Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100060900 | Laser Digitizer System for Dental Applications - An intra-oral laser digitizer system provides a three-dimensional visual image of a real-world object such as a dental item through a laser digitization. The laser digitizer captures an image of the object by scanning multiple portions of the object in an exposure period. The intra-oral digitizer may be inserted into an oral cavity (in vivo) to capture an image of a dental item such as a tooth, multiple teeth or dentition. The captured image is processed to generate the three-dimension visual image. | 03-11-2010 |
20120176626 | Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging - A digitized image of an object may include representations of portions of the object that are obscured, occluded or otherwise unobservable. The image may be a multi-dimensional visual representation of dentition. Characteristics of the dentition and its surfaces, contours, and shape may be determined and/or analyzed. A light may be directed toward and reflected from the dentition. The reflected light may be combined with a reference to determine characteristics of the dentition, including obscured areas such as subgingival tissue. | 07-12-2012 |
20140189991 | Milling machine having six (6) axis motion system - A milling machine for a dental item comprises a six (6) axis motion system. A workpiece is fixed in space. Each of a pair of opposed tool spindles operates in 3 DOF, with an x-axis (laterally, left or right) being along an axis of each working tool, a rotational (theta (θ)) axis (rotationally in or out), and a z-axis (up or down). On each respective side of the block, the x-axis rides on a θ-axis, and the θ-axis rides on the z-axis. Each z-axis supports a first carriage adapted to move up or down along the z-axis, and the first carriage supports a motor having a shaft. The shaft's rotational axis is the θ-axis. A second carriage is mounted on the shaft for rotation about the θ-axis. A spindle assembly is mounted on the second carriage for lateral (left or right) movement along the x-axis carried by the θ-axis. | 07-10-2014 |
20140248576 | Intra-oral scanning device with illumination frames interspersed with image frames - An intra-oral scanning device includes a light source and an optical system, and communicates with a display system. The device captures images of an object of interest, e.g., patient teeth or associated anatomy, by projecting the light source as a first series of frames, and a second series of frames. The first series of frames projects first pattern data, and the second series of frames projects second data. The second series of frames are interleaved between frames in the first series of frames. The frames in the first series are partially-illuminated and are used to capture data for a 3D model. The frames in the second series are preferably fully-illuminated and are used to generate a live preview of the object. By displaying the live preview frames in juxtaposition to the 3D model, the operator is provided with visual feedback of the object. | 09-04-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090087817 | Method for producing a crown for an implant abutment - A method of producing a crown for a custom implant abutment is carried out as follows. The method begins by preparing a patient's existing dental structures, viz., positioning a dental implant in the patient's mouth. Using a scanner device and associated modeling software, a first 3D model is obtained of a sufficiently large portion of an implant abutment to be attached to the implant. This scan is performed extra-orally. Preferably, the sufficiently large portion is that portion of the abutment bounded by a margin curve. After the implant abutment is attached to the implant (intra-orally), the scanner is used to obtain a second 3D model of the implant abutment attached to the implant (i.e., an intra-oral scan). Using the modeling software, the first 3D model is then aligned to the second 3D model. Thereafter, a boundary curve on the first 3D model is identified. Using the boundary curve to trim the first 3D model, the system then produces a third 3D model. Using the boundary curve, the third 3D model and the second 3D model, the system then creates a fourth 3D model, which is a model of a virtual dental item. Using a computer-assisted milling machine, the model of the virtual dental item is then used to produce an actual crown, which is then attached to the implant to complete the process. | 04-02-2009 |
20090148252 | Milling Machine with Tool Changer Positionable Within Motion System Envelope - An improved milling machine makes use of individually controlled x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis carriages. These carriages provide positive and precise control of the position of the cutting tools and the blank to be cut. The tools are located in spindles that are moved in the x-axis. A work piece or blank is manipulated in the y-axis and the z-axis. The tools are offset in the x-axis. Lights on a work space door are used to signal the condition of the mill machine and the milling operation. A tool changer allows the tools to be changed to accommodate other materials. A camera or other sensor is used to detect the location and wear on the tools. | 06-11-2009 |
20100296098 | Swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) method and system - A method and apparatus are provided for a swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) system utilizing a fast scanning mechanism in the sample arm and a slowly swept light source. The position data is collected rapidly while the wavelength of the source is swept slowly. The system reduces the sweep speed requirements of the light source enabling higher power, greater imaging range, and linear sweeps of the source frequency. The OCT components (or most of them) may be implemented within a hand held imaging probe. In operation, a triangulation scan may be used to orient the imaging probe with respect to a fixed coordinate system; preferably, OCT data captured by the device is then transformed to that same orientation with respect to the fixed coordinate system to improve the scanning results. | 11-25-2010 |
