Intraoral camera for taking images of a row of teeth

Abstract

The invention describes an intraoral camera (1) for recording images of a row of teeth, comprising a housing (2) with a holding element (6) for holding the intraoral camera (1), a mouthpiece (10) which replicates the course of a row of teeth, a guide rail (30) arranged in the mouthpiece (10), a camera carrier (40) with at least one camera element (54a, 54b, 54c) for recording said images, and a drive means for moving the camera carrier (40) along the guide rail (30) through the mouthpiece (10), wherein the camera carrier (40) has a circuit board (44) as a supporting base element (42) on which the at least one camera element (54a, 54b, 54c) is arranged.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an intraoral camera for taking pictures of a row of teeth, comprising: a housing with a holding element for holding the intraoral camera, a mouthpiece which replicates the course of a row of teeth, and a camera carrier with at least one camera element for taking said pictures.

[0002] Digitalization in various areas of medicine offers new possibilities for treatments. Data acquisition and, in particular, imaging can be partially outsourced to the patient if they are provided with the appropriate equipment (such as special cameras). In dentistry, where the precise examination of individual teeth by a dentist is currently still an indispensable prerequisite for almost every treatment, digitalization can be used, for example, in the form of patients capturing images of individual teeth themselves using a suitable intraoral camera. Such an intraoral camera is designed and set up to take images of an entire row of teeth. The patient can pick up the intraoral camera at the reception desk of their dentist's office and return it there after use, or it can be delivered by courier or other means.Have it sent by post (and picked up again by them after use).

[0003] This creates, among other things, the possibility for patients and dentists to conduct virtual consultations based on images from such an intraoral camera and, for example, to discuss treatment. A particular advantage is that an in-person appointment with the dentist can be saved if the appointment is solely for capturing images as a prerequisite for the aforementioned treatment consultation or treatment planning by the dentist. With the finished images, the dentist (or dental staff) can plan the actual treatment appointment in advance, for example, identifying damage such as caries or similar on a specific tooth, so that the correspondingly prepared treatment (e.g., placing a filling, possibly involving the removal of tooth material) can be carried out much more quickly on-site. Likewise, a healing process can be recorded and documented with an intraoral camera, which can also lead to shorter treatment appointments.Savings could be made.

[0004] Imaging, or image acquisition, is a standardizable process, especially for teeth, not least because the dental arch itself provides a spatial reference which can be used for the correct positioning of a camera element used in the intraoral camera, consistent across different patients.

[0005] For this purpose, for example, a camera element to be used can be moved by a corresponding mouthpiece, which replicates the course of the tooth row, so that the positioning of the camera element relative to the edges of the mouthpiece or similar results in the correct distances to the teeth to be imaged and in the correct image angles.

[0006] One challenge, however, is the limited space in the oral cavity. For example, a camera element should ideally be positioned at a certain minimum distance from a tooth for image capture in order to capture a sufficiently large image area. However, this distance is limited in the mouth by the lip on the outer surface of the tooth, by the opposing jaw on the chewing surface, and by the tongue on the inner surface. This problem is further exacerbated by the fact that a camera element must be moved along the dental arch on a camera carrier or similar device, which means that the camera carrier itself, as well as its drive mechanism, requires additional space in the oral cavity.

[0007] The invention is therefore based on the objective of providing an intraoral camera for taking images of a row of teeth, which makes the best possible use of the space available in the oral cavity for the necessary components.

[0008] The aforementioned problem is solved according to the invention by an intraoral camera for capturing images of a row of teeth, comprising a housing with a holding element for holding the intraoral camera, a mouthpiece that replicates the course of a row of teeth, a guide rail arranged in the mouthpiece, a camera carrier with at least one camera element for capturing said images, and a drive means for moving the camera carrier along the guide rail through the mouthpiece, wherein the camera carrier has a printed circuit board as a supporting base element on which the at least one camera element is arranged and, in particular, mounted. Advantageous and partly inventive embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims and the following description.

[0009] The term "intraoral camera" here refers to any device designed and configured to capture a number of images inside the mouth of a test subject (i.e., a patient). Specifically, the term "intraoral camera" encompasses the entire device (including any holding and / or support elements, etc.), and not just the image-generating component within the device.

