Intraoral scanning system component pairing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025025035-A1
Application number	US-202418770509-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 11, 2024
Priority date	Jul 19, 2023
Publication date	Jan 23, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An intraoral scanning system comprises an intraoral scanner and a base unit comprising a computing device and a cradle for the intraoral scanner. Responsive to placement of the intraoral scanner into the cradle, the intraoral scanner causes the base unit to wirelessly broadcast a unique identifier according to a first wireless communication protocol and receives the unique identifier. The intraoral scanner uses the unique identifier to establish a wireless connection with the base unit according to a second wireless communication protocol.

First claim

1 . An intraoral scanning system comprising:
an intraoral scanner; and a base unit comprising a computing device and a cradle for the intraoral scanner; wherein:
responsive to placement of the intraoral scanner into the cradle, the intraoral scanner causes the base unit to wirelessly broadcast a unique identifier according to a first wireless communication protocol and receives the unique identifier; and
the intraoral scanner is configured to use the unique identifier to establish a wireless connection with the base unit according to a second wireless communication protocol.

2 . The intraoral scanning system of claim 1 , wherein responsive to the intraoral scanner being powered on, the intraoral scanner establishes the wireless connection with the base unit.

3 . The intraoral scanning system of claim 2 , wherein a component of the intraoral scanner is configured to remain powered even while the intraoral scanner is turned off, and wherein the component of the intraoral scanner is configured to store the unique identifier in a memory.

4 . The intraoral scanning system of claim 2 , wherein after the intraoral scanner is powered on, the intraoral scanner is configured to:
generate a plurality of intraoral scans of a patient's dental arch; and wirelessly transmit the plurality of intraoral scans to the base unit over the wireless connection.

5 . The intraoral scanning system of claim 4 , wherein the base unit is configured to:
generate a three-dimensional (3D) surface of at least a portion of the patient's dental arch based on the plurality of intraoral scans; and output the 3D surface to a display of the base unit.

6 . The intraoral scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless communication protocol is a contactless communication protocol, and wherein the second wireless communication protocol is a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol.

7 . The intraoral scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the base unit further comprises a wireless access point that provides a wireless local area network (WLAN) associated with the unique identifier.

8 . The intraoral scanning system of claim 7 , wherein:
the cradle comprises a contactless communication chip, wherein the computing device is connected to the contactless communication chip via a wired connection through which the computing device is configured to receive the unique identifier from the contactless communication chip, and wherein the computing device is configured to set a name of the WLAN to match the unique identifier of the contactless communication chip.

9 . The intraoral scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the base unit comprises a wheeled cart.

10 . The intraoral scanning system of claim 1 , wherein:
the cradle comprises a contactless communication chip; and intraoral scanner comprises a contactless communication reader that is configured to read the unique identifier from the contactless communication chip.

11 . The intraoral scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the intraoral scanner is configured to establish the wireless connection with the base unit automatically without user input.

12 . The intraoral scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the intraoral scanner comprises a display, and wherein the display is configured to output a notice while the intraoral scanner is not connected to any base unit.

13 . The intraoral scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the base unit comprises a display, and wherein the display is configured to output a notice while the base unit is not connected to any intraoral scanner.

14 . The intraoral scanning system of claim 1 , wherein responsive to a determination by the base unit that it is connected to a plurality of intraoral scanners, the base unit is configured to:
send a message to the plurality of intraoral scanners to which the base unit is connected prompting the plurality of intraoral scanners to read a contactless communication chip of the base unit and provide the unique identifier read from the contactless communication chip to the base unit, wherein only an intraoral scanner of the plurality of intraoral scanners currently in the cradle of the base unit successfully reads the unique identifier; receive the unique identifier from the intraoral scanner currently in the cradle of the base unit; and disconnect a remainder of the plurality of intraoral scanners from which the unique identifier was not received.

15 . A wireless intraoral scanner for an intraoral scanning system, comprising:
a contactless communication reader to read a unique identifier from a contactless communication tag of a base unit of the intraoral scanning system; and a wireless network interface module to receive the unique identifier from the contactless communication reader and use the unique identifier to establish a wireless connection with a wireless access point of the base unit that provides a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein a name of the WLAN corresponds to the unique identifier.

16 . The wireless intraoral scanner of claim 15 , wherein responsive to the wireless intraoral scanner being powered on, the wireless intraoral scanner establishes the wireless connection with the wireless access point of the base unit.

17 . The wireless intraoral scanner of claim 16 , further comprising:
a control unit that remains powered even while the wireless intraoral scanner is turned off, wherein the control unit of the wireless intraoral scanner comprises a memory to store the unique identifier.

18 . The wireless intraoral scanner of claim 16 , wherein after the wireless intraoral scanner is powered on, the wireless intraoral scanner is configured to:
generate a plurality of intraoral scans of a patient's dental arch; and wirelessly transmit the plurality of intraoral scans to the base unit over the wireless connection, wherein the base unit is configured to generate a three-dimensional (3D) surface of at least a portion of the patient's dental arch based on the plurality of intraoral scans and output the 3D surface to a display of the base unit.

19 . The wireless intraoral scanner of claim 15 , wherein:
the contactless communication reader of the wireless intraoral scanner is configured to read the contactless communication tag of the base unit responsive to the wireless intraoral scanner being placed in a cradle of the base unit.

20 . The wireless intraoral scanner of claim 15 , wherein the wireless intraoral scanner is configured to establish the wireless connection with the base unit automatically without user input.

21 . The wireless intraoral scanner of claim 15 , wherein the wireless intraoral scanner comprises a display, and wherein the display is configured to output a notice while the wireless intraoral scanner is not connected to any base unit.

22 . A base unit for an intraoral scanning system, comprising:
a cradle comprising a contactless communication tag; a wireless access point; and a computing device having a connection to the contactless communication tag and to the wireless access point; wherein the computing device is configured to:
read the contactless communication tag to determine a unique identifier of the contactless communication tag; and
configure the wireless access point to cause a wireless local area network (WLAN) associated with the wireless access point to have a name corresponding to the unique identifier;
wherein the contactless communication tag is configured to receive a wireless signal from a c

Assignees

• Align Technology Inc

Inventors

• Fridman Edi
• Alboher Moshe

Classifications

• A61B1/00177

  for 90 degrees side-viewing · CPC title

• A61B1/24 Primary

  for the mouth, i.e. stomatoscopes, e.g. with tongue depressors; Instruments for opening or keeping open the mouth · CPC title

• A61B1/00172

  with means for scanning · CPC title

• A61B1/00059

  provided with identification means for the endoscope · CPC title

• A61B1/00016

  using wireless means · CPC title