Oral scanning method, computing device and computer program product

Abstract

The invention provides an oral cavity scanning method, computing equipment and a computer program product. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring first scanning data including three-dimensional data of a scanning rod, an auxiliary feature body and a part of dental arch through an intraoral scanner, and determining a relative position relationship of the scanning rod based on the first scanning data; the method further includes removing three-dimensional data of the scan bar and the auxiliary feature from the first scan data by automated identification, retaining three-dimensional data of a portion of the dental arch, and then acquiring second scan data including the complete dental arch. And synthesizing a three-dimensional image of the oral cavity based on the three-dimensional data of the complete dental arch, the three-dimensional data of the reserved partial dental arch and the relative position relationship of the scanning rods. According to the embodiment of the invention, on the basis of the intraoral scanning technology, the accurate relative position relation between the scanning rods is obtained by using the auxiliary feature bodies, so that the positioning accuracy of the scanning rods is ensured while the scanning process is simplified.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Oral scanning refers to the process of digitally acquiring detailed three-dimensional (3D) images of the internal oral structures (including teeth, gums, and surrounding tissues) using specialized optical technologies. When performing an intraoral scan, dental professionals use a handheld device (i.e., an intraoral scanner) equipped with a camera and sensors to capture multiple images of the oral cavity from different angles. These images are then transmitted to a computer workstation and quickly stitched together using complex algorithms to generate three-dimensional images of the patient's teeth and soft tissues.

[0002] In implant dentistry, a scan body is a crucial auxiliary tool. It is a small component, usually with a specific shape and structure, typically mounted on an implant or an abutment. Its main function is to help the intraoral scanner accurately obtain the three-dimensional position information of the implant and its surrounding tissues. The surface of the scan body may have special markings or geometric shapes that enable the scanner to more easily identify and accurately record its position and orientation. How to precisely position the scan body within the oral cavity poses a challenge to technicians. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an oral scanning method, a computing device for implementing the method, and a computer program product. Embodiments of the present disclosure are based on intraoral scanning technology and utilize an auxiliary feature body to obtain the precise relative position relationship between scan rods, simplifying the scanning process while ensuring the positioning accuracy of the scan rods.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an oral scanning method is provided. The method includes: obtaining first scan data of the oral cavity through an intraoral scanner, where multiple scan rods are installed in the oral cavity, the multiple scan rods are respectively connected to an auxiliary feature body, and the first scan data includes three-dimensional data of the multiple scan rods, three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature body, and three-dimensional data of a partial dental arch; determining the relative position relationship between the multiple scan rods based on the first scan data; removing the three-dimensional data of the multiple scan rods and the three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature body from the first scan data through automatic recognition to retain the three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch; obtaining second scan data of the oral cavity through the intraoral scanner in the case where there are no scan rods in the oral cavity, the second scan data including three-dimensional data of a complete dental arch; and synthesizing a three-dimensional image of the oral cavity based on the three-dimensional data of the complete dental arch, the retained three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch, and the determined relative position relationship between the multiple scan rods.

[0005] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, an oral scanning method is provided. The method includes: obtaining first scan data of an oral cavity by an intraoral scanner, where a plurality of scanning rods are installed in the oral cavity, the plurality of scanning rods are respectively connected to an auxiliary feature body, and the first scan data includes three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods and three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature body; determining a relative positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods based on the first scan data; obtaining second scan data by the intraoral scanner, where the second scan data includes three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods, three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature body, and three-dimensional data of a partial dental arch; removing the three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods and the three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature body from the second scan data to retain the three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch; obtaining third scan data of the oral cavity by the intraoral scanner in the case where the scanning rods are not in the oral cavity, where the third scan data includes three-dimensional data of a complete dental arch; and synthesizing a three-dimensional image of the oral cavity based on the three-dimensional data of the complete dental arch, the retained three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch, and the determined relative positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods.

[0006] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a computing device is provided, including: a processing unit; and a memory coupled to the processing unit and containing instructions stored thereon, the instructions causing the device to perform the method according to the first aspect or the second method of the present disclosure when executed by the processing unit.

[0007] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product being tangibly stored in a computer storage medium and including computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions causing the device to perform the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect of the present disclosure when executed by the device.

[0008] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided, having machine-executable instructions stored thereon, the machine-executable instructions causing the device to perform the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect of the present disclosure when executed by the device.

[0009] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, an oral scanning device is provided. The device includes: a first scanning unit configured to obtain first scanning data of an oral cavity through an intraoral scanner, wherein a plurality of scanning rods are installed in the oral cavity, the plurality of scanning rods are respectively connected to auxiliary feature bodies, and the first scanning data includes three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods, three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies, and three-dimensional data of a partial dental arch; a position relationship determination unit configured to determine a relative position relationship of the plurality of scanning rods based on the first scanning data; a data removal unit configured to remove, through automatic recognition, the three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods and the three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies from the first scanning data to retain the three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch; a second scanning unit configured to obtain second scanning data of the oral cavity through the intraoral scanner when there are no scanning rods in the oral cavity, the second scanning data including three-dimensional data of a complete dental arch; and an image synthesis unit configured to synthesize a three-dimensional image of the oral cavity based on the three-dimensional data of the complete dental arch, the retained three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch, and the determined relative position relationship of the plurality of scanning rods.

[0010] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, an oral scanning device is provided. The device includes: a first scanning unit configured to obtain first scanning data of an oral cavity through an intraoral scanner, wherein a plurality of scanning rods are installed in the oral cavity, the plurality of scanning rods are respectively connected to auxiliary feature bodies, and the first scanning data includes three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods and three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies; a position relationship determination unit configured to determine a relative position relationship of the plurality of scanning rods based on the first scanning data; a second scanning unit configured to obtain second scanning data through the intraoral scanner, the second scanning data including three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods, three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies, and three-dimensional data of a partial dental arch; a data removal unit configured to remove the three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods and the three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies from the second scanning data to retain the three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch; a third scanning unit configured to obtain third scanning data of the oral cavity through the intraoral scanner when there are no such scanning rods in the oral cavity, the third scanning data including three-dimensional data of a complete dental arch; and an image synthesis unit configured to synthesize a three-dimensional image of the oral cavity based on the three-dimensional data of the complete dental arch, the retained three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch, and the determined relative position relationship of the plurality of scanning rods.

