Equipment and method for measuring dental shade
US8400635B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 7, 2005 |
| Grant date | Mar 19, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 12, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01J3/463
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The invention relates to a device for measuring dental shade comprising: —illumination means (24, 40, 42, 44, 48, 50), for successively illuminating at least one part of a tooth (D) with light of various spectral ranges, —at least one sensor (26) sensitive to light coming from said tooth part, in response to the illumination, to generate for each different color of illumination, at least one measurement signal, —means (30, 32) for converting the measurement signals corresponding to said tooth part, into the coordinates of a measurement point (202), in a shade space in which “reference” points (320, 410, 540) are also defined, corresponding to the preset shades of a dental shade guide, and—search means (114), for the tooth part, for a shade corresponding to the reference point closest to the measurement point, in the shade space.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.