Intraoral scanner with antenna

Abstract

According to an embodiment, an intraoral scanner is disclosed. The intraoral scanner includes a projector unit configured to emit light at least onto a dental object of a patient, and an image sensor configured to acquire reflected light at least from the dental object. The scanner includes a wireless interface configured to communicate with an external device, where the communication may include processed or original 2D image data and / or 3D image data. The scanner comprises a housing containing the projector unit and the image sensor, and wherein the housing comprises a first end and a second end, and the projector unit and the image sensor are arranged closer to the first end and the antenna of the wireless interface is arranged closer to the second end, and wherein the first end is located within the oral cavity during scanning of the patient's oral cavity and the second end is located within the oral cavity during scanning of the patient's oral cavity. And the second end is not positioned in the oral cavity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to wireless communications via antennas. In particular, the present disclosure relates to antennas with improved performance and compactness. Background Art

[0002] Intraoral scanners play an important role in transforming restorative and orthodontic dentistry. Real-time imaging using intraoral scanners can create three-dimensional digital models of single or multiple teeth, entire dental arches (which may include restorations or implants), opposing dental arches, occlusions and surrounding soft tissues, and even dentures for edentulous patients. Explaining treatment opportunities to patients becomes simple through the on-screen display of the three-dimensional digital model. Patients appreciate the more comfortable data acquisition process. Likewise, dental professionals appreciate the ease and efficiency of using intraoral scanners. To improve the use of intraoral scanners, wireless interfaces have been added to the scanners to allow wireless communication between the scanner and an external device during use of the scanner, and wherein the external device is configured to at least display data. To further improve the usability of the scanner, the scanner is battery powered. Unfortunately, electromagnetic signals transmitted to and from the wireless interface antenna are significantly attenuated when traveling through tissue, water, and other anatomical elements of the oral cavity. With regard to wireless signal quality, it is very important that the antenna is arranged in or on the scanner so that the patient's mouth or the hand of the scanner user does not have any undesirable shadowing effect on the antenna. Summary of the invention

[0003] One aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a solution to the problem of not having any shielding effect on the antenna of an intraoral scanner caused by the patient's mouth and / or the hands of the scanner user.

[0004] Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a compact intraoral scanner including an antenna that allows for a more compact intraoral scanner than currently known intraoral scanners.

[0005] According to these aspects, an intraoral scanner is disclosed. The intraoral scanner includes a projector unit configured to emit light at least onto a dental object of a patient, and an image sensor configured to obtain at least light reflected from the dental object. The projector unit is configured to emit white light, visible light, invisible light, ultraviolet light and / or infrared light. The image sensor is configured to receive visible light and invisible light (e.g., 700nm to 3000nm). The scanner includes a wireless interface configured to communicate with an external device, wherein the communication may include processed or raw 2D image data and / or 3D image data. The scanner includes a housing that accommodates the projector unit and the image sensor, and wherein the housing includes a first end and a second end, and the projector unit and the image sensor are arranged closer to the first end, while the antenna of the wireless interface is arranged closer to the second end, and wherein during scanning of the patient's oral cavity, the first end is located in the oral cavity, while the second end is not located in the oral cavity. By arranging the antenna closer to the second end, the shielding effect caused by the patient's mouth (i.e., oral cavity) or the operator's hand can be reduced. Thereby, an improved wireless signal quality of the wireless interface is obtained.

[0006] The antenna may be arranged inside the housing to improve the hygiene of the intraoral scanner. If the antenna is placed outside the housing, it will be more difficult to maintain the hygiene level of the intraoral scanner for use as a medical device.

[0007] The intraoral scanner may be configured to determine the 3D geometry and color of at least a portion of a surface of an object in an oral cavity. The intraoral scanner may include: at least one camera housing an array of sensor elements; a pattern generator configured to generate a plurality of configurations of probe light in the form of a time-varying illumination pattern using a light source; an optical system for transmitting the probe light toward the object along an optical path, thereby illuminating at least a portion of the object with the time-varying illumination pattern, and for transmitting at least a portion of the light returned from the object to at least one camera to form a plurality of 2D images, wherein the 3D geometry is determined based on the plurality of 2D images and the time-varying illumination pattern; and a tip configured to be inserted into the oral cavity. In addition, the intraoral scanner may include a hardware processor configured to: selectively switch the color of the probe light, thereby illuminating the object with different colors at different times; record different images at different times by at least one camera, thereby recording images of the object with different colors; and combine different colors from different images to obtain the color of the surface of the object, wherein the intraoral scanner is wireless, and wherein at least one camera is a high-speed camera. The tip may be attached to the first end of the housing.

[0008] The antenna may be a dual band antenna configured for wireless communication at about 2.4 and 5.8 GHz. The antenna may be a monopole antenna or a loop antenna. The antenna may include a ground plane and an active portion, wherein the active portion is a radiating portion. The antenna may be a miniature surface mount device (SMD) edge mounted ceramic antenna. The antenna may be configured for Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy, and / or WIFI.

[0009] An advantage of providing a dual mode antenna configuration with the same components is that the size of the intraoral scanner can be reduced while increasing wireless capabilities.

[0010] The wireless interface may include at least two antennas, a first antenna configured to communicate via a WIFI protocol, and a second antenna configured to communicate via a Bluetooth / low power protocol. The scanner is configured to switch between the two antennas according to the availability and signal quality of the two antennas. For example, the WIFI signal quality may be poor in a certain part of the building where the scanner is located, and in this case, it would be more appropriate to communicate with the external device using the second antenna via the Bluetooth protocol (or Bluetooth low power protocol). In another example, the external device may not be able to communicate via the Bluetooth protocol, so the scanner automatically switches to the first antenna because there is no Bluetooth partner (i.e., the external device) available for communication. The pairing between the external device and the scanner can be completed automatically because the scanner is configured to scan the external device configured to communicate using Bluetooth irregularly and automatically. If the scanner detects an external device, authentication of the external device is performed, and if the authentication is successful, the pairing between the scanner and the external device begins. When WIFI is not used or the WIFI signal is extremely low, the scanning performed by the scanner on the external device can be completed within an interval between 10 to 30 seconds, 30 to 60 seconds, and 10 to 60 seconds. A very low WIFI signal may result in a significant increase in packet loss in the WIFI communication link, and this may result in an inability to properly scan the patient's mouth.

[0011] In another case, both antennas can be configured to communicate via a WIFI protocol or a Bluetooth protocol. The advantage of configuring the two antennas to communicate using the same protocol is that if the bandwidth of a single WIFI antenna is not sufficient to stream data from the scanner to an external device in real time, the data to be streamed has to be divided into two groups of data, each of which is transmitted to the external device via a separate antenna. In this case, the data transmitted by the two antennas must be synchronized to avoid erroneously changing the order of the transmitted data packets. The synchronization can be performed by a scanner (or an external device), which receives a synchronization signal from the external device via two antennas, and based on the timing of the synchronization signal arriving at the scanner, the scanner is configured to synchronize the communication through the two antennas. In another example, the external device determines the synchronization between the two antennas based on the synchronization signal transmitted to the external device via the two antennas. The external device detects a first reception time of the first synchronization signal and a second reception time of the second synchronization signal, and based on the time difference between the first and second reception times, the external device is configured to transmit a synchronization signal to the scanner, wherein the scanner then uses the synchronization signal to synchronize the communication through the two antennas. The synchronization can be done automatically during the startup of the scanner, or based on a request from a scanner user. The request may be provided via a scanner or a user interface of an external device.

[0012] The housing may include a user interface disposed on an outer surface of the housing, and when the scanner is intentionally used, the user places a hand on the outer surface of the housing close to the user interface so that the fingers of the hand can interact with the user interface during the intentional use. Therefore, in order to improve the communication range of the antenna, the antenna must be disposed closer to the second end than the user interface to avoid the user's hand covering the antenna.

[0013] The antenna can be arranged on a first side of the user interface, the first side being opposite to a second side of the user interface from which light is emitted to the exterior of the housing, thereby preventing the antenna from being placed in the patient's oral cavity during scanning. During scanning of the patient's oral cavity (i.e., the oral cavity), the user's hand is placed on the first side of the user interface, thereby preventing the portion of the scanner located on the first side of the user interface from entering the patient's oral cavity during scanning.

[0014] In order to ensure that the active portion of the antenna, i.e. the radiating portion, is not covered by the user's hand, it may be necessary to place the active portion of the antenna at a specific distance from the user interface or the first end of the housing. For example, the distance between the user interface and the distal end of the antenna arranged closest to the second end of the housing is in the range of 8 cm to 20 cm, 9 cm to 16 cm, 10 cm to 15 cm, 11 cm to 14 cm, about 8 cm, about 9 cm, about 10 cm, about 11 cm, about 12 cm, about 13 cm, about 14 cm, about 15 cm or about 16 cm.

[0015] The intraoral scanner may include a battery or battery pack unit removably mounted to the scanner, and the battery pack unit may include one or more batteries. The battery pack unit may include a first battery terminal and a second battery terminal, and the first battery terminal is configured to be arranged closest to the first end of the housing, and the radiating portion of the antenna is configured to be arranged closest to the second battery terminal. The battery pack unit may be removably mounted to or around the second end of the housing. In some examples, the second battery terminal may be arranged outside the housing, but in this example, the second battery terminal is still located closest to the second end of the housing rather than closest to the first end of the housing. In an example, the antenna is not covered by a hand during intentional use of the scanner. The battery pack unit may include a battery processor, wherein the battery processor is arranged closest to the first battery terminal. Therefore, the battery processor does not apply electromagnetic noise to the antenna or at least limits the application of electromagnetic noise to the antenna compared to placing the battery processor closer to the second battery terminal when the active portion of the antenna is arranged closest to the second battery terminal, thereby resulting in improved antenna performance.

[0016] The antenna may include a first sub-antenna portion and a second sub-antenna portion, and wherein the first sub-antenna portion is arranged on a first side of the housing and the second sub-antenna portion is arranged on a second side of the housing. Both sub-antenna portions are configured to radiate or receive electromagnetic fields. By placing the sub-antenna portions on respective sides of the housing, the coverage of the antenna will not be affected by how the user's body is positioned relative to the scanner. The first sub-antenna portion and the second sub-antenna portion may be arranged symmetrically around a central longitudinal axis of the housing. The symmetrical arrangement of the sub-antenna portions provides similar antenna performance regardless of how the user's body is positioned relative to the scanner.

[0017] The first sub-antenna and the second sub-antenna may be independently used as antennas, or may be used as one combined antenna.

[0018] The housing may include a central longitudinal axis, and the antenna may include a first sub-antenna portion and a second sub-antenna portion, and wherein the first sub-antenna portion is arranged on a first side of the central longitudinal axis and the second sub-antenna portion is arranged on a second side of the central longitudinal axis.

[0019] The intraoral scanner includes a battery pack unit, and the antenna includes a first sub-antenna portion and a second sub-antenna portion, and wherein the first sub-antenna portion may be arranged on a first side of the battery pack unit, and the second sub-antenna portion may be arranged on a second side of the battery pack unit. By placing the sub-antenna portions on respective sides of the battery pack unit, the coverage of the antenna is not affected by how the user's body is positioned relative to the scanner with the battery pack unit.

[0020] The housing includes a bottom surface opposite to the upper surface, and the antenna includes a first sub-antenna portion and a second sub-antenna portion, and both sub-antenna portions are arranged closest to the upper surface, and wherein the upper surface is longer than the bottom surface. Thus, the distance from the sub-antenna portion to the user interface is maximized, thereby reducing the possibility of a hand completely or partially covering the antenna.

[0021] The antenna includes a first sub-antenna portion and a second sub-antenna portion, and the electrical length of the two sub-antenna portions may be between 1 / 16λ and λ. The antenna includes a first sub-antenna portion and a second sub-antenna portion, and the physical length of the two sub-antenna portions is between 0.5cm and 12.5cm. The length of the antenna is suitable for an intraoral scanner.

[0022] The antenna can operate at frequencies between 2.4 GHz and 8 GHz.

[0023] The antenna includes a first sub-antenna part and a second sub-antenna part, and the two sub-antenna parts include distal radiating ends, and a physical length between the distal radiating ends is between 1 cm and 24 cm.

[0024] The antenna comprises a first antenna sub-part and a second antenna sub-part, and the two antenna sub-parts comprise antennas of the same type, which are monopole antennas, dipole antennas, IFA antennas or PIFA antennas.

[0025] The antenna includes a first sub-antenna portion and a second sub-antenna portion, and the two sub-antenna portions are connected to a transceiver of the intraoral scanner via a coaxial cable or a flexible printed circuit board. The wireless interface includes a transceiver. The flexible connection between the transceiver and the antenna allows the antenna to be arranged in the housing more easily. In addition, the coaxial cable can be shielded from electromagnetic noise interference, which can reduce the quality of the wireless signal received by the antenna. The flexible printed circuit board can include an electromagnetic (EM) shielding layer for protecting (one or more) connecting wires between the transceiver and the antenna from EM noise interference.

[0026] The first sub-antenna portion and the second sub-antenna portion of the antenna may be arranged on a printed circuit board, wherein each sub-antenna portion is printed onto or in a first surface of the printed circuit board, and wherein the first surface is pointed away from a battery pack unit of the intraoral scanner. The placement of the antenna within the housing is of considerable importance to the performance of the antenna, and forming the antenna from wires freely arranged within the housing may result in different wireless interface performances between different scanners including the wireless interface. In order to improve the stability of the antenna, it may be beneficial to arrange the antenna on a printed circuit board as described above.

[0027] The wireless interface includes an LC matching network connected to the antenna, and wherein the operating frequency of the antenna is tunable by changing the value of one or more inductors and / or one or more capacitors of the LC matching network. The intraoral scanner is capable of adapting the wireless interface to communicate in different communication protocols, thereby providing a more compact intraoral scanner capable of communicating in different communication protocols compared to an intraoral scanner including two antennas.

[0028] The antenna comprises a first sub-antenna part and a second sub-antenna part, and wherein each sub-antenna part comprises a ground plane and a radiating part, and wherein the radiating part and the ground plane form a monopole antenna, and the two sub-antenna parts are arranged on a non-conductive material to avoid any undesirable degradation of the antenna performance.

[0029] The antenna comprises a first sub-antenna part and a second sub-antenna part, and each sub-antenna part comprises a ground plane and a radiating part, wherein the ground plane is partially arranged around the radiating part, and there is a certain distance between the ground plane and the radiating part.

[0030] The antenna is arranged on the inner surface of the housing. The antenna can be mounted on the inner surface or printed onto the inner surface, thereby providing a more reliable manufacturing process for placing the antenna within the housing.

[0031] The antenna may be arranged at a minimum distance greater than 8 mm or 10 mm from metal arranged within the housing, thereby improving antenna performance due to reduced shielding effects of the antenna.

[0032] The antenna may be at least partially arranged outside the housing, and wherein the antenna may be partially arranged at the second end of the housing. The antenna may protrude from the housing. At least a portion of the antenna may protrude from the housing, and another portion may be arranged within the housing. The antenna is arranged more differently from any potentially electromagnetically noisy components of the scanner, thereby resulting in more stable antenna performance.

[0033] The wireless interface can be configured to communicate wirelessly with an external device such as a computer, server, smart phone or tablet computer and a display unit configured to display data or images transmitted from the scanner. The external device may also include a monitor to display the image or data processed into an image. The patient can then see the image without the user of the scanner moving the display unit. Thus, the image from the scanner can be displayed simultaneously on the smart phone / tablet computer / computer and the display unit. The display unit may be a monitor connected to a computing device. The computing device may be a tablet computer, a laptop computer, or any type of computer.

[0034] The intraoral scanner is configured to acquire intraoral scan data from a three-dimensional dental object during a scanning session. The intraoral scanner may include a multi-chip assembly, the multi-chip assembly including a plurality of integrated circuit chips, and the plurality of integrated circuit chips include one or a combination of the following chips:

[0035] Power management chip,

[0036] a processor chip configured to process the intraoral scan data of the patient and provide 2D image data and / or 3D image data, and

[0037] a wireless interface chip configured to transmit 2D image data and / or 3D image data,

[0038] Among them, the multi-chip module includes:

[0039] A first layer having a surface,

[0040] a spacer layer configured to accommodate one or more of the plurality of integrated circuit chips as one or more embedded chips,

[0041] A ground plane beneath the first layer and the spacer layer, and

[0042] · A first shielding layer between the spacer layer and the first layer.

[0043] Intraoral scanners with embedded integrated circuit chips have enabled the size of the scanner to be significantly reduced, making it more comfortable for the patient to scan. Unfortunately, more compact intraoral scanners place a greater demand on shielding the antenna from electromagnetic noise.

[0044] The multi-chip assembly can be arranged within an intraoral scanner such that the first shielding layer is arranged between the battery and the antenna, or between EM noisy components of the intraoral scanner and the antenna.

[0045] The ground layer may be electrically insulated from at least the first layer by an insulating layer. Connection to the ground layer may be provided by vias in the first layer, the spacer layer and the insulating layer and additionally by any second and third layers. It is advantageous to provide vias along one or more edges of the plurality of shielding layers to provide optimal shielding of the components. In some embodiments, adequate shielding may be obtained by providing vias along the edges of the components to be shielded.

[0046] The second layer may be a shielding layer. In some embodiments, the third layer may be an insulating layer. Thus, the spacer layer may be disposed between the second layer and the third layer, for example, between the shielding layer and the insulating layer.

[0047] The multi-chip module may include a second layer and a third layer, and wherein the spacer layer is located between the second layer and the third layer.

[0048] The intraoral scanner may include an insulating layer, wherein the spacer layer is located between the shielding layer and the insulating layer.

[0049] The one or more embedded chips include a wireless interface chip and / or a power management chip. The wireless communication unit or wireless interface chip is configured to perform wireless communication, including wireless data communication, including 2D images, 3D images or raw images, and is interconnected with an antenna to transmit and receive electromagnetic fields or magnetic fields; the wireless interface chip includes a transmitter, a receiver, a transmitter-receiver pair, such as a transceiver, a radio unit, etc.; the wireless interface chip is configured to communicate using any protocol known to those skilled in the art.

[0050] The wireless interface chip is based on 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ad / af (WI-FI), Bluetooth / Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Zigbee or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax) technology.

[0051] An advantage of embedding one or more chips into a multi-chip module is that noise from the multi-chip module can be reduced. An advantage is that noise from the multi-chip module can be reduced without providing a so-called shielding can around the multi-chip module.

[0052] An advantage of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is that noise can be reduced and performance of antennas and wireless communication systems can be improved, for example, by embedding chips in a multi-chip module (eg, using embedded die technology).

[0053] The multi-chip assembly may include multiple layers, such as 3 layers, 5 layers, such as at least 10 layers, such as up to 15 layers, such as 12 layers, such as between 10 and 15 layers. Therefore, the embedded chips may be shielded with multiple ground layers to reduce electromagnetic radiation (such as E fields emitted from the embedded chips) from the embedded chips (including, for example, from the embedded switch NP chip).

[0054] The intraoral scanner may include a magnetic induction antenna, and wherein the first wireless interface chip is a magnetic induction control chip.

[0055] The intraoral scanner can be configured to communicate using magnetic induction (e.g., near-field magnetic induction). The magnetic induction control chip is an integrated circuit that implements magnetic induction transmission and reception functions (e.g., magnetic induction transmission and reception control functions). The magnetic induction control chip is interconnected with the magnetic induction antenna, for example, by wires or by conductive traces on a supporting substrate. The intraoral scanner may include a magnetic induction control chip and a magnetic induction antenna, which is configured to communicate using magnetic induction (e.g., near-field magnetic induction). The magnetic induction antenna may be a magnetic induction coil. The magnetic induction control chip may be configured to control the power supply to the magnetic induction antenna.

[0056] The magnetic induction control chip can be configured to apply any modulation scheme including amplitude modulation, phase modulation and / or frequency modulation to the data signal to be transmitted by magnetic induction, so that the data is modulated onto the magnetic field emitted from the magnetic induction antenna. The magnetic induction control chip can include circuits such as a low noise amplifier (LNA), a mixer, and a filter. The magnetic induction control chip can also include peripheral digital blocks such as a frequency divider, a codec block, a demodulator, etc.