[0011] The Summary of the Invention section is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form, which will be further described in the Detailed Description below. The Summary of the Invention section is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 An exemplary environment is shown that can implement multiple embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 2 Shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary dental arch with a scanning wand mounted thereon;

[0014] Figure 3 Shows an exemplary implementation of mounting a scanning wand and auxiliary features according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 4 Shows another exemplary implementation of mounting a scanning wand and auxiliary features according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 5 Shows a schematic flowchart of an oral scanning method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 6 Shows a schematic block diagram of an oral scanning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 7 Shows a schematic flowchart of another oral scanning method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 8 Shows a schematic block diagram of another oral scanning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 9 Shows a block diagram of a computing device capable of implementing some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] In these drawings, like or similar reference numerals are used to denote like or similar elements. The drawings are for illustrative purposes only, and the sizes of the elements therein are not necessarily drawn to scale. Detailed Description

[0022] The present disclosure will now be described with reference to several exemplary implementations. It should be understood that these implementations are described only to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to better understand and thus implement the present disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure.

[0023] As used herein, the term "comprising" and its variants are to be construed as open-ended terms meaning "including but not limited to". The term "based on" is to be construed as "at least partially based on". The terms "one implementation" and "an implementation" are to be construed as "at least one implementation". The term "another implementation" is to be construed as "at least one other implementation". The terms "first", "second", etc. may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included hereinafter.

[0024] Intraoral scanning usually requires the use of some scanning rods. Through an intraoral scanner or an extraoral scanner, the relative positions of multiple scanning rods and the positions of the scanning rods relative to the intraoral dental arch need to be accurately located. Currently, the mainstream intraoral scanning rods are cylindrical. When using an intraoral scanner, usually the three-dimensional data of the dental arch of the patient showing the cuffs is first collected, a copy of the scanned three-dimensional data is made, and the cuff data is removed, while the dental arch data is retained. Then, a scanning rod is installed on the cuff, and the three-dimensional data of the dental arch of the patient with the scanning rod installed is continuously collected on the copied and cuff-removed three-dimensional data. Since the dental arch of an edentulous jaw is a non-rigid body, soft, easily deformable, relatively flat, with unclear features and poor reflectivity, the quality of the three-dimensional data collected therefrom is poor. Moreover, the positioning of the scanning rods in the traditional process is also obtained based on the mutual registration of the three-dimensional data of the dental arch, so its accuracy often cannot be guaranteed.

[0025] Some existing solutions, based on the intraoral scanner, introduce extraoral scanner technology to solve the above accuracy problem. The extraoral scanner obtains the relative position relationship of the scanning rods through photogrammetry technology, and then fuses it with the three-dimensional data of the dental arch obtained by the intraoral scanner. Although this solution improves the positioning accuracy of the scanning rods, the extraoral scanner is expensive and the process of scanning both extraorally and intraorally is cumbersome, which limits its popularization.

[0026] In view of this, a solution for improving the scanning process based on intraoral scanner technology is proposed. According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, an auxiliary feature body is used to rigidly connect the scanning rods. The auxiliary feature body can have rich three-dimensional features, which helps to accurately locate the relative position relationship between the scanning rods. During the scanning process of obtaining the scanning rod positioning information, or after obtaining the scanning rod positioning information, while retaining the scanning rods and the auxiliary feature body in the oral cavity, the data of part of the dental arch is obtained to assist in obtaining the position relationship of the scanning rods relative to the complete dental arch. Then, the scanning rods and the auxiliary feature body in the oral cavity are removed, and the complete dental arch data of the oral cavity is scanned. Then, according to the partial dental arch data scanned when there are scanning rods and the auxiliary feature body in the oral cavity, the relative position relationship of the scanning rods, and the complete dental arch data, a three-dimensional image of the oral cavity is synthesized. Compared with the existing solutions, the embodiments of the present disclosure simplify the scanning process while improving the positioning accuracy of the scanning rods. The following will refer to Figures 1 to 7 Describe the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in detail.

[0027] Figure 1An exemplary environment that can implement multiple embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The exemplary environment shows an intraoral scanning system 100, which includes an intraoral scanner 110 and a computing device 120 (such as a laptop, a desktop computer, etc.) coupled together. The communication link between the intraoral scanner 110 and the computing device 120 allows the captured images to be transmitted from the intraoral scanner 110 to the computing device 120 for further processing. The communication link between the intraoral scanner 110 and the computing device 120 can be a wired connection (such as a Universal Serial Bus USB) or a wireless connection (such as Wi-Fi). It should be understood that other communication implementations are also possible.

[0028] The intraoral scanner 110 can be a handheld device that a user (dentist or related professional) can insert into a patient's oral cavity to capture images. As shown, the intraoral scanner 110 includes a tip 101 and a body 102. The tip 101 can be a detachable component or integrated with the intraoral scanner 100. At the top of the tip 101, there is a camera or an optical system for capturing images of teeth and surrounding tissues (such as gums). During the scanning process, the intraoral scanner 110 is capable of obtaining details of intraoral entities, such as oral structures like scanning rods, teeth, gums, and surrounding soft tissues, and converting the physical forms of the entities in the oral cavity into digital image data.

[0029] The computing device 120 is the data processing and operation center of the intraoral scanning system 100. It receives the image data transmitted by the intraoral scanner 110 and processes these data using its computing power. The computing device 120 processes numerous discrete image data points through specific algorithms, such as stitching and fitting, to construct three-dimensional scan data. The three-dimensional scan data can be presented on the display screen 115 for the user to view and operate. The computing device 120 can also have data analysis capabilities. For example, it can automatically identify the classification of the data in the three-dimensional scan data, such as dental arches, teeth, scanning rods, or other components, thereby achieving image segmentation.

[0030] In some embodiments, the computing device 120 may implement image segmentation using a machine learning-based deep neural network. Generally, machine learning can roughly include three stages, namely, the training stage, the testing stage, and the usage stage (also referred to as the inference stage). In the training stage, a given model can be trained using a large amount of training data, and the parameter values are continuously iteratively updated until the model can obtain consistent inferences that meet the expected goals from the training data. Through training, the model can be considered to be able to learn the association from input to output (also referred to as the input-to-output mapping) from the training data. The parameter values of the trained model are determined. In the testing stage, the test input is applied to the trained model to test whether the model can provide the correct output, thereby determining the performance of the model. In the usage stage, the model can be used to process the actual input based on the parameter values obtained from training and determine the corresponding output.

[0031] Figure 2 FIG. shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary dental arch equipped with scanning rods. As shown in the figure, several scanning rods 20 are installed on the dental arch 10. In the field of oral implantology, the scanning rod is used as an auxiliary scanning tool and is connected to the implant or implant abutment ( Figure 2 In, the implant or implant abutment is blocked by the scanned body 20 and is not shown). The main function of the scanning rod is to help the intraoral scanner accurately obtain the three-dimensional position information of the implant in the oral cavity during the oral scanning process. Its surface usually has special markings or geometric shapes, and these designs are conducive to the scanner identifying and accurately recording key data such as the position and angle of the implant.

