Image-based longitudinal analysis
AssigneeAlign Technology, Inc.
InventorsMaayan MOSHE, Ofer SAPHIER, Shai AYAL, Michael LELLOUCH, Ran KATZ
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses (including devices and systems, such as intraoral scanners and software) for analyzing images of a subject's teeth. In some examples these methods may include examining the same teeth or tooth regions across different times and/or different imaging modalities, including but not limited to visible light, infrared, florescent, etc. Also described herein are methods and apparatuses for using a single, master, control for automatically or semi-automatically simultaneously adjusting multiple imaging parameters across multiple images of a region taken with different imaging modalities and/or at different times.
Claims20
An intraoral scanning system, the system comprising:
- a hand-held imaging sensor;
- and
- a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the steps of:
- receiving or accessing one or more two-dimensional (2D) images of a subject's dentition taken at different times;
- registering each of the one or more 2D images to a three-dimensional (3D) digital model of a patient's teeth to determine a camera position for each of the one or more 2D images relative to the patient's teeth;
- generating a longitudinal comparison between the one or more 2D images relative to each other and/or to a projection taken from the 3D digital model using the determined camera positions;
- and
- outputting the longitudinal comparison.
An intraoral scanning system, the system comprising:
- a hand-held imaging sensor;
- and
- a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the steps of:
- receiving or accessing one or more two-dimensional (2D) images of a subject's dentition taken at different times;
- registering each of the one or more 2D images to a three-dimensional (3D) digital model of the patient's teeth to determine a camera position for each of the 2D images relative to the patient's teeth by iteratively comparing each of the one or more 2D images to projections from the 3D digital model to minimize a difference between one or more features of the patient's teeth;
- generating a longitudinal comparison between the one or more 2D images relative to each other and/or to a projection taken from the 3D digital model using the determined camera positions;
- matching each of the one or more 2D images and the projection taken from the 3D digital model to have a common camera position based on the determined camera positions;
- and
- outputting the longitudinal comparison.
A method, the method comprising:
- receiving or accessing a plurality of intraoral data sets of a subject's dentition corresponding to different times, each intraoral data set including a respective three-dimensional (3D) model and a plurality of associated two-dimensional (2D) images;
- identifying, on a first 3D model corresponding to a first time, a region of interest (ROI) including one or more portions of one or more teeth;
- determining a correspondence between the first 3D model and at least one second 3D model corresponding to a different time;
- mapping the ROI from the first 3D model to the at least one second 3D model based on the determined correspondence;
- for each of the intraoral data sets:
- selecting or generating, based on the mapped ROI, a representative 2D image that includes the ROI, wherein selecting or generating comprises determining a camera position that is approximately normal to a surface containing the ROI or that maximizes inclusion of ROI features;
- normalizing the representative 2D images across the different times by adjusting one or more of camera position, perspective, scale, or imaging parameters so that the representative 2D images correspond to a substantially common viewpoint;
- generating a longitudinal comparison including the normalized representative 2D images;
- and
- outputting the longitudinal comparison for display, storage, or transmission.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.