Patent · US Expired

Tooth shade analyzer system and methods

US6305933A · kind A · utility

17Cited by
28References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 16, 2000
Grant dateOct 23, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 16, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01J3/513
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for determining a patient's tooth shade that includes the steps of electronically imaging a patient's tooth to obtain an image which includes color information representative of tooth color; determining the patient's tooth color from the color information of the image; and displaying the determined tooth color to identify one or more tooth shades having a combined color corresponding to the determined tooth color. Preferably, the displayed data includes RGB chromaticities of the color image, and the patient's tooth color is determined by averaging the color information at selected locations of the image which correspond to different spatial locations of the patient's tooth. If desired, the color information of the patient's tooth can be electronically stored for use at a later time.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.