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US 10,098,714 B2Granted
Apparatus and method for optically scanning an object in registration with a reference pattern
AssigneeAlign Technology, Inc.
InventorEric Kuo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for scanning a dental arch of a patient includes a reference element having a reference pattern thereon; a holding mechanism configured to hold the reference element in a fixed position inside the patient's oral cavity adjacent to and spaced from the dental arch, wherein the holding mechanism is configured to be installed on the patient without contacting an occlusal surface of the dental arch; and an intra-oral scanner configured to scan the dental arch and an adjacent portion of the reference element to obtain a scanned image comprising the scanned portion of the dental arch and the scanned adjacent portion of the reference pattern.
Claims20
A system for use in the orthodontic and/or prosthodontic treatment of a dental arch of a patient, the system comprising:
- an intra-oral reference element configured to be inserted into a patient's oral cavity and having a surface with a reference pattern thereon;
- a reference element holding device operable from outside the oral cavity to hold the reference element in the oral cavity in a position in which the reference element is spaced from an occlusal surface of the dental arch;
- wherein the reference element holding device includes (a) a position-adjustable element defining a plurality of selectable detented positions for the reference element relative to the dental arch, and (b) a position adjustment mechanism operable to move the reference element to a selected one of the plurality of detented positions defined by the position-adjustable element, wherein the reference element, in the selected one of the plurality of selectable detented positions, is spaced from the occlusal surface of the dental arch;
- an input device configured to receive input representing a set of position settings corresponding to the selected one of the selectable detented positions of the intra-oral reference element relative to the dental arch;
- an intra-oral scanner configured for insertion into the oral cavity to scan intra-orally at least a portion of the dental arch simultaneously with an adjacent portion of the reference pattern of the reference element to obtain a scanned image comprising a scanned portion of the dental arch and a scanned portion of the reference pattern;
- a converter configured to create a digitized representation of the scanned image;
- and
- a processor, operatively associated with the input device and the converter, configured to (a) receive the input, (b) create an input data set corresponding to the set of position settings, (c) match the input data set with the digitized representation of the scanned image, and (d) produce a combined data file that includes the digitized representation of the scanned image and the input data set.
5 more elements
A method for intra-orally scanning at least a portion of a dental arch in the oral cavity of a patient, the method comprising:
- connecting a reference element having a surface with a reference pattern thereon to a fixation device;
- installing the fixation device on the patient's head so that the reference element is inserted into the oral cavity of the patient;
- manipulating the fixation device from outside the oral cavity of the patient to adjust the reference element positionally in the oral cavity to a selected position from a plurality of pre-defined selectable positions relative to the dental arch, wherein, in the selected position, the reference element does not contact an occlusal surface of the dental arch;
- using the fixation device to fix the reference element in the selected position;
- and
- intra-orally scanning at least a portion of the dental arch and an adjacent portion of the reference pattern on the surface of the reference element to obtain a scanned image including the scanned portion of the dental arch and the scanned adjacent portion of the reference pattern, wherein the scanned adjacent portion of the reference pattern provides reference points for spatial registration of the scanned portion of the dental arch with the scanned adjacent portion of the reference pattern.
3 more elements
A system for intra-orally scanning at least a portion of a dental arch of a patient, the system comprising:
- a reference element having a surface with a reference pattern thereon;
- a reference element holding mechanism configured to hold the reference element inside the oral cavity of the patient adjacent to and spaced from an occlusal surface of the dental arch, the reference element holding mechanism defining a plurality of discrete, detented reference element positions at measured increments, and wherein the reference element holding mechanism includes a position adjustment mechanism operatively connected to the reference element so as to permit movement of the reference element to a selected position among any of the plurality of detented reference element positions from outside the oral cavity, wherein the reference element, in the selected position, is spaced from the occlusal surface, and wherein the reference element holding mechanism is configured to be installed on the patient without contacting an occlusal surface of the dental arch, and wherein;
- and
- an intra-oral scanner configured for insertion into the oral cavity to scan at least a portion of the dental arch and an adjacent portion of the reference pattern on the surface of the reference element to obtain a scanned image including the scanned portion of the dental arch and the scanned adjacent portion of the reference pattern, wherein the reference pattern provides reference points for spatial registration of the scanned portion of the dental arch with the scanned adjacent portion of the reference pattern.
1 more element
A method for ascertaining the progress of a course of orthodontic and/or prosthodontic treatment of a dental arch in a patient's oral cavity, the method comprising:
- (a) from outside the patient's oral cavity, positioning an intra-oral reference element in the patient's oral cavity in a selected position among a plurality of discrete, pre-defined positions, wherein the reference element, in the selected position, is spaced from and adjacent to an occlusal surface of the dental arch, the intra-oral reference element having a surface with a reference pattern thereon;
- (b) inputting to a processor a position data set corresponding to the selected position of the intra-oral reference element relative to the dental arch;
- (c) inputting to the processor a digitized image representation including an image of a portion of the dental arch and an image of an adjacent portion of the reference element positioned in the selected position, wherein the image of the adjacent portion of the reference element provides reference points for spatial registration of the reference pattern with the image of the portion of the dental arch;
- and
- (d) operating the processor in accordance with programmed instructions to match the position data set with the digitized image representation having the image of the portion of the dental arch in spatial registration with the reference points provided by the image of the adjacent portion of the reference element.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.