Intra-oral 3-d fluorescence imaging
OwnerJean-Marc Inglese, Wei Wang +4inventors
InventorsJean-Marc Inglese, Wei Wang, Victor C. Wong, Guijian Wang, Larry A. Greenspan, Mark Woodman
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Abstract
Method and apparatus embodiments can generate a volume fluorescence image of a tooth. Method and apparatus embodiments can project structured light patterns onto a tooth and generate a contour (volume) image of the tooth surface from acquired corresponding structured light projection images; then acquire one or more fluorescence images of the tooth generated under blue-UV illumination. A composite image that shows fluorescence image content mapped to the generated contour image can be transmitted, stored, modified and/or displayed.
Claims18
A method for obtaining an image of a tooth, the method executed at least in part by a computer processor and comprising:
- projecting a structured light pattern along a single illumination path onto the tooth and acquiring a plurality of structured light projection images of the tooth;
- generating a contour image of the tooth surface from the acquired plurality of structured light projection images;
- projecting a fluorescence light along the single illumination path onto the tooth and acquiring one or more fluorescence images of the tooth generated under blue-UV illumination;
- and
- displaying a composite image that shows fluorescence image content mapped to the generated contour image.
A method for obtaining an image of a tooth, the method executed at least in part by a computer processor and comprising:
- projecting a structured light pattern onto the tooth and acquiring a plurality of fluorescence projection images of the tooth;
- generating a contour image of the tooth surface using only the acquired plurality of fluorescence projection images;
- and
- displaying the generated contour image.
An apparatus for intra-oral imaging comprising:
- a broadband visible light source;
- a blue-UV light source;
- a light combiner that is disposed to combine both visible and blue-UV light onto single illumination path;
- a fringe pattern generator in the illumination path and energizable to project a pattern of light onto one or more teeth;
- a control processor that is energizable to provide, onto the illumination path, in close succession, flat-field or patterned light from either the visible or blue-UV light sources, according to an operator instruction;
- and
- a detector in the path of light from the tooth and energizable to form an image according to light in the illumination path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.