may be made of synthetic plastic (for example, PETG, PU, and the like) that may be moulded according to the structure of the dental arch of the patient. The aligner produced using the process as described in the present invention may reduce wastage of plastic up to 30 percent.

[0039] The apparatus as mentioned above may include a sheet receptacle unit for receiving the sheet that may be moulded to produce the aligner, a heating unit for heating the sheet, a dental impression unit for receiving a dental impression mould, and a user interface for providing one or more commands/instructions to the apparatus to produce the aligner from the sheet.

[0040] The sheet receptacle unit may include a sheet holder that may receive the sheet. In addition, the sheet receptacle unit may include an adapter that may secure the sheet received by the sheet holder. In one of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the sheet receptacle unit may include a container portion for receiving the sheet holder and the adapter. In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the container portion of the sheet receptacle unit may be utilized to accommodate the heat produced by the heating unit. Further, the heat produced by the heating unit may dissipate from the container portion of the sheet receptacle unit post thermoforming process.

[0041] The dental impression unit may include a locating plate for receiving a dental impression mould. In one of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the shape of the dental impression mould may be similar to the structure of teeth of the patient. In an example, the dental impression mould may be made of but not limited to alginate and polyvinyl siloxane.

[0042] The user interface may provide one or more instructions to the apparatus for performing thermoforming. The user interface may provide one or more instructions to different units of the apparatus. The user interface may be an interface that interacts with a user. In general, the user interface (UI) is the point of human-computer interaction and communication in a device. The user interface may include an input unit, a processing unit, a storage unit, and a display.

[0043] The term input unit of the user interface refers to a unit that may receive input from the user. In general, the input unit may send information to a processing unit for processing the input received by the user. In an example, the input unit may be but not limited to keyboard, mouse, microphone, trackball, scanner, and digitizer.

[0044] The term processing unit of the user interface refers to a unit that receives input from the input unit provided by the user and further analyses and processes the input received by the input unit. In general, the processing unit (PU) is the portion of the apparatus that retrieves and executes instructions. The processing unit generally consists of an arithmetic and logic unit (ALU), a control unit, and various registers. The processing unit as described in the present invention may include without limitation, microcontroller, microprocessor, embedded processor, media processor, graphics processing unit (GPU), central processing unit (CPU), application processor, digital signal processor (DSP), reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, system on a chip (SoC), baseband processor, field programmable gate array (FPGA), programmable logic device (PLD), state machine, gated logic, discrete hardware circuit, and other suitable hardware configured to facilitate the innovative features as disclosed in the present detailed description. The processing unit for example may execute the instruction(s) for the functioning of the apparatus. The processing unit may include other units or sub-units for providing one or more instructions to one or more units of the apparatus to perform thermoforming for producing the aligner using the sheet.

[0045] The term storage unit refers to any form of storage either within or outside the apparatus. The storage unit may store information regarding the one or more instructions that may be provided to the apparatus to perform thermoforming. The storage unit may include a database. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the storage unit may also be a combination of one or more storage available internally or externally. For example, flash memory, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), compact disc read-only memory (CDROM), electro-optical memory like compact disk or digital versatile disk (DVD), smart card magneto-optical memory, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), and electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and/ or the like. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the storage unit may store or carry the source code or instruction for executing required tasks. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the storage unit may be a cloud storage, server and/ or the like that may be accessible via the internet.

[0046] The term display refers to a screen that displays characters or graphics representing data in a computer memory. The display may be a touch-sensitive or presence- sensitive display. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the display includes an input/output interface module (VO interface module). In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the display unit may provide an output to the user, for example, display contents, including without limitation, an image or a video image with or without audio and/ or the like. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the display unit may include or be integrated with a touch screen or touch sensitive overlay for receiving touch input from the user. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the display unit may also be capable of receiving a user input from a stylus, fingertip, or other means of gesture input. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the display may be a computer monitor, for example, a personal computer, with an internal or external display operatively connected and or internal or external audio system. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the display may be a display device, such as an LCD TV or projector and/ or the like. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the display unit may be a screen used in a theatre or multiplex.

[0047] Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of the apparatus (100). The apparatus (100) may include a main body (170) of the apparatus (100), the sheet receptacle unit (120), and the heating unit (110). The apparatus (100) may work on the principle of thermoforming. In general, thermoforming is a term that refers to the process of transforming a plastic sheet into a 3 -dimensional shape by using heat, vacuum, and pressure. In addition, the apparatus (100) may prepare the aligner (200) from the sheet (190) using a thermoforming process.

