Sanitary-implemented intraoral scanning device with LEDs

Abstract

According to an embodiment, an intraoral scanning device is disclosed. The intraoral scanning apparatus may include: a processing unit configured to process intraoral scanning data of a patient and provide 2D image data and / or 3D image data; a wireless interface configured to transmit 2D image data and / or 3D image data; a battery configured to at least supply power to the processing unit and the wireless interface; and a housing configured to accommodate at least the processing unit, the wireless interface, and at least partially accommodate the battery. The intraoral scanning device may also include a plurality of LEDs housed by the housing. The plurality of LEDs may be configured to emit light through a transparent portion of the housing made of a material configured to emit light through the material. The emitted light may indicate the status of the battery and / or the wireless interface, and / or indicate the mode of the intraoral scanning device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a hygienic implementation of a status LED in an intraoral scanning device. Background Art

[0002] In dentistry, it is vital that medical devices comply with national and international health standards to ensure patient safety and ensure the safe use of the device.

[0003] This generally means that medical devices in close proximity to the patient have surfaces that minimize the risk of contamination. Surfaces with cavities, even relatively small cavities such as grooves, can allow fluids from the patient (such as saliva and blood) to reach these cavities and potentially allow bacteria to grow therein and cause contamination.

[0004] Cavities and grooves in the surface of a medical device will complicate the process of cleaning the device, thereby causing further risk of spreading bacteria to other patients.Such grooves are often present in the housing or casing of a medical device, particularly where different parts of the housing or casing meet. Summary of the invention

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is to improve the hygiene of an intra-oral scanning device and reduce the risk of contamination of the surface of the housing of the intra-oral scanning device.

[0006] According to this aspect, an intraoral scanning device is disclosed. The intraoral scanning device may include: a processing unit configured to process intraoral scanning data of a patient and provide 2D image data and / or 3D image data; a wireless interface configured to transmit the 2D image data and / or 3D image data; a battery configured to at least power the processing unit and the wireless interface; and a housing configured to at least accommodate the processing unit, the wireless interface, and at least partially accommodate the battery.

[0007] The intraoral scanning device may further include a plurality of LEDs housed by the housing. The plurality of LEDs may be configured to emit light through a transparent portion of the housing, the transparent portion of the housing being made of a material configured to emit light through the material. The emitted light may indicate the status of the battery and / or the wireless interface, and / or indicate a mode of the intraoral scanning device.

[0008] The transparent portion that allows the emitted light to penetrate the housing results in an implementation in which the plurality of LEDs are not arranged on the housing or in grooves of the housing, resulting in a smooth outer surface of the housing that is easy to clean. If the plurality of LEDs are arranged on the housing, dirt will gather at the surface of each of the plurality of LEDs or at the surface of the structure including the plurality of LEDs. Placing the plurality of LEDs on the housing creates corners that are difficult to clean. In other cases where the housing includes one or more grooves for the plurality of LEDs, dirt will enter the one or more grooves and, unfortunately, will most of the time be trapped between the housing and each of the plurality of LEDs in the one or more grooves.

[0009] The material of the transparent portion can be configured to diffuse the emitted light passing through the material. Diffusion provides a more aesthetically pleasing appearance and visual effect, making it more comfortable to look at. If the emitted light is not diffused, the light pattern of one or more of the plurality of LEDs may interfere with the eyes of the user of the intraoral scanning device or the patient being scanned.

[0010] Diffusion of the emitted light from the multiple LEDs occurs within the plastic shell of the transparent portion, where the light is scattered until it eventually reaches the transparent coating. The diffusion of the emitted light will appear as a uniform light pattern.

[0011] The LEDs are arranged with a certain distance between each LED and a certain distance between each LED and the inner surface of the housing so that optimal diffusion of the emitted light will occur without hot spots where the light pattern from a single LED can be seen.

