Probe head and apparatus for intraoral confocal imaging using polarization-retarding coatings using a second sidewall
First Claim
1. An apparatus for dental imaging, the apparatus comprising:
- an illumination module for generating a light beam travelling an optical path, the light beam having a wavelength;
a probe head comprising a light-guiding part having,an entrance face,an exit face,a first sidewall comprising a retardance coating to reflect the light beam along the optical path with a first total internal reflection having a first retardance of a non-integer multiple of a quarter of the wavelength, said first retardance comprising a retardance from the retardance coating, anda second sidewall to reflect the light beam along the optical path with a second total internal reflection having a second retardance of a non-integer multiple of a quarter of the wavelength; and
an optics system to direct the light beam along the optical path to enter the light guiding part via the entrance face, travel along an the optical path extending between the entrance face and the exit face, and exits the light-guiding part via the exit face,said first and second retardances being in amounts such that the light-guiding part provides a total retardance of an odd multiple of the quarter of the wavelength along the optical path extending from the entrance face to the exit face,wherein each of the first retardance, the second retardance, and the total retardance is a retardance to a first polarization component relative to a second polarization component of the light beam traveling along the optical path.
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Abstract
A probe head for dental confocal imaging, comprises a light-guiding part for guiding a light beam towards a teeth portion, the light-guiding part having an entrance face through which the light beam enters the light-guiding part and an exit face through which the light beam exits the light-guiding part, wherein the light-guiding part is configured, in case of a linearly polarized light beam having two polarization components being perpendicular to each other, to change polarization of the linearly polarized light beam on its path through the light-guiding part in such a way that one of the two polarization components, compared to the other of the two polarization components, is retarded by an odd multiple of a quarter of a wavelength of the light beam along the path from the entrance face to the exit face.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An apparatus for dental imaging, the apparatus comprising:
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an illumination module for generating a light beam travelling an optical path, the light beam having a wavelength; a probe head comprising a light-guiding part having, an entrance face, an exit face, a first sidewall comprising a retardance coating to reflect the light beam along the optical path with a first total internal reflection having a first retardance of a non-integer multiple of a quarter of the wavelength, said first retardance comprising a retardance from the retardance coating, and a second sidewall to reflect the light beam along the optical path with a second total internal reflection having a second retardance of a non-integer multiple of a quarter of the wavelength; and an optics system to direct the light beam along the optical path to enter the light guiding part via the entrance face, travel along an the optical path extending between the entrance face and the exit face, and exits the light-guiding part via the exit face, said first and second retardances being in amounts such that the light-guiding part provides a total retardance of an odd multiple of the quarter of the wavelength along the optical path extending from the entrance face to the exit face, wherein each of the first retardance, the second retardance, and the total retardance is a retardance to a first polarization component relative to a second polarization component of the light beam traveling along the optical path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification