AUTOMATIC IMAGE CAPTURE BASED UPON INTRA-ORAL IMAGE ALIGNMENT

• US 20180374226A1
• Filed: 09/04/2018
• Published: 12/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dental Imaging Technologies Corporation (Envista Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dental Imaging Technologies Corporation (Envista Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Cocco, George John, Palermo, Adam T.
• Application Number:
  US16/121,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20180374226A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0088 for oral or dental tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7425 Displaying combinations of multiple images regardless of image source, e.g. displaying a reference anatomical image with a live image geometric transforms for image registration G06T3/14; enhancement using image fusion G06T5/50; algorithms for registration of images G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/512 Intraoral means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5235 combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30036 Dental; Teeth
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

Systems and methods are presented for assisting in providing consistent alignment of a handheld intra-oral imaging device for a series of images. Live image data of the patient is received from the intra-oral image capture device and displayed on the display. A previously stored intra-oral image of the patient is accessed from the non-transitory memory and an alignment mask is generated based on the accessed previously stored intra-oral image. The system determines whether the live image data is aligned with the alignment mask. The system then automatically captures a new intra-oral image of the patient from the live image data in response to determining that the live image data is aligned with the alignment mask and stores the new intra-oral image to the non-transitory memory, displays the new intra-oral image on the display, or both.

Claims

1. An intra-oral imaging system comprising:

a manually-positionable, intra-oral image capture device;

a display;

a processor coupled to the intra-oral image capture device and the display; and

a non-transitory memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the intra-oral imaging system to

receive live image data of a patient from the intra-oral image capture device,

access a previously stored intra-oral image of the patient from the non-transitory memory,

generate an alignment mask based on the previously stored intra-oral image,

determine whether the live image data is aligned with the alignment mask,

automatically capture a new intra-oral image of the patient from the live image data in response to determining that the live image data is aligned with the alignment mask, and

store the new intra-oral image to the non-transitory memory, display the new intra-oral image on the display, or both.

2. The intra-oral imaging system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to apply an edge-finding routine to generate a first outline of at least a portion of a tooth in the previously stored intra-oral image of the patient.

3. The intra-oral imaging system of claim 2, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the system to generate the alignment mask based on the first outline.

4. The intra-oral imaging system of claim 3, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to apply the edge-finding routine to generate a second outline of at least a portion of a tooth in the live image data, and cause the system to determine whether the live image data is aligned with the alignment mask by determining whether the first outline matches the second outline.

5. A method of aiding alignment of a manually-positionable, intra-oral image capture device, the method comprising:

receiving live image data of a patient from the intra-oral image capture device,

accessing a previously stored intra-oral image of the patient from a non-transitory memory,

automatically generating, with a computer system, an alignment mask based on the previously stored intra-oral image,

determining, with the computer system, whether the live image data is aligned with the alignment mask,

automatically capturing, with the computer system, a new intra-oral image of the patient from the live image data in response to determining that the live image data is aligned with the alignment mask, and

storing the new intra-oral image to the non-transitory memory.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising generating a first outline of at least a portion of a tooth in the previously stored intra-oral image of the patient by applying an edge-finding routine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the alignment mask based on the previously stored intra-oral image includes generating the alignment mask based on the first outline.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising applying the edge-finding routine to generate a second outline of at least a portion of a tooth in the live image data, and wherein determining whether the live image data is aligned with the alignment mask includes determining whether the first outline matches the second outline.

9. An intra-oral imaging system comprising:

a manually-positionable, hand-held infrared intra-oral image capture device, the intra-oral image capture device configured to project infrared light onto a tooth and capture an image of at least a portion of the tooth illuminated with the projected infrared light;

a display;

a processor; and

a non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the intra-oral imaging system to

receive live image data of the patient from the intra-oral image capture device,

access a previously stored intra-oral image of the patient from the non-transitory memory,

apply an edge-finding routine to generate a first outline of at least a portion of a tooth in the previously stored intra-oral image of the patient,

apply the edge-finding routine to generate a second outline of at least a portion of a tooth in the live image data,

determine whether the first outline matches the second outline, and

automatically capture a new intra-oral image of the patient from the live image data in response to determining that the first outline matches the second outline.