Tip for an optical scanner

• US 10,492,893 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2016
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3shape A/S
• Original Assignee: 3shape A/S
• Inventors: Van Der Poel, Mike, Rasmussen, Casper, Hansen, Finn, Jensen, Soren Greve
• Primary Examiner(s): Neal, Timothy J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chou, William B
• Application Number:
  US15/060,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20160256245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 600108, 600109, 600114, 600117, 600118, 600127, 600129, 600157, 600160, 600169, 600175, 600176, 600182
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00101 the distal tip features being detachable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00177 for 90 degrees side-viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/053 being detachable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/121 provided with means for cleaning post-use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/253 with means for preventing fogging
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/16 Protecting caps for hand-pieces or angle-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 9/0053 Optical means or methods, e.g. scanning the teeth by a laser or light beam
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/047 Accessories, e.g. for positioning, for tool-setting, for measuring probes

Abstract

Disclosed is a tip for an optical scanner, where said tip comprises a framework and an optical element. For some configurations the optical element is releasable attaching to the framework by a holding means of the tip. For some configurations the tip framework is formed in two materials of different thermal conductivities.

Claims

1. A tip for a 3D scanner, wherein the tip comprises:

a tip framework, where a first part of the tip framework comprises a first material and a second part of the tip framework comprises a second material, where the first material forms a portion of an outer surface of the tip, where the second material, or an optional coating thereon, forms a portion of the outer surface of the top, and where the ratio between the thermal conductivity of the second material and the thermal conductivity of the first material is 5 or more; and

an optical element arranged at the second part of the tip framework in thermal contact with the second material.

2. The tip according to claim 1, wherein the second part consists of the second material, such that the tip framework at the second part is made of the second material.

3. The tip according to claim 1, wherein the ratio between the thermal conductivity of the second material and the thermal conductivity of the first material is 10 or more.

4. The tip according to claim 1, wherein the first material is a polymer material.

5. The tip according to claim 4, wherein the first material is a polysulfone.

6. The tip according to claim 1, wherein the second material is a metal.

7. The tip according to claim 6, wherein the second material is aluminum.

8. The tip according to claim 1, wherein the second part comprises the optional coating on the second material at least on the outer surface of the tip.

9. The tip according to claim 8, wherein the coating comprises a layer of Teflon or chromium.

10. The tip according to claim 1, wherein the first part of the tip framework forms a distal end of the tip configured for engaging a mounting part of a main body of the 3D scanner and the second part is arranged in a proximal end of the tip.

13. A 3D scanner for recording topographic characteristics of a surface of a body orifice, wherein the 3D scanner comprises:

a main body comprising a tip-supporting portion;

a heater system for heating said optical element, said heater system comprising a source of electromagnetic energy and a receptive element configured for receiving the electromagnetic energy and converting it into heat, where the receptive element is arranged in the main body;

a tip according to claim 1;

where the tip-supporting portion and the second material of the second part of the tip framework are in thermal contact such that heat can transferred from the tip supporting portion to the second part and the optical element.

14. The tip according to claim 1, wherein the ratio between the thermal conductivity of the second material and the thermal conductivity of the first material is 100 or more.

15. The tip according to claim 1, wherein the ratio between the thermal conductivity of the second material and the thermal conductivity of the first material is 500 or more.

11. A tip for a 3D scanner for recording topographic characteristics of a surface of a body orifice, wherein the tip comprises:

a framework having a proximal end for entering the body orifice and a distal end, where the outer surface of the framework in the distal end at least partly is made of a first material and the proximal end comprises a second part made in a second material, where the second material, or an optional coating thereon, forms a portion of the outer surface of the tip, and where the ratio between the thermal conductivity of the second material and the thermal conductivity of the first material is 5 or more; and

an optical element arranged at the second part in thermal contact with the second material.

12. The tip according to claim 11, wherein the distal end is made substantially in the first material.