3-D IMAGING USING TELECENTRIC DEFOCUS
First Claim
1. An apparatus for obtaining 3-D surface contour image data of a tooth, comprising:
- a double telecentric optical system configured to form an image of the surface of the tooth onto an image detector array;
a focus adjustment mechanism actuable to adjust the position of either or both the double telecentric optical system and the image detector array along an optical axis to each of a sequence of focus positions; and
a control logic processor in control signal communication with the focus adjustment mechanism to adjust focus position, and in image data communication with the image detector array for receiving image data obtained by the image detector array and with a memory for storing the received image data corresponding to each of the sequence of focus positions,wherein the control logic processor is further responsive to stored instructions for computing the 3-D surface contour image data from the stored image data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for obtaining 3-D surface contour image data of a tooth has a double telecentric optical system disposed to form an image of the surface of the tooth onto an image detector array. A focus adjustment mechanism is actuable to adjust the position of either or both the double telecentric optical system and the image detector array along an optical axis to each of a sequence of focus positions. A control logic processor is in control signal communication with the focus adjustment mechanism to adjust focus position, and is in image data communication with the image detector array for receiving image data obtained by the image detector array and with a memory for storing the received image data corresponding to each of the sequence of focus positions. The control logic processor is further responsive to stored instructions for computing 3-D surface contour image data from the image data.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for obtaining 3-D surface contour image data of a tooth, comprising:
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a double telecentric optical system configured to form an image of the surface of the tooth onto an image detector array; a focus adjustment mechanism actuable to adjust the position of either or both the double telecentric optical system and the image detector array along an optical axis to each of a sequence of focus positions; and a control logic processor in control signal communication with the focus adjustment mechanism to adjust focus position, and in image data communication with the image detector array for receiving image data obtained by the image detector array and with a memory for storing the received image data corresponding to each of the sequence of focus positions, wherein the control logic processor is further responsive to stored instructions for computing the 3-D surface contour image data from the stored image data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for obtaining 3-D surface contour image data of a tooth, comprising:
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disposing, in the image plane of a double telecentric optical system, an image detector array energizable to form an image; adjusting the position of either or both the double telecentric optical system and the image detector array along an optical axis to each of a sequence of focus positions; obtaining image data from the detector array at each focus position in the sequence and storing the image data in an electronic memory; calculating the focus of each of a plurality of pixels in the obtained image data and determining, for each of the pixels, a corresponding depth value according to pixel contrast; combining a plurality of the determined depth values to form the 3-D surface contour image; and displaying the 3-D surface contour image. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for obtaining 3-D surface contour image data of a tooth, comprising:
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a pattern generator energizable to direct an illumination pattern on the tooth surface; a detector array energizable to form an image; a double telecentric optical system disposed to direct light reflected from the surface of the tooth to the detector array; a focus adjustment mechanism actuable to adjust the position of either or both the double telecentric optical system and the image detector array along an optical axis to each of a sequence of focus positions; and a control logic processor in image data communication with the detector array and with the pattern generator and responsive to instructions for storing the image data for each of the sequence of focus positions in a memory and for computing the 3-D surface contour image data from the stored image data. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification