# US 12,178,685 B2 · Dental scanning system with structured light projection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,178,685 B2 - Document ID: US12178685B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/418,211 - Filed: 2024-01-19 - Published: 2024-05-16 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-22 - Assignees: Align Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Align Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Ofer Saphier; Yossef Atiya; Arkady Rudnitsky; Nir Makmel; Sergei Ozerov; Tal Verker; Tal Levy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12178685B2 ## CPC - A61C 9/006: {projecting one or more stripes or patterns on the teeth} - A61B 1/00096: {Optical elements} - A61B 1/00172: {with means for scanning} - A61B 1/00177: {for 90 degrees side-viewing} - A61B 1/00193: {adapted for stereoscopic vision} - A61B 1/0615: {for radial illumination} - A61B 1/24: for the mouth, i.e. stomatoscopes, e.g. with tongue depressors; Instruments for opening or keeping open the mouth - A61C 9/0066: {Depth determination through adaptive focusing} - G01B 11/245: using a plurality of fixed, simultaneously operating transducers ({G01B11/2408 - G01B11/2425, } G01B11/255 take precedence) - G01B 11/2513: {with several lines being projected in more than one direction, e.g. grids, patterns} - G01B 11/2545: {with one projection direction and several detection directions, e.g. stereo} - G02B 27/4222: {in projection exposure systems, e.g. photolithographic systems} - G02B 27/4227: {in image scanning systems} - G06T 7/521: from laser ranging, e.g. using interferometry; from the projection of structured light - G06T 7/586: from multiple light sources, e.g. photometric stereo - G06T 7/80: Analysis of captured images to determine intrinsic or extrinsic camera parameters, i.e. camera calibration - G06T 7/85: {Stereo camera calibration} - G06T 17/00: Three-dimensional [3D] modelling for computer graphics - H04N 9/3161: {using laser light sources (using laser beams scanning the display screen H04N9/3129)} - G06T 2207/10024: Color image - G06T 2207/10028: Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds - G06T 2207/10052: Images from lightfield camera - G06T 2207/30036: Dental; Teeth - A61C: DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE (non-driven toothbrushes A46B; {tongue scrapers A61B17/24;} preparations for dentistry A61K6/00; preparations for cleaning the teeth or mouth A61K8/00, A61Q11/00) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A dental scanning system comprises an intraoral scanner and one or more processors. The intraoral scanner comprises one or more light projectors configured to project a pattern (comprising a plurality of pattern features) on a dental object, and two or more cameras configured to acquire sets of images, each comprising at least one image from each camera. The processor(s) are configured to determine a correspondence between pattern features in the pattern of light and image features in each set of images by determining intersections of projector rays corresponding to one or more of the plurality of pattern features and camera rays corresponding to the one or more image features in three-dimensional (3D) space based on calibration data that associates the camera rays corresponding to pixels on the camera sensor of each of the two or more cameras to the projector rays. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A dental scanning system for generating a digital three-dimensional (3D) representation of a dental object, the dental scanning system comprising: a handheld intraoral scanner comprising: one or more light projectors configured to project a uniform pattern of light onto a surface of the dental object, wherein the uniform pattern of light comprises a plurality of pattern features, and wherein each pattern feature of the plurality of pattern features is defined by one or more projector rays; and two or more cameras configured to acquire one or more sets of images, each of the two or more cameras comprising a camera sensor having an array of pixels, wherein each set of images comprises at least one image from each camera, wherein each image includes one or more image features of at least a portion of the projected uniform pattern of light; and one or more processors configured to: for each set of images, determine a correspondence between pattern features in the projected uniform pattern of light and image features in the set of images by determining, in a 3D space, intersections of projector rays corresponding to one or more of the plurality of pattern features and camera rays corresponding to the one or more image features based on calibration data that associates the camera rays corresponding to pixels on the camera sensor of each of the two or more cameras to the projector rays, wherein determining the correspondence comprises: determining, for a first subset of the pattern features that are associated with a highest number of image features, a first correspondence between the first subset of the pattern features and first image features in the 3D space; and subsequently determining, for a second subset of the pattern features that are associated with a next highest number of image features, a second correspondence between the second subset of the pattern features and second image features in the 3D space; and generate the digital 3D representation of the dental object based on the determined correspondence between the pattern features and the image features in the one or more sets of images. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein each light projector comprises at least one light source configured to generate unpatterned light and a pattern generating optical element configured to receive the unpatterned light and to generate the uniform pattern of light based on propagation of the unpatterned light through the pattern generating optical element. ### Claim 3 A dental scanning system for generating a digital three-dimensional (3D) representation of a dental object, the dental scanning system comprising: a handheld intraoral scanner comprising: one or more light projectors configured to project a checkerboard pattern of light onto a surface of the dental object, wherein each light projector comprises at least one light source configured to generate unpatterned light and a pattern generating optical element configured to receive the unpatterned light and to generate the checkerboard pattern of light based on propagation of the unpatterned light through the pattern generating optical element, wherein the pattern generating optical element comprises a transmission mask, wherein the at least one light source comprises at least one light emitting diode, wherein the checkerboard pattern of light comprises a plurality of pattern features, and wherein each pattern feature of the plurality of pattern features is defined by one or more projector rays; and two or more cameras configured to acquire one or more sets of images, each of the two or more cameras comprising a camera sensor having an array of pixels, wherein each set of images comprises at least one image from each camera, wherein each image includes one or more image features of at least a portion of the projected checkerboard pattern of light; and one or more processors configured to: for each set of images, determine a correspondence between pattern features in the checkerboard