Systems, devices, and methods for lowering dental x-ray dosage including feedback sensors

1. An intra-oral x-ray imaging system, comprising:

an intra-oral x-ray sensor configured to acquire intra-oral x-ray image information associated with an oral cavity of a patient, the intra-oral x-ray sensor including an intra-oral radiation shield structure having at least a portion that is flexible or jointed so as to conform to a portion of the oral cavity; and

an x-ray beam limiter assembly including a controllable x-ray collimator module, the controllable x-ray collimator module including an x-ray beam collimation adjustment mechanism responsive to one or more inputs including information associated with a border location of the intra-oral x-ray sensor in a mouth of the patient.

2. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray collimator module is operably coupled to the intra-oral x-ray sensor, and is configured to adjust an x-ray beam field of view responsive to one or more inputs from the intra-oral x-ray sensor indicative of a border position of the intra-oral x-ray sensor.

3. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray collimator module is operably coupled to one or more sensors configured to determine a border position of the intra-oral x-ray sensor.

4. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray beam limiter assembly further comprises one or more shutters; and wherein the x-ray collimator module is configured to vary a shutter aperture associated with at least one of the one or more shutters responsive to the one or more inputs.

5. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray beam limiter assembly further comprises a plurality of selectively actuatable absorber blades configured to form a shutter; and wherein the x-ray collimator module is configured to adjust the x-ray beam field size by actuating one or more of the plurality of selectively actuatable absorber blades responsive to the one or more inputs.

6. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray beam limiter assembly further comprises a variable aperture collimator.

7. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray beam limiter assembly further comprises at least a first-stage shutter and a second-stage shutter.

8. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray beam limiter assembly further comprises one or more shutters formed from high atomic number (high-Z) materials.

9. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray beam limiter assembly further comprises one or more positive beam limitation devices.

10. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more inputs is indicative of a corner position of the intra-oral x-ray sensor.

11. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more inputs is indicative of an edge position of the intra-oral x-ray sensor.

12. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more inputs is indicative of a reference position on the intra-oral x-ray sensor having a specified offset from an edge of the intra-oral x-ray sensor.

13. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more inputs is indicative of an edge orientation of the intra-oral x-ray sensor.

14. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray collimator module is configured to adjust the x-ray beam field of view responsive to one or more inputs from a field of view module indicative of an intra-oral x-ray sensor position and orientation.

15. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray collimator module is configured to generate at least one parameter associated with an x-ray imaging mode responsive to one or more inputs from the intra-oral x-ray sensor.

16. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a field of view module operable to generate one or more parameters associated with a field of view setting responsive to one or more inputs from the x-ray collimator module indicative of an intra-oral x-ray sensor position and orientation.

17. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising:

an intra-oral x-ray sensor module operably coupled to the x-ray image sensor and the x-ray collimator module, the intra-oral x-ray sensor module configured to generate one or more of intra-oral x-ray sensor dimension information, intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation information, or intra-oral x-ray sensor position information responsive to one or more inputs from the x-ray image sensor or the x-ray collimator module.

18. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising a camera configured to acquire at least one of the inputs.

19. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 18 , wherein the intra-oral x-ray sensor comprises at least one beacon; and

wherein the camera is configured to acquire an input associated with a position of the least one beacon.

20. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the intra-oral x-ray sensor comprises a position sensor configured to determine border position data, and a transmitter configured to transmit a signal indicative of the border position data.

21. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray collimator module is configured to adjust the x-ray beam field to maximize an amount of the x-ray beam which impacts the intra-oral x-ray sensor.

22. An intra-oral x-ray imaging device, comprising:

circuitry configured to determine a position and an orientation of an intra-oral x-ray sensor;

circuitry configured to receive an x-ray beam characteristic verified by the intra-oral x-ray sensor, the x-ray beam characteristic associated with an x-ray transmitted to the intra-oral x-ray sensor;

circuitry configured to adjust an x-ray beam collimation adjustment mechanism of an x-ray beam limiter assembly responsive to one or more inputs from at least one of the circuitry configured to determine the position and the orientation of the intra-oral x-ray sensor or the circuitry configured to receive an x-ray beam characteristic verified by the intra-oral x-ray sensor; and

circuitry configured to acquire intra-oral x-ray image information associated with a patient.

