Alignment of mixed-modality data sets for reduction and removal of imaging artifacts

1. A method for removing artifacts from an imaging model of a patient's teeth, the method comprising:

accessing a first volumetric model of the patient's teeth and a second volumetric model of the patient's teeth;

repeatedly automatically adjusting an orientation of the first volumetric model or the second volumetric model until an optimized orientation is determined that correlates the first volumetric model and the second volumetric model,

wherein repeatedly automatically adjusting the orientation of the first volumetric model or the second volumetric model includes applying a simulated annealing routine to adjust the orientation of the first volumetric model or the second volumetric model;

overlaying the second volumetric model onto the first volumetric model;

detecting data points in the first volumetric model that extend beyond a surface of the patient's teeth in the second volumetric model; and

adjusting the detected data point from the first volumetric model to create an artifact-reduced volumetric model.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the simulated annealing routine includes

evaluating an alignment of the first volumetric model and the second model,

adjusting a variable of the first volumetric model or the second volumetric model, the variable being randomly selected from a group consisting of a yaw, a pitch, and a roll,

evaluating an alignment of the first volumetric model and the second volumetric model after adjusting the variable,

accepting the adjustment of the variable if the alignment of the first volumetric model and the second volumetric model is improved after the adjustment of the variable,

accepting the adjustment of the variable if the alignment of the first volumetric model and the second volumetric model is not improved after the adjustment of the variable and a calculated acceptance probability exceeds a threshold, and

rejecting the adjustment of the variable if the alignment of the first volumetric model and the second volumetric model is not improved after the adjustment of the variable and the calculated acceptance probability does not exceed the threshold.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein repeatedly automatically adjusting an orientation of the first volumetric model or the second volumetric model includes repeating the acts of simulated annealing routine.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein applying the simulated annealing routine includes reducing a value of a T variable each time the simulated annealing routine is repeated, and wherein reducing the value of the T variable reduces the likelihood that the calculated acceptance probability will exceed the threshold.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein applying the simulated annealing routine includes generating a random number each time the simulated annealing routine is repeated, and wherein determining whether the calculated acceptance probability exceeds the threshold includes determining whether the calculated acceptance probability exceeds the generated random number.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second volumetric model includes an optical surface scan model of the patient's teeth.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein repeatedly automatically adjusting an orientation of the first volumetric model or the second volumetric model includes repeatedly automatically adjusting the orientation of the second volumetric model and maintaining a constant orientation of the first volumetric model.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first volumetric model includes a CT model of the patient's teeth.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising capturing surface scan data of the patient's teeth using a laser scanning system; and generating the surface scan model of the patient's teeth based on the captured surface scan data.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting data points in the first volumetric model that extend beyond a surface of the patient's teeth in the second volumetric model includes determining that all data points from the first volumetric model that extend beyond a surface of the patient's teeth in the second volumetric model represent artifacts in the first volumetric model.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the detected data point from the first volumetric model to create an artifact-reduced volumetric model includes adjusting the detected data points by interpolation of the detected data points.

12. A system for removing artifacts from an imaging model of a patient's teeth, the system comprising:

an x-ray source;

an x-ray detector that captures x-ray images;

a surface scanner that captures a surface scan of the patient's teeth; and

an image processor that constructs a first volumetric model and a second volumetric model, wherein the first volumetric model and the second volumetric model include a three-dimensional CT model of the patient's teeth from the x-ray images and a three-dimensional surface model of the patient's teeth from the surface scan, the image processor configured to

repeatedly automatically adjust an orientation of the first volumetric model or the second volumetric model until an optimized orientation is determined that correlates the first volumetric model and the second volumetric model;

overlay the second volumetric model onto the first volumetric model;

detect data points in the first volumetric model that extend beyond a surface of the patient's teeth in the second volumetric model; and

adjust the detected data point from the first volumetric model to create an artifact-reduced volumetric model,

wherein the image processor is configured to repeatedly automatically adjust the orientation of the three-dimensional CT model or the surface model by applying a simulated annealing routine to adjust the orientation of the first volumetric model or the second volumetric model.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the image processor is configured to apply the simulated annealing routine by

evaluating an alignment of the first volumetric model and the second model,

adjusting a variable of the first volumetric model or the second volumetric model, the variable being randomly selected from a group consisting of a yaw, a pitch, and a roll,

evaluating an alignment of the first volumetric model and the second volumetric model after adjusting the variable,

accepting the adjustment of the variable if the alignment of the first volumetric model and the second volumetric model is improved after the adjustment of the variable,

accepting the adjustment of the variable if the alignment of the first volumetric model and the second volumetric model is not improved after the adjustment of the variable and a calculated acceptance probability exceeds a threshold, and

rejecting the adjustment of the variable if the alignment of the first volumetric model and the second volumetric model is not improved after the adjustment of the variable and the calculated acceptance probability does not exceed the threshold.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the image processing system is configured to repeatedly automatically adjust the orientation of the three-dimensional CT model or the surface model by repeating the acts of simulated annealing routine.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the image processor is configured to detect data points in the first volumetric model that extend beyond a surface of the patient's teeth in the second volumetric model by determining that all data points from the first volumetric model that extend beyond a surface of the patient's teeth in the second volumetric model represent artifacts in the first volumetric model.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the image processor is configured to adjust the detected data point from the first volumetric model to create an artifact-reduced volumetric model by adjusting the detected data points by interpolation of the detected data points.

17. A method of automatically aligning a first volumetric model of a patient's teeth and a second volumetric model of the patient's teeth, the method comprising repeating the acts of:

evaluating an alignment of the first volumetric model and the second volumetric model,

adjusting a variable of the first volumetric model or the second volumetric model, the variable being randomly selected from a group consisting of a yaw, a pitch, a roll, and a scale,

evaluating an alignment of the first volumetric model and the second volumetric model after adjusting the variable,

accepting the adjustment of the variable if the alignment of the first volumetric model and the second volumetric model is improved after the adjustment of the variable,

generating a random threshold number;

accepting the adjustment of the variable if the alignment of the first volumetric model and the second volumetric model is not improved after the adjustment of the variable and a calculated acceptance probability exceeds the random threshold number,

rejecting the adjustment of the variable if the alignment of the first volumetric model and the second volumetric model is not improved after the adjustment of the variable and the calculated acceptance probability does not exceed the threshold number; and

adjusting a probability variable used to calculate the acceptance probability, wherein adjusting the probability variable reduces the likelihood that the calculated acceptance probability will exceed the random threshold number on each subsequent repeat iteration.