[0032] In practical applications, the positioning accuracy requirements of the scanning rod are very high. Because any slight connection error may lead to inaccurate scanning data, which in turn affects subsequent implant restoration work. For example, when fabricating a restoration such as a dental crown, if the scanning data is incorrect, the restoration may not fit precisely with the implant, resulting in poor restoration effects such as improper occlusion and non-tight margins.

[0033] To improve the positioning accuracy of the scanning rod, an improved scanning rod is provided. One end of the scanning rod is fixed to the implant on the dental arch, and the other end is rigidly connected to an auxiliary feature body with scanning and recognition features. During scanning, multiple scanning rods are installed in the patient's oral cavity, and a rigid connection is established between the scanning rods through the auxiliary feature body to perform three-dimensional scanning on the scanning rods, the auxiliary feature body, and a part of the dental arch to obtain the relative position relationship of the scanning rods and the three-dimensional data of a part of the dental arch. In this article, the rigid connection can be a rigid connection relationship with physical contact, or physically non-contact but close to each other, so that the same field of view of the intraoral scanner can cover multiple scanning rods or auxiliary feature bodies.

[0034] Figure 3An exemplary implementation of installing a scanning rod and an auxiliary feature according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. As shown in the figure, a dental arch 10 is equipped with a plurality of scanning rods 20, and each scanning rod 20 is fixed to an implant implanted in the dental arch 10. One end of the auxiliary feature 30 is connected to the scanning rod 20. For example, it can be detachably connected to the corresponding scanning rod 20. Alternatively, the auxiliary feature 30 can be integrally formed and connected to the corresponding scanning rod 20. Herein, the auxiliary feature 30 can be regarded as a part of the scanning rod, and the scanning rod can be regarded as including a component 20 connected to the implant and an additional auxiliary feature 30. In some embodiments, in the non-fastening state, the auxiliary feature 30 can rotate around the scanning rod 20 to which it is connected. During scanning, the auxiliary feature 30 is fastened to the scanning rod 20. The other end of the auxiliary feature 30 can extend outside the oral cavity. By extending the auxiliary feature 30 outside the oral cavity, the patient does not need to keep the mouth open for a long time, which is beneficial to obtaining stable scanning images and improving the patient experience.

[0035] Outside the oral cavity, a plurality of auxiliary features 30 can be close to or in contact with each other, so that a single field of view of the intraoral scanner can accommodate a plurality of auxiliary features 30 to determine the relative positional relationship between them. Then, based on the correspondence between the pose of the auxiliary feature 30 and the position of the scanning body 20 to which it is connected, the relative positional relationship between a plurality of scanning rods 20 can be calculated. Among them, the relative positional relationship of multiple scanning rods 20 is obtained from the scanning registration relationship of the auxiliary features 30 connected to the scanning rods 20. Since these three-dimensional auxiliary features are rigid objects, have good reflective characteristics, and prominent three-dimensional features, they are easy to scan and image to obtain high-quality images. Therefore, the positioning accuracy of the scanning rod can be greatly improved.

[0036] In some implementations, the field of view of the intraoral scanner does not necessarily need to cover all the auxiliary features 30. Covering at least two scanning rods or auxiliary features is sufficient to determine the relative positions of at least two scanning rods. If there are more scanning rods, the relative positional relationship between all scanning rods can be determined by deriving the spatial relationship through pairwise transmission. This can ensure that the cumulative error during actual scanning is smaller, especially the end-to-end distance between the two most distal scanning rods is minimized as much as possible by gathering them together. Therefore, it is not necessary to scan or reconstruct the entire scanning rod (including the auxiliary feature, which can be regarded as a part of the scanning rod), and only a partial area of the scanning rod or auxiliary feature needs to be scanned or reconstructed. When the field of view of the intraoral scanner can cover a partial area of at least two scanning rods, the relative positional relationship between the two scanning rods can be reliably determined, and then the relative positional relationship between all scanning rods can be obtained.

[0037] In some embodiments, if multiple auxiliary features 30 are spaced far apart, one end of the auxiliary feature 30 away from the scanning rod 20 can be connected to a tray 40 in a non - movable manner. For example, the tray 40 can be adhered to all the auxiliary features 30 outside the mouth. After installation, only the tray 40 and the multiple auxiliary features 30 on the tray need to be three - dimensionally scanned. Among them, the three - dimensional pose of each auxiliary feature can uniquely determine the position of the intra - oral scanning rod it is connected to, and thus the relative positional relationship of multiple intra - oral scanning rods can be determined.

[0038] Figure 4 Another exemplary implementation of installing the scanning rod and the auxiliary feature according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Compared with Figure 3 , the auxiliary feature 30 is entirely located inside the oral cavity, and one end of the auxiliary feature 30 away from the scanning rod 20 is close to (or in contact with) each other. Optionally, the auxiliary feature 30 can be connected to the tray 40. The tray 40 can be temporarily adhered to the dental arch 10 or the scanning rod 20.

[0039] The tray 40 can be a rigid object with a fixed shape and relatively rich three - dimensional features, and can be connected to the auxiliary feature 30, the scanning rod 20 or the patient's dental arch 10 by mechanical fixation such as positioning screws, snaps or adhesive bonding. The tray can also be made of materials such as alginate or glue that are easy to solidify and can be temporarily adhered to the auxiliary feature 30, the scanning rod 20 or the patient's dental arch 10. The tray 40 can have rich three - dimensional features, such as having certain undulations overall, with rich and random details, and avoiding large smooth flat surfaces. The role of the tray 40 is that when the mutual connection distance between the auxiliary features or the scanning rods is far, or the scannable range is relatively small compared to the field of view of the scanner, some rigid features on the tray can be used to help establish a better scanning registration relationship between the scanning rods.

[0040] The tray 40 is an optional auxiliary scanning accessory. Its main role is that when the mutual connection distance between scannable rigid objects (scanning rod 20 or auxiliary feature 30) is far, or the scannable range of the scannable rigid object is relatively small compared to the scanner's field of view, some rigid features on the tray can be used to help establish a better scanning registration relationship between the scanning rods. If the scanning rod 20 establishes a relatively close or contacting connection relationship through the auxiliary feature 30 and the scannable area is sufficient, and multiple scanning rods (at least 2) are covered within the same field of view of the scanner and the covered scannable feature range is large enough, the tray can not be used. On the other hand, if the distance between multiple scanning rods 20 with auxiliary features 30 is far and it is difficult to simultaneously cover the relatively rich feature forms between multiple scanning rods 20 within the same field of view of the scanner, the tray 40 can be used, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4as shown

[0041] Figure 5 FIG. 500 is a schematic flow chart of an oral scanning method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 500 can be implemented by, for example Figure 1 the computing device 120 as shown. It should be understood that the method 500 may further include additional actions not shown and / or the actions shown may be omitted, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0042] Generally, the method 500 synthesizes a three-dimensional oral image through two scans, one scan is performed with a scanning rod installed in the oral cavity to obtain the relative position relationship of the scanning rod and partial dental arch data, and the other scan is performed without the scanning rod to obtain the data of the complete dental arch. It should be noted that the order of the two scans can be changed, and the present disclosure does not limit this aspect. The following takes the scan with a scanning rod in the oral cavity first as an example for illustration.

[0043] The method 500 includes, at block 510, obtaining first scan data of the oral cavity by an intraoral scanner. Before the scan, a plurality of scanning rods are installed in the oral cavity, and each scanning rod is respectively connected to an auxiliary feature. The obtained first scan data includes the three-dimensional data of the scanning rod, the three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature, and the three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch. Optionally, the auxiliary feature or the scanning rod can be connected to a tray, and correspondingly, the first scan data also includes the three-dimensional data of the tray.

[0044] At block 520, based on the first scan data, determine the relative position relationship of the plurality of scanning rods. In some embodiments, the ends of the auxiliary features away from the scanning rods can be set to be close to or in contact with each other. In this scan, a single field of view of the intraoral scanner accommodates at least two auxiliary features, so that the relative position relationship between the corresponding scanning rods connected to the auxiliary features can be determined. Specifically, the relative position relationship between the scanning rods is obtained through the scan registration relationship of the auxiliary features, without referring to the soft tissues (such as gums) in the oral cavity. Compared with the soft tissues with fewer features, the auxiliary features are rigid objects, have good light reflection characteristics, and prominent three-dimensional features, which can significantly improve the positioning accuracy of the scanning rods.

[0045] At block 530, through automatic recognition, remove the three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods and the plurality of auxiliary features from the first scan data to retain the three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch. The retained three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch may include data of the partial dental arch (for example, the gums connected to or near the bottom of the scanning rod).

[0046] Traditionally, the way to delete part of the data needs to be achieved through a human-computer interaction method of manually specifying a range. To simplify the process and improve user efficiency, automated recognition can be achieved through a deep neural network. The deep neural network can be trained to recognize the point cloud categories in three-dimensional data and determine whether it belongs to a scanning rod, an auxiliary feature body, or an arch. In some embodiments, the three-dimensional data can be classified into three categories, including the arch category, the scanning rod category, and the auxiliary feature body category. Alternatively, the scanned data can be classified into two categories, including the arch category and the category of the scanning rod and / or the auxiliary feature rod. Then, based on the results of the automated recognition, the point clouds identified as the scanning rod and the auxiliary feature body are deleted, and part of the arch data is retained.

[0047] In some embodiments, the deep neural network can be trained by the following method. First, collect the point cloud data of the arch including the scanning rod and the auxiliary feature body, and the point cloud data has labeled category information. The point cloud data can include three-dimensional point coordinate information, normal vector information, color information, etc. Manually label the point clouds among them, and assign a unique label to different types of point clouds. For example, the label of the gingiva is 0, the scanning rod is 1, the auxiliary feature body is 2, etc.

[0048] Then, normalize and enhance the three-dimensional point cloud data. Data normalization can include but is not limited to methods such as maximum-minimum normalization and mean normalization, which are used to normalize the information such as the coordinates and normal vectors of the point cloud, aiming to eliminate the influence of the dimensional differences between the data on the network. Data augmentation is used to augment the collected point clouds to increase the data volume. For example, create one or more rotation matrices to make the arch, the scanning rod, or the auxiliary feature body have various different orientations to enhance the robustness of the network.

[0049] Then, use the normalized and enhanced three-dimensional point cloud data as the training data to train the deep neural network to obtain the trained deep neural network. Use a deep neural network related to classification (including but not limited to a dynamic graph convolutional network, etc.) to perform classification training based on the training data. Among them, the input of the deep neural network is the above-mentioned enhanced point cloud data, and the output label is the label of each point cloud. After the deep network model converges, determine the final network for the classification task.

[0050] In block 540, when there is no scanning rod in the oral cavity, obtain the second scanned data of the oral cavity through an intraoral scanner. The second scanned data includes the three-dimensional data of the complete arch. After the scanning in step 510 is completed, remove the scanning rod, the auxiliary feature body, and the tray (if any) in the oral cavity, use the intraoral scanner to obtain the complete arch data, and transmit it to the computing device 120.

[0051] At block 550, a three-dimensional (3D) image of the oral cavity is synthesized based on the 3D data of the complete dental arch, the 3D data of the remaining partial dental arch, and the determined relative positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods.

[0052] Traditionally, an oral scanning system is responsible for locally acquiring the scanning data of the dental arch and the scanning rods, and sending the scanning data to a dental laboratory, where the oral cavity image is synthesized. The problem with this approach is that the dental laboratory may lack sufficient information to determine the positional relationship of the scanning rods relative to the dental arch. To address this issue, the computing device 120 can utilize the 3D data of the remaining partial dental arch to determine the positional information of the scanning rods relative to the complete dental arch, because this partial dental arch is adjacent to the scanning rods and carries the positional information of the scanning rods. Then, based on the relative positional relationship of the scanning rods relative to the complete dental arch and the relative positional relationship between the scanning rods, a 3D image of the oral cavity is synthesized. The resulting 3D oral cavity image has the dental arch spatial information and the precise positioning of the scanning rods therein.

[0053] Figure 6 A schematic block diagram of a device 600 for oral scanning according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The device 600 can be implemented at Figure 1 the computing device 120 as shown. As Figure 6 shown, the device 600 includes: a first scanning unit 610, a positional relationship determination unit 620, a data removal unit 630, a second scanning unit 640, and an image synthesis unit 650.