[0012] The transparent portion of the housing may be made of at least a single-layer coating structure, and at least another portion of the housing may be made of a multi-layer coating structure, and wherein the outer layer of the multi-layer coating and the single-layer coating structure comprise the same material. The outer layer of the multi-layer coating corresponds to the outer layer of the housing. The single-layer coating structure corresponds to the outer layer of the housing. During the coating process of the housing, the outer layers of the single-layer coating structure and the multi-layer coating structure are applied to the housing in a single coating process. The housing may include a plastic shell on which the coating is applied.

[0013] The housing may include a plastic shell, and the plastic shell is then coated with a multi-layer coating structure and a single-layer coating structure.

[0014] The shell can be made of milky white polycarbonate and then coated with a single-layer coating structure and a multi-layer coating structure. The multi-layer coating structure includes the following layers:

[0015] a first layer, including a base coating that minimizes light entering the second layer,

[0016] The second layer, including the colored layer, and

[0017] · The third layer includes a clear coat.

[0018] The single-layer coating structure may include a clear coating layer. The clear coating layers of the single-layer coating structure and the multi-layer coating structure may be the same.

[0019] The clear coat of both the single-coat structure and the multi-coat structure can be applied simultaneously in a single coating process.

[0020] The first layer may include at least white and / or silver particles for scattering light that penetrates the plastic shell away from the second layer.

[0021] By applying the outer layer of the single-layer coating structure and the multi-layer coating structure, a uniform outer surface of the housing can be achieved, from which dirt can be easily removed.

[0022] An outer surface of the transparent portion may be generally aligned with an outer surface of at least another portion of the housing.

[0023] A plurality of LEDs may be arranged circumferentially of the housing. In other words, a plurality of LEDs are arranged circumferentially relative to the inner surface of the housing or the plastic shell of the housing. A plurality of LEDs may be arranged on an annular structure connected to an internal module including electronic devices and / or optical devices of an intraoral scanning device. The annular structure may surround the internal module and follow the inner surface of the housing. A plurality of LEDs may be arranged so that each LED has approximately the same distance from the inner surface of the housing. The annular structure may be a printed circuit board. The annular structure may include a groove in which a plurality of LEDs may be arranged. The sidewalls of the groove may include a light blocker configured to block emitted light from a plurality of LEDs from emitting from the side. Thus, the emitted light is focused upward and toward the outer surface (i.e., the transparent coating layer) of the housing.

[0024] Each of the plurality of LEDs may have an illumination axis penetrating the inner surface of the housing at an angle. The angle between the inner surface and the illumination axis may be between 45 degrees and 90 degrees.

[0025] The plurality of LEDs include at least three different color spectra, such as white, blue or green. The colors may be any color suitable for the purpose of the plurality of LEDs.

[0026] The processing unit may be configured to generate at least one control signal to control power delivered to one or more of the plurality of LEDs.

[0027] The processing unit may include one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to process the intra-oral scan data and control the plurality of LEDs.

[0028] The processing unit may also be configured to vary at least one control signal over time such that the plurality of LEDs emit at least one static or dynamic lighting effect.

[0029] The processing unit may be configured to receive at least one control signal from the wireless interface, and wherein the at least one control signal comprises information about a state of the wireless interface. The state of the wireless interface may be one or more of the following:

[0030] Connecting state, indicating that the wireless interface is connecting to an external device,

[0031] Connection status, indicating that the wireless interface is connected to an external device, and

[0032] A connection failure state indicates that the wireless interface has failed to connect to the external device.

[0033] For example, when the state is "connecting state", multiple LEDs provide a rotating dynamic lighting effect with a single spectral color. For example, each of the multiple LEDs flashes so that the rotating appearance of the emitted light is visualized. The single color can be blue, green, or white. In another example, when the state is "connecting state", multiple LEDs emit light so that the emitted light from the multiple LEDs appears to be solid or constant. In yet another example, when the state may be "connection failed", multiple LEDs flash so that the static appearance of the emitted light is visualized. The flashing of the LED can occur at least three times. A vibrator can be arranged in the intraoral scanner, and when the state is "connection failed", the vibrator can be activated together with the flashing of the LED.