23. The intra-oral x-ray imaging device of claim 22 , wherein the circuitry configured to determine the position and the orientation of the intra-oral x-ray sensor includes circuitry configured to determine border position information of the intra-oral x-ray sensor.

24. The intra-oral x-ray imaging device of claim 22 , wherein the circuitry configured to determine the position and the orientation of the intra-oral x-ray sensor includes circuitry configured to determine an intra-oral x-ray sensor centroid position.

25. The intra-oral x-ray imaging device of claim 22 , wherein the circuitry configured to determine the position and the orientation of the intra-oral x-ray sensor is operably coupled to an image sensor configured to detect one or more optic devices indicative of an intra-oral x-ray sensor border position, an intra-oral x-ray sensor position, or an intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation.

26. The intra-oral x-ray imaging device of claim 22 , wherein the circuitry configured to determine the position and the orientation of the intra-oral x-ray sensor is operably coupled to an embedded orientation detection component.

27. The intra-oral x-ray imaging device of claim 22 , wherein the circuitry configured to determine the position and the orientation of the intra-oral x-ray sensor is operably coupled to one or more local positioning system based sensors.

28. The intra-oral x-ray imaging device of claim 22 , wherein the circuitry configured to determine the position and the orientation of the intra-oral x-ray sensor is operably coupled to one or more multi-axis accelerometers.

29. The intra-oral x-ray imaging device of claim 22 , wherein the circuitry configured to determine the position and the orientation of the intra-oral x-ray sensor is operably coupled to one or more electrolytic fluid based sensors.

30. The intra-oral x-ray imaging device of claim 22 , wherein the circuitry configured to determine the position and the orientation of the intra-oral x-ray sensor is operably coupled to one or more acoustic transducers configured to generate an output indicative of an intra-oral x-ray sensor border position and an intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation.

31. The intra-oral x-ray imaging device of claim 22 , further comprising:

circuitry configured to generate one or more parameters associated with a field of view setting.

32. An intra-oral x-ray imaging method, comprising:

automatically determining an intra-oral x-ray sensor border position and an intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation of an intra-oral x-ray sensor;

transmitting an x-ray to the intra-oral sensor;

receiving an x-ray beam characteristic verified by the intra-oral x-ray sensor responsive to transmitting the x-ray to the intra-oral x-ray sensor;

varying an x-ray beam collimation parameter via an x-ray beam collimation adjustment mechanism of an x-ray beam limiter assembly responsive to one or more inputs including information associated with at least one of the intra-oral x-ray sensor border position and the intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation or the x-ray beam characteristic verified by the intra-oral x-ray sensor; and

acquiring intra-oral x-ray image information associated with a patient.

33. The intra-oral x-ray imaging method of claim 32 , wherein automatically determining the intra-oral x-ray sensor border position and the intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation of the intra-oral x-ray sensor includes wirelessly detecting an intra-oral x-ray sensor beacon output indicative of the intra-oral x-ray sensor border position and the intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation.

34. The intra-oral x-ray imaging method of claim 32 , wherein automatically determining the intra-oral x-ray sensor border position and the intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation of the intra-oral x-ray sensor includes detecting a transducer response associated with the intra-oral x-ray sensor and generating intra-oral x-ray sensor border position information and the intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation information.

35. The intra-oral x-ray imaging method of claim 32 , wherein varying the x-ray beam collimation parameter via an x-ray beam collimation adjustment mechanism of a controllable x-ray collimator module of an x-ray beam limiter assembly responsive to one or more inputs including information associated with at least one of the intra-oral x-ray sensor border position and the intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation or the x-ray beam characteristic verified by the intra-oral x-ray sensor includes varying a collimation size or a collimation shape of an external x-ray source operably coupled to the intra-oral x-ray sensor.

36. The intra-oral x-ray imaging method of claim 32 , further comprising:

generating at least one parameter associated with an x-ray imaging responsive to automatically determining the intra-oral x-ray sensor border position and the intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation.

37. The intra-oral x-ray imaging method of claim 32 , further comprising:

varying an x-ray beam aim parameter responsive to automatically determining the intra-oral x-ray sensor border position and the intra-oral x-ray sensor orientation.

38. The intra-oral x-ray imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray beam limiter assembly further comprises one or more x-ray compensating filters.