US 12,169,832 B2
Method and apparatuses for interactive ordering of dental appliances
Matthew Todd Miller, The Woodlands, TX (US); Douglas Fedich, Cary, NC (US); and Leela Parvathaneni, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Align Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Align Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 4, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/141,110.
Application 17/141,110 is a continuation of application No. 16/038,088, filed on Jul. 17, 2018, granted, now 10,885,521.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/533,625, filed on Jul. 17, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0342829 A1, Nov. 4, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06Q 20/40 (2012.01); A61C 7/00 (2006.01); A61C 7/08 (2006.01); G06Q 20/10 (2012.01); G06Q 40/08 (2012.01); G06Q 50/22 (2018.01); G16H 40/40 (2018.01); G16H 50/30 (2018.01); G16H 80/00 (2018.01)
CPC G06Q 20/40 (2013.01) [A61C 7/002 (2013.01); A61C 7/08 (2013.01); G06Q 20/102 (2013.01); G06Q 40/08 (2013.01); G06Q 50/22 (2013.01); G16H 40/40 (2018.01); G16H 50/30 (2018.01); G16H 80/00 (2018.01)] 29 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method using a system that includes a financing server in communication with a putative patient, a dental appliance laboratory and a dental practitioner, the method comprising:
updating a database of the financing server to indicate that the putative patient is pre-approved for a treatment loan;
establishing, by the financing server, different levels of access to the database for the dental appliance laboratory and the dental practitioner, wherein master access to the database is provided to the dental appliance laboratory, and client access to the database is provided to the dental practitioner, wherein the master access provides the dental appliance laboratory with an ability to monitor the database by receiving alerts from the financing server regarding different stages of the putative patient's financing;
receiving, from the dental practitioner, a treatment cost representing a cost of the dental practitioner to implement a treatment plan for treating the putative patient's dentition using a series of dental appliances;
providing, to the dental appliance laboratory, a first alert indicating that the treatment cost from the dental practitioner was received by the financing server;
receiving, from the dental practitioner or the putative patient, an acceptance of a specific financing option;
providing, to the dental appliance laboratory, a second alert indicating that funding for an actual financed amount for the putative patient has been received; and
triggering payment to the dental practitioner and the dental appliance laboratory in response to receiving an indication from dental appliance laboratory that a treatment order has been fulfilled.