[0034] The processing unit may receive at least one control signal from a power management unit of the intraoral scanning device, and the at least one control signal includes information about the battery status. The battery status may be a low battery status, indicating that the battery should be recharged or replaced with a new battery. In one example, when the status may be "connection failed", multiple LEDs flash so that a static appearance of emitted light is visualized. The flashing of the LEDs may occur at least three times. The flashing in this example may be a different color from the flashing in the example where the status is "connection failed". A vibrator may be arranged in the intraoral scanner, and when the status is "connection failed", the vibrator may be activated together with the flashing of the LEDs.

[0035] The processing unit may be configured to receive at least one control signal from a processing unit and / or a power management unit of the intraoral scanning device, and the at least one control signal includes information about a mode of the intraoral scanning device. The mode of the intraoral scanning device may be one or more of the following:

[0036] Idle mode, indicating that the intraoral scanner is ready to perform a scan,

[0037] Sleep mode, which instructs the intraoral scanner to operate at a lower power consumption than idle mode,

[0038] Start scanning mode, indicating that the intraoral scanner is beginning a scanning session,

[0039] Scanning mode, indicating that the intraoral scanning device is in a scanning session, and

[0040] • Registration lost mode, indicating that the intra-oral scanning device has failed to process intra-oral scan data captured by the image sensor of the intra-oral scanning device.

[0041] A plurality of LEDs may be arranged near a tip cover of an intraoral scanning device. The tip cover is configured to be detachably mounted on the intraoral scanning device for protecting a scanner tip of the intraoral scanning device. The scanner tip is configured to direct light transmitted from a projector unit onto a dental object. When the tip cover is mounted on the scanner tip, the emitted light may pass through a window made of glass. A plurality of LEDs may be arranged between the scanner tip and a button interface of the intraoral scanning device. In any arrangement of the plurality of LEDs, a clear and undisturbed view of the plurality of LEDs may be achieved during use of the intraoral scanning device.

[0042] According to this aspect, an intraoral scanning device is disclosed. The intraoral scanning device may be configured to acquire intraoral scanning data from a three-dimensional dental object during a scanning session. The intraoral scanning device may include a processing unit, which may be configured to process the intraoral scanning data of the patient and provide 2D image data and / or 3D image data. The intraoral scanning device may also include a memory. The intraoral scanning device may also include a wireless interface, which may be configured to transmit the 2D image data and / or the 3D image data. The intraoral scanning device may also include a plurality of LEDs. The intraoral scanning device may also include a battery, which is configured to power at least the processing unit, the wireless interface, and the plurality of LEDs. The intraoral scanning device may also include a housing, which may be configured to enclose the processing unit, the memory, the wireless interface, the plurality of LEDs, and at least partially enclose the battery. The housing may be made of a material configured to diffuse LED light passing through the material. A portion of the housing may include a coating, which is configured to block the propagation of the LED light.

[0043] According to this aspect, an intraoral scanning device is disclosed. The intraoral scanning device may be configured to acquire intraoral scanning data from a three-dimensional dental object during a scanning session. The intraoral scanning device may include a processing unit, which may be configured to process the intraoral scanning data of the patient and provide 2D image data and / or 3D image data. The intraoral scanning device may also include a memory. The intraoral scanning device may also include a wireless interface, which may be configured to transmit the 2D image data and / or the 3D image data. The intraoral scanning device may also include a plurality of LEDs. The intraoral scanning device may also include a battery, which is configured to power at least the processing unit, the wireless interface, and the plurality of LEDs. The intraoral scanning device may also include a housing, which may be configured to enclose the processing unit, the memory, the wireless interface, the plurality of LEDs, and at least partially enclose the battery. The housing may be made of a material configured to scatter LED light passing through the material. A portion of the housing may include a coating, which is configured to block the propagation of the LED light.