[0048] The sheet receptacle unit (120) of the apparatus (100) may include the sheet holder (130) for receiving the sheet (190). In addition, the sheet receptacle unit (120) may include the adapter (150) for securing the sheet (190) received by the sheet holder (130) of the sheet receptacle unit (120). In addition, the sheet receptacle unit (120) may be configured to move between a first position and a second position. The sheet receptacle unit (120) of the apparatus (100) may include the container portion (124) for receiving the sheet holder (130).

[0049] The main body (170) of the apparatus (100) may include the dental impression unit. Further, the dental impression unit may include the locating plate (172) for receiving the dental impression mould. Further, the main body (170) of the apparatus (100) may include a valve lever (178) for sealing the sheet receptacle unit (120) with the dental impression unit containing the dental impression mould. In addition, the main body (170) may include the user interface (180) for providing one or more instructions to different units of the apparatus (100).

[0050] In one of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the sheet receptacle unit (120) of the apparatus (100) and the main body (170) of the apparatus (100) may be connected via a mechanism (140). The mechanism (140) may enable movement of the sheet receptacle unit (120) from the first position to the second position relative to the dental impression unit such that when the sheet receptacle unit (120) is in the second position, the sheet (190) may overlap the dental impression mould to obtain the shape of dental impression mould for forming the aligner (200).

[0051] In another exemplary embodiment, the apparatus (100) may include the heating unit (110) that may be configured to heat the sheet (190). In one of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the sheet (190) may be received by the sheet holder (130) and secured by the adapter (150) when the sheet receptacle unit (120) is in the first position. In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the heating unit (110) of the apparatus (100) may be attached with the main body (170) of the apparatus (100) via the mechanism (140) and a supporting arm (160). In one of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the supporting arm (160) may enable the movement of the heating unit (110) from an initial position that is away from the sheet receptacle unit (120) to a final position that is above the sheet receptacle unit (120) for heating the sheet (190) and vice-versa. In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the heating unit (110) of the apparatus (100) may include a handle (112) for moving the heating unit (110) from the initial position to the final position and vice-versa.

[0052] Figure 2 illustrates the sheet receptacle unit (120). The sheet receptacle unit (120) may receive the sheet (190). The sheet receptacle unit (120) may include the container portion (124) including an outer body with grooves and a handle (122). In one of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the handle (122) may enable movement of the sheet receptacle unit (120) from the first position to the second position relative to the dental impression unit such that the sheet (190) overlaps the dental impression mould to obtain shape of the dental impression mould, thereby forming the aligner (200).

[0053] Figures 3-6 illustrate different perspectives of the sheet holder (130) of the sheet receptacle unit (120). The sheet holder (130) as described in Figures 3-6 may be utilized for receiving the sheet (190). In one of the exemplary embodiments, the Figure 3 depicts perspective view of the sheet holder. Figure 4 depicts top view of the sheet holder. Figure 5 illustrates a side view of the sheet holder (130). The sheet holder (130) as described in Figures 3 and 4 may include a first portion and a second portion. In one of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the first portion of the sheet holder (130) may receive the sheet (190). In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first portion of the sheet holder (130) may include an opening (132) that may be covered by the sheet (190) when received by the first portion of the sheet holder (130).

[0054] The sheet holder (130) as described in Figure 6 may include a plurality of slots (134). In addition, the container portion (124) of the sheet receptacle unit (120) may include a plurality of pillars. In one of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the number of plurality of slots (134) in the sheet holder (130) may be equivalent to the number of plurality of pillars in the container portion (124) of the sheet holder (130). In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the sheet holder (130) of the sheet receptacle unit (120) may be affixed with the container portion (124) of the sheet receptacle unit (120) such that the plurality of slots (134) in the sheet holder (130) may be positioned with respect to the plurality of pillars of the container portion (124).

[0055] Figure 7 illustrates a perspective view of the adapter (150) of the sheet receptacle unit (120). The adapter (150) may be utilized for securing the sheet (190) received by the sheet holder (130). The adapter (150) may include a first part that includes a cavity (156), a second part, a handle (152), and a plurality of clamps (154). The first part of the adapter (150) including the cavity (156) may secure the sheet (190) on the sheet holder (130). In addition, the adapter (150) including the plurality of clamps (154) may be rotated over the grooves present on the outer body of the container portion (124) with facilitation of the handle (122) attached with the adapter (150) such that the adapter (150) may be locked with the container portion (124) of the sheet receptacle unit (120). In addition, the sheet (190) that may be secured between the sheet holder (130) and the adapter (150) may be accessible via the cavity (156) in the first part of the adapter (150).

