Intraoral scanning apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11883259-B2
Application number	US-202318295254-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2023
Priority date	Jul 27, 2016
Publication date	Jan 30, 2024
Grant date	Jan 30, 2024

Abstract

System for scanning a subject's teeth. Described herein are intraoral scanning apparatuses for generating a three-dimensional model of a subject's intraoral region (e.g., teeth). These apparatuses may be used for identifying and evaluating lesions, caries and cracks in the teeth.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An intraoral scanning system for scanning a patient's dentition, the system comprising:
a wand having at least one image sensor, a visible light light source and near-infrared (near-IR) light light source;
one or more processors operably connected to the wand, the one or more processors configured to:
receive scan data of a patient's dentition comprising a first set of two-dimensional (2D) images taken with an intraoral scanner capturing surface topology using structured light;
receive a plurality of 2D near-infrared (near-IR) images of the patient's dentition taken with the intraoral scanner while taking the first set of 2D images;
display a three-dimensional (3D) model of at least a portion of the patient's dental arch based on the captured surface topology; and
display one or more 2D near-IR images from the plurality of 2D near-IR images correlating to the displayed 3D model of at least the portion of the patient's dental arch.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wand further comprises a fluorescent light source.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to segment the 3D model or the one or more 2D near-IR images to identify teeth.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wand is configured to cycle between emitting visible light and near-IR light so that images taken with the visible light and near-IR light share a coordinate system.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to display the one or more 2D near-IR images by displaying the one or more 2D near-IR images over a corresponding visible light image.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more light sources and the at least one image sensor are arranged so that light emitted is reflected from a tooth and received by the at least one image sensor at an angle of between 0° and 15°.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to manipulate the 3D model of at least the portion of the patient's dental arch to rotate, zoom or section the 3D model based on user input.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a display subsystem to display the 3D model and the one or more 2D near-IR images.

9. An intraoral scanning system, comprising:
a wand configured to detect visible light and near-infrared (near-IR) light;
a display subsystem; and
one or more processors operably connected to the wand and display subsystem, the one or more processors configured to control:
scanning a patient's dentition with visible light to capture surface topology of the patient's dentition using structured light;
imaging the patient's dentition with near-infrared (near-IR) light to capture a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) near-IR images of the patient's dentition during the scanning of the patient's dentition with visible light;
displaying a three-dimensional (3D) model of at least a portion of the patient's dental arch based on the captured surface topology; and
displaying one or more 2D near-IR images from the plurality of 2D near-IR images correlating to the displayed 3D model of at least the portion of the patient's dental arch.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the wand comprises a visible light light source and a near-IR light source.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the wand comprises a fluorescent light source and wherein the one or more processors are configured to control scanning the patient's dentition with infrared light to capture a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) fluorescent light images.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the near-IR light source and an image sensor configured to detect near-IR light are arranged so that light emitted is reflected from a tooth and received by the image sensor at an angle of between 0° and 15°.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to image the patient's dentition with white light to capture color information of the patient's dentition during scanning of the patient's dentition with visible light.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to segment the 3D model and the one or more 2D near-IR images to identify teeth.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the wand is configured to cycle between emitting visible light and near-IR light so that images taken with the visible light and near-IR light share a coordinate system.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to display the one or more 2D near-IR images by displaying the one or more 2D near-IR images over a corresponding visible light image.

17. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to manipulate the 3D model of at least the portion of the patient's dental arch to rotate, zoom or section the 3D model based on user input.

18. An intraoral scanning system, comprising:
a wand configured to detect visible light and near-IR light comprising a visible light light source and a near-IR light source;
a display subsystem; and
one or more processors operably connected to the wand and the display subsystem, the one or more processors configured to control:
scanning a patient's dentition with visible light to capture surface topology of the patient's dentition;
imaging the patient's dentition with near-infrared (near-IR) light to capture a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) near-IR images of the patient's dentition during the scanning of the patient's dentition with visible light;
displaying a three-dimensional (3D) model of at least a portion of the patient's dental arch based on the captured surface topology; and
displaying one or more 2D near-IR images from the plurality of 2D near-IR images correlating to the displayed 3D model of at least the portion of the patient's dental arch.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to segment the 3D model and the one or more 2D near-IR images to identify teeth.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the near-IR light source and an image sensor configured to detect near-IR light are arranged so that light emitted is reflected from a tooth and received by the image sensor at an angle of between 0° and 15°.

21. The system of claim 18 , wherein the wand is configured to cycle between emitting visible light, fluorescent light and near-IR light so that images taken with the visible light, fluorescent light and near-IR light share a coordinate system.

22. The system of claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to display the one or more 2D near-IR images by displaying the one or more 2D near-IR images over a corresponding visible light image.

23. The system of claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to image the patient's dentition with white light to capture color information of the patient's dentition during scanning of the patient's dentition with visible light.

24. The system of claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to manipulate the 3D model of at least the portion of the patient's dental arch to rotate, zoom or section the 3D model based on user input.

Assignees

• Align Technology Inc

Inventors

• Elbaz Gilad
• Lampert Erez
• Atiya Yossef
• Kopelman Avi
• Saphier Ofer
• Moshe Maayan
• Ayal Shai
• Sabina Michael
• Kuo Eric
• Weiss Assaf
• Malka Doron
• Nizard Eliahou Franklin
• Tishel Ido

Classifications

• A61C9/0053 Primary

  Optical means or methods, e.g. scanning the teeth by a laser or light beam · CPC title

• A61B1/00009

  of image signals during a use of endoscope · CPC title

• A61B1/00016

  using wireless means · CPC title

• A61B1/00045

  Display arrangement · CPC title

• A61B1/00194

  adapted for three-dimensional imaging · CPC title