Intraoral scanner with touch sensitive input

• US 10,108,269 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2015
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Sabina, Michael, Rasovsky, Leon
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Tan H
• Application Number:
  US14/641,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20160259515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0004 Computer-assisted sizing or machining of dental prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 5/77 Methods or devices for making crowns
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 9/0053 Optical means or methods, e.g. scanning the teeth by a laser or light beam
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

During a medical scan session, a computing device executing a medical scan application receives a touch input from a touch sensitive medical scanning device. The computing device determines whether the touch input comprises at least one of a hold gesture or a swipe gesture. The computing device then performs a first function responsive to determining that the touch input comprises a hold gesture. The computing device then performs a second function responsive to determining that the touch input comprises a swipe gesture.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving user input to enable a touch sensor of a medical scanning device;

detecting an object in a field of view of a scanner head of the medical scanning device and within a threshold distance of the scanner head;

responsive to the detecting of the object within the threshold distance and in the field of view of the scanner head, disabling the touch sensor and activating one or more lights of the medical scanning device to illuminate the field of view of the scanner head;

receiving one or more images generated while the one or more lights are activated and the touch sensor is disabled;

receiving input from at least one button of the medical scanning device to activate the touch sensor after the one or more medical images have been generated;

activating the touch sensor;

receiving, by a computing device executing a medical scan application, a touch input from the touch sensor;

determining whether the touch input comprises at least one of a hold gesture or a swipe gesture;

performing a first function to control a user interface of the medical scan application by the computing device responsive to determining that the touch input comprises the hold gesture;

performing a second function to control the user interface of the medical scan application by the computing device responsive to determining that the touch input comprises the swipe gesture;

detecting a change of the medical scanning device from a first orientation to a second orientation based on data output by an inertial measurement device; and

changing from a first view comprising a third orientation of a three-dimensional model generated based on a scan performed by the medical scanning device to a second view comprising a fourth orientation of the three-dimensional model, wherein the change from the first view to the second view corresponds to the change from the first orientation to the second orientation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the swipe gesture comprises at least one of a leftward swipe gesture or a rightward swipe gesture, and wherein performing the second function comprises:

toggling to a next scanning segment for the rightward swipe gesture; and

toggling to a previous scanning segment for the leftward swipe gesture.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical scanning device comprises an intraoral scanner comprising the touch sensor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first function comprises enabling the inertial measurement device of the medical scanning device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second function comprises navigating the user interface of the medical scan application based on a direction of the swipe gesture.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical scanning device comprises a first button, a second button and the touch sensor, wherein the receiving of the input from the at least one button comprises receiving a signal from the medical scanning device indicating a simultaneous push of the first button and the second button, wherein the activating of the touch sensor comprises enabling the touch sensor responsive to the receiving of the signal.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

responsive to the receiving of the signal, displaying an overlay comprising at least one of instructions for using the touch sensor or user progress in a scanning process.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the touch input comprises a tap gesture; and

performing a third function to control the user interface of the medical scan application by the computing device responsive to determining that the touch input comprises the tap gesture.

9. A medical scanning device, comprising:

a body;

a probe at one end of the body, the probe comprising a scanner head;

an optical sensor, disposed within the body, to receive signals from the scanner head;

a touch sensor, disposed on the body, to detect a touch input, wherein the medical scanning device is to provide the touch input to a computing device;

one or more lights mounted on the probe;

at least one button, disposed on the body, to enable the touch sensor; and

an inertial measurement device, disposed within the body, to detect a change of the medical scanning device from a first orientation to a second orientation, and to generate inertial measurement data indicating the change;

wherein the medical scanning device is to send the inertial measurement data to the computing device to cause the computing device to change from a first view comprising a third orientation of a three-dimensional model generated based on optical scan data to a second view comprising a fourth orientation of the three-dimensional model, the change from the first view to the second view corresponding to the change from the first orientation to the second orientation;

wherein responsive to detection, by the optical sensor, of an object in a field of view of the scanner head and within a threshold distance of the scanner head subsequent to receipt of user input to enable the touch sensor, the medical scanning device is to disable the touch sensor, activate the one or more lights to illuminate the field of view of the scanner head, generate the optical scan data based on the signals from the optical sensor while the one or more lights are activated and the touch sensor is disabled, and send the optical scan data to the computing device;

wherein responsive to receipt of input from the at least one button after generation of the optical scan data, the medical scanning device is to enable the touch sensor; and

wherein the medical scanning device is to receive the touch input from the touch sensor, and the medical scanning device is further to identify the touch input as a hold gesture associated with a first function to control a user interface of a medical scan application or a swipe gesture associated with a second function to control the user interface.

