Oral observation apparatus
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SICHUAN LEZHAPAI MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-04-22
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-26
Smart Images
Figure CN122271918A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of oral medicine technology, specifically to the field of dental examination technology, and in particular to an oral observation instrument. Background Technology
[0002] Dental checkups are an important part of maintaining oral health. Regular checkups can help detect dental and oral problems early, allowing for timely intervention and treatment to prevent the condition from worsening.
[0003] For example, in existing dental examinations, teeth can be examined through visual inspection. Specifically, during visual inspection, the dentist observes the color, shape, and alignment of the teeth with the naked eye to check for dental health problems such as cavities, demineralization, tartar, or cracks.
[0004] Current visual examinations mainly rely on doctors to observe dental information with the naked eye. However, the naked eye cannot see early dental plaque. Therefore, it is necessary to provide an instrument that can examine dental plaque. Summary of the Invention
[0005] This disclosure provides an oral cavity observation instrument.
[0006] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an oral cavity observation device is provided, wherein a chamber and a working surface are formed in the outer shell of the main body of the oral cavity observation device, the working surface being located on one surface of the chamber; the oral cavity observation device further includes a camera module and at least one light source; the at least one light source includes an ultraviolet light source for observing dental plaque;
[0007] The camera module and the at least one light source are respectively disposed at the position where they intersect with the working surface inside the cavity. The acquisition window of the camera module faces outward from the cavity to ensure that the camera module can acquire images outside the cavity. The illumination direction of the at least one light source faces outward from the cavity to ensure that the at least one light source can emit illumination light outward from the cavity.
[0008] A controller is also provided in the cavity. The controller is used to suppress the original blue pixel information in the original tooth image acquired by the camera module under the illumination of the ultraviolet light source; and to regenerate the target tooth image based on the information of the original red and green pixels in the original tooth image.
[0009] Further alternatively, in the aspects described above and any possible implementation, the focusing tube extends from the edge of the working surface outwards from the cavity to form the focusing tube;
[0010] The oral observation instrument also includes an opening device, which is a hollow cylindrical structure that is inserted into the focusing tube of the main body to open the patient's lips and cheeks so that the teeth can be exposed.
[0011] Further optionally, in the aspects described above and any possible implementation, the controller is also connected to the camera module and each of the light sources respectively; the controller controls the camera module to acquire images of the teeth illuminated by each of the light sources respectively;
[0012] The cavity is also equipped with a communication module, and the controller is connected to the communication module to control the communication module to transmit the processed target tooth to an external host for display.
[0013] Further optionally, in the aspects described above and in any possible implementation, the at least one light source further includes a white light source.
[0014] Further optionally, in the aspects described above and any possible implementation, a filter is also included, which is installed in the acquisition optical path of the camera module for acquiring the dental image. The filter is used to suppress light emitted by the violet light source that interferes with the acquisition of red and green pixels by the camera module. The wavelength range suppressed by the filter includes the range of 390nm to 410nm. The violet light source is a light source with a peak wavelength of 365nm to 435nm.
[0015] Further optionally, in the aspects described above and any possible implementation, the at least one light source further includes a near-infrared light source; the light emitted by the near-infrared light source can pass through the filter; the near-infrared light source is a light source with a peak wavelength of 730-1100 nm.
[0016] Further optionally, in the aspects described above and any possible implementation, the filter is a dual bandpass filter or a long-wavelength pass filter;
[0017] When the long-pass filter is used, the passing wavelength is 430-1100nm; when the dual-bandpass filter is used, the passing wavelengths are 430-700nm and 830-860nm, respectively.
[0018] Further optionally, in the aspects described above and any possible implementation, a polarizer is added to the illumination optical path of the near-infrared light source and the white light source, as well as to the acquisition optical path of the camera module, with the two polarizers being perpendicular to each other.
[0019] Further alternatively, in the aspects described above and any possible implementation, the two polarizers are implemented by attaching two mutually perpendicular polarizing films to a transparent cover plate, which at least covers the areas through which the illumination light paths of the near-infrared light source and the white light source pass, as well as the areas through which the acquisition light path of the camera module passes.
[0020] Further optionally, in the aspects described above and any possible implementation, an anti-fog processing module is provided on the camera module acquisition window and / or the opening device;
[0021] Furthermore, the anti-fog processing module on the acquisition window includes: an anti-fog layer, a heating element, or a heating window;
[0022] The anti-fog layer is made of a nano-hydrophilic coating.
[0023] The heating element adopts a ring-shaped flexible structure;
[0024] The heating window is a transparent heating window made of indium tin oxide;
[0025] Furthermore, the anti-fog treatment module on the opening includes: a vent hole provided on the opening, which will not block the vent hole when the opening is inserted into the focusing tube.
