DENTAL IMAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110207074A1
• Filed: 10/26/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bruce W. Hultgren, Olaf Andrew Hall-Holt
• Original Assignee: Bruce W. Hultgren, Olaf Andrew Hall-Holt
• Inventors: Hultgren, Bruce Willard, Hall-Holt, Olaf Andrew
• Application Number:
  US12/912,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20110207074A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/00 Dental prostheses; Making same tooth crowns for capping teeth A61C5/70; dental implants A61C8/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 9/004 Means or methods for taking digitized impressions
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 9/0046 Data acquisition means or methods

Abstract

A dental slurry is used with a digital camera to create a three dimensional model of target teeth. The dental slurry includes granular particles suspended in a pharmacologically acceptable carrier. The slurry is used to cover target teeth with a large number of particles. Overlapping digital images are taken of the target teeth and provided to a computer. An algorithm is used to find a correspondence for each feature in the overlapping digital images by error analysis. Once enough correspondences are found, the algorithm creates a three dimensional electronic model from the plurality of two dimensional images based on a best fit error analysis.

Claims

1. A dental slurry for creating an electronic three dimensional model of target teeth using unstructured light, comprising:

at least one inert or pharmacologically acceptable carrier; and

granular particles suspended in the carrier.

2. A method for creating electronic three dimensional images of target teeth using unstructured light comprising:

swishing a dental slurry having particles suspended therein within the mouth of a patient;

acquiring overlapping images of target teeth covered by the particles;

combining the images into a three dimensional electronic model using an algorithm that finds correspondences for distinct particles based on error analysis; and

displaying the three dimensional electronic model.

3. A kit for producing three dimensional images of target teeth comprising:

a container, wherein the container holds granular particles and an inert or pharmacologically acceptable carrier constituting a dental slurry.

4. The kit of claim 3, further comprising additional containers.

5. The kit of claim 4, wherein an additional container holds dental slurry comprising granular particles of different size distribution.

6. A system for producing three dimensional images of target teeth comprising:

a dental slurry, wherein the dental slurry comprises granular particles and inert or pharmacologically acceptable agent;

a digital camera;

a source of unstructured light;

a computing system; and

a display.

7. A method for creating electronic three dimensional images of facio-cranial targets using unstructured light comprising:

applying a slurry having particles suspended therein onto the facio-cranial target;

acquiring overlapping images of the facio-cranial target covered by the particles;

combining the images into a three dimensional electronic model using an algorithm that finds correspondences for distinct particles based on error analysis; and

displaying the three dimensional electronic model.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the facio-cranial target is a dental device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the dental device is a study cast.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the slurry is applied to the study cast by spraying or dipping.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the dental device is a study cast, a dental prosthesis, a dental implant, a dental appliance or a bite registration wafer.