Bite block for cbct imaging device
AssigneeTrophy
InventorsPhilippe Congy, Emilie Comte
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An extra-oral dental imaging apparatus can obtain a radiographic image of a portion of a head of a patient. Exemplary dental apparatus and/or method embodiments can position a subject for dental radiographic imaging by providing a bitable dental arch mounting apparatus to offset the antero-posterior plane of the dental imaging apparatus and the plane of symmetry of the dental arch mounting apparatus. In one embodiment, the offset can be provided by a tilted dental arch mounting apparatus (e.g., relative to the horizontal).
Claims15
A dental imaging apparatus for obtaining a radiographic image of an object, the apparatus comprising:
- a movable mount comprising at least a radiation source and a digital imaging sensor;
- an actuator that is energizable to move the movable mount ire a scan pattern about an imaging area;
- a computer in signal communication with the digital imaging sensor and configured to acquire one or more of two-dimensional images of the digital imaging sensor positioned relative to the radiation source for the scan pattern;
- and
- a patient support structure to provide a spatial relationship to the scan pattern, where the patient support structure comprises a bite block mounted thereto in a fixed position, the fixed position of the bite block to provide the spatial relationship to the scan pattern, where the spatial relationship offsets the antero-posterior plane and the plane of symmetry of the dental arch,
- where the antero-posterior plane is a vertical plane centered on the patient support structure and oriented in the front-to-rear direction of the patient when the patient is positioned on a patient positioning unit.
A method of positioning a subject for dental radiographic imaging, the method comprising:
- providing a bitable bite block including opposing surfaces in a patient support structure to provide a prescribed spatial relationship, where the prescribed spatial relationship offsets the antero-posterior plane of the dental imaging apparatus and the plane of symmetry of the dental arch, and
- mounting the bite block to the patient support structure in at least two stationary positions, at least one of the two stationary positions to provide the prescribed spatial relationship.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.