[0026] Further optionally, in the aspects described above and any possible implementation, a switch button is also provided on the cavity of the main body, and a power module is provided in the cavity; the switch button is electrically connected to the power module to control the power on and off of the oral observation instrument;
[0027] The power module is electrically connected to the camera module, the controller, the white light source, the violet light source, the near-infrared light source, and the communication module, respectively, and is used to supply power to the controller, the camera module, the white light source, the violet light source, the near-infrared light source, and the communication module when the power is turned on;
[0028] Furthermore, a status indicator light is provided on the chamber of the main body to indicate the working status of the oral cavity observation instrument.
[0029] According to the technology disclosed herein, an oral observation instrument can be provided that, in ultraviolet light source mode, suppresses the original blue pixel information in the original tooth image acquired by the camera module through a controller; and regenerates the target tooth image based on the information of the original red and green pixels in the original tooth image, thereby enabling clearer and more accurate observation of whether there is dental plaque on the teeth, and effectively improving the accuracy and efficiency of dental plaque examination.
[0030] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description
[0031] The accompanying drawings are provided to better understand this solution and do not constitute a limitation of this disclosure. Wherein:
[0032] Figure 1 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the oral cavity observation instrument provided in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure;
[0033] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The top view of working surface 12 shown;
[0034] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of part of the internal structure of the oral cavity observation instrument shown;
[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the first state of the oral cavity observation instrument provided in Embodiment 2 of this disclosure;
[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the second state of the oral cavity observation instrument provided in Embodiment 2 of this disclosure;
[0037] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the working surface of the oral cavity observation instrument provided in Embodiment 3 of this disclosure;
[0038] Figure 7 This is a partial structural diagram of the cavity of the oral cavity observation instrument provided in Embodiment 3 of this disclosure;
[0039] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a polarizer provided in the fourth embodiment of this disclosure;
[0040] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 The diagram shows the application status.
[0041] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a state of the oral cavity observation device provided in the fifth embodiment of this disclosure;
[0042] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of another state of the oral cavity observation instrument provided in the fifth embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation
[0043] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, including various details of the embodiments to aid understanding, and should be considered merely exemplary. Therefore, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Similarly, for clarity and brevity, descriptions of well-known functions and structures are omitted in the following description.
[0044] Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments disclosed herein. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this disclosure without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.
[0045] Furthermore, the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.
[0046] Figure 1 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the oral cavity observation instrument provided in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure; as shown Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, a chamber 11 and a working surface 12 are formed in the outer shell of the main body 1 of the oral observation instrument, and the working surface 12 is located on one surface of the chamber 11.
[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, taking the working surface 12 located on the upper surface of the chamber 11 as an example, in practical applications, the working surface 12 can occupy the entire upper surface of the chamber 11, that is, as shown in the figure. Figure 1 As shown; or, in other practical application scenarios, the working surface 12 may only occupy part of the upper surface of the chamber 11. The specific structure can be set according to the needs of the scenario, and is not limited here.
[0048] The oral cavity observation instrument also includes a camera module 13 and at least one light source; the at least one light source includes a violet light source 14 for observing dental plaque; its principle is to use a violet light source of a specific wavelength to excite the autofluorescence of bacterial metabolites in dental plaque, so that it exhibits visible red or pink fluorescence in a dark environment, thereby achieving visual identification of dental plaque.
[0049] The camera module 13 and at least one light source are respectively disposed in the cavity 11 at the position where they intersect with the working surface 12. The acquisition window of the camera module 13 faces outward from the cavity 11 to ensure that the camera module 13 can acquire images outside the cavity 11. The illumination direction of at least one light source faces outward from the cavity 11 to ensure that at least one light source can emit illumination light outward from the cavity 11.
[0050] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The top view of working surface 12 shown. Figure 2 As shown in this embodiment, taking the setting of only one type of light source, such as violet light source 14, in the chamber 11 as an example, and setting the quantity as 2, in actual applications, other light sources of different colors for more purposes can also be set in the chamber 11. The quantity of each color light source is not limited and depends on the specific needs.
[0051] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a partial structural representation of the cavity within the oral cavity observation instrument. (See attached diagram.) Figure 3 As shown, a controller 15 is also provided in the chamber 11. The controller 15 is used to process the original tooth image acquired by the camera module 13 under the illumination of the ultraviolet light source 14 and regenerate the target tooth image. Specifically, the original blue pixel information in the original image is suppressed; and the target tooth image is regenerated based on the information of the original red pixel and the original green pixel in the original tooth image.