[0010] An intraoral camera for capturing images of a row of teeth is defined as an intraoral camera (i.e., a device in the sense described above) which, by its design, and in particular its construction, is configured to capture images of a row of teeth using at least one image-generating element, whereby the images can be captured sequentially by the at least one camera element, i.e., one after the other. In particular, the intraoral camera can be designed to capture multiple images of a complete row of teeth (i.e., all teeth of the upper jaw or all teeth of the lower jaw) of the test subject, whereby the multiple images can be captured at least partially sequentially.

[0011] A holding element is understood to mean, in particular, any element of the intraoral camera that is suitable for holding the intraoral camera, especially manually, while a part of the intraoral camera, in particular the mouthpiece, is inserted into the test subject's mouth for image acquisition. The holding element may preferably be formed by a handle or similar feature, or include such a handle. The handle may preferably be rod-shaped to allow it to be grasped by a closed hand. However, the holding element may also have another ergonomically advantageous shape suitable for holding the intraoral camera.

[0012] The mouthpiece of an intraoral camera comprises, in particular, a part which, by its design, is intended to be inserted into the mouth of the test subject for the purpose of generating images. The mouthpiece has, in particular, an arc-like shape that replicates the contour of a complete row of teeth.

[0013] The mouthpiece preferably comprises a base surface with an arc-shaped area that covers the surface of an average row of teeth, and extends in both directions (i.e., inwards towards the tongue and outwards towards the lips). Adjoining the base surface, the mouthpiece can have an inner side wall and / or an outer side wall, which define the mouthpiece inwards (towards the tongue) and outwards (towards the lips), respectively, and which preferably follow the contours of the teeth at intervals. The inner and outer side walls preferably have a height of 1 cm to 3 cm, and particularly preferably a height of 1.5 cm to 2.5 cm. In particular, these side walls are designed and configured to...To protect the camera mount in the guide rail from mechanical pressure and thus potential damage caused by the tongue and / or lips of the test subject.

[0014] A camera carrier, in particular, comprises a device that carries at least one camera element, which performs the actual image generation, and optionally further indirect or direct elements for image generation, such as additional camera elements and / or light sources for illuminating the area of ​​the dental arch. The camera carrier is designed to be moved along the guide rail through the mouthpiece. In particular, the camera carrier has a guide element (e.g., in the form of a pin or a skid, etc.), which is preferably mounted in the guide rail and by which the movement of the camera carrier along the guide rail is kept "on track".

[0015] In this context, a camera element is understood to be, in particular, an image-generating electronic component designed to convert a solid angle segment into an "image" (i.e., a data set of image data in a corresponding data format), and which for this purpose includes, in particular, an image sensor or similar device. The electronic component may also include (light-)optical components such as one or more lenses or similar devices.

[0016] Drive means, in this context, encompass all means designed to exert a mechanical driving force on the camera carrier and move it along the guide rail through the mouthpiece. These drive means may include a motor (especially an electric motor) to generate the driving force, as well as transmission means to transfer this driving force to the camera carrier. The transmission means may include a chain and / or a belt and / or balls or similar elements for transmitting the driving force, as well as corresponding elements for redirecting the driving force during transmission, such as gears and / or pulleys and / or a ball screw drive, etc.

[0017] The drive elements can be arranged, in particular, partially within the housing. Preferably, the housing extends into and / or encompasses or covers the aforementioned base surface of the mouthpiece, so that the drive elements are arranged at least partially in this area of ​​the housing which encompasses or covers the base surface of the mouthpiece (for example, between a corresponding housing plate and the base surface of the mouthpiece on which the guide rail is arranged).

[0018] According to the invention, the camera carrier comprises a printed circuit board as a supporting base element, on which at least one camera element is arranged. This includes, in particular, that the camera carrier itself has no further encapsulation or similar around said printed circuit board (i.e., the printed circuit board is not arranged on a further support element and is not enclosed by a housing element or similar, but is, in particular, "free" in the guide rail). A printed circuit board is understood here to be any flat form of a carrier, especially an insulating one, which is provided with conductive traces for the electrical contacting of electronic components and which is designed and configured for the mechanical mounting and simultaneous electrical connection of said electronic components, i.e., in particular a so-called "Printed Circuit Board" (PCB).A circuit board can also be manufactured specifically for the intraoral camera, for example by a 3D printing process and subsequent attachment of the aforementioned conductor tracks.

