METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMAGING USING DIGITAL DENTAL X-RAY SENSOR

• US 20080118028A1
• Filed: 11/19/2006
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: George Stantchev
• Original Assignee: George Stantchev
• Inventors: Stantchev, George
• Granted Patent: US 7,959,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/98.2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4435 the source unit and the detector unit being coupled by a rigid structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/512 Intraoral means

Abstract

A method and apparatus including an intraoral dental X-ray electronic sensor facing an x-ray source and connected to a signal processing unit that allows taking and storing multiple x-ray images even without the unit to be connected to database computer. The processing unit has a memory that may be equipped with energy source and the unit is mounted on the sensor holder and can be easily removed from it. The images from the memory can be downloaded into a database using standard serial digital interfaces during or after the image acquisition.

Claims

1. A dental intraoral x-ray sensor system connected to a signal processing unit mounted on the sensor holder.

2. A dental x-ray sensor system according to claim 1 powered from a serial interface connection during the image acquisition.

3. A dental x-ray sensor system according to claim 1 powered from a serial interface connection during the image acquisition that allows the images to be retrieved via the serial interface cable.

4. A dental x-ray sensor system according to claim 1 powered from a power source using the dedicated power pins from the serial interface connector.

5. A dental x-ray sensor system according to claim 1 powered from a power source comprising an interface that eliminates the need of a cable during the image acquisition.

6. A dental x-ray sensor system according to claim 1 incorporating an indication for the quality of the taken image.

7. A dental x-ray sensor system according to claim 1 where the energy source can be charged on a charger station through the serial interface connector.

8. A dental x-ray sensor according to claim 1 powered using the serial interface with memory in the signal processing unit.

9. A dental x-ray sensor system according to claim 1 powered from energy source using the serial interface connector where the memory is located in the battery piece.

10. A dental x-ray sensor according to claim 1 powered from energy source by the serial interface connector where the processing unit supports wireless interface.

11. A dental x-ray sensor according to claim 1 powered from energy source by the serial interface connector where wireless interface is located in the energy source unit.

12. A method of image acquisition using a digital dental intraoral sensor and signal processing unit with internal memory where multiple images are stored.

13. A method regarding claim 12 that allows the images to be saved into the internal device memory as conventional image files.

14. A method regarding claim 12 that allows the images saved in the internal memory to be retrieved without need of proprietary interface.

15. A method regarding claim 12 that allows taking full mouth dental series without the sensor to be connected to the dental database at the time of the acquisition.

16. A method regarding claim 12 where the processing unit allows a feedback for the quality of the taken image to be displayed.

17. A method regarding claim 12 where the processing unit allows the image to be canceled.

18. A method regarding claim 12 where the processing unit has the possibility to repeat the image.

19. A method regarding claim 12 where the processing unit has the possibility to delete the image.