10. The medical scanning device of claim 9, wherein the at least one button comprises a first button and a second button, and wherein the medical scanning device is to enable the touch sensor responsive to detecting a button push combination of the first button and the second button.

11. The medical scanning device of claim 9, wherein the medical scanning device comprises a hand held intraoral scanner.

12. A system, comprising:

a medical scanning device comprising;

an optical sensor to generate optical scan data;

a touch sensor to detect a touch input;

one or more lights; and

at least one button to enable the touch sensor;

an inertial measurement device to detect a change of the medical scanning device from a first orientation to a second orientation and to generate inertial measurement data indicating the change; and

a computing device connected to the medical scanning device, the computing device to;

receive user input to enable the touch sensor;

detect an object in a field of view of a scanner head of the medical scanning device and within a threshold distance of the scanner head;

responsive to detecting the object within the threshold distance and in the field of view of the scanner head, disable the touch sensor and activate the one or more lights to illuminate the field of view of the scanner head;

receive the optical scan data from the medical scanning device while the one or more lights are activated and the touch sensor is disabled;

activate the touch sensor responsive to receiving input from the at least one button after the optical scan data has been generated;

receive the touch input from the medical scanning device after the touch sensor has been enabled;

determine whether the touch input comprises at least one of a hold gesture or a swipe gesture;

perform a first function responsive to determining that the touch input comprises the hold gesture;

perform a second function responsive to determining that the touch input comprises the swipe gesture;

receive the inertial measurement data from the medical scanning device; and

change from a first view comprising a third orientation of a three-dimensional model generated based on the optical scan data to a second view comprising a fourth orientation of the three-dimensional model, wherein the change from the first view to the second view corresponds to the change from the first orientation to the second orientation.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the medical scanning device is to enable the inertial measurement device responsive to the at least one button being pressed.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first function comprises a view function.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one button comprises a first button and a second button, and wherein the medical scanning device is to enable the touch sensor responsive to detecting a particular button push combination of the first button and the second button.

16. A medical scanning device, comprising:

an image sensor to generate medical images;

a scanner head to direct an optical signal to the image sensor to enable generation of the medical images;

a communication module, coupled to the image sensor, to transmit the medical images to a computing device;

at least one button to provide a signal to activate a touch sensor responsive to a user input of pressing the at least one button;

the touch sensor, coupled to the communication module, to be enabled responsive to the user input, and to be automatically deactivated responsive to detection, by the image sensor, of an object within a threshold distance from, and in a field of view of, the scanner head prior to generation of the medical images;

wherein the touch sensor is further to be activated via the at least one button subsequent to the generation of the medical images, to receive a touch input, to identify the touch input as a hold gesture associated with a first function to control a user interface of a medical scan application or a swipe gesture associated with a second function to control the user interface, to generate touch input data based on the touch input responsive to identifying the touch input, and to provide the touch input data to the computing device via the communication module, wherein the touch input data causes the computing device to manipulate at least one of the medical images or a representation generated based on the medical images in accordance with the first function or the second function;

one or more lights to illuminate the field of view of the scanner head, wherein the one or more lights are automatically activated responsive to the detection of the object within the threshold distance from, and in the field of view of, the scanner head prior to the generation of the medical images; and

an inertial measurement device to detect a change of the medical scanning device from a first orientation to a second orientation and to generate inertial measurement data indicating the change, wherein the medical scanning device is to send the inertial measurement data to the computing device to cause the computing device to change from a first view comprising a third orientation of a three-dimensional model generated based on the medical images to a second view comprising a fourth orientation of the three-dimensional model, the change from the first view to the second view corresponding to the change from the first orientation to the second orientation.

17. The medical scanning device of claim 16, wherein the medical scanning device comprises an intraoral scanner, the image sensor comprises an optical image sensor, and the touch sensor comprises a touchpad disposed on the intraoral scanner.

18. The medical scanning device of claim 16, wherein the touch input comprises the swipe gesture, and wherein the touch input data comprises swipe gesture touch input data that causes the computing device to navigate the user interface that presents at least one of the medical images or the representation.

19. The medical scanning device of claim 16, wherein the touch input comprises the hold gesture, and wherein the inertial measurement device is activated responsive to the hold gesture.

20. The medical scanning device of claim 16, wherein the image sensor comprises at least one of an ultrasound transceiver, an x-ray device or an optical image sensor.