Method and apparatus for imaging three-dimensional structure

1. A hand held apparatus for determining surface topology of a portion of a three-dimensional dental structure, comprising:

(A) a probing member having a front face and a sensing face;

(B) an illumination unit for providing an array of incident light beams transmitted towards the structure each along a respective optical path through said probing member via said front face, the probing member being configured for directing said incident light beams towards the dental structure via said sensing face to generate respective illuminated spots on said portion;

(C) a light focusing optics defining one or more focal planes forward said sensing face at a position changeable by said optics, each light beam having its focus on one of said one or more focal plane;

(D) a translation mechanism for displacing said focal plane relative to the structure along an axis defined by the propagation of the incident light beams;

(E) a detector having an array of sensing elements for measuring intensity of each of a plurality of light beams returning from said spots propagating through an optical path opposite to that of the incident light beams; and

(F) a processor coupled to said detector for determining for each light beam a spot-specific position, being the position of the respective focal plane of said one or more focal planes yielding maximum measured intensity of the returned light beam, and based on the determined spot-specific positions, generating data representative of the topology of portion.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said probing member is further configured for internally folding said incident light beams prior to directing said incident light beams towards the dental structure via said sensing face.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said probe member is configured for internally folding said incident light a plurality of times prior to passing through said sensing face.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein probing member is configured for deviating said incident light beams by passage within said probing member from said front face to said sensing face by a net deviation greater than 90 degrees.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said sensing face is substantially smaller than said front face.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said optical paths of said incident light beams through said probing member pass through said front face substantially perpendicular thereto.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said probing member is configured for providing for said optical paths to be substantially parallel with respect to one another within said probing member.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said probing member comprises a light transmitting medium.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said probing member selected from the group consisting of a hollow object defining within it a light transmission path; and an object made of a light transmitting material.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , particularly configured for surveying teeth in the oral cavity of a patient.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least said probing member, said illumination unit, said light focusing optics and said translation mechanism are included in a hand held device.

12. An apparatus for determining surface topology of a portion of a three-dimensional dental structure, comprising:

(A) a probing member having a front face and a sensing face;

(B) an illumination unit for providing an array of incident light beams transmitted towards the structure each along a respective optical path through said probing member via said front face, the probing member being configured for internally folding said incident light beams and for directing said incident light beams towards the dental structure via said sensing face to generate respective illuminated spots on said portion;

(C) a light focusing optics including a confocal optics defining one or more focal planes forward said sensing face at a position changeable by said optics, each light beam having its focus on one of said one or more focal plane;

(D) a translation mechanism for displacing said confocal optics for changing said focal plane relative to the structure along an axis defined by the propagation of the incident light beams;

(E) a detector having an array of sensing elements for measuring intensity of each of a plurality of light beams returning from said spots propagating through an optical path opposite to that of the incident light beams; and

(F) a processor coupled to said detector for determining for each light beam a spot-specific position, being the position of the respective focal plane of said one or more focal planes yielding maximum measured intensity of the returned light beam, and based on the determined spot-specific positions, generating data representative of the topology of portion,

wherein at least said probing member, said illumination unit, said light focusing optics and said translation mechanism are included in a hand held device.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said probe member is configured for folding said incident light beams prior to directing said incident light beams towards the dental structure via said sensing face.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said illumination unit comprises an optical module for generating said array of incident light beams by splitting a parent light beam into a plurality of said incident light beams.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein said optical module comprises any one of a grating and a microlens array.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the probing member is configured for deviating said incident light beams by passage within said probing member from said front face to said sensing face by a net deviation greater than 90 degrees.

17. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said translation mechanism is linked to said confocal optics and configured for displacing said confocal optics for changing thereby said focal plane relative to the structure along an axis defined by the propagation of the incident light beams.

18. A hand held apparatus for determining surface topology of a portion of a three-dimensional dental structure, comprising:

(A) a probing member having a front face and a sensing face;

(B) an illumination unit for providing a plurality of individual incident laser light beams transmitted towards the structure along an optical path through said probing member to generate illuminated spots on said portion;

(C) a light focusing optics including a confocal optics defining one or more focal planes forward said sensing face at a position changeable by said confocal optics, each light beam having its focus on one of said one or more focal plane;

(D) a translation mechanism linked to said confocal optics and configured for displacing said confocal optics for changing thereby said focal plane relative to the structure along an axis defined by the propagation of the incident light beams;

(E) a detector having an array of sensing elements for measuring intensity of each of a plurality of light beams returning from said spots propagating through an optical path opposite to that of the incident light beams;

(F) an optical component configured for allowing transmission of said incident light beams therethrough towards said focusing optics, while redirecting said returning light beams to said detector, wherein the optical path of said incident light beams to said sensing face excludes passage through said detector; and

(G) a processor coupled to said detector for determining for each light beam a spot-specific position, being the position of the respective focal plane of said one or more focal planes yielding maximum measured intensity of the returned light beam, and based on the determined spot-specific positions, generating data representative of the topology of portion.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein said probing member is configured for folding and directing said incident light beams towards the dental structure via said sensing face.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein said probing member is configured for deviating said incident light beams by passage within said probing member from said front face to said sensing face by a net deviation greater than 90 degrees.

21. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein said probing member is configured for deviating said incident light beams by passage within said probing member from said front face to said sensing face by a net deviation greater than 0 degrees.

22. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein said illumination unit is provided before the said optical component along the direction of the optical paths of said incident light beams.

23. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein said confocal optics is configured for operating in telecentric mode.

24. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein said optical component is a single mirror arrangement or beam splitter arrangement through which all said incident light beams pass and by which said returning light beams are reflected towards said detector.