Stationary intraoral tomosynthesis imaging systems, methods, and computer readable media for three dimensional dental imaging

A method for three-dimensional (3D) imaging using a stationary intraoral tomosynthesis system, the method comprising:

• positioning a spatially distributed x-ray source array of the stationary intraoral tomosynthesis system outside a mouth of a patient, wherein the spatially distributed x-ray source array comprises one or more focal spots;
• positioning an x-ray detector inside the mouth of the patient using an x-ray detector holder configured for at least one imaging protocol, wherein the x-ray detector holder comprises a plurality of magnets disposed on a first end of the x-ray detector holder, the first end of which is located outside the mouth of the patient;
• providing a first collimator plate on a first end of a collimator and a second collimator plate on a second end of the collimator, wherein the second collimator plate is selected so as to correspond to one or more aspects of the x-ray detector holder for the at least one imaging protocol;
• coupling the spatially distributed x-ray source array and the collimator to the x-ray detector holder via the second collimator plate by coupling the second collimator plate onto the second end of the collimator and the first end of the x-ray detector holder;
• acquiring one or more x-ray projection images of the mouth of the patient from one or more viewing angles by sequentially activating each of the one or more focal spots for a pre-set radiation dose and x-ray energy, wherein the one or more x-ray projection images are two-dimensional (2D);
• transferring the one or more x-ray projection images to a computing platform;
• reconstructing, from the one or more x-ray projection images, one or more 3D tomosynthesis images using one or more iterative reconstruction algorithms;
• and
• processing the one or more 3D tomosynthesis images and displaying the one or more 3D tomosynthesis images on one or more monitors, which are electrically connected to the computing platform.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer, control the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

• positioning a spatially distributed x-ray source array of the stationary intraoral tomosynthesis system outside a mouth of a patient, wherein the spatially distributed x-ray source array comprises one or more focal spots;
• positioning an x-ray detector inside the mouth of the patient using an x-ray detector holder configured for at least one imaging protocol, wherein the x-ray detector holder comprises a plurality of magnets disposed on a first end of the x-ray detector holder, the first end of which is located outside the mouth of the patient;
• providing a first collimator plate on a first end of a collimator and a second collimator plate on a second end of the collimator, wherein the second collimator plate is selected so as to correspond to one or more aspects of the x-ray detector holder for the at least one imaging protocol;
• coupling the spatially distributed x-ray source array and the collimator to the x-ray detector holder via the second collimator plate by coupling the second collimator plate onto the second end of the collimator and the first end of the x-ray detector holder;
• acquiring one or more x-ray projection images of the mouth of the patient from one or more viewing angles by sequentially activating each of the one or more focal spots for a pre-set radiation dose and x-ray energy, wherein the one or more x-ray projection images are two-dimensional (2D);
• transferring the one or more x-ray projection images to a computing platform;
• reconstructing, from the one or more x-ray projection images, one or more 3D tomosynthesis images using one or more iterative reconstruction algorithms;
• and
• processing the one or more 3D tomosynthesis images and displaying the one or more 3D tomosynthesis images on one or more monitors, which are electrically connected to the computing platform.