[0044] According to this aspect, an intraoral scanning device is disclosed. The intraoral scanning device may be configured to acquire intraoral scanning data from a three-dimensional dental object during a scanning session. The intraoral scanning device may include a processing unit, which may be configured to process the intraoral scanning data of the patient and provide 2D image data and / or 3D image data. The intraoral scanning device may also include a memory. The intraoral scanning device may also include a wireless interface, which may be configured to transmit the 2D image data and / or the 3D image data. The intraoral scanning device may also include a plurality of LEDs. The intraoral scanning device may also include a battery, which is configured to power at least the processing unit, the wireless interface, and the plurality of LEDs. The intraoral scanning device may also include a housing, which may be configured to enclose the processing unit, the memory, the wireless interface, the plurality of LEDs, and at least partially enclose the battery. The housing may be made of a material configured to evenly distribute the LED light passing through the material. A portion of the housing may include a coating, which is configured to block the propagation of the LED light.

[0045] The coating may be a painting configured to prevent LED light from passing through the painting.

[0046] The plurality of LEDs may also be enclosed by a portion of the housing that does not include a coating or paint.

[0047] Multiple LEDs may also be arranged beneath portions of the housing that do not include a coating or paint.

[0048] Multiple LEDs may also be configured to emit light at different colors and wavelengths, and may also be configured to flash in different patterns, such as by reducing, boosting, or completely cutting off power to some or all of the LEDs.

[0049] The plurality of LEDs may be configured to emit light at a certain color and / or wavelength and / or pattern in response to a received control signal.

[0050] The control signal may be generated based on the state or mode of the intraoral scanning device or based on user input, as will be further described in the Summary of the Invention section.

[0051] The housing may be manufactured by injection molding a hollow shell with a polycarbonate material. The polycarbonate material may be configured to diffuse light passing through the material. The polycarbonate may be white polycarbonate.

[0052] The transparent portion of the housing can be created by covering a portion of the outer surface of the housing and applying a coating on another portion of the outer surface of the housing. The coating can be a paint that is configured to prevent light from passing through the paint, such as a mix of white and silver paints. Covering a portion of the housing results in that particular portion not being covered by the coating, thereby allowing light to pass through that particular portion of the housing, and the particular portion can therefore remain transparent.

[0053] The housing may also be coated with a second coating, which may be applied on top of the outer surface of the housing, on the transparent portion of the housing, and on another portion of the housing. The second coating may be configured to level the surface of the housing and fill spaces that may exist due to height differences between the transparent portion of the housing and another portion of the housing. Leveling the height differences on the outer surface of the housing may make the surface smoother and may reduce edges and / or grooves, thereby reducing the risk of bacteria gathering at these edges and / or grooves, which may result in a more hygienic housing.

[0054] The intraoral scanning device may further include a user interface, which may be adapted to receive user input to control the operation of the processing unit so as to change the color formed by the combination of at least three different color spectra. The user interface may be part of a user interface configured to control the scanning operation of the intraoral scanning device, or may be a separate user interface, which may be dedicated to receiving user input to control the operation of the processing unit so as to change the color, such as a touch panel near the transparent area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] Various aspects of the present disclosure may be best understood from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings 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 identical 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 drawings described below, in which:

[0056] Figure 1 An intra-oral scanning device including a housing housing a plurality of LEDs is shown;

[0057] Figure 2 An intra-oral scanning device comprising a transparent portion of a housing covering a plurality of LEDs is shown;

[0058] Figure 3 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of the housing and schematically shows the scattering of LED light within the side walls of the housing;

[0059] Figure 4A and 4B Schematically showing a plurality of LEDs distributed circumferentially along the inner surface of the housing;

[0060] Figure 5 An intra-oral scanning device including a housing housing a plurality of LEDs is shown;

[0061] Figure 6 The light guiding path in the housing is shown;

[0062] Figure 7 An intra-oral scanning device including a power management unit according to one aspect is shown;

[0063] Figure 8 schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of a housing and schematically illustrates scattering of LED light within a side wall of the housing according to one aspect; and

[0064] Fig. 9 A table is shown summarizing examples of control signals from the wireless interface and the power management unit and the resulting visual effects performed by the plurality of LEDs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] 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 can be implemented using electronic hardware, computer programs, or any combination thereof.

