Imaging apparatus with simplified optical design
DCFirst Claim
1. An imaging apparatus for performing intraoral scans, comprising:
- a light source to provide light;
an optical system comprising a plurality of lenses disposed along an optical path of the light, wherein the optical system comprises a non-flat focal surface, and wherein the optical system comprises focusing optics to perform focusing of the light onto the non-flat focal surface and to direct the light toward a three dimensional object to be imaged in an oral cavity;
a translation mechanism to adjust a location of at least one lens of the plurality of lenses to thereby adjust a focusing setting of the optical system and displace the non-flat focal surface along an imaging axis defined by the optical path, wherein the at least one lens is a lens of the focusing optics, and wherein at least one of a shape or a magnification of the non-flat focal surface changes with changes in the focusing setting; and
a detector to measure intensities of returning light that is reflected off of the three dimensional object and directed back through the focusing optics, wherein the intensities of the returning light are to be measured for a plurality of locations of the at least one lens for determination of positions on the imaging axis of a plurality of points of the three dimensional object, wherein detected positions of one or more of the plurality of points are to be adjusted to compensate for the non-flat focal surface using one or more compensation models that provide different adjustments for different focusing settings of the optical system.
1 Assignment
Litigations
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments are directed to an imaging apparatus, which in an embodiment includes a light source to provide light, optics, a translation mechanism and a detector. The optics include focusing optics to perform focusing of the light onto a non-flat focal surface and to direct the light toward a three dimensional object. The translation mechanism adjusts a location of at least one lens of the focusing optics to displace the non-flat focal surface. The detector measures intensities of returning light that is reflected off of the three dimensional object, wherein the intensities of the returning light are measured for a plurality of locations of the at least one lens for determination of positions of a plurality of points of the three dimensional object. Detected positions of one or more of the plurality of points are adjusted to compensate for the non-flat focal surface.
497 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An imaging apparatus for performing intraoral scans, comprising:
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a light source to provide light; an optical system comprising a plurality of lenses disposed along an optical path of the light, wherein the optical system comprises a non-flat focal surface, and wherein the optical system comprises focusing optics to perform focusing of the light onto the non-flat focal surface and to direct the light toward a three dimensional object to be imaged in an oral cavity; a translation mechanism to adjust a location of at least one lens of the plurality of lenses to thereby adjust a focusing setting of the optical system and displace the non-flat focal surface along an imaging axis defined by the optical path, wherein the at least one lens is a lens of the focusing optics, and wherein at least one of a shape or a magnification of the non-flat focal surface changes with changes in the focusing setting; and a detector to measure intensities of returning light that is reflected off of the three dimensional object and directed back through the focusing optics, wherein the intensities of the returning light are to be measured for a plurality of locations of the at least one lens for determination of positions on the imaging axis of a plurality of points of the three dimensional object, wherein detected positions of one or more of the plurality of points are to be adjusted to compensate for the non-flat focal surface using one or more compensation models that provide different adjustments for different focusing settings of the optical system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An imaging apparatus for performing intraoral scans, comprising:
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a light source to provide light comprising a plurality of light beams; optics comprising a plurality of lenses disposed along an optical path of the light, wherein the optics comprises focusing optics to perform focusing of the light onto a focal surface and to direct the light toward a three dimensional object to be imaged in an oral cavity, and wherein the optics are characterized by an absence of a field lens, wherein the field lens is a diverging lens that opens rays of the plurality of light beams; a translation mechanism to adjust a location of at least one lens of the plurality of lenses to displace the focal surface along an imaging axis defined by the optical path, wherein the at least one lens is a lens of the focusing optics; and a detector to measure intensities of returning light that is reflected off of the three dimensional object and directed back through the focusing optics, wherein the intensities of the returning light are to be measured for a plurality of locations of the at least one lens for determination of positions on the imaging axis of a plurality of points of the three dimensional object, wherein detected positions of one or more of the plurality of points are to be adjusted to compensate for the absence of the field lens. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An imaging apparatus for performing intraoral scans, comprising:
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a light source to provide light; a non-telecentric optical system comprising a plurality of lenses disposed along an optical path of the light, wherein the non-telecentric optical system comprises focusing optics to perform focusing of the light onto a focal surface and to direct the light toward a three dimensional object to be imaged in an oral cavity, the focusing optics comprising at least one lens of the plurality of lenses; a translation mechanism to adjust a location of the at least one lens to displace the focal surface along an imaging axis defined by the optical path, wherein adjustments to the location of the at least one lens cause a change in magnification of the focal surface; and a detector to measure intensities of returning light that is reflected off of the three dimensional object and directed back through the focusing optics, wherein the intensities of the returning light are to be measured for a plurality of locations of the at least one lens for determination of positions on the imaging axis of a plurality of points of the three dimensional object, wherein detected positions of one or more of the plurality of points are to be adjusted to compensate for respective magnifications of the focal surface associated with respective locations of the plurality of locations of the at least one lens. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of performing an intraoral scan, comprising:
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providing light; directing, via an optical system comprising a non-flat focal surface, the light toward a three dimensional object to be imaged in an oral cavity; performing focusing of the light onto the non-flat focal surface using focusing optics comprising a plurality of lenses disposed along an optical path of the light; adjusting a location of at least one lens of the plurality of lenses to displace the non-flat focal surface along an imaging axis defined by the optical path using a translation mechanism; measuring intensities of returning light that is reflected off of the three dimensional object and directed back through the focusing optics, wherein the intensities of the returning light are measured for a plurality of locations of the at least one lens for determination of positions on the imaging axis of a plurality of points of the three dimensional object; and adjusting detected positions of one or more of the plurality of points to compensate for the non-flat focal surface using one or more compensation models that provide different adjustments for different focusing settings of the focusing optics. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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Specification