Systems, devices, and methods for lowering dental x-ray dosage including feedback sensors
AssigneeElwha LLC
InventorsRoderick A. Hyde, Edward K. Y. Jung, Jordin T. Kare, Tony S. Pan, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems, devices, and methods are described for providing, among other things, an intra-oral x-ray imaging system configured to reduce patient exposure to x-rays, reduce amount of scatter, transmission, or re-radiation during imaging, or improve x-ray image quality. In an embodiment, an intra-oral x-ray imaging system includes an intra-oral x-ray sensor configured to communicate intra-oral x-ray sensor position information or intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation information to a remote x-ray source.
Claims38
An intra-oral x-ray imaging system, comprising:
- an intra-oral x-ray sensor configured to acquire intra-oral x-ray image information associated with an oral cavity of a patient, the intra-oral x-ray sensor including an intra-oral radiation shield structure having at least a portion that is flexible or jointed so as to conform to a portion of the oral cavity;
- and
- an x-ray beam limiter assembly including a controllable x-ray collimator module, the controllable x-ray collimator module including an x-ray beam collimation adjustment mechanism responsive to one or more inputs including information associated with a border location of the intra-oral x-ray sensor in a mouth of the patient.
An intra-oral x-ray imaging device, comprising:
- circuitry configured to determine a position and an orientation of an intra-oral x-ray sensor;
- circuitry configured to receive an x-ray beam characteristic verified by the intra-oral x-ray sensor, the x-ray beam characteristic associated with an x-ray transmitted to the intra-oral x-ray sensor;
- circuitry configured to adjust an x-ray beam collimation adjustment mechanism of an x-ray beam limiter assembly responsive to one or more inputs from at least one of the circuitry configured to determine the position and the orientation of the intra-oral x-ray sensor or the circuitry configured to receive an x-ray beam characteristic verified by the intra-oral x-ray sensor;
- and
- circuitry configured to acquire intra-oral x-ray image information associated with a patient.
An intra-oral x-ray imaging method, comprising:
- automatically determining an intra-oral x-ray sensor border position and an intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation of an intra-oral x-ray sensor;
- transmitting an x-ray to the intra-oral sensor;
- receiving an x-ray beam characteristic verified by the intra-oral x-ray sensor responsive to transmitting the x-ray to the intra-oral x-ray sensor;
- varying an x-ray beam collimation parameter via an x-ray beam collimation adjustment mechanism of an x-ray beam limiter assembly responsive to one or more inputs including information associated with at least one of the intra-oral x-ray sensor border position and the intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation or the x-ray beam characteristic verified by the intra-oral x-ray sensor;
- and
- acquiring intra-oral x-ray image information associated with a patient.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.