Determining information about a patients face

• US 10,398,867 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2016
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Margaria, Elizabeth Powell, Grashow, Jonathan Sayer, Voncken, Rudolf Maria Jozef, Znamenskiy, Dmitry Nikolayevich
• Primary Examiner(s): Entezari, Michelle M
• Application Number:
  US15/348,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20170128686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/24 for the mouth, i.e. stomatoscopes, e.g. with tongue depressors tongue depressors per se A61B13/00; Instruments for opening or keeping open the mouth combined with saliva removers A61C17/00; mouth openers for animals A61D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0053 by applying pressure, e.g. compression, indentation, palpation, grasping, gauging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1077 Measuring of profiles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/70 Means for positioning the patient in relation to the detecting, measuring or recording means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/13 guided by light, e.g. laser pointers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/56 Devices for preventing snoring by influencing the respiratory system by gas treatment A61M16/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 13/003 Blowing gases other than for carrying powders, e.g. for inflating, dilating or rinsing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/06 Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0661 with customised shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/04 Tools for specific apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes a compilation unit structured to receive a plurality of different 3-D models of a patient'"'"'s face, to compare the different 3-D models of the patient'"'"'s face and to determine additional information about the patient'"'"'s face based on the comparison, wherein the additional information includes at least one of a location of hard tissue, a depth of soft tissue, and a compliance of soft tissue, and wherein the patient'"'"'s face is manipulated between the different 3-D models.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

an air blower structured to generate an airflow that applies pressure to a patient'"'"'s face;

a face scanning unit structured to generate a plurality of 3-D models of the patient'"'"'s face, wherein the plurality of 3-D models comprises at least a first 3-D model of the patient'"'"'s face in an absence of the airflow, and a second 3-D model of the patient'"'"'s face when the airflow is applying pressure to the patient'"'"'s face; and

a compilation unit structured to;

receive the plurality of 3-D models, and

determine additional information about the patient'"'"'s face based on a comparison of the plurality of 3-D models,

wherein the additional information includes at least one of a location of hard tissue, a depth of soft tissue, and a compliance of soft tissue and/or hard tissue.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an output unit structured to provide the additional information to a user.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compilation unit is structured to correlate the plurality of 3-D models of the patient'"'"'s face based on landmarks on the patient'"'"'s face.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 3, wherein the landmarks include at least one of a sellion, eye corners and a glabella.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

in a third 3-D model of the patient'"'"'s face, the patient'"'"'s teeth are shown, and

in a fourth 3-D model of the patient'"'"'s face, the patient'"'"'s teeth are not shown.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 5, wherein a lip retractor is used to show the patient'"'"'s teeth.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an air cushion having a body in a shape of a cushion of a patient interface device and including a plurality of apertures formed therein, wherein the air cushion is structured to provide the airflow generated by the air blower to the patient'"'"'s face through the plurality of apertures.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a laser pointer structured to generate a laser dot on the patient'"'"'s face in an area where the airflow is applying pressure to the patient'"'"'s face.

9. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air blower is structured to modulate the airflow.

10. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the patient'"'"'s face is manipulated by the airflow applying pressure to one or more portions of the patient'"'"'s face.

18. The electronic apparatus of claim 8, wherein the air blower is further structured to:

modulate the airflow to cause oscillations of the laser dot on the patient'"'"'s face, wherein the additional information is determined based an amplitude and frequency of the oscillations.

19. The electronic apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

the plurality of 3-D models further comprises at least a third 3-D model of the patient'"'"'s face;

the second 3-D model corresponding to the airflow applying pressure to a first portion of the patient'"'"'s face and the third 3-D model corresponding to the airflow applying pressure to at a second location of the patient'"'"'s face; and

the air blower being structured to modulate the airflow comprises the air blower generating the airflow having a first amplitude when applying pressure to the first location and a second amplitude when applying pressure to the second location, wherein the additional information is determined based on the first 3-D model, the second 3-D model, and the third 3-D model.

20. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an output unit structured to output data used to construct a patient interface device for the patient based on the additional information.

11. A method implemented on a computer system comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer code stored thereon for determining additional information about a patient'"'"'s face, the method comprising:

generating a first 3-D model of a patient'"'"'s face;

generating an airflow that applies pressure to the patient'"'"'s face;

generating at least a second 3-D model of the patient'"'"'s face when the airflow is applying pressure to the patient'"'"'s face;

and

determining additional information about the patient'"'"'s face based on a comparison of the first 3-D model and at least the second 3-D model,

wherein the additional information includes at least one of a location of hard tissue, a depth of soft tissue and a compliance of soft tissue and/or hard tissue.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second 3-D model is generated for the airflow applying pressure to a first portion of the patient'"'"'s face, the method further comprises:

causing the airflow to apply pressure to a second portion of the patient'"'"'s face; and

generating a third 3-D model of the patient'"'"'s face, wherein the additional information is determined based on the first 3-D model, the second 3-D model, and the third 3-D model being compared.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the additional information based on the comparison comprises:

correlating the first 3-D model and at least the second 3-D model based on landmarks on the patient'"'"'s face.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein:

in a third 3-D model of the patient'"'"'s face, the patient'"'"'s teeth are shown, and

in a fourth 3-D model of the patient'"'"'s face, the patient'"'"'s teeth are not shown, such that the additional information is further determined based on the third 3-D model and the fourth 3-D model.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the airflow is provided through an air cushion having a body in a shape of a cushion of a patient interface device and including a plurality of apertures formed therein.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a laser dot on the patient'"'"'s face in an area where the airflow is applying pressure to the patient'"'"'s face;

modulating the airflow to cause oscillations of the laser dot on the patient'"'"'s face, wherein the additional information is determined based on an amplitude and a frequency of the oscillations.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the patient'"'"'s face is manipulated by the airflow applying pressure to one or more portions of the patient'"'"'s face.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

modulating the airflow such that the airflow has a first amplitude when applying pressure to a first location of the patient'"'"'s face, wherein the second 3-D model is generated for the airflow applying pressure to the first location of the patient'"'"'s face;

modulating the airflow such that the airflow has a second amplitude when applying pressure to a second location of the patient'"'"'s face;

generating a third 3-D model of the patient'"'"'s face when the airflow is applying pressure to the second location of the patient'"'"'s face, wherein the additional information is determined based on the first 3-D model, the second 3-D model, and the third 3-D model.