[0054] The first scanning unit 610 is configured to obtain first scanning data of the oral cavity through an intraoral scanner. A plurality of scanning rods are installed in the oral cavity, and the plurality of scanning rods are respectively connected to auxiliary features. The first scanning data includes the 3D data of the plurality of scanning rods, the 3D data of the auxiliary features, and the 3D data of the partial dental arch. The positional relationship determination unit 620 is configured to determine the relative positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods based on the first scanning data. The data removal unit 630 is configured to remove the 3D data of the plurality of scanning rods and the 3D data of the auxiliary features from the first scanning data through automatic identification to retain the 3D data of the partial dental arch. The second scanning unit 640 is configured to obtain second scanning data of the oral cavity through the intraoral scanner when there are no scanning rods in the oral cavity. The second scanning data includes the 3D data of the complete dental arch. The image synthesis unit 650 is configured to synthesize a 3D image of the oral cavity based on the 3D data of the complete dental arch, the retained 3D data of the partial dental arch, and the determined relative positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods.

[0055] In some embodiments, the auxiliary features can be detachably connected to the corresponding scanning rods.

[0056] In some embodiments, the auxiliary features can be connected to the corresponding scanning rods in an integrally formed manner.

[0057] In some embodiments, in the non-fastening state, the auxiliary feature body can rotate around the scanning rod connected thereto.

[0058] In some embodiments, one end of the auxiliary feature body is connected to the scanning rod, and the other end is immovably connected to a tray having three-dimensional features.

[0059] In some embodiments, one end of the auxiliary feature body is connected to the scanning rod, and the other end is located outside the oral cavity.

[0060] In some embodiments, one ends of multiple auxiliary feature bodies are respectively connected to corresponding scanning rods, and the other ends are close to or in contact with each other.

[0061] In some embodiments, when acquiring first scan data by an intraoral scanner, a single field of view of the intraoral scanner can accommodate at least two auxiliary feature bodies, so that the relative positional relationship between the scanning rods connected to the at least two auxiliary feature bodies can be determined.

[0062] In some embodiments, the device further includes a data recognition unit configured to use a trained deep neural network to recognize the data belonging to the dental arch and the three-dimensional data belonging to the scanning rod and / or the auxiliary feature body in the first scan data.

[0063] In some embodiments, the position relationship determination unit can be configured to: determine the relative positional relationship between multiple scanning rods based on the recognized three-dimensional data belonging to the auxiliary feature body and / or the three-dimensional data of multiple scanning rods.

[0064] In some embodiments, the deep neural network can be obtained in the following manner: collecting three-dimensional point cloud data of the dental arch including the scanning rod and the auxiliary feature body, where the three-dimensional point cloud data has labeled category information; normalizing and enhancing the three-dimensional point cloud data; and using the normalized and enhanced three-dimensional point cloud data to train the deep neural network to obtain the trained deep neural network.

[0065] In some embodiments, the image synthesis unit can be configured to: determine the positional relationship between multiple scanning rods relative to the complete dental arch based on the three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch and the three-dimensional data of the complete dental arch; and synthesize a three-dimensional image of the oral cavity based on the positional relationship between multiple scanning rods relative to the complete dental arch and the relative positional relationship between multiple scanning rods.

[0066] In some embodiments, the device 600 can be implemented by a computing device locally connected to the intraoral scanner.

[0067] It should be noted that, with reference to Figure 5 The more actions or steps shown can be through Figure 6implemented by the device 600 shown. For example, the device 600 may include more modules or units to implement the actions or steps described above, or Figure 6 some of the units or modules shown may be further configured to implement the actions or steps described above. This will not be elaborated here again.

[0068] Figure 7 A schematic flowchart of an oral scanning method 700 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The method 700 may be implemented by, for example, Figure 1 the computing device 120 shown. It should be understood that the method 700 may further include additional actions not shown and / or the actions shown may be omitted, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0069] Generally, the method 700 synthesizes a three-dimensional oral image through three scanning stages. The first and second scanning stages are performed with a scanning rod and auxiliary feature bodies installed in the oral cavity, aiming to obtain the relative position relationship of the scanning rod and partial dental arch data respectively. The third scanning stage is performed without the scanning rod and auxiliary feature bodies to obtain the data of the complete dental arch. It should be noted that the order of the three scanning stages can be changed, and the present disclosure does not limit this aspect. The following takes the example of performing the first and second scanning stages with a scanning rod and auxiliary feature bodies in the oral cavity first for illustration.

[0070] The method 700 includes, at block 710, obtaining first scan data of the oral cavity through an intraoral scanner. Before scanning, a plurality of scanning rods are installed in the oral cavity, and each scanning rod is respectively connected to an auxiliary feature body. The obtained first scan data includes the three-dimensional data of the scanning rods and the three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies. In some implementations, during the process of obtaining the first scan data, the intraoral scanner may simultaneously collect some dental arch data, and these dental arch data can be automatically identified in real time or near real time (e.g., using a trained deep neural network) and excluded from the first scan data. Specifically, through automatic identification, the collected data can be divided into three categories, including the dental arch category, the scanning rod category, and the auxiliary feature body category; alternatively, the collected data can be classified into two categories, including the dental arch category and the category of the scanning rod and / or auxiliary feature rod. Excluding the dental arch data at this stage is beneficial for more accurately positioning the relative position relationship of the scanning rods. In some embodiments, the display screen 115 of the computing device 100 may only display the three-dimensional data of the scanning rods and the auxiliary feature bodies, without displaying the dental arch data.

[0071] At block 720, based on the first scan data, the relative positional relationship of multiple scanning rods is determined. In some embodiments, the relative positional relationship of multiple scanning rods may be calculated based on the three-dimensional data of the multiple scanning rods and / or the three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature body. For example, by automatically identifying the data belonging to the scanning rods and the data belonging to the auxiliary feature body in the first scan data. Then, the relative positional relationship of the scanning rods may be determined only based on the three-dimensional data of the scanning rods, or only based on the three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature body, or the relative positional relationship of the scanning rods may be determined based on both of them.

[0072] In some embodiments, the relative positional relationship between the scanning rods may be determined synchronously with the scanning process of block 710. During the scanning process of step 710, as the data volume of the scanning rods and the auxiliary feature body increases, the relative positional relationship between the scanning rods can be continuously calculated. According to the data volume of the acquired first scan data, if the complete relative positional relationship of the scanning rods can be calculated, the acquisition of the first scan data may be stopped. Alternatively, the scanning operation of block 710 and the operation of calculating the relative positional relationship of block 720 may be performed separately, that is, after the acquisition of the first scan data is completed, the relative positional relationship of the scanning rods is calculated in an offline manner.