[0019] The printed circuit board, or its main surface area (in the case of a spatially angled printed circuit board), is preferably arranged parallel or substantially parallel to the base surface of the mouthpiece (i.e., with an inclination of preferably a maximum of 15°, particularly preferably a maximum of 10°, relative to the base surface). The printed circuit board, as a basic element of the camera carrier, is specifically characterized by the fact that a guide element (such as a pin or a skid) is attached to the printed circuit board (preferably perpendicular to it), thereby enabling the printed circuit board to be moved along the guide rail, and / or that the printed circuit board forms a base for the arrangement of the camera element and, if applicable, further (direct or indirect) elements for image generation, which (each) is (or are) preferably arranged in the opposite direction to the guide element.

[0020] The camera element (or further camera elements and, if applicable, light sources) can preferably be arranged directly on the printed circuit board (PCB), i.e., the camera element is directly mounted and secured to the PCB and contacted accordingly via a conductor track. The camera element (or further camera elements and, if applicable, light sources) can also be mounted on a socket, which in turn is attached to the PCB and contacted accordingly. In particular, with multiple camera elements and, if applicable, light sources, one or more can be mounted directly on the PCB, and one or more can be arranged indirectly on the PCB via such a socket.

[0021] In particular, the printed circuit board can be spatially angled (i.e., "folded") such that it forms a main surface area (to which, in particular, the guide element is attached) that is (essentially) parallel to the base of the mouthpiece and preferably comprises the largest proportion of the printed circuit board's surface area, and one or two side surfaces, giving the printed circuit board an L-shaped or Π-shaped cross-section. In particular, one or more camera elements and / or light sources can be arranged on (each) one of the side surfaces.

[0022] By using a printed circuit board as the basic element of the camera carrier that holds the image-generating components, an additional carrier housing (i.e., an additional plastic shell or sleeve, etc.) for the camera carrier, which encloses the printed circuit board, can be dispensed with. The mechanical protection of the printed circuit board from potential damage caused by movement of the test subject's (i.e., the patient's) tongue or lips is already provided by the mouthpiece and its corresponding components, which are necessary anyway to keep the path of movement along the dental arch clear for the camera carrier. Without these components, this path could simply be mechanically blocked by the tongue and / or lips.

[0023] Advantageously, the drive mechanism comprises a multitude of balls arranged in a suitable ball screw guide. These balls can be supplied with a diameter of just a few millimeters. This allows such a ball screw guide to be integrated into a housing plate that encompasses or covers the base of the mouthpiece without significantly increasing the overall thickness of the mouthpiece and the housing plate.

[0024] Preferably, at least some of the balls are equipped for inductive position detection. This can be achieved, for example, by making all but a few of the balls from a metallic material (e.g., a ferromagnetic material or a paramagnetic material such as stainless steel), and the remaining balls from a non-metallic material (e.g., a diamagnetic material such as glass or ceramic). A magnetic sensor (e.g., an inductive sensor) positioned at a specific point in the ball recirculation system can then detect the varying magnetic permeability as the balls pass through and, depending on the specific arrangement pattern of the "exceptions" and the guide element with respect to these, determine the absolute position of the guide element in the ball recirculation system.

[0025] Advantageously, the camera carrier is mechanically, and in particular rigidly, connected to a guide element projecting into the ball screw guide. This guide element is designed to translate the movement of the balls within the ball screw guide into a movement of the camera carrier. In this case, the aforementioned stop forms the guide element or a part thereof. This means that the balls are preferably arranged loosely, and in particular without any mechanical connection to one another, within the ball screw guide and are moved by thrust through it. The thrust can then be achieved, for example, by a gear (with a tooth spacing corresponding to the ball size), which is preferably arranged on the base plate of the housing in the area of ​​the retaining element. The thrust movement of the balls within the ball screw guide eliminates the need for further gears or similar components (except for the aforementioned guide element for thrust), thus enabling a particularly compact design.