[0057] The magnetic induction antenna can also be configured to receive a magnetic field transmitted by another electronic device (e.g., by a magnetic induction antenna of another electronic device) and provide the received data signal to the magnetic induction control chip. The magnetic induction control chip can be configured to demodulate the received signal. In some embodiments, the magnetic induction control chip is configured as a transceiver. In some embodiments, the magnetic induction control chip is configured to receive and send data at a specific frequency.

[0058] The transmitted data may include data, settings, information, etc.

[0059] The magnetic induction antenna and the magnetic induction control chip can be configured to operate at a frequency lower than 100 MHz during use, such as lower than 30 MHz, such as lower than 15 MHz. The magnetic induction antenna can be configured to operate in a frequency range between 1 MHz and 100 MHz, such as between 1 MHz and 15 MHz, such as between 1 MHz and 30 MHz, such as between 5 MHz and 30 MHz, such as between 5 MHz and 15 MHz, such as between 10 MHz and 11 MHz, such as between 10.2 MHz and 11 MHz. The frequency can also include a range from 2 MHz to 30 MHz, such as from 2 MHz to 10 MHz, such as from 2 MHz to 10 MHz, such as from 5 MHz to 10 MHz, such as from 5 MHz to 7 MHz.

[0060] An advantage of using magnetic induction is that low latency can generally be achieved. In particular when streaming image data, it is important to keep latency low to avoid delays that a user would notice. Typically, by using magnetic induction for communication a latency of less than 100 ms can be achieved, such as less than 50 ms, such as less than 25 ms, such as less than 10 ms, such as less than 5 ms, such as less than 1 ms.

[0061] By embedding the magnetic induction control chip into the multi-chip module and providing a shielding layer in the multi-chip module to shield between the magnetic induction control chip and the magnetic induction antenna disposed on the surface of the first layer of the multi-chip module, a compact design can be achieved and interference between the magnetic induction antenna and the magnetic induction control chip can be reduced. The advantage of providing a compact design is that this will further reduce the number of wires in the intraoral scanner, thereby further reducing electromagnetic interference, thereby improving the overall EMC characteristics of the intraoral scanner.

[0062] However, it is contemplated that the intraoral scanners disclosed herein are not limited to operating in such frequency bands, and that the intraoral scanners may be configured to operate in any frequency band.

[0063] The at least one embedded chip includes a control chip, such as an integrated circuit chip configured to control operation and / or power supply to another component, such another component not provided in the multi-chip module.

[0064] The chip can be an electronic component. In some embodiments, the embedded chip is an embedded electronic component. In some embodiments, the embedded chip is an active device or an active electronic component.

[0065] The embedded chip may be a shielded embedded chip, such as an electromagnetic shielded embedded chip. Shielding is provided by a plurality of shielding layers, including a first shielding layer.

[0066] The first shielding layer may provide shielding for the embedded electronic components. The grounding layer may provide shielding for the embedded electronic components. The first shielding layer and the grounding layer may jointly provide shielding for the embedded electronic components.

[0067] The first shielding layer may be configured to reduce electromagnetic emissions from the one or more embedded chips.

[0068] The first shielding layer may be located above one of the one or more embedded chips, and wherein the intraoral scanner further comprises a second shielding layer located below the one or more embedded chips.

[0069] The one or more embedded chips include a first embedded chip and a second embedded chip, and wherein the intraoral scanner further includes a shield between the first embedded chip and the second embedded chip.

[0070] The shield may be located in the spacer layer.

[0071] The first embedded chip may be a power management chip, and the second embedded chip may be a wireless interface chip.

[0072] The intraoral scanner may include a magnetic induction antenna, wherein the wireless interface chip is a magnetic induction control chip.

[0073] The magnetic induction control chip may be one of the one or more embedded chips, and the magnetic induction antenna may be located on the surface of the first layer; and the first shielding layer and / or another shielding layer provide shielding between the magnetic induction control chip and the magnetic induction antenna.

[0074] The plurality of integrated circuit chips also includes an additional wireless interface chip.

[0075] The additional wireless interface chip may be an RF wireless interface chip, and wherein the intraoral scanner further comprises an RF antenna.

[0076] Advantageously, through one or more of the proposed embodiments, an RF antenna and a magnetic induction antenna may be provided in the intraoral scanner. Providing an RF antenna and a magnetic induction antenna in the intraoral scanner increases the wireless communication capability of the intraoral scanner. However, providing both an RF antenna and a magnetic induction antenna in the intraoral scanner has limitations regarding size, noise, EMC regulations, etc. as described above, which generally results in an increase in the size of the intraoral scanner to obtain improved communication capabilities.

[0077] Furthermore, in today's communication systems, many different communication systems communicate at frequencies at or around 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 5.8 GHz, and / or 60 GHz, so there is also significant ambient electromagnetic noise in the frequency range of or around 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 5.8 GHz, and / or 60 GHz. Advantageously, for some applications where noise is acceptable, such as for data communications, RF antennas can be used. For other applications where high noise levels may significantly affect transmission, magnetic induction antennas can be used.

[0078] The first shielding layer includes through holes along one or more edges of the first shielding layer.

[0079] The electronic component(s) include resistor(s), capacitor(s), inductor(s), transducer(s), diode(s), or a combination of the above elements.

[0080] The plurality of integrated circuit chips may include a rechargeable battery regulator, and wherein one or more of the embedded chips includes a rechargeable battery regulator.

[0081] The intraoral scanner may include a battery.

[0082] The battery may be a rechargeable battery. The intraoral scanner further comprises a rechargeable battery regulator. In some embodiments, the rechargeable battery regulator is provided as an embedded chip. In some embodiments, a first and a second rechargeable battery regulator are provided, for example, to obtain a desired voltage supply, for example, a voltage supply having a size for a power supply of a multi-chip assembly. In some embodiments, the rechargeable battery provides regulated down power for supplying voltage to the multi-chip assembly and possibly to other electronic components of the intraoral scanner. In some embodiments, the first regulator is used to regulate power from a first voltage level to a lower voltage level, and the second regulator is configured to regulate power from a second voltage level lower than the first voltage level to a lower voltage level. In other examples, the third regulator is used to regulate power from a third voltage level to a higher voltage level. The scanner may include one or more regulators. Any power conversion generates noise, which affects the overall signal-to-noise ratio of the intraoral scanner. Therefore, it is an advantage to be able to embed one or more rechargeable battery regulators in the multi-chip assembly to reduce the noise emitted by the rechargeable battery regulator(s).