[0052] In this embodiment, suppression can refer to reducing the value of the original blue pixels in the original tooth image. The specific degree of reduction can reach a certain preset ratio. For example, the preset ratio can be set to 80%, 90%, or even 99% according to actual needs. Furthermore, the suppression in this embodiment can also include complete suppression, which corresponds to completely filtering out the value of the original blue pixels in the original image.
[0053] In this embodiment, after suppressing the original blue pixel information in the original tooth image, it is necessary to further adjust the green pixel information in the target tooth image based on the original red and green pixel information in the original tooth image; at the same time, based on the original green pixel information in the original tooth image and referring to the suppressed blue pixel information, the blue pixel information in the target tooth image is regenerated to enhance the red and green colors in the target tooth image, so that the color of dental plaque can be displayed more clearly in the target image.
[0054] Subsequently, the target tooth image can be displayed on the screen to observe the presence of dental plaque. By processing the original image through the controller 15 and regenerating the target image, the influence of strong light in the target tooth image can be avoided, effectively enhancing the display of dental plaque and improving the accuracy and efficiency of dental examination.
[0055] Optionally, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in this embodiment, the cross-section of the main body 1 is elliptical. In practical applications, the cross-sectional shape is not limited and can be set to any shape that is preferred and convenient to use.
[0056] When using the oral cavity observation device in this embodiment, the user can hold the device and move it to the position where the image needs to be taken, close to the teeth, then turn on the corresponding light source and start the camera module 13 to begin acquiring images of the teeth.
[0057] For example, during a specific dental examination, with the upper and lower teeth slightly open, the ultraviolet light source 14 can be activated at each of the left, middle, and right positions on the outer side of the teeth. In the working mode of the ultraviolet light source 14, raw (RAW) tooth images are acquired, and the controller 15 is used to further process the raw tooth images to regenerate the target tooth image.
[0058] Furthermore, with the upper and lower teeth fully open, the violet light source 14 can be activated at each of the two positions: the lower side of the upper teeth and the upper side of the lower teeth. Under the working mode of the violet light source 14, the original tooth image can be acquired, and the controller 15 can further process the original image to regenerate the target tooth image.
[0059] Under the above two states, in the working mode of the violet light source 14, the presence of dental plaque in the teeth can be accurately assessed based on the target tooth image regenerated by the controller 15.
[0060] The oral observation instrument of this embodiment, by adopting the above scheme, can provide an oral observation instrument that can accurately and effectively examine dental plaque; by using a controller to suppress the original blue pixel information in the original tooth image acquired by the camera module; and by regenerating the target tooth image based on the original red and green pixel information in the original tooth image, it can more clearly and accurately observe whether there is dental plaque on the teeth, and can effectively improve the accuracy and efficiency of dental plaque examination.
[0061] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the first state of the oral cavity observation instrument provided in Embodiment 2 of this disclosure; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the second state of the oral cavity observation instrument provided in Embodiment 2 of this disclosure. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, relative to the above Figure 1 The oral cavity observation instrument shown in this embodiment includes a focusing tube 16 extending from the edge of the working surface 12 outwards into the cavity. Figure 4 By installing the main body 1 and the opening device 2 together along the installation direction, we obtain... Figure 5 The oral cavity observation instrument mentioned above.
[0062] The mouth opener 2 is a hollow cylindrical structure that inserts into the focusing tube 16 of the main body 1, connecting the main body 1 and the mouth opener 2. The mouth opener 2 is used to open the patient's lips and cheeks to expose the teeth, enhancing the ease of use of the oral cavity observation instrument. Therefore, as... Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in order to open the lips and cheeks and expose the teeth so that the oral cavity observation instrument can observe the teeth, the end of the mouth opener 2 away from the main body 1 can be designed as a U-shape to facilitate fitting with the entire row of teeth.
[0063] By adopting the structure of the mouth opener described above, the use of the oral cavity observation instrument can be made more convenient.
[0064] In this embodiment, the dental observation device can be held by hand. The mouth opener 2 is used to open the patient's lips and cheeks, and the device is moved to the desired photographic position, close to the teeth. Then, the corresponding light source is turned on, and the camera module 13 is activated to begin acquiring images of the teeth. The structure of the working surface 12 in this embodiment can be the same as described above. Figure 2 The embodiments shown are the same and will not be described again here.
[0065] The oral observation device shown in Embodiment 1 requires manual control of the camera module 13 and the ultraviolet light source 14 during use, making it less intelligent and inconvenient to use. Therefore, the functionality of the oral observation device can be further enriched based on Embodiment 1.
