Panoramic dental radiology apparatus and associated method of use

A method for producing a panoramic image of an object from a dental radiology apparatus comprising an x-radiation generator and a sensor opposite the x-radiation generator receiving an x-ray beam that has come from the generator, the generator being provided with at least one collimation slit elongated along an axis (Z) perpendicular to a plane (P) so as to produce an x-ray beam elongated along the axis in a first mode of operation, the sensor with an array of pixels being elongated along the axis (Z) in correspondence with said beam, the dental radiology apparatus being suitable for producing a panoramic image of the object in the first mode of operation, the method comprising:

• in the first mode of operation, displacing an assembly formed of the generator and the sensor along a given trajectory in the plane (P);
• the method further comprises the following preliminary steps:
• displacing the assembly along the given trajectory of the assembly resulting from a rotation about an axis of rotation that is perpendicular to the plane (P) and displacement of the axis of rotation in the plane (P);
• pivoting the sensor by 90° in order that the sensor is elongated in a direction parallel to the plane (P);
• switching from the first mode of operation of the generator provided with the at least one collimation slit to a second mode of operation in which an x-ray beam elongated parallel to said direction of the sensor is produce in order that the sensor is always in correspondence with said beam;
• and
• operating the apparatus in the second mode of operation called cone beam tomographic mode in order to obtain a trajectory to be travelled in the plane (P) by the generator-sensor assembly to produce a panoramic image of the object, wherein
• the method further comprises the following steps:
• driving in rotation of the assembly formed of the generator and the sensor in the second mode of operation and the sensor arranged parallel to the plane (P) about a fixed axis of rotation parallel to the axis (Z);
• acquiring several image signals of the object illuminated by an x-ray beam for a plurality of angular positions occupied by the generator-sensor assembly during a rotation movement;
• obtaining, from the acquired image signals, of a three-dimensional model of the illuminated object;
• and
• identifying, from the three-dimensional model, of a trajectory along which the generator-sensor assembly will move during a subsequent production of a panoramic image of the object.