ALIGNMENT APPARATUS FOR DENTAL INTRAORAL RADIOLOGY

• US 20130051528A1
• Filed: 05/12/2010
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trophy
• Original Assignee: Trophy
• Inventors: Inglese, Jean-Marc, Bothorel, Sylvie
• Granted Patent: US 9,332,951 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/62
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/08 Auxiliary means for directing the radiation beam to a particular spot, e.g. using light beams
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4494 Means for identifying the diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/512 Intraoral means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/547 involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/587 Alignment of source unit to detector unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/00 Projectors or projection-type viewers; Accessories therefor devices for changing pictures G03B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/005 Projectors using an electronic spatial light modulator but not peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/042 for dental applications radiation diagnosis specially adapted for dentistry A61B6/51; individual packages for X-ray film G03C3/003
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/047 provided with marking means

Abstract

An apparatus for obtaining an intraoral x-ray image from a patient has an x-ray source and an intraoral image detector comprising one or more detectable elements. One or more sensors are positionally coupled near the x-ray source and are energizable to sense the location of the one or more detectable elements when the intraoral image detector is within the patient'"'"'s mouth. A control logic processor is in signal communication with the one or more sensors and is responsive to stored instructions for calculating a detector position of the intraoral image detector. A projector is positionally coupled to the x-ray source and is in signal communication with the control logic processor and is energizable to project an image toward the calculated intraoral image detector position in response to signals from the control logic processor.

Claims

1. An apparatus for obtaining an intraoral x-ray image from a patient, the apparatus comprising:

an x-ray source;

an intraoral image detector comprising one or more detectable elements;

one or more sensors positionally coupled near the x-ray source and energizable to sense the location of the one or more detectable elements when the intraoral image detector is within the patient'"'"'s mouth;

a control logic processor in signal communication with the one or more sensors and responsive to stored instructions for calculating a detector position of the intraoral image detector; and

a projector positionally coupled to the x-ray source and in signal communication with the control logic processor and energizable to project an image toward the calculated intraoral image detector position in response to signals from the control logic processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the intraoral image detector is taken from the group consisting of:

a photosensitive film imaging device, a storage phosphor imaging device, and a digital detector device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the projector projects an image using laser illumination.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is mounted on the x-ray source.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more detectable elements emit an electromagnetic signal at radio-frequency.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more detectable elements emit light.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more detectable elements comprises a magnet.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the projector uses a digital micromirror array or a liquid crystal device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the sensors is a radio frequency transceiver.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the projected image is a color image.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the projected image varies in appearance according to an alignment offset between the x-ray source and the intraoral image detector.

12. A method for obtaining an intraoral x-ray image comprising:

emitting a plurality of signals from signal emitters associated with an intraoral image detector;

calculating the position of the intraoral image detector according to the emitted signals; and

projecting an image toward the calculated detector position.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein emitting the plurality of signals comprises emitting light or radio frequency signals.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein projecting the image comprises projecting an outline representative of the image detector.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein projecting the image comprises projecting one or more aim indicia of an x-ray source.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein projecting the image comprises projecting an image representative of the image detector and further comprising using a color that indicates the relative amount of an alignment offset.

17. An apparatus for obtaining an intraoral x-ray image comprising:

an x-ray source;

an intraoral image detector comprising a plurality of signal emitters, wherein each signal emitter is energizable to emit an electromagnetic signal at one or more predetermined frequencies;

one or more signal receivers positionally coupled with the x-ray source and energizable to receive the electromagnetic signals from the signal emitters;

a control logic processor in signal communication with the one or more signal receivers and responsive to stored instructions for calculating a detector position of the intraoral image detector; and

a projector positionally coupled to the x-ray source and in signal communication with the control logic processor and energizable to project an image toward the calculated detector position in response to signals from the control logic processor.