[0066] like Figure 6 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the working surface of the oral cavity observation instrument provided in Embodiment 3 of this disclosure. Figure 7 This is a partial structural diagram of the cavity of the oral cavity observation instrument provided in Embodiment 3 of this disclosure. Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, taking the example of having three light sources in chamber 11, such as violet light source 14, white light source 17, and near-infrared light source 18. In practical applications, only violet light source 14 and white light source 17 may be provided in the chamber; or only violet light source 14 and near-infrared light source 18 may be provided. There is no limitation here.
[0067] In order to be able to identify various light sources, such as Figure 6 As shown, the square dotted area represents the white light source 17; the circular shadow represents the near-infrared light source 18; and the square area marked with an X represents the violet light source 14. In this embodiment, to ensure that the light from each color source is emitted evenly from the working surface 12, an example is given that there are 8 white light sources 17, 2 violet light sources 14, and 4 near-infrared light sources 18. In actual applications, the number of each color source in the oral cavity observation instrument is not limited and depends on specific requirements.
[0068] The images of teeth acquired by the white light source 17 can be used to assess tooth whiteness and determine the presence of common oral problems such as missing teeth, malocclusion, caries, pigmentation, and poor hygiene. The images of teeth acquired by the violet light source 14 can be used to observe the presence of dental plaque (emitting red fluorescence). The near-infrared light source 18 can be used to observe the presence of demineralization / caries (brighter light). The three light sources, white light source 17, violet light source 14, and near-infrared light source 18, are activated alternately.
[0069] Similarly, when using the oral observation device in this embodiment, one can hold the oral observation device by hand, use the mouth opener 2 to open the patient's lips and cheeks, move it to the position to be photographed, get close to the teeth, then turn on the corresponding light source, and start the camera module 13 to start collecting tooth images.
[0070] For example, with the upper and lower teeth in occlusion, the dental observation method of this embodiment can be used to activate the white light source 17 at each of the left, middle, and right positions on the outer side of the teeth, and tooth images can be acquired in the mode of the white light source 17.
[0071] With the upper and lower teeth slightly open, white light source 17 and violet light source 14 can be activated sequentially at each of the left, middle, and right positions on the outer side of the teeth, respectively, to acquire tooth images in the modes of white light source 17 and violet light source 14 respectively.
[0072] With the upper and lower teeth fully open, white light source 17, violet light source 14, and near-infrared light source 18 can be activated sequentially at each of the two positions: the lower side of the upper teeth and the upper side of the lower teeth. The images of the teeth can be acquired in the modes of white light source 17, violet light source 14, and near-infrared light source 18 respectively.
[0073] Based on the three states described above, in the white light source 17 operating mode, the tooth images captured by the camera module 13 can fully assess tooth whiteness and check for common oral problems such as missing teeth, malocclusion, caries, pigmentation, and poor hygiene. In the slightly open and fully open states, in the ultraviolet light source 14 operating mode, the tooth images captured by the camera module 13 can fully assess the presence of dental plaque. In the fully open state, in the near-infrared light source 18 operating mode, the tooth images captured by the camera module 13 can accurately detect the presence of demineralization or caries.
[0074] The oral observation instrument in this embodiment integrates three light sources: white light, violet light, and near-infrared light. Using one device, it can perform three different functions of dental examination under three light source modes, which can effectively improve the efficiency of dental examination.
[0075] The oral cavity observation instrument described in the above embodiment requires manual control of the camera module 13, as well as the white light source 17, the ultraviolet light source 14, and the near-infrared light source 18, by the operator during use. This makes the instrument less intelligent and inconvenient to use. Therefore,
[0076] like Figure 7As shown, the controller 15 is also connected to the camera module 13, the white light source 17, the violet light source 14, and the near-infrared light source 18 respectively; the controller 15 controls the camera module 13 to acquire images of teeth irradiated by the white light source 17, the violet light source 14, or the near-infrared light source 18 respectively.
[0077] A communication module 19 is also installed inside the chamber 11. The communication module 19 is connected to the controller 15 and is used to transmit the target tooth image processed by the controller 15 to an external host for display. The external host can be a computer device, which is connected to the controller 15 of the oral observation instrument via the communication module 19 through wired or wireless means.
[0078] Further optional, such as Figure 7 As shown, the chamber 11 of the main body 1 is also provided with a switch button 20 and a power module 21; the switch button 20 is electrically connected to the power module 21 to control the power on and off of the oral observation instrument; optionally, the power module 21 in this embodiment can be powered by dry batteries or rechargeable batteries, or it can also be powered by connecting to a power socket.
[0079] like Figure 7 As shown, the power module 21 is electrically connected to the controller 15, camera module 13, white light source 17, violet light source 14, near-infrared light source 18, and communication module 19, respectively, and is used to supply power to the controller 15, camera module 13, white light source 17, violet light source 14, near-infrared light source 18, and communication module 19 when the power is turned on.
[0080] The switch button 20 can also trigger the controller 15 to start the camera module 13 when the oral observation instrument is powered on. For example, when the instrument is powered off, pressing the switch button 20 for a duration longer than the first preset time threshold (i.e., a long press) powers on the oral observation instrument and it begins operation. Pressing the switch button 20 again for a duration shorter than the first preset time threshold (i.e., a short press) activates the oral observation instrument's working mode, which begins image acquisition. A default working mode sequence can be set for each position in each state. For example, by default, images of teeth are acquired first in white light source mode, then in violet light source mode, and finally in infrared light source mode. Specifically, the working modes to be acquired in each state can be set according to requirements; it is not limited to acquiring all three working modes in each state. For example, when the upper and lower teeth are occluded, only images of teeth in white light source mode can be acquired. When the upper and lower teeth are slightly open, only images of teeth in white light source and violet light source modes can be acquired. Of course, images of teeth in all three light source modes can also be acquired in each state.
[0081] It should be noted that the controller 15 in this embodiment may include an Image Signal Processor (ISP). During operation, for different working modes—white light source illumination mode, violet light source illumination mode, and near-infrared light source illumination mode—the ISP can load different Image Quality (IQ) files to perform responsive output processing for images under different modes. For example, in the white light source illumination mode, the corresponding IQ file allows the ISP to output an image with as realistic colors as possible; in the near-infrared light source illumination mode, the corresponding IQ file allows the ISP to output a grayscale image, used only for observing brightness. In the violet light source illumination mode, the original tooth image (RAW) should be directly processed, so that the output R'G'G'B', compared with the original RGGB, can suppress the value of the original blue pixel B in the original tooth image, suppress the values of the original red pixel R and the original green pixel G in the original tooth image, and compensate for the value of the suppressed blue pixel B.
[0082] In practical applications, the sensor of camera module 13 has a built-in color filter array to collect pixel information of different colors. For example, the pixel information of each pixel can be obtained by (…). The identifier is represented by ), where R represents red pixels, and green pixels are divided into red and green pixels. and blue-green pixels B represents the blue pixel. Correspondingly, the image processing performed by controller 15 in purple mode can be represented by the following formula (1):
[0083] (1)
[0084] In the image processing described above, taking the complete suppression of the original blue pixel values in the original tooth image as an example, a value of 0.5 is used. +0.5 As the adjusted blue pixel The value is 0.5; while using 0.5 +0.25 +0.25 As adjusted red and green pixels and blue and ;and That is, the red pixels remain unchanged before and after adjustment. Optionally, in practical applications, the original blue pixels in the original tooth image can also be partially suppressed. For example, when suppressed by 99%, the corresponding formula can be adjusted to the following formula (2):
[0085]
[0086] The above formula (2) takes the suppression of the original blue pixel value in the original tooth image by 99% as an example. In practical applications, the original blue pixel value in the original tooth image can also be suppressed by other preset percentages according to the needs. This is not limited here. In order to improve the accuracy of observing dental plaque, preferably, the preset percentage of suppression is greater than 80%.
[0087] Alternatively, in this embodiment, the ISP's IQ file can be directly configured to complete the above image processing process, ultimately obtaining the same target tooth image as the one processed above.
[0088] For example, in an IQ file, the specific operations include at least: turning off automatic white balance, setting the blue gain (Bgain) parameter to 0, where Bgain is a key parameter in white balance processing; and implementing the color correction matrix (CCM) using the following formula (3):
[0089] (3)
[0090] in, This represents the value before correction. This indicates the corrected value; This represents the correction matrix.
[0091] The correction method in formula (3) above is to completely suppress the value of blue pixels. In practical applications, referring to the implementation of formula (2) above, the value of blue pixels can also be suppressed by a preset percentage during the correction process. For example, to suppress 99%, the following formula (4) can be used:
[0092] (4)
[0093] Furthermore, a status indicator light 22 is also provided on the chamber 11 of the main body 1 to indicate the working status of the oral cavity observation instrument. For example, the status indicator light 22 can be green when the power is on and off when the power is off, so as to accurately inform the user of the current working status of the oral cavity observation instrument.
[0094] Alternatively, the controller 15 can further optionally control the status indicator 22 to illuminate with different colors of light based on different operating modes. For example, if the oral observation instrument is operating in white light mode, the status indicator 22 can be illuminated in white light; if the oral observation instrument is operating in violet light mode, the status indicator 22 can be illuminated in violet light; if the oral observation instrument is operating in near-infrared light mode, the status indicator 22 can be illuminated in violet light, and so on. In short, by using this status indicator 22, the status of the oral observation instrument can be clearly and accurately displayed.