20130182260 | Swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) method and system - A method and apparatus are provided for a swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) system utilizing a fast scanning mechanism in the sample arm and a slowly swept light source. The position data is collected rapidly while the wavelength of the source is swept slowly. The system reduces the sweep speed requirements of the light source enabling higher power, greater imaging range, and linear sweeps of the source frequency. The OCT components (or most of them) may be implemented within a hand held imaging probe. In operation, a triangulation scan may be used to orient the imaging probe with respect to a fixed coordinate system; preferably, OCT data captured by the device is then transformed to that same orientation with respect to the fixed coordinate system to improve the scanning results. | 07-18-2013 |
20140162214 | Method for Producing a Crown for an Implant Abutment - A method of creating a dental restoration is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes obtaining a first 3D model of at least a portion of a first dental item including a margin curve, attaching the first dental item to the patient's existing dental structure within the oral cavity, obtaining a second 3D model of at least the first dental item while the first dental item is attached to the patient's existing dental structure, producing a third 3D model of at least the first dental item by aligning the first 3D model to the second 3D model, identifying the margin curve on the third 3D model, producing a fourth 3D model of a virtual dental item using the identified margin curve of the third 3D model, producing a second dental item from the fourth 3D model, and attaching the second dental item to the first dental item. | 06-12-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090123045 | Lighting Compensated Dynamic Texture Mapping of 3-D Models - Methods, systems, and devices for generating textured 3D models are provided. The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and devices for combining multiple images onto a 3D model. In some instances, the textures of the images are applied to the 3D model dynamically so that the textured 3D model is viewable from different viewpoints in real time on a display. The present disclosure also describes methods, systems, and devices for selecting the images and, in particular, the portions of the selected images to map to defined portions of the 3D model. In addition, the present disclosure describes how to adjust the images themselves to remove the effects of directional lighting. Some aspects of the present disclosure are particularly useful in the context of a 3D modeling of dental preparations. In some instances, a 3D digitizer is used to produce 3D models of dental preparations that are rendered on a display in real time and are fully 3D dimensional, while accurately depicting the surface textures of the item(s) being digitized. | 05-14-2009 |
20100060900 | Laser Digitizer System for Dental Applications - An intra-oral laser digitizer system provides a three-dimensional visual image of a real-world object such as a dental item through a laser digitization. The laser digitizer captures an image of the object by scanning multiple portions of the object in an exposure period. The intra-oral digitizer may be inserted into an oral cavity (in vivo) to capture an image of a dental item such as a tooth, multiple teeth or dentition. The captured image is processed to generate the three-dimension visual image. | 03-11-2010 |
20110058179 | Optical coherence tomography imaging - A digitized image of an object may include representations of portions of the object that are obscured, occluded or otherwise unobservable. The image may be a multi-dimensional visual representation of dentition. Characteristics of the dentition and its surfaces, contours, and shape may be determined and/or analyzed. A light may be directed toward and reflected from the dentition. The reflected light may be combined with a reference to determine characteristics of the dentition, including obscured areas such as subgingival tissue. | 03-10-2011 |
20120176626 | Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging - A digitized image of an object may include representations of portions of the object that are obscured, occluded or otherwise unobservable. The image may be a multi-dimensional visual representation of dentition. Characteristics of the dentition and its surfaces, contours, and shape may be determined and/or analyzed. A light may be directed toward and reflected from the dentition. The reflected light may be combined with a reference to determine characteristics of the dentition, including obscured areas such as subgingival tissue. | 07-12-2012 |
20120236117 | Lighting Compensated Dynamic Texture Mapping of 3-D Models - Methods, systems, and devices for generating textured 3D models are provided. The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and devices for combining multiple images onto a 3D model. In some instances, the textures of the images are applied to the 3D model dynamically so that the textured 3D model is viewable from different viewpoints in real time on a display. The present disclosure also describes methods, systems, and devices for selecting the images and, in particular, the portions of the selected images to map to defined portions of the 3D model. In addition, the present disclosure describes how to adjust the images themselves to remove the effects of directional lighting. Some aspects of the present disclosure are particularly useful in the context of a 3D modeling of dental preparations. In some instances, a 3D digitizer is used to produce 3D models of dental preparations. | 09-20-2012 |
20140189991 | Milling machine having six (6) axis motion system - A milling machine for a dental item comprises a six (6) axis motion system. A workpiece is fixed in space. Each of a pair of opposed tool spindles operates in 3 DOF, with an x-axis (laterally, left or right) being along an axis of each working tool, a rotational (theta (θ)) axis (rotationally in or out), and a z-axis (up or down). On each respective side of the block, the x-axis rides on a θ-axis, and the θ-axis rides on the z-axis. Each z-axis supports a first carriage adapted to move up or down along the z-axis, and the first carriage supports a motor having a shaft. The shaft's rotational axis is the θ-axis. A second carriage is mounted on the shaft for rotation about the θ-axis. A spindle assembly is mounted on the second carriage for lateral (left or right) movement along the x-axis carried by the θ-axis. | 07-10-2014 |