[0083] An advantage of the present disclosure is that the battery does not need to provide a shielding function between the magnetic induction control chip and / or the power management circuit. In some embodiments, the magnetic induction control chip and the power management circuit are arranged on a first side of the battery, wherein the magnetic induction antenna is arranged on the same first side of the battery. Additional electromagnetic shielding can be provided between the magnetic induction antenna and the magnetic induction control chip, for example in the form of a magnetic induction antenna package, or in the form of a shield formed by a carrier, such as a carrier carrying intraoral scanner components (e.g., electronic components of the intraoral scanner).

[0084] The intraoral scanning device can be configured to acquire intraoral scanning data from a three-dimensional dental object during a scanning session. The intraoral scanning device can include a circuit, the circuit including a wireless communication unit, wherein the wireless communication unit is configured to perform wireless communication; a battery pack unit, the battery pack unit is configured to supply power to the intraoral scanner, wherein the circuit can be coupled to a positive terminal and a negative terminal of the battery pack unit; wherein the battery pack unit can be configured for electromagnetic field transmission and electromagnetic field reception; wherein the battery pack unit can be configured to oscillate at a frequency controlled by the circuit; and wherein the battery pack unit includes a battery, the battery can be configured to operate as a battery antenna, or the battery pack unit includes an antenna.

[0085] The battery pack unit is configured to be attachably connected to the scanner, and the battery in the battery pack unit is rechargeable. An advantage of arranging the antenna in the battery pack unit is that the antenna can be easily replaced if the antenna is defective. In addition, it is also easier to change the antenna to a different type of antenna, such as changing from a WIFI-configured antenna to a 60GHz-configured antenna, or from a WIFI-configured antenna to a Bluetooth-configured antenna.

[0086] The first shielding layer may be arranged between the battery and the antenna.

[0087] The circuit may be coupled to the battery via a plurality of transmission lines providing a battery feed signal, and wherein the circuit may be configured to cause the battery to oscillate at a frequency of an antenna disposed within the battery pack unit.

[0088] The battery can be configured for electromagnetic field transmission and electromagnetic field reception, and the circuit can be configured to prevent the power management circuit from receiving battery power from the battery at a frequency above a threshold; and the circuit can be connected to the positive and negative poles of the battery, and the circuit is configured to provide a battery feed signal to the battery through multiple transmission lines.

[0089] The circuit may be configured to allow battery power from a battery to be delivered to a power management circuit at a frequency below a threshold; and wherein the circuit is coupled to a positive terminal and a negative terminal of the battery, and wherein the circuit is configured to provide a battery feed signal to the battery via a plurality of transmission lines.

[0090] The battery may be configured to operate at a frequency controlled by the circuit; and wherein the circuit coupled to the positive and negative terminals of the battery is configured to provide a battery feed signal to the battery via the plurality of transmission lines.

[0091] The circuit includes one or more tuning components configured to determine an impedance.

[0092] The circuit includes one or more tuning components configured to tune the impedance with respect to the wavelength of the electromagnetic field transmitted or received by the battery.

[0093] The circuit includes one or more tuning components including an inductor, a capacitor, a tuned transmission line, or any combination thereof.

[0094] Tuned transmission lines include quarter wavelength transmission lines.

[0095] The circuit includes one or more tuning components having an inductive reactance between 1 / 2 nH and 50 nH.

[0096] The circuit includes one or more tuning components having a capacitive reactance between 0.1 pF and 100 pF.

[0097] The circuit includes one or more tuning components having an RF impedance of at least 100 Ohms.

[0098] The intraoral scanner may include one or more parasitic antenna elements, wherein at least one of the one or more parasitic antenna elements has a free end. The parasitic antenna element is inductively connected to the antenna. An advantage of the parasitic antenna element is that the bandwidth of the antenna is significantly improved. As a result, more data (i.e., larger size images, high frame rates or high bit rates) can be transmitted wirelessly from the scanner to an external device, such as a laptop, tablet computer, smart phone, etc.

[0099] At least a portion of the one or more parasitic antenna elements is located less than 1 / 40 of a wavelength away from the battery.

[0100] At least a portion of the one or more parasitic antenna elements is a free end of the one or more parasitic antenna elements.

[0101] At least a portion of the one or more parasitic antenna elements is a central portion of the one or more parasitic antenna elements.

[0102] At least one of the one or more parasitic antenna elements is a floating parasitic antenna element.

[0103] The circuit includes one or more tuning components configured to improve coupling between the battery and the one or more parasitic antenna elements at specific frequencies.

[0104] The intraoral scanner may include a parasitic antenna element, wherein at least a portion of the parasitic antenna element forms at least a portion of a ring surrounding the battery.

[0105] The battery can be configured as a parasitic antenna element.

[0106] The circuit may be configured to obtain a resonance corresponding to the wavelength or electromagnetic frequency of the electromagnetic field emitted or received by the battery. The threshold may be 3 MHz.

[0107] The battery may be configured to oscillate at a frequency controlled by circuits coupled to the positive and negative terminals of the battery. The threshold may be 300kHz.

[0108] The battery can be configured to oscillate at a frequency controlled by circuits coupled to the positive and negative terminals of the battery.

[0109] The circuit may include a filtering circuit.

[0110] The circuit may include an antenna matching circuit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0111] Various aspects of the present disclosure may be best understood from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. These figures are schematic and simplified for clarity, and they only show details to improve understanding of the claims, while other details are omitted. Throughout, the same reference numerals are used for the same or corresponding parts. The individual features of each aspect may be combined with any or all features of the other aspects. These and other aspects, features and / or technical effects will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the illustrations described below:

[0112] Figure 1A and 1B Different examples of intraoral scanners are shown;

[0113] Figure 2 An example of an intraoral scanner is shown;

[0114] Figure 3A and 3B Different examples of intraoral scanners are shown;

[0115] Figure 4A and 4B Different examples of intraoral scanners are shown;

[0116] Figures 5A to 5E Various examples of multi-chip assemblies in intraoral scanners are shown;

[0117] Figure 6 An example of a multi-chip assembly in an intraoral scanner is shown; and

[0118] Fig. 7A and 7B Different examples of intraoral scanners are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0119] The detailed description set forth below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is intended to describe various configurations. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the various concepts. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that these concepts can be practiced without these specific details. Several aspects of the apparatus, system, medium, program, and method are described by various blocks, functional units, modules, components, circuits, steps, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as "elements"). Depending on the specific application, design constraints, or other reasons, these elements may be implemented using electronic hardware, computer programs, or any combination thereof.

