Method and Device for Creating a Cephalometric Image

An extra-oral dental imaging system having a conical shape x-ray beam for creating a cephalometric image of at least part of a human skull without using a cephalometric arm, said system comprising:

• an X-ray source for producing said conical shape x-ray beam for irradiating an object to be imaged;
• an imaging device suitable for producing multiple frames during at least part of an exposure of said object;
• a manipulator for displacing the imaging device along an exposure profile between multiple frames during said at least part of the exposure of said object, the manipulator permitting the movement of the imaging device along a scanning direction (X);
• and
• a collimator;
• wherein said imaging device has an active area having in an imaging plane a width extending along said scanning direction (X), said width varying along a height direction (Y) perpendicular to said scanning direction (X);
• wherein said manipulator is configured to synchronously displace the X-ray source and the imaging device along said exposure profile using translation and rotation of the X-ray source and the imaging device;
• and
• wherein said collimator is configured to modify the shape of said conical shape x-ray beam to vary in unison with varying of said width of said imaging plane along the height direction (Y) perpendicular to said scanning direction (X).

A method for creating a cephalometric image of at least part of a human skull using a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) extraoral imaging system without a cephalometric arm, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating, via an X-ray source, an x-ray beam having a conical shape to irradiate an object to be imaged;
• producing, via an imaging device, multiple image frames during at least part of an exposure of said object to the x-ray beam, wherein the imaging device has an active area;
• moving the X-ray source and the imaging device in unison along an exposure profile in a scanning direction (X) between multiple image frames during said at least part of the exposure of said object, wherein the active area of the imaging device has a width extending along the scanning direction (X) and varying along a height direction (Y) perpendicular to the scanning direction (X);
• rotating the X-ray source and the imaging device in unison through a limited angle while moving along the exposure profile;
• and
• registering the multiple frames produced by the imaging device during the exposure of said object to be imaged.