System and Method for Imaging a Mouth in Real Time During a Dental Procedure

• US 20190057547A1
• Filed: 08/16/2017
• Published: 02/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2017
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: James A. Abraham II
• Original Assignee: James A. Abraham II
• Inventors: Abraham, II, James A.
• Application Number:
  US15/678,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20190057547A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 19/0027 Measuring instruments, e.g. watch, thermometer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00045 Display arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00147 Holding or positioning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/24 for the mouth, i.e. stomatoscopes, e.g. with tongue depressors tongue depressors per se A61B13/00; Instruments for opening or keeping open the mouth combined with saliva removers A61C17/00; mouth openers for animals A61D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 9/0046 Data acquisition means or methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 9/0053 Optical means or methods, e.g. scanning the teeth by a laser or light beam
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 9/0086 Acoustic means or methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/12 Acquisition of 3D measurements of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/165 using facial parts and geometric relationships
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/555 for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

A dental imaging system for imaging a mouth in real time during a dental procedure includes a signal generator that selectively transmits one or more signals into the mouth and a signal receiver for receiving the transmitted signals. The dental imaging system includes a computing system in data communication with the signal generator and in data communication with the signal receiver so as to receive signal data from the signal receiver, the computing system being configured to process the received signal data to generate a 3-dimensional model (“3D model”), the 3D model having a 3D model visualization component. A display screen is in data communication with the computing system that is configured to display the 3D visualization component of the 3D model. The signal transceivers and display screen may be mounted to a glove worn by the dentist.

Claims

1. A dental imaging system for imaging a mouth in real time, comprising:

a signal generator that selectively transmits one or more non-radiological signals into the mouth;

a signal receiver that selectively receives the one or more non-radiological signals reflected from the mouth and generates signal data therewith;

a computing system in data communication with the signal generator and in data communication with the signal receiver so as to receive signal data from the signal receiver, the computing system being configured to process the received signal data to generate in real time a 3-dimensional model (“

3D model”

), the 3D model having a 3D model visualization component;

wherein the computing system includes a real time image generator module programmed to generate images or video in real time according to the received signal data; and

a display screen in data communication with the computing system that is configured to display the 3D visualization component of the 3D model in real time.

2. The dental imaging system as in claim 1, wherein:

the signal generator is a plurality of signal generators, each signal generator being spaced apart from an adjacent signal generator;

the signal receiver is a plurality of signal receivers, each signal receiver being spaced apart from an adjacent signal receiver.

3. The dental imaging system as in claim 2, wherein:

the plurality of signal generators and the plurality of signal receivers form a plurality of signal transceivers, each signal transceiver having a respective signal generator and a respective signal receiver integrated in a unitary construction;

each signal transceiver is spaced apart from an adjacent signal transceiver such that the received signal data from said plurality of signal receivers is processed simultaneously by the computing system to generate the 3D model.

4. The dental imaging system as in claim 1, wherein the signal generator and the signal receiver are combined to form a signal transceiver having a unitary construction.

5. The dental imaging system as in claim 3, wherein the computing system includes a signal filter that filters environmental signals out of said received signal data, the environmental signals include sound signals not generated by respective signal transmitters.

6. The dental imaging system as in claim 1, wherein the signal generator generates and emits vibration signals and the signal receiver receives the emitted vibration signals, said computing system configured to process said received vibration signals.

7. The dental imaging system as in claim 1, wherein the signal generator generates and emits sound signals into the mouth and each signal receiver receives the emitted sound signals, said computing system configured to convert said received sound signals to signal data for generating a real-time 3D model.

10. The dental imaging system as in claim 1, wherein the emitted signal of the signal generator is configured to partially penetrate and reflect from a natural or unnatural object in the mouth.

11. The dental imaging system as in claim 3, wherein said computing system is programmed to determine, based on the received signal data, a difference between cheeks, teeth, gums, bone, and tongue within a mouth.