[0120] The electronic hardware may include microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), gated logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various functions described in the present disclosure. A computer program should be broadly construed to mean instructions, instruction sets, codes, code segments, program codes, programs, subroutines, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0121] Scanning may be performed by a dental scanning system to provide intraoral scan data, which may include an intraoral scanning device, such as a TRIOS series scanner from 3Shape A / S. The dental scanning system may include wireless capabilities provided by a wireless network unit. The scanning device may utilize a scanning principle, such as triangulation-based scanning, confocal scanning, focused scanning, ultrasonic scanning, X-ray scanning, stereoscopic vision, motion recovery structure, optical coherence tomography OCT, or any other scanning principle. In an embodiment, the scanning device operates by projecting a pattern and translating a focal plane along an optical axis of the scanning device and capturing multiple 2D images at different focal plane positions, so that each series of captured 2D images corresponding to each focal plane forms a 2D image stack. The acquired 2D image is also referred to herein as a raw 2D image, wherein raw in this context means that the image has not been image processed. The focal plane position is preferably moved along the optical axis of the scanning system, so that the 2D images captured at multiple focal plane positions along the optical axis form the 2D image stack (also referred to herein as a sub-scan) for a given view of the object (i.e., for a given arrangement of the scanning system relative to the object). After moving the scanning device relative to the object or imaging the object in a different view, a new 2D image stack for the view can be captured. The focal plane position can be changed by at least one focusing element (e.g., moving the focusing lens). The scanning device is typically moved and angled during the scanning session so that at least some of the sub-scan groups overlap at least partially so that they can be stitched in post-processing. The result of the stitching is a digital 3D representation of a surface that is larger than the surface that can be captured by a single sub-scan, i.e., a digital 3D representation that is larger than the field of view of the 3D scanning device. Stitching, also known as registration, works by identifying overlapping areas of the 3D surface in each sub-scan and converting the sub-scans to a common coordinate system so that the overlapping areas match, ultimately producing a digital 3D model. An iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm can be used for this purpose. Another example of a scanning device is a triangulation scanner, in which a time-varying pattern is projected onto a dental object, and a sequence of images of different pattern configurations is acquired by one or more cameras at an angle relative to the projector unit.

[0122] The scanning device includes one or more light projectors configured to generate an illumination pattern to be projected onto a three-dimensional dental object during scanning. The (one or more) light projectors preferably include a light source, a mask having a spatial pattern, and one or more lenses, such as a collimating lens or a projection lens. The light source can be configured to generate light of a single wavelength or a combination of wavelengths (monochromatic or polychromatic). The wavelength combination can be generated by using a light source configured to generate light containing different wavelengths (e.g., white light). Alternatively, the (one or more) light projectors may include multiple light sources, such as LEDs, which individually generate light of different wavelengths (e.g., red, green, and blue), which can be combined to form light containing different wavelengths. Therefore, the light generated by the light source can be defined by a range of different wavelengths that define a wavelength of a specific color or a range of different wavelengths that define a color combination (e.g., white light). In an embodiment, the scanning device includes a light source configured to excite a fluorescent material of a tooth to obtain fluorescent data from a dental object. Such a light source can be configured to generate a narrow range of wavelengths. In another embodiment, the light from the light source is infrared (IR) light, which is able to penetrate dental tissue. The (one or more) light projectors can be DLP projectors that use a micromirror array to generate a time-varying pattern, or a diffractive optical element (DOF), or a back-illuminated mask projector, in which a light source is placed behind a mask having a spatial pattern so that the light projected onto the surface of the dental object is patterned. The back-illuminated mask projector may include a collimating lens for collimating the light from the light source, the collimating lens being placed between the light source and the mask. The mask may have a checkerboard pattern so that the generated illumination pattern is a checkerboard pattern. Alternatively, the mask may have other patterns, such as lines or dots, etc.

[0123] The scanning device preferably also includes an optical element for directing light from the light source to the surface of the dental object. The specific arrangement of the optical element depends on whether the scanning device is a focused scanning device, a scanning device using triangulation, or any other type of scanning device. The same applicant further describes a focused scanning device in EP2442720B1, which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

[0124] Using optical elements of the scanning device, light reflected from the dental object in response to illumination of the dental object is directed toward (one or more) image sensors. The (one or more) image sensors are configured to generate multiple images based on the incoming light received from the illuminated dental object. The image sensor can be a high-speed image sensor, such as an image sensor configured to acquire images with an exposure time of less than 1 / 1000 second or a frame rate exceeding 250 frames per second (fps). As an example, the image sensor can be a rolling shutter (CCD) or a global shutter sensor (CMOS). The (one or more) image sensor can be a monochrome sensor, including a color filter array (e.g., a Bayer filter) and / or additional filters that can be configured to substantially remove one or more color components from the reflected light before converting the reflected light into an electrical signal, and retain only other unremoved components. For example, such additional filters can be used to remove a portion of the white light spectrum (e.g., a blue component) and retain only red and green components in the signal generated in response to exciting the fluorescent material of the tooth.

[0125] The network unit may be configured to connect the dental scanning system to a network including a plurality of network elements, the plurality of network elements including at least one network element configured to receive the processed data. The network unit may include a wireless network unit or a wired network unit. The wireless network unit is configured to wirelessly connect the dental scanning system to a network including a plurality of network elements, the plurality of network elements including at least one network element configured to receive the processed data. The wired network unit is configured to establish a wired connection between the dental scanning system and a network including a plurality of network elements, the plurality of network elements including at least one network element configured to receive the processed data.

[0126] The dental scanning system preferably also includes a processor configured to generate scan data (e.g., intraoral scan data) by processing a two-dimensional (2D) image acquired by the scanning device. The processor may be part of the scanning device. As an example, the processor may include a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and / or an advanced RISC machine (ARM) processor located on the scanning device. The scan data includes information related to a three-dimensional dental object. The scan data may include any of the following: a 2D image, a 3D point cloud, depth data, texture data, intensity data, color data, and / or a combination thereof. For example, the scan data may include one or more point clouds, each of which includes a set of 3D points describing a three-dimensional dental object. As another example, the scan data may include images, each of which includes image data, such as image data described by image coordinates and a timestamp (x, y, t), wherein depth information may be inferred from the timestamp. The (one or more) image sensors of the scanning device may acquire multiple original 2D images of the dental object in response to irradiating the dental object using one or more light projectors. Multiple original 2D images may also be referred to herein as 2D image stacks. The 2D images may then be provided as input to the processor, which processes the 2D images to generate scan data. The processing of 2D images may include a step of determining which part of each 2D image is in focus in order to infer / generate depth information from the image. The depth information may be used to generate a 3D point cloud, which includes a group of 3D points in space, for example, described by Cartesian coordinates (x, y, z). The 3D point cloud may be generated by the processor or other processing unit. Each 2D / 3D point may also include a timestamp indicating the recording time of the 2D / 3D point, that is, which image in the 2D image stack the point originated from. The timestamp is associated with the z coordinate of the 3D point, that is, the z coordinate may be inferred from the timestamp. Therefore, the output of the processor is scan data, and the scan data may include image data and / or depth data, for example, described by image coordinates and timestamps (x, y, t) or alternatively described as (x, y, z). In addition to the scan data, the scanning device may be configured to transmit other types of data. Examples of data include 3D information, texture information such as infrared (IR) images, fluorescent images, reflective color images, X-ray images, and / or combinations thereof.

