IP Library Granted Patent US 12,263,063
Granted Patent B2
US 12,263,063 · App. 18/536,966 · Granted Apr 1, 2025

Intraoral scanning apparatus

Inventors: Gilad Elbaz (Tel Aviv, IL); Erez Lampert (Rehovot, IL); Yossef Atiya (Maccabim, IL); Avi Kopelman (Palo Alto, CA); Ofer Saphier (Rehovot, IL); Maayan Moshe (Ramat HaSharon, IL); Shai Ayal (Shoham, IL); Michael Sabina (Campbell, CA); Eric Kuo (San Jose, CA); Assaf Weiss (Yavne, IL); Doron Malka (Tel Aviv, IL); Eliahou Franklin Nizard (Jerusalem, IL); Ido Tishel (Kfar Bilu, IL)
Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
A61C9/0053A61B1/00009A61B1/00016A61B1/00045A61B1/00194A61B1/046A61B1/0638A61B1/24
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,263,063
App. No.
18/536,966
Granted
Apr 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for generating and displaying a model of a subject's teeth. Described herein are intraoral scanning methods and apparatuses for generating a three-dimensional model of a subject's intraoral region (e.g., teeth). These methods and apparatuses may be used for identifying and evaluating lesions, caries and cracks in the teeth.

Claims (35)

1. An intraoral scanning system comprising:

a hand-held wand having at least one camera image sensor and a plurality of light sources, wherein the light sources are configured to emit light at a first spectral range and a second spectral range, wherein the second spectral range is within near-infrared (near-IR) range of wavelengths; and

one or more processors operably connected to the hand-held wand, the one or more processors configured to:

capture and store three-dimensional (3D) surface model data from the at least one camera image sensor while the hand-held wand is emitting light in the first spectral range corresponding to visible light;

capture and store penetrative scan data from the at least one camera image sensor while the hand-held wand is emitting light in the second spectral range comprising near-IR;

capture and display color visible light viewfinder image data from the at least one camera image sensor while the hand-held wand is emitting color visible light;

display, in real time, the 3D surface model data;

display, in real time, the color visible light viewfinder image data;

display one or more penetrative images from the near-IR data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wand comprises a plurality of camera image sensors.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the 3D surface model data is displayed concurrently with penetrative images.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine and store the location and position of the at least one camera image sensor while capturing the penetrative scan data.

5. The system of claim 1 , further wherein the plurality of light sources and the at least one camera image sensor are arranged on the hand-held wand so that light emitted in the second spectral range is reflected from a tooth and received by the at least camera image sensor at an angle of between 0° and 15°.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to combine the 3D surface model data and the penetrative scan data to form a volumetric model.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the penetrative scan data and the 3D surface model data is captured and stored concurrently.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to segment the penetrative scan data.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to automatically analyze and mark features.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a display in communication with the one or more processors.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to capture the 3D surface model data using structured light triangulation.

12. An intraoral scanning system comprising:

a hand-held wand having at least one camera image sensor and a plurality of light sources, wherein the light sources are configured to emit light at a first spectral range and a second spectral range, wherein the second spectral range is within near-infrared (near-IR) range of wavelengths; and

one or more processors operably connected to the hand-held wand, the one or more processors configured to:

capture and store three-dimensional (3D) surface model data from the at least one camera image sensor while the hand-held wand is emitting light in the first spectral range corresponding to visible light, wherein the one or more processors generate a 3D surface model from the 3D surface model data as the visible light in the first spectral range is captured;

capture and store penetrative scan data from the at least one camera image sensor while the hand-held wand is emitting light in the second spectral range comprising near-IR;

capture and display color visible light viewfinder image data from the at least one camera image sensor while the hand-held wand is emitting color visible light;

display, concurrently and in real time, the 3D surface model and one or more penetrative images from the near-IR data.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the wand comprises a plurality of camera image sensors.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine and store the location and position of the at least one camera image sensor while capturing the penetrative scan data.

15. The system of claim 12 , further wherein the plurality of light sources and the at least one camera image sensor are arranged on the hand-held wand so that light emitted in the second spectral range is reflected from a tooth and received by the at least one camera image sensor at an angle of between 0° and 15°.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to combine the 3D surface model data and the penetrative scan data to form a volumetric model.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the penetrative scan data and the 3D surface model data is captured and stored concurrently.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to segment the penetrative scan data.

19. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to automatically analyze and mark features.

20. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a display in communication with the one or more processors.

21. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to capture the 3D surface model data using structured light triangulation.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 11, 2024
From: ELBAZ, GILAD; ATIYA, YOSSEF; KOPELMAN, AVI; SAPHIER, OFER; MOSHE, MAAYAN; AYAL, SHAI; SABINA, MICHAEL; KUO, ERIC; WEISS, ASSAF; MALKA, DORON; NIZARD, ELIAHOU FRANKLIN; TISHEL, IDO
To: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 066106/0283 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 11, 2024
From: LAMPERT, EREZ
To: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 066106/0306 →
Continuity (13)
Continuation 18295254 · Apr 3, 2023
Continuation 17146474 · Jan 11, 2021
Continuation 16814906 · Mar 10, 2020
Continuation 16706461 · Dec 6, 2019
Continuation 16410949 · May 13, 2019
Continuation In Part 16258516 · Jan 25, 2019
Continuation In Part 15662250 · Jul 27, 2017
Provisional Application 62758503 · Nov 9, 2018
Provisional Application 62622798 · Jan 26, 2018
Provisional Application 62517467 · Jun 9, 2017
Provisional Application 62477387 · Mar 27, 2017
Provisional Application 62367607 · Jul 27, 2016
Related Publication 20240115361A1 · Apr 11, 2024
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