Method for detection of caries
AssigneeCarestream Health, Inc.
InventorsVictor C. Wong, Rongguang Liang
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Abstract
A method for forming an enhanced image of tooth tissue for caries detection obtains fluorescence (50) and reflectance (52) image data from a tooth (20). Each pixel in the fluorescence image data is combined with its corresponding pixel in the reflectance image data by subtracting an offset to the reflectance image data value to generate an offset reflectance image data value, and then computing an enhanced image data value according to the difference between the fluorescence image data value and the offset reflectance image data value, whereby the enhanced image (64) is formed from the resulting pixel array of enhanced image data values.
Claims20
A method for forming an enhanced image of a tooth comprising:
- a) obtaining fluorescence image data from the tooth by:
- (i) directing first incident light towards the tooth;
- (ii) sensing fluorescent emission from the tooth;
- (iii) storing a fluorescence image data value for each pixel position in the fluorescence image;
- b) obtaining reflectance image data from the tooth by:
- (i) directing second incident light towards the tooth;
- (ii) sensing back-scattered reflectance light from the tooth;
- (iii) storing a reflectance image data value for each pixel position in the reflectance image;
- c) combining each pixel in the fluorescence image data with its corresponding pixel in the reflectance image data by:
- (i) subtracting an offset to the reflectance image data value to generate an offset reflectance image data value;
- (ii) computing an enhanced image data value according to a difference between the fluorescence image data value and the offset reflectance image data value;
- and
- whereby the enhanced image is formed from a resulting pixel array of enhanced image data values.
A method for forming an enhanced image a tooth tissue comprising:
- a) obtaining fluorescence image data from a tooth by:
- (i) directing a first incident light toward the tooth;
- (ii) sensing fluorescent emission from the tooth;
- (iii) storing a fluorescence image data value for each pixel position in the fluorescence image;
- b) obtaining reflectance image data from the tooth by:
- (i) directing a second incident light toward the tooth;
- (ii) sensing reflected light from the tooth;
- (iii) storing a reflectance image data value for each pixel position in the reflectance image;
- wherein an illuminance of the first incident light exceeds an illuminance of the second incident light;
- and
- c) combining each pixel in the fluorescence image data with its corresponding pixel in the reflectance image data to compute an enhanced image data value according to a difference between the fluorescence image data value and the reflectance image data value, whereby the enhanced image is formed from a resulting pixel array of enhanced image data values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.