[0073] At block 730, second scan data is acquired by an intraoral scanner. The second scan data includes the three-dimensional data of multiple scanning rods, the three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature body, and the three-dimensional data of a partial dental arch. The scanning at this stage is completed with the scanning rods and the auxiliary feature body installed in the oral cavity. This scan may be performed after the scan of block 710, that is, without removing the scanning rods and the auxiliary feature body, continue to scan the oral cavity. For example, the display screen 115 of the computing device 100 may present a prompt message indicating that sufficient three-dimensional data of the scanning rods and the auxiliary feature body has been acquired to calculate the relative positional relationship, or the relative positional relationship of the scanning rods has been calculated. Thus, the user will then use the intraoral scanner to align with the dental arch in the oral cavity, especially the gingiva connected to or near the bottom of the scanning rods, to acquire third scan data. Alternatively, the process of acquiring the second scan data may also be performed separately.

[0074] At block 740, the three-dimensional data of multiple scanning rods and multiple auxiliary feature bodies is removed from the second scan data to retain the three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch. The retained three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch may include the data of the gingiva connected to or near the bottom of the scanning rods, which is used for registration with the complete dental arch. In some embodiments, at this scanning stage, the display screen 115 of the computing device 100 may only display the dental arch data and not display the three-dimensional data of the scanning rods and the auxiliary feature bodies.

[0075] The three-dimensional data belonging to the dental arch, the scanbar, or the auxiliary feature body in the second scan data is identified by automated recognition (e.g., a trained deep neural network) without manual labeling. In some embodiments, the second scan data can be classified into three categories through automated recognition, including dental arch category, scanbar category, and auxiliary feature body category; alternatively, the second scan data can be classified into two categories, including dental arch category and scanbar and / or auxiliary feature body category. Then, based on the result of automated recognition, the three-dimensional data identified as the scanbar and the auxiliary feature body is deleted, and the data of part of the dental arch is retained.

[0076] In block 750, without a scan bar in the oral cavity, a third scan data of the oral cavity is acquired by the intraoral scanner, the third scan data including the three-dimensional data of the complete dental arch. After the scanning of steps 710 and 730 is completed, the scan bar, auxiliary features and tray (if any) in the oral cavity are removed, and the complete dental arch data is acquired by the intraoral scanner and transmitted to the computing device 120.

[0077] In block 760 , a three-dimensional image of the oral cavity is synthesized based on the three-dimensional data of the complete dental arch, the three-dimensional data of the retained partial dental arch, and the determined relative positional relationship of the plurality of scan arms.

[0078] It should be noted that the above reference Figure 5 Some steps or details of the described method 500 are also applicable to the method 700 , and will not be repeated in this disclosure.

[0079] Figure 8 FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus 800 for oral scanning according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The apparatus 800 may be implemented in Figure 1 At the computing device 120 shown. Figure 8 As shown, the device 800 includes: a first scanning unit 810 , a position relationship determining unit 820 , a second scanning unit 830 , a data removing unit 840 , a third scanning unit 850 , and an image synthesizing unit 860 .

[0080] The first scanning unit 810 is configured to obtain first scanning data of the oral cavity through an intraoral scanner, where multiple scanning rods are installed in the oral cavity, the multiple scanning rods are respectively connected to auxiliary feature bodies, and the first scanning data includes three-dimensional data of the multiple scanning rods and three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies. The position relationship determining unit 820 is configured to determine the relative position relationship of the multiple scanning rods based on the first scanning data. The second scanning unit 230 is configured to obtain second scanning data through the intraoral scanner, and the second scanning data includes three-dimensional data of the multiple scanning rods, three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies, and three-dimensional data of a partial dental arch. The data removing unit 840 is configured to remove the three-dimensional data of the multiple scanning rods and the three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies from the second scanning data to retain the three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch. The third scanning unit 850 is configured to obtain third scanning data of the oral cavity through the intraoral scanner when the scanning rods are not in the oral cavity, and the third scanning data includes three-dimensional data of a complete dental arch. The image synthesizing unit 860 is configured to synthesize a three-dimensional image of the oral cavity based on the three-dimensional data of the complete dental arch, the retained three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch, and the determined relative position relationship of the multiple scanning rods.

[0081] It should be noted that some unit modules or details of the device 600 described above with reference Figure 6 are equally applicable to the device 800, and will not be elaborated again in this disclosure.

[0082] Figure 9 FIG. shows a schematic block diagram of an exemplary device 900 that can be used to implement the embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown, the device 900 includes a computing unit 901, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to computer program instructions stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 902 or computer program instructions loaded from a storage unit 906 into a random access memory (RAM) 903. In the RAM 903, various programs and data required for the operation of the device 900 can also be stored. The computing unit 901, the ROM 902, and the RAM 903 are connected to each other through a bus 904. An input / output (I / O) interface 905 is also connected to the bus 904.

[0083] Multiple components in the device 900 are connected to the I / O interface 905, including: an input unit 906, such as a keyboard, a mouse, etc.; an output unit 907, such as various types of displays, speakers, etc.; a storage unit 908, such as a magnetic disk, an optical disc, etc.; and a communication unit 909, such as a network card, a modem, a wireless communication transceiver, etc. The communication unit 909 allows the device 900 to exchange information / data with other devices through a computer network such as the Internet and / or various telecommunication networks.

[0084] The computing unit 901 can be various general-purpose and / or special-purpose processing components with processing and computing capabilities. Some examples of the computing unit 901 include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), various dedicated artificial intelligence (AI) computing chips, various computing units running machine learning model algorithms, a digital signal processor (DSP), and any suitable processor, controller, microcontroller, etc. The computing unit 901 executes the various methods and processes described above, such as methods 500 and 700. For example, in some embodiments, method 500 can be implemented as a computer software program tangibly embodied in a machine-readable medium, such as the storage unit 908. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program can be loaded and / or installed onto the device 900 via the ROM 902 and / or the communication unit 909. When the computer program is loaded into the RAM 903 and executed by the computing unit 901, one or more steps of methods 500 and 700 described above can be executed. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the computing unit 901 can be configured to execute method 500 in any other suitable manner (e.g., by means of firmware).

[0085] In some embodiments, the methods and processes described above can be implemented as a computer program product. The computer program product can include a computer-readable storage medium having thereon computer-readable program instructions for performing various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0086] A computer-readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. A computer-readable storage medium can be, for example, but is not limited to, an electrical storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer-readable storage medium include: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as a punch card or raised structures in grooves having instructions stored thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. The computer-readable storage medium as used herein is not construed to be a transitory signal per se, such as a radio wave or other freely propagating electromagnetic wave, an electromagnetic wave propagating through a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., an optical pulse through an optical fiber cable), or an electrical signal transmitted through a wire.