[0056] Figures 8-10 illustrate various perspectives of the locating plate (172). The locating plate (172) may receive the dental impression mould from an operating user. In general, the dental impression mould may be prepared by 3D printing of dental arch of the patient through the digital dentistry methods. In addition, the dental impression mould may be 3D printed with acrylate-based polymers. The locating plate (172) may include an elevated surface (174) in the shape of a dental arch to hold the dental impression mould received by the operating user. In one of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the locating plate (172) may include a hole (176) opposite to the elevated surface (174) of the locating plate (172). In addition, the locating plate (172) may be fastened with the main body (170) of the apparatus (100) such that the locating plate (172) may be aligned with respect to the sheet receptacle unit (120). In addition, the sheet receptacle unit (120) may be moved from the first position to the second position relative to the dental impression unit including the locating plate (172) such that the sheet (190) may overlap the dental impression mould to obtain shape of dental impression mould for forming the aligner (200).

[0057] Figure 11 illustrates another perspective view of the apparatus (100). The apparatus (100) as shown in Figure 11 describes the apparatus (100) performing thermoforming and forming the aligner (200). In one of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the sheet receptacle unit (120) may receive the sheet (190). In addition, the sheet (190) may be heated to a threshold temperature by the heating unit (110) upon receiving one or more instructions from the user interface (180). In addition, the sheet receptacle unit (120) may be rotated with respect to the dental impression unit including the locating plate (172) holding the dental impression mould. In addition, the sheet receptacle unit (120) and the dental impression unit may be locked by rotating the valve lever (178) from an initial position to a final position for locking the sheet receptacle unit (120) with respect to the dental impression unit including the locating plate (172) and thus, applying pressure for forming the aligner (200).

[0058] Figure 12 shows a perspective view of the sheet (190). In one of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the sheet (190) may be in dental arch shape or arch shape or in d-shape or in dome shape. In addition, the dental arch shape or arch shape or d-shape or dome shape is the shape which may be the curved structure that houses the teeth and consists of the supporting gum and alveolar bone. In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the sheet (190) may be an arch shaped sheet (190) that may be thermoformed over the dental impression mould in the apparatus (100) such that the arch shaped sheet (190) may adapt to the shape of the dental impression mould, thereby forming the aligner (200). In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the sheet (190) may be made of a material such as plastic, thermoplastic polymer like homogeneous PETG (Polyethylene terephthalate glycol), PU (Polyurethane), polycarbonate (PC), thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and the like that ultimately may be capable of reuse and recycle. The sheet (190) used in the present invention may reduce wastage of plastic sheet usage in aligner (200) thermoforming by approximately 30%. Further, the sheet (190) may include one or more notches that may be used to extract the aligner (200) from the sheet (190). In addition, the one or more notches may save time and effort of labour in cutting and trimming the sheet (190) which eventually reduces the cost of manufacture or fabrication of the aligner (200).

[0059] Figure 13 illustrates a perspective view of the aligner (200). In one of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the aligner (200) may be formed by thermoforming the arch shaped sheet (190) over the dental impression mould in the apparatus (100). In addition, the arch shaped sheet (190) may adapt the shape of the dental impression mould for forming the aligner (200). In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the aligner (200) that may be formed from the arch shaped sheet (190) which may be made of a material that may be similar to that of the sheet (190) such as such as plastic, thermoplastic polymer like homogeneous PETG (Polyethylene terephthalate glycol), PU (Polyurethane), polycarbonate (PC), thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and the like. In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the aligner (200) thus formed by the arch shaped sheet (190) may be less noticeable to the people other than users who may be wearing the aligner (200). In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the aligner (200) may be used for proper alignment of teeth. In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the aligner (200) may gradually move misaligned teeth in aligned position for better aesthetics.

[0060] Figure 14 illustrates a flow chart that depicts an exemplary method (300) for preparing the aligner (200). At step 302, the method includes receiving the sheet (190) by the sheet holder (130) of the sheet receptacle unit (120). In addition, the sheet receptacle unit (120) may be configured to move between the first position and the second position. Further, at step 304, the method includes securing the sheet (190) by the adapter (150) of the sheet receptacle unit (120) when the sheet receptacle unit (120) may be in the first position. Further, at step 306, the method includes receiving the dental impression mould by the locating plate (172) of the dental impression unit. Further, at step 308, the method includes heating the sheet (190) by the heating unit (110) when the sheet (190) may be secured by the adapter (150) when the sheet receptacle unit (120) may be in the first position. Furthermore, at step 310, the method includes enabling the movement of sheet receptacle unit (120) from the first position to the second position relative to the dental impression unit such that when the sheet receptacle unit (120) may be in the second position. In addition, the sheet (190) may overlap the dental impression mould to obtain the shape of the dental impression mould and, thereby forming the aligner (200) by the mechanism (140). In addition, the sheet (190) forming the aligner (200) may be an arch shape sheet.

