Integrated sensor holder for dental imaging

• US 6,527,442 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2001
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Blackstone Holdings L.L.C.
• Original Assignee: AFP Imaging Corporation (Biowave Innovations LLC)
• Inventors: Carroll, Seamus
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn; Drew A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kiknadze; Irakli
• Application Number:
  US09/765,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20010055368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 378/189,169,168,98.8,191 250/370.11
• US Class Current: 378/189
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/51 for dentistry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/512 Intraoral means
• 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: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/30 for transforming X-rays into image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/443 by reading pixels from selected 2D regions of the array, e.g. for windowing or digital zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/671 for non-uniformity detection or correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/68 applied to defects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/78 Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/32 Transforming X-rays cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from X-rays H04N23/30; circuitry of SSIS for transforming X-rays into image signals H04N25/30

Abstract

An X-ray imaging system comprising an X-ray image sensor, a computing device, and an interface package is provided. The interface package includes a first interface to the X-ray image sensor and a second interface to the computing device. A sensor holder is integrated with the interface package to hold the X-ray image sensor when the sensor is not being used. The interface package may include an electrical cable coupled to the interface for connecting the interface to the sensor or to the computing device. The sensor holder may be integrated with a housing of the interface package. Alternatively, the sensor holder may be integrated with a connector on the electrical cable. In other embodiments, the sensor holder may be attached to the electrical cable. The interface package may include a wireless e to a wireless sensor and/or to the computing device.

Claims

1. An X-ray imaging system comprising:

an X-ray image sensor;

a computing device; and

an interface package including a first interface to the X-ray image sensor and a second interface to the computing device,

wherein a sensor holder is integrated with the interface package to hold the X-ray image sensor when the sensor is not being used.

2. The X-ray imaging system of claim 1, wherein the sensor holder is integrated in one of the first interface or the second interface.

3. The X-ray imaging system of claim 1, wherein the interface package includes an electrical cable for coupling the first interface to the-X-ray image sensor.

4. The X-ray imaging system of claim 3, wherein the sensor holder is attached to the electrical cable.

5. The X-ray imaging system of claim 3, wherein

the first interface has a first connector and the electrical cable has a second connector,

the first interface and the electrical cable are detachably coupled through mating of the first connector and the second connector, and

the sensor holder is integrated with the second connector.

6. The X-ray imaging system of claim 1, wherein the interface package includes an electrical cable for coupling the second interface to the computing device.

7. The X-ray imaging system of claim 6, wherein the electrical cable is coupled to the computing device through a USB port of the computing device.

8. The X-ray imaging system of claim 6, wherein the sensor holder is attached to the electrical cable.

9. The X-ray imaging system of claim 6, wherein

the second interface has a first connector and the electrical cable has a second connector,

the second interface and the electrical cable are detachably coupled through mating of the first connector and the second connector, and

the sensor holder is integrated with the second connector.

10. The X-ray imaging system of claim 1, wherein the second interface includes a first wireless interface for communicating with a second wireless interface in the computing device.

11. The X-ray imaging system of claim 1, wherein the first interface includes a first wireless interface for communicating with a second wireless interface in the X-ray image sensor.

12. The X-ray imaging system of claim 1, wherein the X-ray image sensor is wireless and the interface package includes a charger for recharging the wireless X-ray image sensor.

13. The X-ray imaging system of claim 1, wherein the X-ray image sensor is wireless and the interface package includes a docking station for downloading data from the wireless X-ray image sensor.

14. The X-ray imaging system of claim 1, wherein the X-ray imaging system is a digital dental imaging system and the X-ray image sensor is an intraoral sensor.

15. An X-ray imaging sensor-interface package, comprising:

an X-ray image sensor;

an interface for connecting the X-ray image sensor to an X-ray imaging system; and

a sensor holder integrated with the interface to hold the X-ray image sensor when the sensor is not being used.

16. The X-ray imaging sensor-interface package of claim 15, wherein the sensor holder is shaped and sized to hold each of a plurality of different-sized sensors.

17. The X-ray imaging sensor-interface package of claim 15 further comprising an electrical cable coupled to the interface to connect the interface to the X-ray image sensor.

18. The X-ray imaging sensor-interface package of claim 17, wherein the sensor holder is attached to the electrical cable.

19. The X-ray imaging sensor-interface package of claim 17, wherein

the interface has a first connector and the electrical cable has a second connector,

the interface and the electrical cable are detachably coupled through mating of the first connector and the second connector, and

the sensor holder is integrated with the second connector.

20. The X-ray image sensor interface package of claim 15 further comprising an electrical cable for coupling the interface to the X-ray imaging system.

21. The X-ray imaging sensor-interface package of claim 20, wherein the sensor holder is attached to the electrical cable.

22. The X-ray imaging sensor-interface package of claim 20, wherein

the interface has a first connector and the electrical cable has a second connector,

the interface and the electrical cable are detachably coupled through mating of the first connector and the second connector, and

the sensor holder is integrated with the second connector.

23. The X-ray imaging sensor-interface package of claim 15, wherein the interface comprises a housing and a printed circuit board in an interior of the housing.

24. The X-ray imaging sensor-interface package of claim 23, wherein the printed circuit board has circuitry residing thereon for receiving electronic signals supplied by the X-ray image sensor and processing the received signals to communicate the processed signals to the X-ray imaging system.

25. The X-ray imaging sensor-interface package of claim 23, wherein the printed circuit board has circuitry residing thereon for receiving commands from the X-ray imaging system for controlling the X-ray image sensor.

26. The X-ray imaging sensor-interface package of claim 15, wherein the interface includes a first wireless interface for communicating with a second wireless interface in the X-ray imaging system.

27. The X-ray imaging sensor-interface package of claim 15, wherein the interface includes a first wireless interface for communicating with a second wireless interface in the X-ray image sensor.

28. The X-ray imaging sensor-interface package of claim 15, wherein the X-ray image sensor is wireless and the interface includes a charger for recharging the wireless X-ray image sensor.

29. The X-ray imaging sensor-interface package of claim 15, wherein the X-ray image sensor is wireless and the interface includes a docking station for downloading data from the wireless X-ray image sensor.

30. The X-ray imaging sensor-interface package of claim 15, wherein

the interface includes a first interface to the the X-ray image sensor and a second interface to the X-ray imaging system.

31. The X-ray imaging sensor-interface package of claim 30, wherein the sensor holder is integrated with the first interface.

32. The X-ray imaging sensor-interface package of claim 30, wherein the sensor holder is integrated with the second interface.