[0087] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to various computing / processing devices from a computer-readable storage medium or downloaded to an external computer or external storage device via a network, such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network. The network can include copper transmission cables, optical fiber transmission, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer-readable program instructions for storage in a computer-readable storage medium in each computing / processing device.

[0088] The computer program instructions for performing the operations of the present disclosure may be assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-related instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages and conventional procedural programming languages. The computer-readable program instructions may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, executed as a stand-alone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the case of a remote computer, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., through the Internet connection using an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, by using the status information of the computer-readable program instructions to customize an electronic circuit, such as a programmable logic circuit, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a programmable logic array (PLA), the electronic circuit can execute the computer-readable program instructions to implement various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0089] These computer-readable program instructions can be provided to a processing unit of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, thereby producing a machine such that when these instructions are executed by the processing unit of the computer or other programmable data processing device, a device is produced that implements the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram. These computer-readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and these instructions cause the computer, programmable data processing device, and / or other devices to work in a specific manner. Thus, the computer-readable medium storing the instructions includes a manufactured article that includes instructions for implementing various aspects of the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0090] Computer-readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices, causing a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to generate a computer-implemented process such that the instructions executed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices implement the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0091] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of devices, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, a segment of a program, or a portion of an instruction, which contains one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two consecutive blocks may in fact be executed substantially in parallel, or they may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. It should also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified functions or acts, or by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0092] Some example implementations of the present disclosure are listed below.

[0093] In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides an oral scanning method, including: obtaining first scan data of an oral cavity by an intraoral scanner, where a plurality of scanning rods are installed in the oral cavity, the plurality of scanning rods are respectively connected to auxiliary feature bodies, and the first scan data includes three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods, three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies, and three-dimensional data of a partial dental arch; determining a relative positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods based on the first scan data; removing the three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods and the three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies from the first scan data through automated recognition to retain the three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch; obtaining second scan data of the oral cavity by the intraoral scanner when there are no scanning rods in the oral cavity, where the second scan data includes three-dimensional data of a complete dental arch; and synthesizing a three-dimensional image of the oral cavity based on the three-dimensional data of the complete dental arch, the retained three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch, and the determined relative positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods.

[0094] In some implementations, the auxiliary feature bodies are detachably connected to corresponding scanning rods.

[0095] In some implementations, the auxiliary feature body is connected to the corresponding scanning rod in an integrally formed manner.

[0096] In some implementations, in a non-fastened state, the auxiliary feature body can rotate around the scanning rod to which it is connected.

[0097] In some implementations, one end of the auxiliary feature body is connected to the scanning rod, and the other end is immovably connected to a tray with three-dimensional features.

[0098] In some implementations, one end of the auxiliary feature body is connected to the scanning rod, and the other end is located outside the oral cavity.

[0099] In some implementations, one ends of the multiple auxiliary feature bodies are respectively connected to the corresponding scanning rods, and the other ends are close to or in contact with each other.

[0100] In some implementations, when acquiring the first scan data using the intraoral scanner, a single field of view of the intraoral scanner can accommodate at least two auxiliary feature bodies, so that the relative positional relationship between the scanning rods connected to the at least two auxiliary feature bodies can be determined.

[0101] In some implementations, the method further includes: using a trained deep neural network to identify data belonging to the dental arch and three-dimensional data belonging to the scanning rod and / or the auxiliary feature body in the first scan data.

[0102] In some implementations, determining the relative positional relationship of the multiple scanning rods includes: determining the relative positional relationship of the multiple scanning rods based on the identified three-dimensional data belonging to the auxiliary feature body and / or the three-dimensional data of the multiple scanning rods.

[0103] In some implementations, the deep neural network is obtained by the following method: collecting three-dimensional point cloud data of the dental arch including the scanning rod and the auxiliary feature body, where the three-dimensional point cloud data has labeled category information; normalizing and enhancing the three-dimensional point cloud data; and using the normalized and enhanced three-dimensional point cloud data to train the deep neural network to obtain the trained deep neural network.

[0104] In some implementations, synthesizing the three-dimensional image of the oral cavity includes: determining the positional relationship of the multiple scanning rods relative to the complete dental arch based on the three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch and the three-dimensional data of the complete dental arch; and synthesizing the three-dimensional image of the oral cavity based on the positional relationship of the multiple scanning rods relative to the complete dental arch and the relative positional relationship between the multiple scanning rods.

[0105] In some implementations, the method is executed by a computing device locally connected to the intraoral scanner.

[0106] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides an oral scanning method, including: obtaining first scanning data of an oral cavity through an intraoral scanner, wherein a plurality of scanning rods are installed in the oral cavity, the plurality of scanning rods are respectively connected to auxiliary feature bodies, and the first scanning data includes three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods and three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies; determining a relative positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods based on the first scanning data; obtaining second scanning data through the intraoral scanner, the second scanning data including three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods, three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies, and three-dimensional data of a partial dental arch; removing the three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods and the three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies from the second scanning data to retain the three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch; obtaining third scanning data of the oral cavity through the intraoral scanner in a case where the scanning rods are not in the oral cavity, the third scanning data including three-dimensional data of a complete dental arch; and synthesizing a three-dimensional image of the oral cavity based on the three-dimensional data of the complete dental arch, the retained three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch, and the determined relative positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods.

[0107] In some implementations, determining the relative positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods based on the first scanning data includes: determining the relative positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods based on the three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods and / or the three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies in the first scanning data.

[0108] In some implementations, the auxiliary feature body is detachably connected to a corresponding scanning rod.

[0109] In some implementations, the auxiliary feature body is connected to a corresponding scanning rod in an integrally formed manner.

[0110] In some implementations, in a non-fastened state, the auxiliary feature body can rotate around the scanning rod to which it is connected.

[0111] In some implementations, one end of the auxiliary feature body is connected to the scanning rod, and the other end is immovably connected to a tray having three-dimensional features.

[0112] In some implementations, one end of the auxiliary feature body is connected to the scanning rod, and the other end is located outside the oral cavity.

[0113] In some implementations, one ends of a plurality of auxiliary feature bodies are respectively connected to corresponding scanning rods, and the other ends are close to or in contact with each other.

[0114] In some implementations, when acquiring the first scan data using the intraoral scanner, a single field of view of the intraoral scanner can accommodate at least two auxiliary feature bodies, such that the relative positional relationship between the scanning rods connected to the at least two auxiliary feature bodies can be determined.

[0115] In some implementations, the method further includes: automatically identifying three-dimensional data belonging to the dental arch and three-dimensional data belonging to the scanning rod and / or the auxiliary feature bodies.