Claims

1. An apparatus (100) for preparing an aligner (200) comprising: a sheet receptacle unit (120) including a sheet holder (130) to receive a sheet (190) and an adapter (150) to secure the sheet (190) received by the sheet holder (130), wherein the sheet receptacle unit (120) is configured to move between a first position and a second position; a dental impression unit including a locating plate (172) to receive a dental impression mould; a heating unit (110) configured to heat the sheet (190) secured by the adapter (150) and received by the sheet holder (130) when the sheet receptacle unit (120) is in the first position; and a mechanism (140) to enable movement of the sheet receptacle unit (120) from the first position to the second position relative to the dental impression unit such that when the sheet receptacle unit (120) is in the second position, the sheet (190) overlaps the dental impression mould to obtain the shape of dental impression mould, and thereby forming the aligner (200), wherein the sheet (190) forming the aligner (200) is an arch shape sheet.

2. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sheet (190) includes one or more notches for extracting the aligner (200) from the sheet (190).

3. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sheet holder (130) includes a first portion and a second portion such that the first portion receives said sheet (190), and wherein said first portion includes an opening (132) that is covered by the sheet (190) when received by the first portion of the sheet holder (130).

4. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adapter (150) includes a first part including a cavity (156) and a second part such that the first part of the adapter (150) secures the sheet (190) on the sheet holder (130).

5. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locating plate (172) includes an elevated surface (174) in the shape of a dental arch to hold the dental impression mould.

6. A kit for an apparatus (100) for preparing an aligner (200) comprising: a sheet holder (130) including a first portion and a second portion such that the first portion receives a sheet (190), and wherein said first portion includes an opening (132) that is covered by the sheet (190) when received by the first portion of the sheet holder (130); an adapter (150) to secure the sheet (190) received by the sheet holder (130), wherein the adapter (150) includes a first part including a cavity (156) and a second part such that the first part of the adapter (150) secures the sheet (190) on the sheet holder (130); and a dental impression unit including a locating plate (172) to receive a dental impression mould, wherein the locating plate includes an elevated surface (174) in the shape of a dental arch to hold the dental impression mould, and wherein the sheet (190) is an arch shaped sheet (190) which is thermoformed over a dental impression mould in the apparatus as claimed in claims 1 to 5, such that the arch shaped sheet (190) adapts to the shape of the dental impression mould to form the aligner (200). od for preparing an aligner (200) comprising: receiving, a sheet (190) by a sheet holder (130) of a sheet receptacle unit (120), wherein the sheet receptacle unit (120) is configured to move between a first position and a second position; securing, the sheet (190) by an adapter (150) of the sheet receptacle unit (120) when the sheet receptacle unit (120) is in the first position; receiving, a dental impression mould by a locating plate (172) of a dental impression unit; heating, the sheet (190) by a heating unit (110) when the sheet (190) is secured by the adapter (150) when the sheet receptacle unit (120) is in the first position; enabling, movement of the sheet receptacle unit (120) from the first position to the second position relative to the dental impression unit such that when the sheet receptacle unit (120) is in the second position, the sheet (190) overlaps the dental impression mould to obtain the shape of dental impression mould, and thereby forming the aligner (200) by a mechanism (140), wherein the sheet (190) forming the aligner (200) is an arch shape sheet (190). The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sheet holder (130) includes a first portion and a second portion such that the first portion receives said sheet (190), and wherein said first portion includes an opening (132) that is covered by the sheet (190) when received by the first portion of the sheet holder (130). The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the adapter (150) includes a first part including a cavity (156) and a second part such that the first part of the adapter (150) secures the sheet (190) on the sheet holder (130). The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the locating plate (172) includes an elevated surface (174) in the shape of a dental arch to hold the dental impression mould. A sheet (190) for preparing an aligner (200) wherein the sheet (190) is in arch shape and includes one or more notches for extracting the aligner (200) from the arch shaped sheet (190), and wherein the arch shaped sheet (190) is thermoformed over a dental impression mould in the apparatus (100) as claimed in claims 1 to 5, such that the arch shaped sheet (190) adapts to the shape of the dental impression mould, thereby forming the aligner (200). An aligner (200) formed by thermoforming an arch shaped sheet (190) over a dental impression mould in the apparatus (100) as claimed in claims 1 to 5, such that the arch shaped sheet (190) adapts to the shape of the dental impression mould for forming the aligner (200).