pattern of light and image features in the set of images by determining, in a 3D space, intersections of projector rays corresponding to one or more of the plurality of pattern features and camera rays corresponding to the one or more image features based on calibration data that associates the camera rays corresponding to pixels on the camera sensor of each of the two or more cameras to the projector rays, wherein determining the correspondence comprises: determining, for a first subset of the pattern features that are associated with a highest number of image features, a first correspondence between the first subset of the pattern features and first image features in the 3D space; and subsequently determining, for a second subset of the pattern features that are associated with a next highest number of image features, a second correspondence between the second subset of the pattern features and second image features in the 3D space; and generate the digital 3D representation of the dental object based on the determined correspondence between the pattern features and the image features in the one or more sets of images. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The dental scanning system of claim 2, further comprising: a collimating lens between the at least one light source and the pattern generating optical element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein: the one or more light projectors are disposed at a distal end of a probe of the handheld intraoral scanning device and are oriented to face the dental object when the dental object is placed in a field of illumination of the one or more light projectors; and the two or more cameras are disposed at the distal end of the probe and are oriented to face the dental object when the dental object is placed in a field of view of the two or more cameras. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further to: compute depths for one or more pattern features of the plurality of pattern features by triangulation based on a plurality of images of the one or more sets of images comprising image features corresponding to the one or more pattern features. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein the uniform pattern of light comprises a first unchanging pattern and a second unchanging pattern projected by one light projector of the one or more light projectors. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein the uniform pattern of light comprises a first unchanging pattern projected using first light having a first wavelength and a second unchanging pattern projected using second light having a second wavelength, wherein the first unchanging pattern and the second unchanging pattern are to be projected at a same time. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further to: resolve first image features from second image features in the one or more sets of images prior to determining the correspondence between the pattern features and the image features. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The dental scanning system of claim 9, wherein the first image features are generated by light having a first wavelength and the second image features are generated by light having a second wavelength. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein a total combined field of view of the two or more cameras is between 20 mm and 50 mm along a longitudinal axis of the handheld intraoral scanning device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein the uniform pattern of light comprises a plurality of spots, and wherein each of the plurality of pattern features and each of the one or more image features corresponds to a spot of the plurality of spots. ### Claim 13 A dental scanning system for generating a digital three-dimensional (3D) representation of a dental object, the dental scanning system comprising: a handheld intraoral scanner comprising: one or more light projectors configured to project a pattern of light onto a surface of the dental object, wherein the pattern of light comprises a plurality of pattern features, and wherein each pattern feature of the plurality of pattern features is defined by one or more projector rays; and two or more cameras configured to acquire one or more sets of images, each of the two or more cameras comprising a camera sensor having an array of pixels, wherein each set of images comprises at least one image from each camera, wherein each image includes one or more image features of at least a portion of the projected pattern of light, and wherein the images within a set of images are acquired simultaneously; and one or more processors configured to: for each set of images, determine a correspondence between pattern features in the pattern of light and image features in the set of images by determining, in a 3D space, intersections of projector rays corresponding to one or more of the plurality of pattern features and camera rays corresponding to the one or more image features based on calibration data that associates the camera rays corresponding to pixels on the camera sensor of each of the two or more cameras to the projector rays, wherein each projector ray corresponds to a respective path of pixels on the camera sensor of a respective one of the two or more cameras, and wherein to determine the intersections of the projector rays and the camera rays in three-dimensional (3D) space the one or more processors are further to run a correspondence algorithm to: for each projector ray i, identify for each detected image feature j on a camera sensor path corresponding to projector ray i, how many other cameras, on their respective camera sensor paths corresponding to projector ray i, detected respective image features k corresponding to respective camera rays that intersect projector ray i and a camera ray corresponding to detected image feature j, wherein projector ray i is identified as a specific projector ray that produced a detected image feature j for which the highest number of other cameras detected respective image features k; and compute a respective three-dimensional position on the dental object at an intersection of projector ray i and the respective camera rays corresponding to the detected image feature j and the respective detected image features k; and generate the digital 3D representation of the dental object based on the determined correspondence between the pattern features and the image features in the one or more sets of images. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The dental scanning system of claim 13, wherein to determine the intersections of the projector rays and the camera rays in three-dimensional (3D) space the one or more processors are further to: remove from consideration projector ray i, and the respective camera rays corresponding to the detected image feature j and the respective detected image features k; and run the correspondence algorithm again for a next projector ray i. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein the uniform pattern of light comprises a non-coded structured light pattern arranged in a regular grid. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein the pattern features comprise at least one of line features, checkerboard features, or dot features. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, further comprising: one or more additional light sources configured to generate white light, wherein the two or more cameras are configured to generate two-dimensional (2D) color images of the dental object using the white light. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein each camera of the two or more cameras has a fixed position relative to each other camera of the two or more cameras and relative to the one or more light projectors. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein each camera of the two or more cameras has a predefined field of view, and wherein the two or more cameras are configured such that their respective fields of view at least partially overlap. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein each camera of the two or more cameras comprises a camera sensor and one or more lenses, and is configured to focus at an object focal plane that is located between 1 mm and 30 mm from a lens of the one or more lenses that is farthest from the camera sensor. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein the uniform pattern of light comprises a pattern of discrete unconnected spots of light that maintain a uniform size at any orthogonal plane located between 1 mm and 30 mm from the one or more light projectors. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein the uniform pattern of light comprises a checkerboard pattern. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein the uniform pattern is a static pattern, and wherein the handheld intraoral scanning device is to alternately activate and deactivate the static pattern during intraoral scanning. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein the handheld intraoral scanning device comprises six or more cameras and two or more light projectors. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the correspondence between the pattern features and the image features, and to generate the digital 3D representation of the dental object, as the one or more sets of images are generated during intraoral scanning. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein the two or more cameras are configured to capture the one or more sets of images at a frame rate of at least 30 frames per second. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The dental scanning system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further to detect the one or more image features in the one or more sets of images. ### Claim 28 A dental scanning system for generating a digital three-dimensional (3D) representation of a dental object, the dental scanning system comprising: a handheld intraoral scanner comprising: one or more light projectors configured to project a pattern of light onto a surface of the dental object, wherein the pattern of light comprises a plurality of pattern features, and wherein each pattern feature of the plurality of pattern features is defined by one or more projector rays; and two or more cameras configured to acquire one or more sets of images, each of the two or more cameras comprising a camera sensor having an array of pixels, wherein each set of images comprises at least one image from each camera, wherein each image includes one or more image features of at least a portion of the projected pattern of light; and one or more processors configured to: for each set of images, determine a correspondence between pattern features in the pattern of light and image features in the set of images by determining, in a 3D space, intersections of projector rays corresponding to one or more of the plurality of pattern features and camera rays corresponding to the one or more image features based on calibration data that associates the camera rays corresponding to pixels on the camera sensor of each of the two or more cameras to the projector rays, wherein determining the correspondence comprises: detecting the one or more image features in the one or more sets of images using a neural network determining, for a first subset of the pattern features that are associated with a highest number of image features, a first correspondence between the first subset of the pattern features and first image features in the 3D space; and subsequently determining, for a second subset of the pattern features that are associated with a next highest number of image features, a second correspondence between the second subset of the pattern features and second image features in the 3D space; and generate the digital 3D representation of the dental object based on the determined correspondence between the pattern features and the image features in the one or more sets of images. ### Claim 29 A dental scanning system for generating a digital three-dimensional (3D) representation of a dental object, the dental scanning system comprising: a handheld intraoral scanner comprising: one or more light projectors configured to project a pattern of light onto a surface of a dental object, wherein the pattern of light comprises a plurality of pattern features, and wherein each pattern feature of the plurality of pattern features is defined by one or more projector rays; and one or more cameras configured to acquire one or more sets of images, each of the one or more cameras comprising a camera sensor having an array of pixels, wherein each set of images comprises at least one image from each camera, wherein each image includes one or more image features of at least a portion of the projected pattern of light, and wherein the images within a set of images are acquired simultaneously; a mirror at a distal end of a probe of the intraoral scanning device, wherein a light projector of the one or more light projectors and a camera of the one or more cameras are positioned to face the mirror, and wherein the mirror is positioned to reflect the pattern of light onto the dental object and to reflect the pattern of light from the dental object into the camera; and one or more processors configured to: for each set of images, determine a correspondence between pattern features in the pattern of light and image features in the set of images by determining, in a three-dimensional (3D) space, intersections of projector rays corresponding to one or more of the plurality of pattern features and camera rays corresponding to the one or more image features based on calibration data that associates the camera rays corresponding to pixels on the camera sensor of each of the one or more cameras to the projector rays, wherein determining the correspondence comprises: determining, for a first subset of the pattern features that are associated with a highest number of image features, a first correspondence between the first subset of the pattern features and first image features in the 3D space; and subsequently determining, for a second subset of the pattern features that are associated with a next highest number of image features, a second correspondence between the second subset of the pattern features and second image features in the 3D space; and generate the digital 3D representation of the dental object based on the determined correspondence between the pattern features and the image features in the one or more sets of images. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The dental scanning system of claim 29, wherein the one or more processors are further to: resolve first image features from second image features in the one or more sets of images prior to determining the correspondence between the pattern features and the image features.