Method and apparatus for static 3-d imaging of human face with cbct

An apparatus for imaging the head of a patient, comprising:

• a transport apparatus that is configured to move an x-ray source and a detector about a head supporting position in at least partial orbit about the supported patient's head for obtaining two-dimensional radiographic images;
• a laser light source coupled to the transport apparatus and energizable to project a monochrome near infrared light pattern toward the head supporting position over at least a portion of the orbit;
• a monochrome camera coupled to the transport apparatus and configured to record, at one or more angles of the orbit, a monochrome reflectance image of the monochrome near infrared light pattern that is projected against the supported patient's head;
• a color camera coupled to the transport apparatus, wherein the color camera is disposed to acquire, at each of one or more angles of the orbit, a color reflectance image of the supported patient's head;
• and
• a control logic processor that energizes at least the x-ray source, the x-ray detector, the transport apparatus, the laser light source, and the monochrome and color cameras to acquire and process both radiographic and reflectance image data obtained during the at least partial orbit about the head supporting position, wherein the control logic processor is configured to process the obtained two-dimensional radiographic images for generating a volume reconstruction and to register contour and color information from the monochrome and color cameras to the volume reconstruction.

A method for imaging the head of a patient, the method executed at least in part by a computer and comprising:

• orbiting an x-ray source and an x-ray detector in at least partial orbit about a head supporting position for the patient;
• acquiring, at each of a plurality of angles about the supporting position, a 2-D radiographic projection image of the patient's head;
• energizing a light source that orbits with the x-ray source and detector to project a light pattern toward the head supporting position over at least a portion of the orbit;
• recording, at one or more angles of the orbit, a reflectance image of the projected light pattern against the patient's head;
• acquiring at one or more angles of the orbit, a color reflectance image of the patient's head at the head supporting position;
• reconstructing a volume image from the acquired 2-D radiographic projection images;
• forming a contour image according to the recorded reflectance images of the light pattern;
• registering the contour image to the reconstructed volume image;
• mapping image content from one or more of the color reflectance images to the registered contour image;
• and
• displaying a composite image that shows the mapped reflectance image content in registration with the corresponding volume image content.