12. The dental imaging system as in claim 10, wherein the computing system is programmed to impart color or graphical indicia on the 3D model indicative of cheeks, teeth, gums, bone, and tongue within a mouth based on the received signal data.

13. The dental imaging system as in claim 1, further comprising a glove wearable on a person'"'"'s hand, the signal generator and the signal receiver being mounted on the glove.

14. The dental imaging system as in claim 3, further comprising a glove wearable on a person'"'"'s hand, wherein the plurality of transceivers are mounted to the glove and spaced apart from one another in predetermined positions in data communication with the computing system.

15. The dental imaging system as in claim 12, wherein the glove is fingerless.

16. The dental imaging system as in claim 12, wherein the glove includes a display mount and the display screen is coupled to the display mount.

17. The dental imaging system as in claim 12, wherein the computing system and the display screen are displaced from the glove.

18. The dental imaging system as in claim 1, wherein the display screen is taken from a group comprising a 3D image display, a 2D image display, and a touch screen.

19. The dental imaging system as in claim 2, wherein the computing system is a smart phone in data communications with said plurality of transceivers using Bluetooth or wifi wireless protocols.

20. The dental imaging system as in claim 2, further comprising a software application executing on a remote computing device in wireless data communication with the computing system, the software application having programming for controlling the computing system remotely.

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. A method for imaging a mouth in real time during a dental procedure, comprising:

actuating a signal generator to selectively transmit one or more non-radiological signals into the mouth;

actuating a signal receiver to selectively receive the one or more transmitted non-radiological signals reflected from the mouth;

a computing system processing the received signal data and generating a 3-dimensional model (“

3D model”

) in real time, the 3D model having a 3D model visualization component;

the computing system having a real time image generator module generating images or video in real time according to the received signal data; and

displaying the 3D visualization component of the 3D model on a display screen proximate the signal generator and the signal receiver.

23. The dental imaging method as in claim 22, wherein:

the signal generator includes a plurality of signal generators, each signal generator being spaced apart from an adjacent signal generator;

the signal receiver includes a plurality of signal receivers, each signal receiver being spaced apart from an adjacent signal receiver.

24. The dental imaging method as in claim 22, wherein:

the plurality of signal generators and the plurality of signal receivers form a plurality of signal transceivers, each signal transceiver having a respective signal generator and a respective signal receiver integrated in a unitary construction;

each signal transceiver is spaced apart from an adjacent signal transceiver such that the received signal data from said plurality of signal receivers is processed simultaneously by the computing system to generate the 3D model.

25. The dental imaging method as in claim 22, wherein each signal generator generates and emits vibration signals and each signal receiver receives the emitted vibration signals, said computing system configured to process said received vibration signals.

27. The dental imaging method as in claim 22, further comprising generating images or video in real time according to the received signal data via a real time image generator module of the computing system.

28. The dental imaging method as in claim 22, further comprising the emitted signal of the signal generator penetrating and reflecting from a natural or unnatural object in the mouth.

32. The dental imaging method as in claim 23, further comprising donning a glove wearable on a person'"'"'s hand, wherein the plurality of transceivers are mounted to the glove and spaced apart from one another in predetermined positions in data communication with the computing system.

26. A method for imaging a mouth in real time during a dental procedure, comprising:

actuating a signal generator to selectively transmit one or more non-radiological signals into the mouth;

actuating a signal receiver to selectively receive the one or more transmitted non-radiological signals reflected from the mouth;

a computing system processing the received signal data and generating a 3-dimensional model (“

3D model”

), the 3D model having a 3D model visualization component;

displaying the 3D visualization component of the 3D model on a display screen proximate the signal generator and the signal receiver;

wherein said signal generator generating and emitting sound signals into the mouth and each signal receiver receiving the emitted sound signals and converting said received signal into signal data for generating a real-time 3D model;

wherein said computing system determining, based on the received signal data, a difference between cheeks, teeth, gums, bone, and tongue within a mouth.

29. (canceled)

30. (canceled)

31. (canceled)

33. (canceled)

34. (canceled)

35. (canceled)