DENTAL IMAGING INSTRUMENT HAVING AN AIR STREAM AUXILIARY

摘要

A dental instrument and method for imaging the three-dimensional topography of one or more teeth in the oral cavity of an individual is provided. The instrument includes a probe insertable into the oral cavity to receive the image of these surfaces which can then be processed. Combined with the probe is an auxiliary which projects an air stream toward the surface to be imaged by the probe and acts to evaporate and remove from these surfaces a liquid film coating formed by saliva and other fluids present in the oral cavity, to render these surfaces dry and to enhance their reflectivity and in doing so, provide clearer images.

主权项

1. A dental instrument for determining three dimensional (3D) topography of one or more teeth, said instrument comprising:
a probe for scanning the one or more teeth so as to capture an image of surfaces of the one or more teeth in order to determine 3D topography of the surfaces of the one or more teeth by processing the image, said probe comprising a light source to generate an array of light beams, confocal optics to focus the array of light beams, and a detector to detect light from the array of light beams that is reflected by the one or more teeth, so as to capture the image of the surfaces or the one or more teeth; and an auxiliary coupled to the probe so as to direct only a stream of gas over the teeth surfaces, the auxiliary being coupled to the probe such that gas from the stream is provided to the one or more teeth while scanning to clear material from the teeth surfaces and dry the teeth surfaces, so as to improve the image.