[0066] 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.

[0067] Scanning can be performed by a dental scanning system to provide extraoral scan data and / or intraoral scan data, which dental scanning system may include an intraoral scanning device, such as a TRIOS series scanner from 3Shape A / S or a laboratory-based scanner such as an E 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 scanning principles 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 is operated by projecting a pattern and translating a focal plane along the 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 and is able to obtain surface information. 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 a stack of 2D images (also referred to herein as sub-scans) 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 stack of 2D images for the view can be captured. The focal plane position can be changed by at least one focusing element (e.g., moving a focusing lens). The scanning device is typically moved and angled relative to the dentition during a scanning session so that at least some of the sub-scan groups at least partially overlap, so that a digital dental 3D model can be reconstructed by stitching together overlapping sub-scans in real time and the progress of the virtual 3D model can be displayed on a display as feedback to the user. 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 and fusion, works by identifying overlapping areas of the 3D surface in the individual sub-scans and transforming 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, where a time-varying pattern is projected onto the 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.

[0068] The color texture of a dental object can be acquired by illuminating the object with different monochromatic lights (eg separate red, green and blue) or by illuminating the object with polychromatic light (eg white light).A two-dimensional image can be acquired during a white light flash.

[0069] Typically, the process of obtaining surface information of a dental object to be scanned in real time requires a scanning device to illuminate the surface and acquire a large number of two-dimensional images. Typically, a high-speed camera is used with a frame rate of 300-2000 two-dimensional frames per second, depending on the technology and the two-dimensional image resolution. The scanning device needs to process a large amount of image data to directly forward the raw image data stream to an external processing device or perform some image processing before transmitting the data to an external device or display. This process requires multiple electronic components within the scanner to operate at a high load, and therefore requires a high current demand.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] The dental scanning system preferably also includes a processor configured to generate scan data (e.g., extraoral scan data and / or 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 can 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 as 2D image stacks herein. The 2D images can then be provided as input to a processor, which processes the 2D images to generate scan data. The processing of the 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 can 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 can be generated by the processor or other processing units. 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 related to the z coordinate of the 3D point, that is, the z coordinate can 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 can be configured to transmit other types of data. Examples of data include 3D information, texture information such as infrared (IR) images, fluorescent images, reflectance color images, X-ray images, and / or combinations thereof.

[0075] Figure 1An intraoral scanning device 10 for acquiring intraoral scan data from a three-dimensional dental object during a scanning session is shown. The intraoral scanning device 10 includes a processing unit 2 configured to process intraoral scan data of a patient and provide 2D image data and / or 3D image data, a wireless interface 4 configured to transmit the 2D image data and / or 3D image data; a battery 5 configured to power at least the processing unit 2 and the wireless interface 4; and a housing 1 configured to accommodate at least the processing unit 2, the wireless interface 4, and at least partially accommodate the battery 5. The housing 1 also includes a plurality of LEDs 3, and the plurality of LEDs 3 are configured to emit light through a transparent portion 6 of the housing 1, the transparent portion 6 being made of a material configured to emit light passing through the material, and wherein the emitted light indicates the status of the battery 5 and / or the wireless interface 4, and / or indicates the mode of the intraoral scanning device 10.

[0076] In another example, Figure 1 An intraoral scanning device 10 according to one aspect of the present disclosure is shown, which is used to acquire intraoral scanning data from a three-dimensional dental object during a scanning session. The intraoral scanning device 10 includes a processing unit 2, which is configured to process the patient's intraoral scanning data and provide 2D image data and / or 3D image data; a memory; a wireless interface 4, which is configured to transmit the 2D image data and / or 3D image data; a plurality of LEDs 3; a battery 5, which is configured to power at least the processing unit 2, the wireless interface 4 and the plurality of LEDs 3. The intraoral scanning device 10 also includes a housing 1, which is configured to enclose the processing unit 2, the memory, the wireless interface 4, the plurality of LEDs 3 and at least partially enclose the battery 5. The housing 1 can be made of a material configured to diffuse the LED light passing through the material, scatter the LED light passing through the material and / or evenly distribute the LED light passing through the material. A portion 20 of the housing 1 may include a coating 51 (such as Figure 8 As shown), which is configured to block the propagation of LED light. Figure 1 The intra-oral scanning device 10 is further illustrated, wherein a transparent portion 6 of the housing 1 covering the plurality of LEDs 3 is shown.

[0077] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 An intraoral scanning device (10) is shown, wherein a transparent portion (6) of the housing covering a plurality of LEDs (3) is shown.

[0078] Figure 3An example of a housing 1 is shown, which includes a plastic shell 60 made of a polycarbonate material, which is configured to scatter light 31 passing through the material, thereby diffusing the emitted light 30 from the plurality of LEDs 3. The transparent portion 6 of the housing 1 includes a single-layer coating structure 40, which includes a transparent coating layer directly disposed on the polycarbonate material 60. In another portion 20 of the housing 1, a multi-layer coating structure 50 is applied. The multi-layer coating structure 50 includes at least a first layer 51, which includes at least white and silver particles; a second layer 52, which includes a colored layer; and a third layer 53, which is a transparent coating layer similar to the transparent coating layer 53 disposed on the housing 1 at the transparent portion 6. The second layer is applied by a coloring process.

[0079] Figure 4A and 4B A cross-sectional front view of a housing 1 is schematically shown, showing a plurality of LEDs 3 distributed circumferentially along the inner surface of the housing (1) and housed therein. In this example, the plurality of LEDs are arranged around an internal module 70, which may include the electronics and / or optical components of the intraoral scanning device. The plurality of LEDs are directly connected to a printed circuit board that is part of the internal module 70, see Figure 4A In another example, the printed circuit board can be a separate component attached to the outer surface of the internal module, see Figure 4B .

[0080] Figure 5 The intra-oral scanning device 10 is shown, which includes a sensor light blocker 62 arranged on a first side of the plurality of LEDs 3. The sensor light blocker 62 prevents the emission light from the plurality of LEDs 3 from being captured by the tip sensor 61.

[0081] Figure 6 An example of a housing 1 is shown, which includes a light guiding path 63 arranged in, for example, a plastic shell of the housing 1. In this example, a plurality of LEDs 3 are arranged outside the transparent portion 6. Then, the emitted light from the plurality of LEDs 3 is guided toward the transparent portion 6 via the light guiding path 63. Since the plurality of LEDs are arranged outside the transparent portion 6, the light guiding path 63 is L-shaped. In another example, since the plurality of LEDs are arranged inside the transparent portion 6, the light guiding path 63 can be vertically straight. In this example, the light guiding path 63 has the advantage of focusing the emitted light outward and toward the outer surface of the housing 1.

[0082] Figure 7The intraoral scanning device 10 is shown, which further includes a power management unit 7. The power management unit 7 may be software, a physical component, or a physical component controlled by software. The power management unit 7 may be configured to control the power supply to the wireless interface 4 and the plurality of LEDs 3. The power management unit 7 may be configured to receive a control signal from the processing unit 2, the control signal having information about the power supply to the wireless interface 4 and the plurality of LEDs 3. The power management unit 7 may be configured to send and receive control signals to and from the processing unit 2, the wireless interface 4, the battery 5, and the plurality of LEDs 3.

[0083] Figure 8 A portion of a cross section of a housing 1 covering one of a plurality of LEDs 3 is schematically shown. The one of a plurality of LEDs 3 is shown emitting light (indicated by arrows 30) toward the inner surface of a side wall 11 of the housing 1. The figure further shows the scattering of the emitted light from the one of a plurality of LEDs 3 inside the side wall 11 of the housing 1 (schematically shown by lines 31). Some of the scattered light 31 is shown to leave the outer surface of the side wall 11 of the housing 1 through a portion 20 of the housing 1 covered by a coating 51. It is shown that the coating 51 blocks a portion of the scattered light 31 from passing through the coating 51, so that the portion of the scattered light 31 will not be visible from the outside of the housing 1. The coating 51 can be a paint, such as a mixture of white and silver. Some of the scattered light 31 is shown to leave the outer surface of the side wall 11 of the housing 1 through a transparent portion 6 of the housing 1. The transparent portion 6 of the housing 1 is not covered by the coating 51, so the scattered light 31 will be visible from the outside of the housing 1 at the transparent portion 6 of the housing 1 as diffuse and evenly distributed light. The figure also shows that the transparent coating 53 covers the coating 51 at the portion 20 of the housing 1 covered by the coating 51 and covers the surface of the housing 1 at the transparent portion 6 of the housing 1. The transparent coating 53 is shown to level the height difference between the portion 20 of the housing covered by the coating 51 and the transparent portion 6 of the housing 1, so that there are no edges or grooves on the transparent coating 53. A layer of a second coating may be applied on top of the coating 51, such as Figure 3 As shown in 52 places.

[0084] Fig. 9 1 shows a table showing an overview of the control signals from the wireless interface 4 and the power management unit 7 and information about the connection status and the scanning mode, respectively. The power management unit 7 also provides information about the status of the battery 5. The figure shows that the wireless interface 4 sends a control signal to the processing unit 2, which control signal has information about the status of the wireless interface 4. The status of the wireless interface 4 can be one or more of the following:

[0085] "Connecting" state, indicating that the wireless interface 4 is connecting to an external device,

[0086] "Connected" status, indicating that the wireless interface 4 is connected to an external device, and

[0087] "Connection Failed" status, indicating that the wireless interface 4 has failed to connect to the external device.

[0088] The figure also shows an example of the resulting visual effect performed by the plurality of LEDs 3 as an indication of the current state. For example, when the state is the "connecting state", the plurality of LEDs 3 provide a rotating dynamic lighting effect with a single spectral color. For example, each of the plurality of LEDs 3 flashes so that the rotating appearance of the emitted light is visualized. The single color in this example is green, but it can be blue, green, white, or any other color. In another example, when the state is the "connected state", the plurality of LEDs 3 emit light so that the appearance of the emitted light from the plurality of LEDs 3 appears to be stable or constant in blue. In yet another example, when the state is the "failed to connect", the plurality of LEDs 3 flashes so that the dynamic appearance of the emitted light is visualized in red.

[0089] Fig. 9 It is also shown that the power management unit 7 of the intraoral scanning device 10 sends a control signal to the processing unit 2, which has information about the mode of the intraoral scanning device 10 and about the status of the battery 5. The mode of the intraoral scanning device 10 can be one or more of the following:

[0090] "Idle" mode, indicating that the intra-oral scanning device 10 is ready to perform a scan,

[0091] "Sleep" mode, which instructs the intra-oral scanning device 10 to operate at a lower power consumption than the idle mode,

[0092] "Start Scanning" mode, indicating that the intra-oral scanning device 10 is beginning a scanning session,

[0093] "Scanning" mode, indicating that the intraoral scanning device 10 is in a scanning session, and

[0094] • “Registration lost” mode, indicating that the intra-oral scanning device 10 has failed to process the intra-oral scan data captured by the image sensor of the intra-oral scanning device 10 .

[0095] The status of the battery 5 may be "low battery", indicating that the battery 5 should be recharged or replaced with a new battery.

