IP Library Granted Patent US 12,472,039
Granted Patent B2
US 12,472,039 · App. 18/002,739 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

Method and system for the digital acquisition of intraoral structure and color correction based on distance between reference template value and scanned value

Inventors: Josef Schweiger (Bergen, DE); Jan-Frederik Güth (Munich, DE)
Assignee: Ivoclar Vivadent AG
A61C9/0053A61B1/00194A61B1/24A61B5/0088A61C13/0019A61C13/082G01J3/508
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,472,039
App. No.
18/002,739
Granted
Nov 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the digital acquisition of an intraoral structure by scanning the structure using an intraoral color scanner which, according to the invention, is designed to correct color values of the scanning points using a color reference template of a reference color space.

Claims (36)

1 . A method for digitally detecting an intraoral structure by scanning the structure with an intraoral scanner, the scanned values of which contain location information data representing the spatial position of the scanning points and color information data representing color values of the scanning points,

wherein at least one color reference template having a reference color field corresponding to a reference color value of a reference color space is arranged in the scanning area of the structure, and

wherein the scanned color information data is corrected according to the distance between the reference color value and a scanned color value of the reference color field.

2 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the reference color field of the color reference template comprises a gray field.

3 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the reference color field of the color reference template comprises a chromatic field.

4 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the corrected scanned values are used for the production of a physical color model or a dental restoration comprising a crown, bridge or prosthesis.

5 . The method according to claim 4 ,

wherein the production is carried out additively by means of multi-material 3D printing.

6 . The method according to claim 4 ,

wherein the production is carried out subtractively by milling, pressing, casting or deep drawing.

7 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein at least one scanned color value of the color reference field is selected from the set of scanned color values of the scanning points by a software-implemented algorithm,

wherein location information data of the reference color field is determined by the algorithm from the set of the scanned location information data in a best-fit method and the distance relevant for the correction is determined on the basis of the color values assigned to the determined location information data.

8 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein at least one scanned color value of the color reference field is selected from the set of scanned color values of the scanning points by a software-implemented algorithm,

wherein location information data of the reference color field is determined from the set of scanned location information data by an image segmentation algorithm and the distance relevant for the correction is determined on the basis of the color values assigned to the determined location information data.

9 . A color reference template for performing the method of claim 1 ,

wherein a substrate which is adhesively attachable to an intraoral scanning area of the structure on one side surface has the reference color field on a side surface opposite thereto.

10 . The color reference template according to claim 9 ,

wherein the substrate has a basic geometric shape comprising a circular disk shape or a hemispherical shape.

11 . A system for carrying out the method according to claim 1 ,

comprising an intraoral scanner, the scanned values of which contain location information data representing the spatial position of the scanning points and color information data representing color values of the scanning points,

a color reference template having a reference color field corresponding to a reference color value of a reference color space, and

means for correcting the scanned color information data according to the distance between the reference color value and a scanned color value of the reference color field.

12 . The system according to claim 11 ,

comprising a multi-material 3D printer controlled by the corrected scanned values.

13 . A method for digitally detecting an intraoral structure by scanning the structure with an intraoral scanner, the scanned values of which contain location information data representing the spatial position of the scanning points and color information data representing color values of the scanning points,

wherein at least one color reference template having a reference color field corresponding to a reference color value of a reference color space is arranged in the scanning area of the structure,

wherein the scanned color information data is corrected according to the distance between the reference color value and a scanned color value of the reference color field,

wherein at least one scanned color value of the color reference field is selected from the set of scanned color values of the scanning points by a software-implemented algorithm, and

wherein Euclidean distances between the scanned color values of the scanning points and the reference color value of the reference color field are calculated by the algorithm and the distance relevant for the correction is determined on the basis of a subset of the calculated distances which satisfy a minimum condition.

14 . The method according to claim 13 ,

wherein the relevant distance is calculated as the mean value by means of distances of the subset.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 12, 2023
From: SCHWEIGER, JOSEF; GÜTH, JAN-FREDERIK
To: IVOCLAR VIVADENT AG
Reel/Frame 063308/0834 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2020 003 856.5 · Jun 26, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230240817A1 · Aug 3, 2023
References Cited (10)
US 11598632B2 · Pesach · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20080094631A1 · Jung et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20170252135A2 · Reay et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 111136915A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
WO 2019220212A2 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
Brandt, Jan, et al. “In vivo study for tooth colour determination—visual versus digital.” Clinical oral investigations 21, pp. 2863-2871 (Year: 2017). [cited by examiner]
Eggmann, F., and M. B. Blatz. “Recent advances in intraoral scanners.” Journal of Dental Research 103.13, pp. 1349-1357 (Year: 2024). [cited by examiner]
Hein, Sascha, et al. “Comparative evaluation of intraoral scanners and a spectrophotometer for percent correct shade identification in clinical dentistry.” Clinical oral investigations 29.1, pp. 1-8 (Year: 2025). [cited by examiner]
Huang, Mingming, et al. “Evaluation of accuracy and characteristics of tooth-color matching by intraoral scanners based on Munsell color system: an in vivo study.” Odontology 110.4. pp. 759-768 (Year: 2022). [cited by examiner]
Jingqin, L., et al., A Color Distance Model Based on Visual Recognition, Mathematical Problems in Engineering, May 20, 2018, vol. 2018, pp. 1-7. [cited by applicant]