[0116] In some implementations, the automatic identification includes using a trained deep neural network to identify three-dimensional data belonging to the dental arch and three-dimensional data belonging to the scanning rod and / or the auxiliary feature bodies, and the deep neural network is obtained by: collecting three-dimensional point cloud data of the dental arch including the scanning rod and the auxiliary feature bodies, the three-dimensional point cloud data having labeled class information; normalizing and enhancing the three-dimensional point cloud data; and using the normalized and enhanced three-dimensional point cloud data to train the deep neural network to obtain the trained deep neural network.

[0117] In some implementations, synthesizing the three-dimensional image of the oral cavity includes: determining the positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods relative to the complete dental arch based on the three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch and the three-dimensional data of the complete dental arch; and synthesizing the three-dimensional image of the oral cavity based on the positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods relative to the complete dental arch and the relative positional relationship between the plurality of scanning rods.

[0118] In some implementations, the method is executed by a computing device locally connected to the intraoral scanner.

[0119] In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides a computing device, including: a processing unit; and a memory coupled to the processing unit and containing instructions stored thereon, the instructions when executed by the processing unit cause the device to execute the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0120] In a fourth aspect, there is provided a computer program product, the computer program product being tangibly stored in a computer storage medium and including computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions when executed by a device cause the device to execute one or more implementations of the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0121] In a fifth aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer-readable medium, having machine-executable instructions stored thereon, the machine-executable instructions when executed by a device cause the device to execute one or more implementations of the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0122] In a sixth aspect, an oral scanning device is provided. The device includes: a first scanning unit configured to obtain first scanning data of an oral cavity through an intraoral scanner, wherein a plurality of scanning rods are installed in the oral cavity, the plurality of scanning rods are respectively connected to auxiliary feature bodies, and the first scanning data includes three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods, three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies, and three-dimensional data of a partial dental arch; a position relationship determination unit configured to determine the relative position relationship of the plurality of scanning rods based on the first scanning data; a data removal unit configured to remove the three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods and the three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies from the first scanning data through automatic identification to retain the three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch; a second scanning unit configured to obtain second scanning data of the oral cavity through the intraoral scanner when there are no scanning rods in the oral cavity, the second scanning data including three-dimensional data of a complete dental arch; and an image synthesis unit configured to synthesize a three-dimensional image of the oral cavity based on the three-dimensional data of the complete dental arch, the retained three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch, and the determined relative position relationship of the plurality of scanning rods.

[0123] In a seventh aspect, an oral scanning device is provided. The device includes: a first scanning unit configured to obtain first scanning data of an oral cavity through an intraoral scanner, wherein a plurality of scanning rods are installed in the oral cavity, the plurality of scanning rods are respectively connected to auxiliary feature bodies, and the first scanning data includes three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods and three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies; a position relationship determination unit configured to determine the relative position relationship of the plurality of scanning rods based on the first scanning data; a second scanning unit configured to obtain second scanning data through the intraoral scanner, the second scanning data including three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods, three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies, and three-dimensional data of a partial dental arch; a data removal unit configured to remove the three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods and the three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies from the second scanning data to retain the three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch; a third scanning unit configured to obtain third scanning data of the oral cavity through the intraoral scanner when there are no such scanning rods in the oral cavity, the third scanning data including three-dimensional data of a complete dental arch; and an image synthesis unit configured to synthesize a three-dimensional image of the oral cavity based on the three-dimensional data of the complete dental arch, the retained three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch, and the determined relative position relationship of the plurality of scanning rods.

[0124] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above. The above description is exemplary and not exhaustive, and is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations are obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art in the technical field without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The selection of the terms used herein is intended to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application, or the technical improvement of the technology in the market, or to enable other ordinary skilled persons in the technical field to understand the disclosed embodiments.

Claims

1. An oral scanning method, comprising: Obtaining first scanning data of an oral cavity through an intraoral scanner, wherein a plurality of scanning rods are installed in the oral cavity, the plurality of scanning rods are respectively connected to auxiliary feature bodies, and the first scanning data includes three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods, three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies, and three-dimensional data of a partial dental arch; Determining the relative positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods based on the first scanning data; Removing the three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods and the three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies from the first scanning data through automatic recognition to retain the three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch; Obtaining second scanning data of the oral cavity through the intraoral scanner in the case where there are no scanning rods in the oral cavity, the second scanning data including three-dimensional data of a complete dental arch; And Synthesizing a three-dimensional image of the oral cavity based on the three-dimensional data of the complete dental arch, the retained three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch, and the determined relative positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods.

2. The oral scanning method according to claim 1, wherein, The auxiliary feature body is detachably connected to the corresponding scanning rod.

3. The oral scanning method according to claim 1, wherein, The auxiliary feature body is connected to the corresponding scanning rod in an integrally formed manner.

4. The oral scanning method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, In a non-fastening state, the auxiliary feature body can rotate around the scanning rod to which it is connected.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein One end of the auxiliary feature body is connected to the scanning rod, and the other end is immovably connected to a tray having three-dimensional features.

6. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising: Using a trained deep neural network to identify the three-dimensional data belonging to the dental arch and the three-dimensional data belonging to the scanning rod and / or the auxiliary feature body in the first scanning data.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, Determining the relative positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods includes: Determining the relative positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods based on the identified three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies and / or the three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods.

8. An oral scanning method, comprising: Obtaining first scanning data of an oral cavity through an intraoral scanner, wherein a plurality of scanning rods are installed in the oral cavity, the plurality of scanning rods are respectively connected to auxiliary feature bodies, and the first scanning data includes three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods and three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies; Determining the relative positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods based on the first scanning data; Obtaining second scanning data through the intraoral scanner, the second scanning data including three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods, three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies, and three-dimensional data of a partial dental arch; Removing the three-dimensional data of the plurality of scanning rods and the three-dimensional data of the auxiliary feature bodies from the second scanning data to retain the three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch; Obtaining third scanning data of the oral cavity through the intraoral scanner in the case where there are no scanning rods in the oral cavity, the third scanning data including three-dimensional data of a complete dental arch; And Synthesizing a three-dimensional image of the oral cavity based on the three-dimensional data of the complete dental arch, the retained three-dimensional data of the partial dental arch, and the determined relative positional relationship of the plurality of scanning rods.

9. A computing device, comprising: A processing unit; And A memory, coupled to the processing unit and containing instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by the processing unit, cause the device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A computer program product, the computer program product being tangibly stored in a computer storage medium and comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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