Apparatus for dental confocal imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016000332-A1
Application number	US-201514741172-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 16, 2015
Priority date	Jul 7, 2014
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus for dental confocal imaging comprises an illumination module for generating an array of light beams, an optics system for confocal focusing of the array of light beams and a probe head with a light-guiding part having an entrance face and an exit face. The illumination module, the optics system and the probe head are arranged such that the array of light beams from the illumination module passes through the optics system, enters the light-guiding part via the entrance face and exits the light-guiding part via the exit face. The optics system is configured such that, after having passed through the optics system, the outermost marginal rays of the outermost light beams with respect to the optical axis of the optics system are parallel or divergent to the optical axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for confocal imaging, the apparatus comprising:
an illumination module for generating an array of light beams; an optics system for confocal focusing of the array of light beams; and a probe head with a light-guiding part having an entrance face and an exit face, wherein the illumination module, the optics system and the probe head are arranged such that the array of light beams from the illumination module passes through the optics system, enters the light-guiding part via the entrance face and exits the light-guiding part via the exit face, and wherein the optics system is configured such that, after having passed through the optics system, outermost marginal rays of outermost light beams with respect to an optical axis of the optics system are parallel or divergent to the optical axis.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding part comprises a transparent body.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding part is arranged such that the array of light beams enters the light-guiding part at an angle of approximately 90° with respect to the entrance face.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding part is bounded by sidewalls and the light-guiding part is arranged such that each light beam entering the light-guiding part via the entrance face is reflected at the sidewalls an odd number of times before exiting via the exit face.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding part is arranged such that each light beam entering via the entrance face is reflected with at least one of the sidewalls of the light-guiding part by way of internal reflection.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding part comprises a one-piece body.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding part comprises an upper sidewall arranged at an acute angle with respect to the entrance face, a lower sidewall arranged at an obtuse angle with respect to the entrance face, and an end sidewall arranged at an acute angle with respect to the entrance face and/or the exit face.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the end sidewall comprises a minor.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the angle between the entrance face and the lower sidewall lies between 90° and 125°.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the exit face is covered by a transparent cover plate.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination module comprises a single or a plurality of light emitters.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a beam splitter arranged along the optical path between the illumination module and the optics system such that the array of light beams from the illumination module passes through the beam splitter and a returning array of light beams from the optics module is reflected.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a detector for detecting a returning array of light beams.

14 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a focus shifting mechanism for shifting a focal plane of the optics system.

15 . The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the focus shifting mechanism is configured to shift one or more lenses of the optics system along the optical axis.

16 . An apparatus for confocal imaging, the apparatus comprising:
an illumination module for generating an array of light beams; an optics system for confocal focusing of the array of light beams; and a probe head with a light-guiding part having an entrance face and an exit face, wherein the illumination module, the optics system and the probe head are arranged such that chief rays of the array of light beams are divergent to each other.

17 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein each beam of the array defines a respective chief ray and respective marginal rays, said respective marginal rays comprising a convergence angle with respect to said respective chief rays, wherein the optics system and the probe head are arranged such that chief rays of outer beams of said array of beams comprise divergence angles with respect to an optical axis of the probe head, and wherein said divergence angle is complementary to said convergence angle.

18 . A method for confocal imaging, the method comprising:
providing an illumination module for generating an array of light beams; and providing an optics system for confocal focusing of the array of light beams and a probe head with a light-guiding part having an optical axis and an entrance face and an exit face, wherein the optics system is configured such that, after having passed through the optics system, outermost marginal rays of outermost light beams with respect to the optical axis are parallel or divergent with respect to the optical axis between the probe and focal points of the light beams.

Assignees

• Align Technology Inc

Inventors

• Atiya Yossef
• Verker Tal
• Makmel Nir

Classifications

• G02B6/0046

  Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide · CPC title

• G02B5/04

  Prisms · CPC title

• G02B23/2461

  Illumination · CPC title

• G02B2006/0098

  for scanning · CPC title

• A61C9/0066 Primary

  Depth determination through adaptive focusing · CPC title