[0026] In an alternative embodiment, the camera carrier is mechanically, and in particular rigidly, connected to a pull hook, wherein the multitude of balls are connected to each other to form a ball chain which is connected to the pull hook, and wherein the pull hook is configured to translate a movement of the ball chain into a movement of the camera carrier. In this case, the pull hook forms part of the guide element. The use of a ball chain allows for greater clearance in the manufacture of the ball recirculation system.

[0027] Advantageously, the housing includes a gear which is designed to move the balls in the ball recirculation guide, in particular in the manner described, and in particular to transmit a feed to them.

[0028] It is further advantageous if the camera mount includes at least one light source for illuminating a tooth to be imaged by the at least one camera element. This ensures, in particular, uniform illumination of the teeth to be imaged across the entire dental arch. Without a light source, molars, for example, would be illuminated differently than incisors. The at least one light source must be electrically connected and mechanically fixed to the camera mount; however, the advantage of uniform illumination clearly outweighs this additional design effort.

[0029] Ideally, the camera mount incorporates a white LED as the primary light source and an infrared LED as the secondary light source. LEDs are available in many, particularly compact, form factors. A white LED has the advantage that the camera image illuminated by it most closely reflects the visual impression a dentist would get of the imaged tooth during an on-site examination. Illumination with an infrared LED, due to the tooth's translucency, also allows for the detection of caries.

[0030] Preferably, the camera carrier comprises a first camera element for capturing images of a tooth's occlusal surface, a second camera element for capturing images of a tooth's (labial) outer surface, and a third camera element for capturing images of a tooth's (lingual) inner surface. This ensures the most complete possible image capture of a row of teeth. In particular, the second and third camera elements are arranged opposite each other (with respect to the viewing angle) and perpendicular to the first camera element.

[0031] In an advantageous embodiment, the white LED and the infrared LED are each arranged between two of the camera elements and configured for diagonal illumination of a tooth. This includes, in particular, that in a cross-sectional view of the camera carrier, the first camera element is mounted on the circuit board, and the second and third camera elements are arranged on the side walls of the camera carrier (which can be formed, in particular, by the circuit board itself, each angled at 90°), while the white LED is arranged in one "corner" of the circuit board and one side wall (or in the "bend"), and the infrared LED in the other "corner" of the circuit board and the other side wall (or in the other "bend"). This ensures optimal use of the available space.

[0032] It is further advantageous if the intraoral camera includes an evaluation unit arranged in the housing, particularly in the holding element, which is designed and configured for processing and / or evaluating images from the at least one camera element, and / or an interface and / or transmission unit arranged in the housing, particularly in the holding element, which is designed and configured for outputting or transmitting images from the at least one camera element, and / or a storage medium arranged in the housing, particularly in the holding element, for storing said images. The images captured by the intraoral camera must in any case be made available to a dentist. This can be done via direct output, e.g., a USB port or similar, or via a removable data carrier such as a USB flash drive. The transmission unit can be, for example, an LTE-enabled modem or an internet dongle or similar.The setup requires an internet connection (possibly via mobile networks) and the necessary electronics for encoding and transmission. It is advantageous to integrate an interface or transmission unit for output or transmission, or a storage medium, into the housing, particularly the mounting element, to utilize the available space. Furthermore, preprocessing of the image data (such as compression) can also be performed directly within the intraoral camera, again utilizing the available space in the mounting element to house the necessary electronics.

[0033] Preferably, the intraoral camera is configured to be connected to an external control unit. This includes, in particular, that parts of the control of the drive mechanism for the movement of the camera carrier are handled by the external control unit, such as the control of a gear or similar component. The power supply for the drive mechanism and / or the camera carrier (and thus for the at least one camera element and, if applicable, the light source) can also be located in said external control unit, or the external control unit can provide a power supply to eliminate the need for dedicated battery space within the intraoral camera housing, or, if necessary, provide an emergency power reserve (in case, for example, an intraoral camera battery no longer has sufficient charge capacity). Image transmission to said external control unit can also be performed (in a similar manner to the interface).(described in the transmission unit), so that further processing and / or transmission of the images of the dental arch is carried out by the external control unit. Regarding the connection between the external control unit and the intraoral camera, the above statements concerning the aforementioned interface apply in particular. Specifically, image data transmission to a dentist's office computer or similar can take place via an internet connection established through the external control unit, which is equipped with the necessary communication means and thus configured for transmission. The image data from the intraoral camera is preferably transmitted to the external control unit via the aforementioned interface.