[0095] Optionally, since most camera modules have built-in color filter arrays in their sensors to collect pixel information of different colors, their red and green pixels will partially respond to light with wavelengths less than 410nm. To eliminate the interference of violet light on the information collected by the red and green pixels, it is preferable to add a filter to suppress this portion of light. Therefore, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the oral observation instrument may also include a filter installed in the acquisition optical path of the camera module 13 for acquiring tooth images, for example, specifically set in the acquisition conduit within the camera module 13, and therefore not shown in the figure. The filter is used to suppress light emitted by the violet light source 14 that interferes with the acquisition of red and green pixels by the camera module. Furthermore, when at least one light source includes a near-infrared light source 18, ensuring that the light emitted by the near-infrared light source 18 can pass through effectively guarantees that both the violet light source mode and the near-infrared light source mode of the oral observation instrument can be used normally. For example, when the oral cavity observation instrument of this disclosure is used, the violet light source 14 can be a light source with a peak wavelength of 365nm to 435nm, for example, a violet light source with a peak wavelength of 405nm is preferred. The near-infrared light source 18 can be a light source with a peak wavelength of 730-1100nm, for example, a near-infrared light source with a peak wavelength of 850nm is preferred.
[0096] The wavelength range suppressed by the filter in this embodiment can include the 390nm~410nm range. For example, the filter can be a dual-bandpass filter or a long-pass filter. Meanwhile, to ensure the color fidelity of the tooth image captured by the camera module 13 in white light source 17 mode, the filter should not filter out too many color wavelengths. For example, when a long-pass filter is used, the passing wavelength can be 430-1100nm; when a dual-bandpass filter is used, the passing wavelengths can be 430-700nm and 830-860nm, respectively.
[0097] Considering that the light sensitivity of red and green pixels is very low in the 435–450 nm range, strong light in this band mainly contaminates blue pixels. Since the peak wavelength of dental plaque observed in plaque mode is primarily in the red light band, the information collected by blue pixels is almost useless. Therefore, in the implementation of violet light mode, the information from blue pixels is suppressed, and the RGB values of each pixel are reconstructed using information from red and green pixels. Based on this, the embodiments of this disclosure require that the filter can at least block light with wavelengths below 430 nm from passing through the filter, because it would cause significant interference to red pixels.
[0098] Further optionally, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the oral observation device further includes adding a polarizer to the illumination light path of the near-infrared light source 18 and the white light source 17, and to the acquisition light path of the camera module 13, with the two polarizers perpendicular to each other. In this embodiment, the two polarizers are implemented by attaching two perpendicular polarizing films to a transparent cover plate, covering at least the areas through which the illumination light paths of the near-infrared light source 18 and the white light source 17 pass, and the areas through which the acquisition light path of the camera module 13 passes. Optionally, the polarizing film covering the areas through which the illumination light paths of the near-infrared light source 18 and the white light source 17 pass on the transparent cover plate can be extended to simultaneously cover the area through which the illumination light path of the violet light source 14 passes.
[0099] For example, Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a polarizer provided in the fourth embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 8 It is actually a schematic diagram of a transparent cover plate with two perpendicular polarizing films attached, as shown in the figure. Figure 8 As shown, the shape of the transparent cover is similar to... Figure 6 The working surface 12 shown has the same shape. When in use, the transparent cover plate can be placed on the working surface 12 to add two mutually perpendicular polarizers to the illumination light path of the near-infrared light source 18 and the white light source 17, as well as the acquisition light path of the camera module 13. Figure 8 The cover shown can be made of transparent acrylic, which is not only structurally robust but also does not affect the optical path.
[0100] refer to Figure 6 As shown in the schematic diagram of working surface 12, it can be seen that... Figure 8 In the diagram, the circular area containing circle A is the circular area of the light acquisition path of camera module 13; the area between circle A and ellipse B is the area of the illumination light path of the violet light source; and the area between ellipse B and ellipse C is the loop area of the illumination light paths of white light source 17 and near-infrared light source 18. Figure 8As shown, two mutually perpendicular polarizing films can be attached to the circular area where circle A is located, i.e., the area of the light acquisition path of camera module 13, and the loop area between ellipse B and ellipse C, i.e., the area of the illumination light path of white light source 17 and near-infrared light source 18. Figure 8 The cover plate shown is attached to the working surface 12, which can obtain Figure 9 The diagram shows the application status. Similarly, optionally, the region between circle A and ellipse B can also be covered with the same polarizing film as the loop region between ellipse B and ellipse C.
