Patent · US Expired

System and method for detection of dental tartar

US7862335B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by
24References
60Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 22, 2001
Grant dateJan 4, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 24, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B5/0088
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A dental tartar detection system (10), especially for detection of subgingival tartar (S), comprises a probe (12) adapted to be displaced along a tooth (T), an illumination system (14) for illuminating with an incident light a region on the tooth (T), a detection system (16) for collecting the light reflected thereat, and an analysis system (34) for providing a signal to an operator of the probe (12) when measurements on the reflected light in one or more predetermined range of wavelengths fall within any predetermined range of values that are characteristic of tartar (S). Typically, the detection of tartar (S) is achieved on the basis of the possible colors that tartar (S) can have such that the aforementioned one or more predetermined range of values cover wavelengths associated with colors of tartar (S).

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