Focus scanning apparatus

An intraoral scanner for providing data for 3D geometry of at least a part of the surface of an object in an oral cavity, the intraoral scanner comprising:

• a color image sensor comprising an array of sensor elements;
• lighting equipment configured to generate a probe light;
• and
• an optical system comprising a beam splitter, at least one lens, and a tip configured to be inserted into the oral cavity,
• wherein the intraoral scanner is configured to operate by translating a focus plane along an optical axis of the optical system to capture one or more 2D images,
• wherein the at least one lens is configured such that the intraoral scanner transmits at least a part of the probe light from the light source through the optical system and towards the object such that the at least a part of the probe light is focused onto at least two different parts of the object, wherein the at least a part of the probe light as focused on a first part of the object is defined by a first divergence angle in relation to a first propagation axis, wherein the at least a part of the probe light as focused on a second part of the object is defined by a second divergence angle in relation to a second propagation axis, and the first propagation axis and the second propagation axis are non-parallel,
• wherein reflected light results from the at least a part of the probe light being reflected from the at least a part of the surface of the object, and
• wherein the intraoral scanner is further configured to transmit the reflected light from the at least a part of the surface of the object back through the optical system such that the reflected light is focused on the color image sensor, the color image sensor being configured to produce the data for the 3D geometry from a series of 2D images captured by the intraoral scanner translating the focus plane along the optical axis of the optical system, at least one of the series of 2D images being generated using reflected light focused on the color image sensor.

An intraoral scanner for providing data for 3D geometry of at least a part of the surface of an object in an oral cavity, the intraoral scanner comprising:

• a color image sensor comprising an array of sensor elements;
• lighting equipment configured to generate a probe light;
• and
• an optical system comprising a beam splitter, at least one lens, and a tip configured to be inserted into the oral cavity,
• wherein the intraoral scanner is configured to operate by translating a focus plane along an optical axis of the optical system to capture one or more 2D images,
• wherein the at least one lens is configured such that the intraoral scanner transmits at least a part of the probe light from the light source through the optical system and towards the object such that the at least a part of the probe light is non-telecentrically focused on at least a part of the surface of the object,
• wherein reflected light results from the at least a part of the probe light being reflected from the at least a part of the surface of the object, and
• wherein the intraoral scanner is further configured to transmit the reflected light from the at least a part of the surface of the object back through the optical system such that the reflected light is focused on the color image sensor, the color image sensor being configured to produce the data for the 3D geometry from a series of 2D images captured by the intraoral scanner translating the focus plane along the optical axis of the optical system, at least one of the series of 2D images being generated using the reflected light focused on the color image sensor.

A method of providing data for 3D geometry of at least a part of the surface of an object in an oral cavity using a intraoral scanner comprising a color image sensor comprising an array of sensor elements, lighting equipment configured to generate a probe light, and an optical system comprising a beam splitter, at least one lens, and a tip configured to be inserted into the oral cavity, the method comprising:

• inserting the tip into the oral cavity;
• generating a probe light using the lighting equipment;
• transmitting at least a part of the probe light from the light source through the optical system and towards the object such that the at least a part of the probe light is non-telecentrically focused on at least a part of the surface of the object,
• reflecting the at least a part of the probe light from the at least a part of the surface of the object to produce reflected light, and
• transmitting the reflected light from the at least a part of the surface of the object back through the optical system such that the reflected light is focused on the color image sensor, the color image sensor producing the data for the 3D geometry from a series of 2D images captured by the intraoral scanner translating a focus plane along an optical axis of the optical system, at least one of the series of 2D images being generated using the reflected light focused on the color image sensor.

An intraoral scanner for providing data for 3D geometry of at least a part of the surface of an object in an oral cavity, the intraoral scanner comprising:

• a color image sensor comprising an array of sensor elements;
• lighting equipment configured to generate a probe light;
• and
• an optical system comprising a beam splitter, at least one lens, and a tip configured to be inserted into the oral cavity,
• wherein the intraoral scanner is configured to operate by translating a focus plane along an optical axis of the optical system to capture one or more 2D images,
• wherein the at least one lens is configured such that the intraoral scanner transmits at least a part of the probe light from the light source through the optical system and towards the object such that the at least a part of the probe light is focused onto at least two different parts of the object, wherein the at least a part of the probe light as focused on a first part of the object is defined by a first divergence angle in relation to a first propagation axis, wherein the at least a part of the probe light as focused on a second part of the object is defined by a second divergence angle in relation to a second propagation axis, and the first propagation axis diverges from the second propagation axis,
• wherein reflected light results from the at least a part of the probe light being reflected from the at least a part of the surface of the object, and
• wherein the intraoral scanner is further configured to transmit the reflected light from the at least a part of the surface of the object back through the optical system such that the reflected light is focused on the color image sensor, the color image sensor being configured to produce the data for the 3D geometry from a series of 2D images captured by the intraoral scanner translating the focus plane along the optical axis of the optical system, at least one of the series of 2D images being generated using the reflected light focused on the color image sensor.