Tooth shade analyzer system and methods

• US 5,766,006 A
• Filed: 06/26/1995
• Issued: 06/16/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maryann Lehmann
• Original Assignee: Shade Analyzing Technologies
• Inventors: Murljacic, Maryann Lehmann
• Primary Examiner(s): WEHNER, CARY ELLEN
• Application Number:
  US08/494,979
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 433/26, 433/29, 433/203.1, 433/215, 364/413.28, 356/402, 356/405, 356/406, 356/408
• US Class Current: 433/26
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/10 Supports for artificial teeth for transport or for comparison of the colour
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/46 Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters measuring colour temperature G01J5/60
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/462 Computing operations in or between colour spaces; Colour management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/463 Colour matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/50 using electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/508 measuring the colour of teeth
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/513 having fixed filter-detector pairs
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/52 using colour charts
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/25 Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands

Abstract

An intraoral camera connects to a shade analyzer subsystem, e.g., a digital video processor, and a color display monitor. The camera captures a digital color image of the patient'"'"'s tooth and the subsystem compares that image to a stored plurality of tooth shades. Each tooth shade is represented in a block of data, including color image data, a tooth shade digital word, and a manufacturer type. The patient'"'"'s tooth image includes an RGB chromaticity representation that is scanned and compared with the several tooth shades stored in memory, and a match is determined and communicated to a user of the system. The methodology includes the specification of fractional tooth shades, if needed, corresponding to a plurality of porcelain films for manufacturing a reconstructed tooth.

Claims

1. A method for comparing the tooth shade of a patient'"'"'s tooth after the patient'"'"'s teeth are cosmetically whitened, comprising the steps of:

capturing a first image of the patient'"'"'s tooth with an intraoral camera before the tooth is cosmetically whitened, the first image including first color information representative of a color of the tooth,

processing the color information of the image to determine the color of the patient'"'"'s tooth,

comparing the color of the patient'"'"'s tooth to a plurality of tooth shades, the tooth shades being stored in an electronic medium,

identifying one or more tooth shades with a combined color corresponding to the color of the patient'"'"'s tooth,

whitening the teeth,

communicating the one or more identified tooth shades to a user of the system, and

viewing the patient'"'"'s tooth on a monitor after the whitening step while simultaneously displaying an image of the patient'"'"'s pre-whitened tooth, to provide before and after imagery.

2. A system for determining the tooth shade of a patient'"'"'s tooth, comprising:

a color CCD camera for capturing the image of the patient'"'"'s tooth, the image including color information representative of a color of the tooth, the CCD camera comprising three CCD arrays, each of the arrays collecting image data corresponding to a color spectrum selected from the group of red, green and blue, and

a shade analyzer sub-system connected for electrical communication with the CCD camera, the shade analyzer having

(i) color processing means for determining the color of the patient'"'"'s tooth from the color information of the image,

(ii) storage means for storing shade information representative of a plurality of tooth shades, each of the tooth shades corresponding to a different tooth color,

(iii) color correlation means for comparing the color of the patient'"'"'s tooth to the plurality of tooth shades and for identifying a tooth shade with a color corresponding to the color of the patient'"'"'s tooth, and

(iv) means for communicating the identified tooth shade to a user of the system.

3. A system for determining the tooth shade of a patient'"'"'s tooth comprising:

a color CCD camera for capturing the image of the patient'"'"'s tooth, the image including color information representative of a color of the tooth, the CCD camera comprising a single CCD array, the array including a plurality of proximately located pixels corresponding to a color chromaticity selected from the group of red, green and blue, each of any group of three pixels having a different color associated therewith, and

a shade analyzer sub-system connected for electrical communication with the CCD camera, the shade analyzer having

(i) color processing means for determining the color of the patient'"'"'s tooth from the color information of the image,

(ii) storage means for storing shade information representative of a plurality of tooth shades, each of the tooth shades corresponding to a different tooth color,

(iii) color correlation means for comparing the color of the patient'"'"'s tooth to the plurality of tooth shades and for identifying a tooth shade with a color corresponding to the color of the patient'"'"'s tooth, and

(iv) means for communicating the identified tooth shade to a user of the system.

4. A system according to claim 3, further comprising means for integrating at least a portion of the tooth to determine an average color over the portion.