[0096] The figure also shows an example of the resulting visual effects performed by the plurality of LEDs 3 as an indication of the current mode or battery 5 status. For example, when the mode is the "idle" mode, the plurality of LEDs 3 provide a green dynamic decay lighting effect. For example, each of the plurality of LEDs 3 flashes so that the dynamic decay appearance of the emitted light is visualized. In another example, when the mode is the "sleep" mode, the plurality of LEDs 3 provide a blue dynamic decay lighting effect. In another example, when the mode is the "start scanning" mode, the plurality of LEDs 3 provide a constant blue light. In another example, when the mode is the "scanning" mode, the plurality of LEDs 3 provide a rotating and flashing effect of white light. In another example, when the mode is the "registration lost" mode, the plurality of LEDs 3 provide a red flashing lighting effect. In another example, when the state is the "low battery" state, the plurality of LEDs 3 provide a red dynamic decay lighting effect.

[0097] 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.

[0098] 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.

[0099] 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.

[0100] 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 components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, 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.

[0101] It should be understood that throughout this specification, references to "one embodiment" or "embodiment" or "aspect" or features included as "possible" mean that the particular 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 particular 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.

[0102] The claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims, 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" means one or more.

Claims

1. An intraoral scanning device (10) for acquiring intraoral scan data from a three-dimensional dental object during a scanning session, the intraoral scanning device comprising: A processing unit (2) configured to process the intraoral scan data of the patient and provide 2D image data and / or 3D image data; A wireless interface (4), the wireless interface being configured to transmit the 2D image data and / or the 3D image data; A battery, the battery being configured to supply power to at least the processing unit (2) and the wireless interface (4); a housing configured to accommodate at least the processing unit (2), the wireless interface (4) and at least partially the battery; as well as ·A plurality of LEDs housed by the housing, and the plurality of LEDs can be configured to emit light through a transparent portion of the housing, the transparent portion of the housing being made of a material configured to emit light passing through the material, and wherein the emitted light indicates the status of the battery and / or the wireless interface, and / or indicates a mode of the intraoral scanning device.

2. The intraoral scanning device according to claim 1, wherein: The material of the transparent portion is configured to diffuse emitted light passing through the material.

3. An intraoral scanning device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The transparent portion of the housing is made of at least a single-layer coating structure, and at least another portion of the housing is made of a multi-layer coating structure, and wherein an outer layer of the multi-layer coating and the single-layer coating comprise the same material.

4. An intraoral scanning device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The plurality of LEDs are arranged along the circumference of the housing.

5. An intraoral scanning device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The plurality of LEDs includes at least three different color spectra.

6. An intraoral scanning device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The processing unit is configured to generate at least one control signal to control power delivered to one or more of the plurality of LEDs.

7. The intraoral scanning device according to claim 6, wherein: The processing unit is further configured to change the at least one control signal over time so that the plurality of LEDs emit at least one static or dynamic lighting effect.

8. The intraoral scanning device of claim 5, comprising a user interface adapted to receive user input to control the operation of the processing unit to facilitate changing the color that is a combination of the at least three different color spectra.

9. The intraoral scanning device according to claim 3, wherein: The housing is made of a plastic shell, and another portion of the plastic shell coated with a multi-layer coating structure includes the following layers: a first layer, including a base coating that minimizes light entering the second layer, The second layer, including the colored layer, and · The third layer includes a clear coat.

10. The intraoral scanning device according to claim 3 or 9, wherein: The housing is made of a plastic shell, and the transparent portion of the plastic shell coated with the single-layer coating structure includes a transparent coating layer.

11. The intraoral scanning device according to claims 9 and 10, wherein: The first layer includes at least white and / or silver particles for scattering light penetrating the plastic shell away from the second layer.

12. An intraoral scanning device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The housing includes a plastic shell including a light guiding path configured to guide light of the plurality of LEDs to a transparent portion of the housing.

13. The intraoral scanning device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: The plurality of LEDs are arranged below the transparent portion of the housing.

14. The intra-oral scanning device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a light blocker arranged at a first side of the plurality of LEDs for preventing emission light from the plurality of LEDs from appearing at a front side of the plurality of LEDs.

15. The intraoral scanning device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising at least one optical sensor arranged near the plurality of LEDs, and wherein, A sensor light blocker is disposed between the optical sensor and the plurality of LEDs for preventing emission light from the plurality of LEDs from being captured by the at least one optical sensor.

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