Align Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq:ALGN) today announced the launch of Invisalign® G3, the most significant collection of new features and innovations in the company's history. Invisalign G3 is engineered to deliver even better clinical results, with new aligner and software features that make it easier to use Invisalign with Class II and Class III patients, new SmartForce™ features designed for increased predictability of certain tooth movements, and simpler, more intuitive software to streamline treatment planning and review.
Invisalign G3 builds on a new and improved feature set introduced to the Invisalign product line last fall. "The innovations in Invisalign G3 really get at the heart of what doctors have been asking for from Invisalign treatment," said Sheila Tan, Align vice president, marketing and chief marketing officer. "With technology and tools that are designed to expand the clinical scope of Invisalign, deliver greater predictability across most clinical situations, and make treatment planning more efficient – Invisalign G3 represents a tremendous leap forward in Invisalign innovation and demonstrates how we leverage our technology to deliver the clinical outcomes doctors expect."
Features that make it easier to use Invisalign to treat Class II and Class III patients
The treatment of Class II/III malocclusion often requires the use of interarch elastics to provide anchorage control. Previously, doctors had to manually cut the aligners to accommodate the use of elastics, which may have discouraged the use of Invisalign in these cases. Invisalign G3 addresses this barrier with new Precision Cuts, which are doctor-prescribed pre-cuts in the aligners that accommodate the use of elastics. Using a new drag-and-drop interface in ClinCheck 3.0 software, doctors have the flexibility to specify the placement and the type of Precision Cuts on the aligners, making it easier for doctors to use Invisalign.
"I am very excited about the new features and innovations in Invisalign G3, particularly Precision Cuts," said Dr. Sam Daher, an orthodontist practicing in Vancouver, BC. "It's a significant enhancement to what I do in the office every day and will make it even easier to use Invisalign on complex cases."
SmartForce™ features for greater predictability of tooth movements
SmartForce features, such as the Optimized Attachments introduced last fall, are attachments and aligner features that are engineered to deliver the forces needed to achieve predictable tooth movements. Based on biomechanical principles, SmartForce features are customized to each tooth using advanced virtual modeling, and are positioned precisely to deliver the proper forces.
New SmartForce features in Invisalign G3 include an Optimized Rotation Attachment for bicuspids (previously available only for cuspids), a new Power Ridge™ feature for lower anteriors (previously available only for the upper arch), and a Lingual Power Ridge feature for upper anteriors. A new variation of the Optimized Rotation Attachment is also being introduced to address clinical situations where placement of the attachment may have previously been difficult.
Intuitive features and drag-and-drop interfaces in ClinCheck 3.0 and the Invisalign Doctor Site streamline treatment planning
In addition to clinical tools and enhancements, Invisalign G3 streamlines the overall treatment planning process. Specifically, a significant evolution of the ClinCheck software makes it easier and more intuitive for doctors to create and modify Invisalign treatment plans. One of the most exciting improvements is the addition of drag-and-drop interfaces for ordering Precision Cuts and attachments, providing doctors with new tools designed to make it easier and more efficient for them to develop and review their treatment plans.
The Invisalign Doctor Site (formerly Virtual Invisalign Practice or "VIP") is a secure web site where doctors access Invisalign patient records, review and approve ClinCheck treatment plans, view patient account status, order treatment supplies, and more. A significant redesign of the site not only makes it simpler and more intuitive to use, but also consolidates all of a patient's Invisalign records and treatment tasks together in one location for easy access. The Invisalign Doctor Site also introduces a new online prescription form that is integrated with the doctor's clinical preferences.
The improvements and innovations in Invisalign G3 also include new clinical preferences, improved staging for interproximal reduction (IPR), and the addition of Compliance Indicators to Invisalign Assist.
Invisalign G3 features will be available at no additional cost to Invisalign-trained doctors in North America in October, with international availability in 2011.
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