Systems, devices, and methods for lowering dental x-ray dosage including feedback sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9724055-B2
Application number	US-201414201457-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2014
Priority date	Mar 7, 2014
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods are described for providing, among other things, an intra-oral x-ray imaging system configured to reduce patient exposure to x-rays, reduce amount of scatter, transmission, or re-radiation during imaging, or improve x-ray image quality. In an embodiment, an intra-oral x-ray imaging system includes an intra-oral x-ray sensor configured to communicate intra-oral x-ray sensor position information or intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation information to a remote x-ray source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An intra-oral x-ray sensor, comprising:
circuitry configured to communicate intra-oral x-ray sensor position information to a remote x-ray source;
circuitry configured to verify an x-ray beam characteristic of an x-ray beam received from the remote x-ray source by the intra-oral x-ray sensor;
an x-ray image component configured to acquire intra-oral x-ray image information;
an x-ray backscatter component operably coupled to the x-ray image component;
wherein the x-ray image component is configured to detect backscattering, and the x-ray backscatter component is configured to modify the intra-oral x-ray image information responsive to one or more inputs from the x-ray image component indicative of the presence of backscatter; and
circuitry configured to communicate an x-ray beam field of view parameter to the remote x-ray source responsive to verifying the x-ray beam characteristic of the x-ray beam received from the remote x-ray source.

2. The intra-oral x-ray sensor of claim 1 , further comprising:
circuitry configured to generate intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation information.

3. The intra-oral x-ray sensor of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured to generate intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation information is operably coupled to one or more embedded magnetic compasses.

4. The intra-oral x-ray sensor of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured to generate the intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation information is operably coupled to one or more electrolytic fluid based sensors.

5. The intra-oral x-ray sensor of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured to generate the intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation information is operably coupled to one or more acceleration sensors.

6. The intra-oral x-ray sensor of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured to generate the intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation information is operably coupled to one or more orientation-aware sensors.

7. The intra-oral x-ray sensor of claim 1 , further comprising:
circuitry configured to generate intra-oral x-ray sensor position information.

8. The intra-oral x-ray sensor of claim 7 , wherein the circuitry configured to generate the intra-oral x-ray sensor position information is operably coupled to one or more inductors.

9. The intra-oral x-ray sensor of claim 7 , wherein the circuitry configured to generate the intra-oral x-ray sensor position information is operably coupled to one or more active optic devices.

10. The intra-oral x-ray sensor of claim 7 , wherein the circuitry configured to generate the intra-oral x-ray sensor position information is operably coupled to one or more acoustic transducers configured to generate an output indicative of an intra-oral x-ray sensor border position and an intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation.

11. The intra-oral x-ray sensor of claim 1 , further comprising:
circuitry configured to determine remote x-ray source and intra-oral x-ray sensor alignment before communicating an activation instruction to the remote x-ray source for imaging.

12. The intra-oral x-ray sensor of claim 1 , further comprising:
circuitry configured to acquire a low intensity x-ray pulse to determine remote x-ray source and intra-oral x-ray sensor alignment before communicating an activation instruction to the remote x-ray source for imaging.

13. The intra-oral x-ray sensor of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured to verify the x-ray beam characteristic associated with the remote x-ray source includes circuitry configured to determine x-ray beam centroid information associated with the remote x-ray source.

14. The intra-oral x-ray sensor of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured to verify the x-ray beam characteristic of the x-ray beam received from the remote x-ray source includes circuitry configured to determine a spatial alignment associated with the x-ray beam received from the remote x-ray source.

15. The intra-oral x-ray sensor of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured to communicate the intra-oral sensor position or the circuitry configured to communicate the x-ray beam field of view parameter to the remote x-ray source comprises a transmitter.

16. The intra-oral x-ray sensor of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured to communicate the intra-oral sensor position or the circuitry configured to communicate the x-ray beam field of view parameter to the remote x-ray source comprises a modulatable reflector.

17. An intra-oral x-ray sensor operation method, comprising:
communicating intra-oral x-ray sensor position information from an intra-oral x-ray sensor to a remote x-ray source, the intra-oral x-ray sensor including an x-ray image component configured to acquire intra-oral x-ray image information and an
x-ray backscatter component operably coupled to the x-ray image component, wherein the x-ray image component is configured to detect backscattering, and the x-ray backscatter component is configured to modify the intra-oral x-ray image information responsive to one or more inputs from the x-ray image component indicative of the presence of backscatter;
receiving an x-ray beam from the remote x-ray source with the intra-oral x-ray sensor;
verifying an x-ray beam characteristic associated with the x-ray beam received from the remote x-ray source; and
communicating an x-ray beam field of view parameter to the remote x-ray source responsive to verifying the x-ray beam characteristic associated with the x-ray beam received from the remote x-ray source.

18. The intra-oral x-ray sensor operation method of claim 17 , further comprising:
communicating intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation information to the remote x-ray source.

19. The intra-oral x-ray sensor operation method of claim 17 , further comprising:
activating a discovery protocol that allows the intra-oral x-ray sensor and the remote x-ray source to identify each other and to negotiate information.

20. The intra-oral x-ray sensor operation method of claim 17 , further comprising:
determining a remote x-ray source and intra-oral x-ray sensor alignment; and
communicating an activation instruction to the remote x-ray source for imaging responsive to determining the remote x-ray source and intra-oral x-ray sensor alignment.

21. The intra-oral x-ray sensor operation method of claim 17 , further comprising:
detecting a low intensity x-ray pulse to determine remote x-ray source and intra-oral x-ray sensor alignment; and
communicating an activation instruction to the remote x-ray source for imaging responsive to detecting the low intensity x-ray pre-pulse to determine the remote x-ray source and intra-oral x-ray sensor alignment.

22. The intra-oral x-ray sensor operation method of claim 17 , wherein communicating the intra-oral x-ray sensor position information from the intra-oral x-ray sensor to the remote x-ray source includes communicating intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation information to the remote x-ray source.

23. The intra-oral x-ray sensor operation method of claim 17 , wherein communicating the intra-oral x-ray sensor position information from the intra-oral x-ray sensor to the remote x-ray source includes communicating one or more outputs indicative of an intra-oral x-ray sensor border position.

24. The intra-oral x-ray sensor operation method of claim 17 , wherein communicating to the remote x-ray source the x-ray beam field of view parameter includes communicating a parameter associated with a change in separation between a co

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Hyde Roderick A
• Jung Edward K Y
• Kare Jordin T
• Pan Tony S
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Jr Lowell L

Classifications

• H01L27/14601

  Electricity · mapped topic

• A61B5/0088

  for oral or dental tissue · CPC title

• G21F1/026

  Semi-liquids, gels, pastes · CPC title

• G01T1/244

  Auxiliary details, e.g. casings, cooling, damping or insulation against damage by, e.g. heat, pressure or the like · CPC title

• A61B6/145 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic