TOOTH SHADE ANALYZER SYSTEM AND METHODS

• US 20110188086A1
• Filed: 04/11/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1995
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Shade Analyzing Technologies
• Original Assignee: Shade Analyzing Technologies
• Inventors: Lehmann, Maryann
• Application Number:
  US13/084,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20110188086A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.18
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/10 Supports for artificial teeth for transport or for comparison of the colour
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/46 Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters measuring colour temperature G01J5/60
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/462 Computing operations in or between colour spaces; Colour management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/463 Colour matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/50 using electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/508 measuring the colour of teeth
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/513 having fixed filter-detector pairs
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/52 using colour charts
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/25 Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands

Abstract

The invention relates to a non-transitory computer readable medium that includes one or more programs for carrying out a method for addressing a dental need in a patient involving modification of tooth shape, alignment, or color. The method includes the steps of receiving an electronic image of a patient'"'"'s tooth; storing the image electronically in memory storage; and communicating the image to a party for evaluation of the modification of tooth shape, alignment, or color in connection with the addressing of the patient'"'"'s dental need.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising one or more programs for carrying out a method for addressing a dental need in a patient involving modification of tooth shape, alignment, or color, wherein the method comprises the steps of receiving an electronic image of a patient'"'"'s tooth;

storing the image electronically in memory storage; and

communicating the image to a party for evaluation of the modification of tooth shape, alignment, or color in connection with the addressing of the patient'"'"'s dental need.

2. The medium of claim 1 wherein the image is stored in memory on a hard drive of a computer or on a removable disk.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the program(s) also carry out a method step of displaying the image on a computer monitor.

4. The medium of claim 3, wherein the displayed image includes RGB chromaticities of the patient'"'"'s tooth.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein the electronic image includes information representative of the patient'"'"'s tooth color.

6. The medium of claim 5, wherein the image includes a determined color of the patient'"'"'s tooth and is communicated to the party.

7. The medium of claim 6, wherein the image is communicated to a dental laboratory for preparation of a replacement tooth.

8. The medium of claim 5, wherein the monitor simultaneously displays color information of the patient'"'"'s tooth and tooth shade information so that visual comparisons can be made.

9. The medium of claim 5, wherein the program(s) may also carry out method steps storing a plurality of conventional tooth shades electronically in memory storage, and identifying tooth shade(s) for the replacement tooth by electronically comparing the color information of the electronic image to the a plurality of electronically stored tooth shades and selecting tooth shade(s) representative of the patient'"'"'s tooth.

10. The medium of claim 3, wherein the party is a dental laboratory and the program(s) also carry out a method step of printing information displayed on the monitor for communication to the dental laboratory for preparation of a replacement tooth.

11. The medium of claim 5, wherein the information representative of the patient'"'"'s tooth color is obtained from a camera.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the camera is an intraoral video camera or an intraoral CCD camera.