Optical measurement device and related process
US6867864B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 6, 2002 |
| Grant date | Mar 15, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 31, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01J3/51
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An instrument and related process for measuring color, shade, gloss, shape and/or translucence of a tooth. First, the instrument uses searchlight illumination to illuminate a tooth with constant irradiance. Second, the instrument uses colorimetric imaging to collect time-separated frames of different wavelengths of light reflected from a tooth and to combine those frames into a color image. Third, the instrument includes a sanitary shield to establish a reference color and a predetermined distance to a target tooth. Fourth, the instrument provides line-of-sight viewing so an operator may simultaneously view a display of the image on the instrument and the object being measured. Fifth, the instrument is impervious to pollutants because it incorporates a sealed measurement window. Sixth, optical measurements of a tooth taken by a dentist are compared to optical measurements of a prosthetic restoration for that tooth to confirm satisfactory matching of optical characteristics of the tooth and restoration.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.