[0101] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, Figure 8 Taking the area where the polarizing film does not cover the illumination path of the violet light source as an example, in practical applications, any polarizing film can also be covered in the area of the illumination path of the violet light source.
[0102] In practical applications, other methods can be used to set two polarizers that are perpendicular to each other, which are not limited here.
[0103] In this embodiment, the effective operating wavelength range of the polarizer includes at least 450-650nm and the corresponding half-width band of the selected near-infrared light source.
[0104] Alternatively, in order to further reduce the problem of blurred images caused by the user's breath during the test, the oral cavity observation instrument disclosed herein may be equipped with an anti-fog processing module on the acquisition window of the camera module 13 and / or the mouth opener 2 to perform anti-fog processing on the acquisition window 22.
[0105] Further, optionally, the anti-fog processing module on the acquisition window may include: an anti-fog layer, a heating element, or a heating window; for example, the anti-fog layer may be a nano-hydrophilic layer to absorb moisture in the fog to achieve defogging; the heating element may be a ring-shaped flexible structure; the heating window may be a transparent heating window made of indium tin oxide (ITO), both of which effectively defog by heating.
[0106] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a state of the oral cavity observation device provided in the fifth embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of another state of the oral cavity observation instrument provided in the fifth embodiment of this disclosure; this embodiment further describes the technical solution of this disclosure in more detail based on the above embodiments. Figure 10 As shown, following the installation direction, the mouth opening device 2 of the oral observation instrument is installed on the main body 1, which can achieve the desired effect. Figure 10 The diagram shows the status of the oral cavity observation instrument. Figure 10 and Figure 11As shown, the anti-fog treatment module provided on the mouth opener 2 may include a vent 23 provided on the mouth opener 2. When the mouth opener 2 is inserted into the condenser tube 16, it will not block the vent 23. The vent 23 can also be connected to the outside when using the oral observation instrument to effectively remove the fog from the breath, so that the camera module 13 can capture clearer images of the teeth.
[0107] When in use, the oral cavity observation instrument disclosed herein can be connected to the host via wired or wireless means, and the tooth images acquired by the oral cavity observation instrument can be displayed on the host in real time.
[0108] The host can prompt the user with the location and diagram to be collected on the interface. The user needs to collect images of the upper and lower teeth in the following order: left, middle and right positions when the upper and lower teeth are occluded; left, middle and right positions when the upper and lower teeth are slightly open; and images of the upper and lower teeth when they are fully open.
[0109] In each state and at each position, after the user moves to the corresponding position to be captured and adjusts their posture, a short press of the switch button 20 triggers the acquisition of tooth images. At this time, the tooth image under white light illumination is captured first. After the camera module 13 completes the acquisition, the controller 15 controls the communication module 19 to transmit the acquired image to the external host for display. Next, the acquisition of tooth images under ultraviolet light illumination is automatically started. For example, the system can be set to start the ultraviolet light illumination mode, wait 0.5 seconds for light source switching and other preparations, and then start acquiring tooth images under ultraviolet light illumination mode. After the acquisition is completed, the controller 15 also controls the communication module 19 to transmit the acquired image to the external host for display. Finally, the acquisition of tooth images under near-infrared light illumination mode is automatically started. Similarly, the system can be set to start the near-infrared light illumination mode, wait 0.5 seconds for light source switching and other preparations, and then start acquiring tooth images under near-infrared light illumination mode. After the acquisition is completed, the controller 15 also controls the communication module 19 to transmit the acquired image to the external host for display. After all modes for that position are acquired in this state, switch back to white light mode and prompt the user to move to the next position or the next state, until all tooth images for all positions in all states and all modes have been acquired.
[0110] In practical applications, the oral observation instrument can also be started and operated by an external host while it is powered on. Specifically, when responding to button commands or host control commands to take pictures at a certain location, during the automatic shooting process in a predetermined sequence, when switching between different light sources, it is preferable to wait 0.5 seconds or more after the light source switch is complete before taking a picture. This allows the camera module 13 time to process the automatic exposure and automatic white balance parameter settings under the new lighting conditions, thereby acquiring more accurate images.
[0111] In the ultraviolet light source mode, the controller 15 needs to suppress the original blue pixel information in the original tooth image acquired by the camera module 13 in accordance with the above embodiment; and regenerate the target tooth image based on the information of the original red pixel and the original green pixel in the original tooth image. For details, please refer to the relevant description in the above embodiment, which will not be repeated here.
[0112] Finally, based on tooth images in all positions under all conditions using white light source patterns, tooth whiteness can be assessed, and the presence of common oral problems such as missing teeth, malocclusion, caries, pigmentation, and poor hygiene can be determined.