20140248576 | Intra-oral scanning device with illumination frames interspersed with image frames - An intra-oral scanning device includes a light source and an optical system, and communicates with a display system. The device captures images of an object of interest, e.g., patient teeth or associated anatomy, by projecting the light source as a first series of frames, and a second series of frames. The first series of frames projects first pattern data, and the second series of frames projects second data. The second series of frames are interleaved between frames in the first series of frames. The frames in the first series are partially-illuminated and are used to capture data for a 3D model. The frames in the second series are preferably fully-illuminated and are used to generate a live preview of the object. By displaying the live preview frames in juxtaposition to the 3D model, the operator is provided with visual feedback of the object. | 09-04-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090087817 | Method for producing a crown for an implant abutment - A method of producing a crown for a custom implant abutment is carried out as follows. The method begins by preparing a patient's existing dental structures, viz., positioning a dental implant in the patient's mouth. Using a scanner device and associated modeling software, a first 3D model is obtained of a sufficiently large portion of an implant abutment to be attached to the implant. This scan is performed extra-orally. Preferably, the sufficiently large portion is that portion of the abutment bounded by a margin curve. After the implant abutment is attached to the implant (intra-orally), the scanner is used to obtain a second 3D model of the implant abutment attached to the implant (i.e., an intra-oral scan). Using the modeling software, the first 3D model is then aligned to the second 3D model. Thereafter, a boundary curve on the first 3D model is identified. Using the boundary curve to trim the first 3D model, the system then produces a third 3D model. Using the boundary curve, the third 3D model and the second 3D model, the system then creates a fourth 3D model, which is a model of a virtual dental item. Using a computer-assisted milling machine, the model of the virtual dental item is then used to produce an actual crown, which is then attached to the implant to complete the process. | 04-02-2009 |
20090148252 | Milling Machine with Tool Changer Positionable Within Motion System Envelope - An improved milling machine makes use of individually controlled x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis carriages. These carriages provide positive and precise control of the position of the cutting tools and the blank to be cut. The tools are located in spindles that are moved in the x-axis. A work piece or blank is manipulated in the y-axis and the z-axis. The tools are offset in the x-axis. Lights on a work space door are used to signal the condition of the mill machine and the milling operation. A tool changer allows the tools to be changed to accommodate other materials. A camera or other sensor is used to detect the location and wear on the tools. | 06-11-2009 |
20100296098 | Swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) method and system - A method and apparatus are provided for a swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) system utilizing a fast scanning mechanism in the sample arm and a slowly swept light source. The position data is collected rapidly while the wavelength of the source is swept slowly. The system reduces the sweep speed requirements of the light source enabling higher power, greater imaging range, and linear sweeps of the source frequency. The OCT components (or most of them) may be implemented within a hand held imaging probe. In operation, a triangulation scan may be used to orient the imaging probe with respect to a fixed coordinate system; preferably, OCT data captured by the device is then transformed to that same orientation with respect to the fixed coordinate system to improve the scanning results. | 11-25-2010 |
20130182260 | Swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) method and system - A method and apparatus are provided for a swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) system utilizing a fast scanning mechanism in the sample arm and a slowly swept light source. The position data is collected rapidly while the wavelength of the source is swept slowly. The system reduces the sweep speed requirements of the light source enabling higher power, greater imaging range, and linear sweeps of the source frequency. The OCT components (or most of them) may be implemented within a hand held imaging probe. In operation, a triangulation scan may be used to orient the imaging probe with respect to a fixed coordinate system; preferably, OCT data captured by the device is then transformed to that same orientation with respect to the fixed coordinate system to improve the scanning results. | 07-18-2013 |
20140162214 | Method for Producing a Crown for an Implant Abutment - A method of creating a dental restoration is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes obtaining a first 3D model of at least a portion of a first dental item including a margin curve, attaching the first dental item to the patient's existing dental structure within the oral cavity, obtaining a second 3D model of at least the first dental item while the first dental item is attached to the patient's existing dental structure, producing a third 3D model of at least the first dental item by aligning the first 3D model to the second 3D model, identifying the margin curve on the third 3D model, producing a fourth 3D model of a virtual dental item using the identified margin curve of the third 3D model, producing a second dental item from the fourth 3D model, and attaching the second dental item to the first dental item. | 06-12-2014 |