[0127] Figure 1A and 1BAn intraoral scanner 1 is shown, which includes a projector unit 2, an image sensor 3, a processing unit 4, a wireless interface 5 including an antenna 6, and a housing 7, which in this example houses all of the above-mentioned components of the intraoral scanner. The projector unit 2 is configured to emit light at least onto a dental object 10 of a patient, and the image sensor 3 is configured to acquire reflected light at least from the dental object 10. The wireless interface is configured to wirelessly communicate 15 with an external device, and in these present examples, the housing 7 houses the projector unit 2, the image sensor 3, the wireless interface 5, the antenna 6, and the processing unit 4. The housing includes a first end 8A and a second end 8B. The projector unit 2 and the image sensor 3 are arranged closer to the first end 8A than to the second end 8B, and the antenna 6 of the wireless interface 5 is arranged closer to the second end 8B than to the first end 8A. Figure 1A In the embodiment, the projector unit 2 and the image sensor 3 are arranged in the main body of the housing 7, and wherein Figure 1B An example is shown in which the projector 2 unit and the image sensor 3 are arranged in the end of the housing 7.

[0128] The outer surface of the housing 7 includes a user interface 8. In this example, the user interface includes a single button. In other examples, the user interface 8 may include multiple buttons, a touch-sensitive area, or any device configured to interact with a scanner user to control the scanner 1. In this example, the antenna 6 is arranged on a first side of the user interface 8, opposite to a second side of the user interface 8, where light is emitted to the outside of the housing at the second side of the user interface 8.

[0129] The operating frequency of the antenna is between 2.4 GHz and 8 GHz or between 2.4 GHz and 60 GHz. The antenna type is a monopole antenna, a dipole antenna, an IFA antenna or a PIFA antenna.

[0130] The intraoral scanner 1 is configured to be held by a single hand 20, and in order to ensure that the hand 20 does not cover the antenna when positioned on the housing and close to the user interface, it is important to design the scanner housing to have a certain distance 21 between the antenna and the user interface. The distance between the user interface and the distal end of the antenna arranged closest to the second end of the housing should be in the range of 8 cm to 20 cm, 9 cm to 16 cm, 10 cm to 15 cm, 11 cm to 14 cm, about 8 cm, about 9 cm, about 10 cm, about 11 cm, about 12 cm, about 13 cm, about 14 cm, about 15 cm, or about 16 cm.

[0131] Figure 3A and 3BThe intraoral scanner 1 is shown from the side. In these examples, the intraoral scanner 1 includes a battery pack unit 30, the battery pack unit 30 includes a first battery terminal 30A and a second battery terminal 30B, and the first battery terminal 30A is configured to be arranged closest to the first end 8A of the housing, and the radiating portion of the antenna 6 is arranged closest to the second battery terminal. The battery pack unit 30 may include a battery processor for controlling the battery and an LED arranged on a surface of the battery pack unit 30. Figure 3A In the embodiment, the battery pack unit extends outside the housing 7. Figure 3B In the embodiment, the battery pack unit 30 does not extend outside the housing 7 .

[0132] Figure 4A and 4B The intraoral scanner 1 is shown from two different angles. Figure 4A The intraoral scanner 1 is shown from the top, Figure 4B The intraoral scanner 1 is shown from the side. In both figures, the antenna 6 includes a first sub-antenna portion 6A and a second sub-antenna portion 6B. The first sub-antenna portion 6A is arranged on a first side of the housing 7, and the second sub-antenna portion 6B is arranged on a second side of the housing 7. The two sub-antennas (6A, 6B) may be symmetrically arranged within the housing 7. In this specific example, the scanner 1 includes a battery pack unit 30, and wherein the first sub-antenna portion 6A is arranged on a first side of the battery pack unit 30, and the second sub-antenna portion 6B is arranged on a second side of the battery pack unit 30. The housing 7 includes a central longitudinal axis 40, and wherein the first sub-antenna portion 6A is arranged on a first side of the central longitudinal axis 40, and the second sub-antenna portion 6B is arranged on a second side of the central longitudinal axis 40. Figure 4A In the example, the sub-antennas are arranged symmetrically around the longitudinal axis in the horizontal direction, while in Figure 4B In the embodiment, the sub-antennas are arranged symmetrically around the longitudinal axis in the vertical direction. Both solutions provide symmetrical antenna coverage in any direction relative to the scanner. This minimizes the possibility of so-called "dead zones" in the antenna coverage, in which the wireless communication quality is not suitable for real-time transmission of 2D and / or 3D data. The first sub-antenna portion 6A and the second sub-antenna portion 6B include distal radiating ends (41A, 41B), and the physical length between the distal radiating ends is between 1 cm and 24 cm. The first sub-antenna portion 6A and the second sub-antenna portion 6B include the same type of antenna. The antenna type is a monopole antenna, a dipole antenna, an IFA antenna or a PIFA antenna.

[0133] Figure 5A , 5B, 5C and 5D show an example of a multi-chip assembly 50, which includes embedded chip components 57, such as a power management chip 57, a processor chip 57 and a wireless interface chip 57, i.e., a wireless interface. The intraoral scanner 1 includes a multi-chip assembly 50. The multi-chip assembly 50 includes a first layer 51 having a surface, a spacer layer 53 configured to accommodate one or more of a plurality of integrated circuit chips 57 as one or more embedded chips, a ground layer 54 located below the first layer 51 and the spacer layer 53, and a first shielding layer 52 located between the spacer layer 53 and the first layer 51.

[0134] The processor chip 57 is configured to process the intraoral scan data of the patient and provide 2D image data and / or 3D image data. The wireless interface chip 57 is configured to transmit the 2D image data and / or 3D image data to an external device. In addition, the wireless interface chip 57 is configured to transmit settings, data, etc. The multi-chip assembly 50 can be arranged in the intraoral scanner 1 so that the first shielding layer is arranged between the battery and the antenna, or between the EM noise component of the intraoral scanner 1 and the antenna (6, 6A, 6B).

[0135] Figure 5B and 5C A through hole 59 is shown for allowing a surface chip component 56 applied to the first layer 51 to be connected to the ground layer 54. The surface chip component may be, for example, a power management chip, a processor chip, a wireless interface chip, a memory chip, etc. Figure 5B In the embodiment, the through hole 59 is arranged in the first layer 51, the shielding layer 52 and the spacer layer 53, and Figure 5C In the embodiment, through-holes 59 are provided in the first layer 51, the shielding layer 52, the spacer layer 53 and the insulating layer 55. The through-holes 59 may be located in additional layers, such as the second layer and the third layer. Figure 5D An antenna 6 is shown mounted on the first surface 51, and a through hole 59 that allows the antenna 6 to be connected to the transceiver of the wireless interface chip 56. For example, a wire may pass through the through hole 59 to connect the antenna to the transceiver. Figure 5E An intraoral scanner 1 is shown comprising a multi-chip assembly 50. In this example, the assembly 50 is arranged at the second end of the housing 7.

