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US 7,010,089 B2Granted
Digital radiographic sensor view capture
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorSteven L. Eikenberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus including but not limited to a charge-coupled device(CCD)-array sensor positioning mechanism, the positioning mechanism structured to position a CCD-array sensor to capture a first target area; and the CCD-array sensor positioning mechanism further structured to position the CCD-array sensor to capture a second target area proximate to the first target area, the first and second target areas spatially related such that a first radiographic image recorded at the first target area may be combined with a second radiographic image recorded at the second target area to form a composite radiographic image substantially analogous to a single radiographic image of an aggregate target area covered by the first and second target areas.
Claims28
An apparatus comprising:
- a charge-coupled device (CCD)-array sensor having an active surface for recording images;
- a charge-coupled device(CCD)-array sensor positioning mechanism structured to hold said CCD-array in a substantially horizontal orientation such that the active surface for recording images is disposed substantially horizontally in a patient's mouth and structured to hold said CCD-array sensor in a first position to capture a first target area;
- and
- said CCD-array sensor positioning mechanism further structured to hold the substantially horizontally disposed CCD-array sensor in a second position to capture a second target area proximate to the first target area, the first and second target areas spatially related such that a first radiographic image recorded at the first target area may be combined with a second radiographic image recorded at the second target area to form a composite radiographic image substantially analogous to a single radiographic image of an aggregate target area covered by the first and second target areas.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- positioning a charge-coupled device (CCD)-array sensor having an active surface for recording images in a patient's mouth such that said active surface is disposed substantially horizontally in said patient's mouth;
- recording a first radiographic image of a first target area using a portion of said active surface of said charge coupled device (CCD)-array sensor,
- recording a second radiographic image of a second target area, the second target area proximate to the first target area, using the portion of the active surface of said CCD-array sensor;
- and
- displaying a composite image constructed from the first and second radiographic images.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- situating a dental impression in at least a part of a charge-coupled device(CCD)-array sensor positioning mechanism on a dental surface;
- situating a CCD-array sensor within the CCD-array sensor positioning mechanism to capture a first target area;
- situating the CCD-array sensor within the CCD-array sensor positioning mechanism to capture a second target area proximate to the first target area, the first and second target areas spatially related such that a first radiographic image recorded at the first target area may be combined with a second radiographic image recorded at the second target area to form a composite radiographic image substantially analogous to a single radiographic image of an aggregate target area covered by the first and second target areas.
A system comprising:
- means for holding a charge-coupled device (CCD)-array sensor having an active surface for recording images inside a patient's mouth such that said active surface is disposed substantially horizontally in said patient's mouth;
- means for recording a first radiographic image of a first target area using a portion of said active surface of said charge coupled device (CCD)-array sensor;
- means for recording a second radiographic image of a second target area, the second target area proximate to the first target area, using the portion of the active surface of said CCD-array;
- and
- means for displaying a composite image constructed from the first and second radiographic images.
2 more elements
An apparatus for imaging a patient's teeth comprising:
- a horizontally and vertically movable radiation source;
- an intra-oral sensor having an active surface of pixels capable of recording an image disposed horizontally in a patient's mouth;
- said sensor generating output signals representing sensor information corresponding to the amount of radiation arriving at each of the pixels;
- a storage medium for storing the sensor information;
- and
- image processing circuitry for processing an image from said sensor information stored on said storage medium.
3 more elements
An apparatus for imaging a patient's teeth comprising:
- a radiation source;
- an intra-oral sensor having an active surface of pixels;
- said sensor generating output signals representing sensor information corresponding to the amount of radiation arriving at each of the pixels;
- an impressionable portion associated with said sensor to provide repeatable positioning of said portion;
- a storage medium for storing the sensor information;
- and
- image processing circuitry for processing an image from said sensor information stored on said storage medium.
4 more elements
An apparatus for imaging a patient's teeth comprising:
- an irradiating means for irradiating a first target area and a second target area;
- an intra-oral sensing means having an active surface of pixels;
- positioning means for orienting said active surface of pixels substantially horizontal in a patient's mouth in a first position to capture an image of said first target area and a second position to capture an image of said second target area;
- recording means for recording said images;
- and
- imaging means for processing a composite image of said images.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.