Intraoral tomosynthesis systems, methods, and computer readable media for dental imaging

US9782136B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · US
• XINTEK, INC. · US

Inventors

• Otto Z. Zhou · Chapel Hill, US
• Jianping Lu · Chapel Hill, US
• Jing Shan · Chapel Hill, US
• Andrew Tucker · Cary, US
• Pavel Chtcheprov · Chapel Hill, US
• Enrique Platin · Cary, US
• André Mol · Chapel Hill, US
• Laurence Rossman Gaalaas · Carrboro, US
• Gongting Wu · Chapel Hill, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 16, 2015
• Grant date: Oct 10, 2017
• Expiry date: Jun 16, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B6/587
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Intraoral tomosynthesis systems, methods, and computer readable media for dental imaging can include an x-ray source containing multiple focal spots spatially distributed on one or multiple anodes in an evacuated chamber, an x-ray detector for positioning inside a mouth of a patient, a device for determining imaging geometry of the intraoral tomosynthesis system; and control electronics configured to regulate the x-ray source, by sequentially activating each of the multiple focal spots, such that multiple two dimensional (2D) projection images of the mouth of the patient are acquired from multiple viewing angles. In some aspects, the device for determining the imaging geometry can comprise a plate connectedly attached to the x-ray detector, at least one light source connectedly attached to the x-ray source, and a camera configured to capture at least one light spot produced by a projection of at least one light beam onto the plate.