[0136] Figure 6 A top view of a multi-chip assembly 50 is shown, and the multi-chip assembly 50 includes at least two surface components 56 and a plurality of through-vias 59 arranged around each surface component 56 .

[0137] Fig. 7A and 7B Different examples are shown in which the antenna 6 is arranged in the battery pack unit 30. The transceiver 5 of the wireless interface 5 is arranged in the housing 7 or the battery pack unit 30, but in this example, the transceiver 5 is arranged in the battery pack unit 30. Fig. 7AIn the embodiment, the antenna 6 is separated from the battery 70, and in Figure 7B In the examples, the antenna 6 is a battery 70 or a battery unit 70. In both examples, the battery pack unit 30 is configured for electromagnetic field transmission and electromagnetic field reception. The battery pack unit 30 is also configured to oscillate at a frequency controlled by a circuit. The battery pack unit 30 is configured to be attachably connected to the scanner 1, and the battery 70 within the battery pack unit 30 is rechargeable. The advantage of arranging the antenna 6 within the battery pack unit 30 is that the antenna 6 can be easily replaced if the antenna is defective. In addition, it is also easier to change the antenna 6 to a different type of antenna, such as changing from a WIFI-configured antenna to a 60GHz-configured antenna, or from a WIFI-configured antenna to a Bluetooth-configured antenna.

[0138] Although some embodiments have been described and shown in detail, the present disclosure is not limited to such details, but can also be implemented in other ways within the scope of the subject matter defined in the appended claims. In particular, it should be understood that other embodiments can be utilized and structural and functional modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0139] Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described herein for specific embodiments. However, benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any (one or more) parts / (one or more) units that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to appear or become more significant should not be interpreted as key, essential, or necessary features or parts / elements of any or all claims or the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims, wherein, unless explicitly stated, references to singular parts / units / elements are not intended to mean "one and only one", but "one or more". A claim can refer to any of the preceding claims, and "any" is understood to mean "any one or more" in the preceding claims.

[0140] Structural features of the apparatus described above in the detailed description and / or in the claims can be combined with steps of the method when appropriately replaced by corresponding processes.

[0141] As used, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well (i.e., have the meaning of "at least one"), unless expressly stated otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms "includes", "comprises", "including", and / or "comprising", when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts, and / or combinations thereof. It will also be understood that, unless expressly stated otherwise, when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, the element may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, but there may also be intermediate elements. In addition, "connected" or "coupled" as used herein may include wireless connections or couplings. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the steps of any disclosed method are not limited to the exact order described herein.

[0142] It should be understood that throughout this specification, references to "one embodiment" or "embodiment" or "aspect" or features included as "possible" mean that the specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with this embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. In addition, in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the specific features, structures or characteristics may be appropriately combined. The previous description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be apparent to those skilled in the art and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects.

[0143] The claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the claim language, wherein, unless otherwise specifically stated, elements referred to in the singular are not intended to mean "one and only one," but rather "one or more." Unless expressly stated otherwise, the term "some" refers to one or more.

Claims

1. An intraoral scanner, comprising: a projector unit configured to emit light at least onto a dental object of a patient; an image sensor configured to acquire at least reflected light from the dental object; a wireless interface configured to communicate with an external device, and a housing accommodating the projector unit and the image sensor, and wherein the housing comprises a first end and a second end, and the projector unit and the image sensor are arranged closer to the first end, and an antenna of the wireless interface is arranged closer to the second end, and wherein the antenna is arranged within the housing, and During scanning of the patient's oral cavity, the first end is located in the oral cavity, and the second end is not located in the oral cavity.

2. The intraoral scanner according to claim 1, wherein: The housing comprises an outer surface comprising a user interface, and wherein the antenna is arranged on a first side of the user interface, the first side being opposite to a second side of the user interface, at which second side of the user interface light is emitted to the outside of the housing.

3. The intraoral scanner according to claim 2, wherein: The distance between the user interface and the distal end of the antenna arranged closest to the second end of the housing is in the range of 8cm to 20cm, 9cm to 16cm, 10cm to 15cm, 11cm to 14cm, or about 8cm, about 9cm, about 10cm, about 11cm, about 12cm, about 13cm, about 14cm, about 15cm or about 16cm.

4. The intraoral scanner according to any one of the preceding claims, comprises a battery pack unit, the battery pack unit comprising a first battery terminal and a second battery terminal, and the first battery terminal is configured to be arranged closest to the first end of the housing, and the radiating portion of the antenna is arranged closest to the second battery terminal.

5. The intraoral scanner according to claim 4, wherein: The battery processor of the battery pack unit is arranged closest to the first battery terminal.

6. An intraoral scanner according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The antenna includes a first sub-antenna portion and a second sub-antenna portion, and wherein the first sub-antenna portion is arranged at a first side of the housing and the second sub-antenna portion is arranged at a second side of the housing.

7. The intraoral scanner according to claims 4 and 6, wherein: The first sub-antenna portion is disposed at a first side of the battery pack unit, and the second sub-antenna portion is disposed at a second side of the battery pack unit.

8. The intraoral scanner according to claim 6, wherein: The housing comprises a central longitudinal axis, and wherein the first sub-antenna portion is arranged on a first side of the central longitudinal axis and the second sub-antenna portion is arranged on a second side of the central longitudinal axis.

9. The intraoral scanner according to claim 8, wherein: The first sub-antenna portion and the second sub-antenna portion are symmetrically arranged around the central longitudinal axis.

10. The intraoral scanner according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein: The electrical lengths of the first sub-antenna portion and the second sub-antenna portion are between 1 / 16λ and λ.

11. The intraoral scanner according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein: The physical lengths of the first sub-antenna portion and the second sub-antenna portion are between 0.5 cm and 12.5 cm.

12. An intraoral scanner according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The antenna operates at a frequency between 2.4 GHz and 8 GHz.

13. The intraoral scanner according to any one of claims 6 to 12, wherein: The first sub-antenna portion and the second sub-antenna portion include distal radiating ends, and a physical length between the distal radiating ends is between 1 cm and 24 cm.

14. The intraoral scanner according to any one of claims 6 to 13, wherein: The first sub-antenna portion and the second sub-antenna portion include antennas of the same type.

15. The intraoral scanner according to claim 14, wherein: The antenna type is a monopole antenna, a dipole antenna, an IFA antenna, or a PIFA antenna.

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