IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,433,723
Granted Patent B2
US 12,433,723 · App. 18/900,492 · Granted Oct 7, 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 12,433,723
App. No.
18/900,492
Granted
Oct 7, 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 (58)

1. An intraoral scanning system, the 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:

receive scan data of a patient's dentition taken with the hand-held wand, wherein the scan data comprises surface scan data and near-IR scan data;

generate a three-dimensional (3D) model of one or more teeth using the surface scan data;

detect, from at least the near-IR scan data, one or more caries;

correlate the one or more caries to the 3D model to associate a location of the one or more caries with a corresponding location in the 3D model; and

display the 3D model and one or more near-IR images correlated with the 3D model showing one or more internal features including the one or more caries.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to detect the one or more caries by detecting one or more occlusive regions from the near-IR scan data.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to display the 3D model and the one or more near-IR images by displaying an overlay of the one or more near-IR images on the 3D model.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is configured receive the scan data by scanning the patient's dentition with the hand-held wand.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hand-held wand comprises a plurality of camera image sensors.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to display the 3D model and the one or more near-IR images by displaying the 3D model concurrently with the one or more near-IR images.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to determine and store the location and position of the at least one camera image sensor while capturing the near-IR scan data.

8. The system of claim 1 , 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°.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the near-IR scan data and the surface scan data is captured and stored concurrently.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to segment the near-IR scan data.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to analyze and mark features on the 3D model and/or on the one or more near-IR images.

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

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to capture the surface scan data using structured light triangulation.

14. An intraoral scanning system, the 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;

a display; and

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

receive scan data of a patient's dentition taken with the hand-held wand, wherein the scan data comprises surface scan data and near-IR scan data;

generate a three-dimensional (3D) model of one or more teeth using the surface scan data;

detect a caries from at least the near-IR scan data;

display, on the display, at least one near-IR image of the near-IR scan data including the caries;

correlate the caries to the 3D model to associate the caries with a location on the 3D model; and

display, on the display, the 3D model showing the location of the caries.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to detect the caries by detecting one or more occlusive regions from the near-IR scan data.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors is configured receive the scan data by scanning the patient's dentition with the hand-held wand.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to determine and store the location and position of the at least one camera image sensor while capturing the near-IR scan data.

18. The system of claim 14 , 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°.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the near-IR scan data and the surface scan data is captured and stored concurrently.

20. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to segment the near-IR scan data.

21. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to automatically mark features on the 3D model and/or on the at least one near-IR image.

22. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to capture the surface scan data using structured light triangulation.

23. An intraoral scanning system, the 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;

a display; and

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

capture scan data of a patient's dentition from the hand-held wand, wherein the scan data comprises surface scan data and near-IR scan data, wherein the surface scan data is captured from the hand-held wand using structured light triangulation;

generate a three-dimensional (3D) model of one or more teeth using the surface scan data;

detect a caries from at least the near-IR scan data by detecting one or more occlusive regions from the near-IR scan data;

display, on the display, at least one near-IR image of the near-IR scan data including the caries;

correlate the caries to the 3D model to associate the caries with a location on the 3D model; and

display, on the display, the 3D model showing the location of the caries.

24. An intraoral scanning system, the system comprising:

a means for scanning including at least one means for sensing and a plurality of means for illuminating 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;

a means for displaying; and

one or more processors operably connected to the means for scanning, the one or more processors configured to:

receive scan data of a patient's dentition taken with the means for scanning, wherein the scan data comprises surface scan data and near-IR scan data;

generate a three-dimensional (3D) model of one or more teeth using the surface scan data;

detect, from at least the near-IR scan data, a caries;

display, on the means for displaying, at least one near-IR image of the near-IR scan data including the caries;

correlate the caries to the 3D model to associate the caries with a location on the 3D model; and

display, on the means for displaying, the 3D model showing the location of the caries.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 2, 2025
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 071596/0378 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 2, 2025
From: LAMPERT, EREZ
To: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 071596/0679 →
Continuity (14)
Continuation 18536966 · Dec 12, 2023
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 20250090285A1 · Mar 20, 2025
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