Surface mapping and generating devices and methods for surface mapping and surface generation

• US 7,399,181 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2003
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Institut Straumann AG (Straumann Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Aepsilon GmbH
• Inventors: Weber, Gerhard, Holzner, Stephan, Mehl, Albert, Gloger, Wolfram
• Primary Examiner(s): BUMGARNER, MELBA N
• Application Number:
  US10/427,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20040032594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,902 Days
• Field of Search: 433/29, 433/25, 433/229
• US Class Current: 433/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0004 Computer-assisted sizing or machining of dental prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/12 Tools for fastening artificial teeth; Holders, clamps, or stands for artificial teeth A61C8/0089 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 9/004 Means or methods for taking digitized impressions
• 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 9/0093 Workpiece support
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2518 Projection by scanning of the object

Abstract

A surface mapping and generating device which has devices for the process and/or cost optimization, in particular raw material recovery devices, an automatic control of the intensity of a used laser light, devices for carrying out a calibrating procedure by evaluating overlap errors at matching points, devices for archiving especially three-dimensional data of the jaw and/or for modeling the bite position of the upper and the lower jaws, devices for the optimized preparation of at least one dental stump for the production and placement of a dental prosthesis thereon and/or devices for taking into consideration the bite position of the upper and lower jaws. It can be provided that the devices for the process and/or cost optimization are designed to ensure that two half frames showing different positions or views are evaluated, whereby preferably a pulsed laser for exposure purposes is included and/or that an image recording device, in particular a CCD chip, is arranged so as to ensure that lines, taking into account the Scheimpflug angle, are located perpendicular to the direction of travel of a measuring table. Methods according to the present invention use such devices and function correspondingly. In addition, the invention also makes available a patient data archiving system which comprises a chip card and/or decentralized data storage systems especially for dental data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for mapping and generating a surface of an object comprising:

a measuring table for continuously moving an object through a measuring arrangement which comprises a laser line module and a CCD chip, wherein the laser line module comprises a pulsed laser for exposure purposes with a laser line; and

a processing and cost optimization device for obtaining surface data of teeth, the processing and cost optimization device including an imaging system obtaining half frame images of the surface, wherein a first half frame image shows a first view of the surface and a second half frame image shows a second view of the surface, which is different than the first view.

2. An apparatus for mapping and generating a surface of an object as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processing and cost optimization device further comprises a raw material recovery device.

3. An apparatus for mapping and generating a surface of an object as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processing and cost optimization device further comprises a laser light and a controller, wherein the controller automatically controls the intensity of a laser light used.

4. An apparatus for mapping and generating a surface of an object as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processing and cost optimization device further comprises a calibration device for carrying out a calibration procedure by evaluating overlap errors at matching points.

5. An apparatus for mapping and generating a surface of an object as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processing and cost optimization device further comprises an image recording device including a CCD chip, the image recording device arranged so as to ensure that lines, taking into account the Scheimpflug angle, are located perpendicular to the direction of travel of the measuring table.

6. An apparatus for mapping and generating a surface of an object as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processing and cost optimization device further comprises an archive device for archiving especially three-dimensional data of a jaw for modeling the bite position of upper and the lower portions of the jaw.

7. An apparatus for mapping and generating a surface of an object as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processing and cost optimization device further comprises an optimization device for an optimized preparation of at least one dental stump for the production and the placement of a dental prosthesis thereon.

8. An apparatus for mapping and generating a surface of an object as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processing and cost optimization device takes into account the bite position of upper and the lower portions of a jaw.

9. An apparatus for mapping and generating a surface of an object comprising:

a measuring table for continuously moving an object through a measuring arrangement which comprises a laser line module and a CCD chip, wherein the laser line module comprises a pulsed laser for exposure purposes with the laser line; and

a processing and cost optimization device for obtaining surface data of teeth, the processing and cost optimization device including an imaging system obtaining half-frame images of the surface, wherein a first half frame image shows a first view of the surface and a second half frame image shows a second view of the surface, and a laser light, and a controller, wherein the controller automatically controls the intensity of a laser light used.