Miniaturized system and method for measuring optical characteristics
First Claim
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1. A system for determining optical properties of a dental object, comprising:
- a probe tip including a plurality of light source/light receiver pairs;
a spectrometer assembly receiving light from the plurality of light source/light receiver pairs, wherein the spectrometer assembly generates data of a first average optical depth based on light received by a first light source/light receiver pair and generates data of a second average optical depth based on light received by a second light source/light receiver pair, wherein the second average optical depth is different from the first average optical depth;
a body integral with the probe tip and encompassing the spectrometer assembly and adapted for positioning in a hand of an operator, wherein the hand of the operator substantially encompasses a bulk portion of the spectrometer assembly;
wherein the probe tip is positioned in proximity to the dental object, wherein data generated by the spectrometer assembly is processed and optical properties of the dental object are determined based on the data generated by the spectrometer assembly.
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Abstract
A miniaturized spectrometer/spectrophotometer system and methods are disclosed. A probe tip including one or more light sources and a plurality of light receivers is provided. A first spectrometer system receives light from a first set of the plurality of light receivers. A second spectrometer system receives light from a second set of the plurality of light receivers. A processor, wherein the processor receives data generated by the first spectrometer system and the second spectrometer system, wherein an optical measurement of a sample under test is produced based on the data generated by the first and second spectrometer systems.
179 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A system for determining optical properties of a dental object, comprising:
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a probe tip including a plurality of light source/light receiver pairs; a spectrometer assembly receiving light from the plurality of light source/light receiver pairs, wherein the spectrometer assembly generates data of a first average optical depth based on light received by a first light source/light receiver pair and generates data of a second average optical depth based on light received by a second light source/light receiver pair, wherein the second average optical depth is different from the first average optical depth; a body integral with the probe tip and encompassing the spectrometer assembly and adapted for positioning in a hand of an operator, wherein the hand of the operator substantially encompasses a bulk portion of the spectrometer assembly; wherein the probe tip is positioned in proximity to the dental object, wherein data generated by the spectrometer assembly is processed and optical properties of the dental object are determined based on the data generated by the spectrometer assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for determining optical properties of a dental object, comprising:
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a probe tip including a plurality of light source/light receiver pairs; a spectrometer assembly receiving light from the plurality of light source/light receiver pairs, wherein the spectrometer assembly generates data via a first light source/light receiver pair of a first sensitivity based on a thickness of a material of the dental object and generates data via a second light source/light receiver pair of a second sensitivity based on a thickness of a material of the dental object, wherein the second sensitivity is different from the first sensitivity; a body integral with the probe tip and encompassing the spectrometer assembly and adapted for positioning in a hand of an operator, wherein a hand of an operator substantially encompasses a bulk portion of the spectrometer assembly; wherein the probe tip is positioned in proximity to the dental object, wherein data generated by the spectrometer assembly is processed and optical properties of the dental object are determined based on the data generated by the spectrometer assembly. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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- 31. A system for determining optical properties of a dental object, the system including a probe tip having one or more light sources and one or more light receivers, wherein the probe tip is positioned in proximity to the dental object, wherein the probe tip is encompassed by a removable barrier, wherein the barrier has a first, inner surface positioned adjacent the probe tip that has surface characteristics to facilitate insertion of the probe tip into the barrier, wherein the barrier has a second, outer surface that comes into contact with the dental object and that has surface characteristics to resist sliding of the probe tip with respect to the dental object when the outer surface is in contact with the dental object, wherein the barrier has a feature adapted to hold the barrier to the system as to stretch the barrier over the probe tip, wherein light from the one or more light sources is returned from the dental object through the barrier to the one or more light receivers, wherein light received by the one or more light receivers is measured by one or more spectral measurement systems each measuring light in a plurality of spectral bands, wherein optical properties of the dental object are determined, wherein the one or more light sources and the one or more light receivers are configured so that at least one of the light receivers does not propagate light that is specularly reflected from a surface of the dental object.
Specification