[0113] It can also observe the presence of dental plaque based on violet light images of teeth in all locations under all conditions.
[0114] It can also observe whether there is demineralization or caries based on near-infrared light source images of teeth in all positions and at all states.
[0115] The oral observation instrument in this embodiment can simultaneously acquire tooth images under three modes: white light source, violet light source, and near-infrared light source, thereby realizing three different functions of tooth examination corresponding to the three modes, which can effectively improve the efficiency of tooth examination.
[0116] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure.
Claims
1. An oral cavity observation instrument, comprising: The main body of the oral cavity observation instrument forms a chamber and a working surface in its outer shell, the working surface being located on one surface of the chamber; the oral cavity observation instrument also includes a camera module and at least one light source; the at least one light source includes a violet light source for observing dental plaque; The camera module and the at least one light source are respectively disposed at the position where they intersect with the working surface inside the cavity. The acquisition window of the camera module faces outward from the cavity to ensure that the camera module can acquire images outside the cavity. The illumination direction of the at least one light source faces outward from the cavity to ensure that the at least one light source can emit illumination light outward from the cavity. A controller is also provided in the cavity, which is used to suppress the original blue pixel information in the original tooth image captured by the camera module under the illumination of the ultraviolet light source; The target tooth image is then regenerated based on the information from the original red and green pixels in the original tooth image.
2. The oral cavity observation instrument according to claim 1, wherein, The focusing tube extends from the edge of the working surface outwards from the cavity; The oral observation instrument also includes an opening device, which is a hollow cylindrical structure that is inserted into the focusing tube of the main body to open the patient's lips and cheeks so that the teeth can be exposed.
3. The oral cavity observation instrument according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is also connected to the camera module and each of the light sources respectively; the controller controls the camera module to acquire images of the teeth illuminated by each of the light sources respectively; The cavity is also equipped with a communication module, and the controller is connected to the communication module to control the communication module to transmit the processed target tooth image to an external host for display.
4. The oral cavity observation instrument according to claim 1, wherein, The at least one light source also includes a white light source.
5. The oral cavity observation instrument according to claim 4, wherein, It also includes a filter, which is installed in the acquisition optical path of the camera module to acquire the tooth image. The filter is used to suppress light emitted by the violet light source that interferes with the acquisition of red and green pixels by the camera module. The wavelength range suppressed by the filter includes 390nm to 410nm. The violet light source is a light source with a peak wavelength of 365nm to 435nm.
6. The oral cavity observation instrument according to claim 5, wherein, The at least one light source further includes a near-infrared light source; the light emitted by the near-infrared light source passes through the filter; the near-infrared light source is a light source with a peak wavelength of 730-1100nm.
7. The oral cavity observation instrument according to claim 6, wherein, The filter is a dual-bandpass filter or a long-wavelength pass filter; When the long-pass filter is used, the passing wavelength is 430-1100nm; when the dual-bandpass filter is used, the passing wavelengths are 430-700nm and 830-860nm, respectively.
8. The oral cavity observation instrument according to claim 6, wherein, A polarizer is added to the illumination optical path of the near-infrared light source and the white light source, as well as the acquisition optical path of the camera module, with the two polarizers perpendicular to each other; Furthermore, the two polarizers are implemented by attaching two mutually perpendicular polarizing films to a transparent cover plate, which at least covers the areas through which the illumination light paths of the near-infrared light source and the white light source pass, as well as the areas through which the acquisition light path of the camera module passes.
9. The oral cavity observation instrument according to claim 1, wherein, An anti-fog processing module is provided on the camera module acquisition window and / or the opening device; Furthermore, the anti-fog processing module on the acquisition window includes: an anti-fog layer, a heating element, or a heating window; The anti-fog layer is made of a nano-hydrophilic coating. The heating element adopts a ring-shaped flexible structure; The heating window is a transparent heating window made of indium tin oxide; Furthermore, the anti-fog treatment module on the opening includes: a vent hole provided on the opening, which will not block the vent hole when the opening is inserted into the focusing tube.
10. The oral cavity observation instrument according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein, A switch button is also provided on the cavity of the main body, and a power module is provided in the cavity; the switch button is electrically connected to the power module to control the power on and off of the oral observation instrument; The power module is electrically connected to the camera module, the controller, the white light source, the violet light source, the near-infrared light source, and the communication module, respectively, and is used to supply power to the controller, the camera module, the white light source, the violet light source, the near-infrared light source, and the communication module when the power is turned on; Furthermore, a status indicator light is provided on the chamber of the main body to indicate the working status of the oral cavity observation instrument.