[0034] Preferably, the circuit board has a cable connection to the evaluation unit and / or the interface and / or the transmission unit and / or the storage medium for transmitting the images generated by the at least one camera element to the evaluation unit, the interface, the transmission unit, or the storage medium. Even if wireless data transmission of the generated image data is possible, the camera carrier must be connected to a power cable anyway for a reliable power supply, as battery operation alone could lead to potentially inconvenient interruptions. Therefore, a cable connection to the camera carrier is already present, so a cable connection for transmitting the image data to the housing (to the evaluation unit, the interface, the transmission unit, and / or the storage medium) can also be implemented without additional effort.

[0035] Advantageously, a return mechanism is integrated into the housing, designed to maintain tension in the cable connection. As the camera carrier moves within the mouthpiece, its distance to a reference point on the housing (such as a possible connection point for the cable) varies. To prevent the cable connection from interfering with the camera carrier during movement along the guide rail, it is preferably kept under tension ("taut"), which is easily achieved with the aforementioned return mechanism.

[0036] Advantageously, the return mechanism incorporates a torsion spring with a cable pull, which is mechanically connected to and acts upon the cable connection. This design of the return mechanism eliminates the need for winding the cable connection onto a roller or spool, thus preventing potential twisting or other issues during winding. Furthermore, torsion springs typically allow for significantly greater spring travel than tension springs of comparable size.

[0037] The invention further describes an intraoral camera for recording images of a row of teeth, comprising a housing with a holding element for holding the intraoral camera, a mouthpiece which replicates the course of a row of teeth, a guide rail arranged in the mouthpiece, a camera carrier with at least one camera element for recording said images, and drive means for moving the camera carrier along the guide rail through the mouthpiece, wherein the drive means comprise a plurality of balls which are arranged in a corresponding ball recirculation guide, and wherein the camera carrier is mechanically (in particular rigidly) connected to a guide element projecting into the ball recirculation guide, which is configured to translate a feed of the balls in the ball recirculation guide into a movement of the camera carrier.

[0038] The advantages and advantageous combinations of features and designs mentioned for the intraoral camera described at the beginning, in which the circuit board forms the supporting basic element of the camera carrier, can be transferred analogously to the present intraoral camera, in which movement of the camera carrier is achieved by a feed of the balls in the ball recirculation guide.

[0039] The above explanations regarding the corresponding design of the intraoral camera with the circuit board as the basic element of the camera carrier apply to the particular advantages of moving the camera carrier by means of the aforementioned advancement of the balls, especially with regard to a compact design.

[0040] An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. The drawings schematically depict: Fig. 1. An intraoral camera in a lower oblique view, Fig. 2 in an oblique view a bite splint of a mouthpiece of the intraoral camera according to Fig. 1, Fig. 3. In an oblique view, the mouthpiece of the intraoral camera. Fig. 1 and a drive mechanism for a camera carrier, Fig. 4. In an oblique view, a camera carrier for the intraoral camera. Fig. 1.

[0041] Corresponding parts and sizes are marked with the same reference symbols in all figures.

[0042] In Fig. Figure 1 schematically depicts an intraoral camera 1 in a lower oblique view. The intraoral camera 1 has a housing 2, which includes a holding element 6 designed as a handle 4 and a base plate 8. The base plate 8 extends over a mouthpiece 10, which is designed and configured for insertion into a patient's mouth and in which components for image generation are arranged in a manner to be described later. The mouthpiece 10 roughly replicates the contour of a row of teeth.

[0043] The mouthpiece 10 has an outer side wall 12 and an inner side wall 14, which are designed to protect the imaging elements of the intraoral camera 1 from mechanical pressure exerted by the patient's tongue (inner side wall 14) and / or lips (outer side wall 12). The inner and outer side walls 14, 12, as well as the base plate 8, are preferably made of a hard plastic. The mouthpiece also includes a bite splint 16, which is positioned between the inner and outer side walls 14, 12 and has a recess 18 for a row of teeth.

[0044] The bite splint 16 is schematically shown in Fig. 2 shown in detail in an oblique view. To take pictures of a row of teeth, a patient inserts the relevant (upper or lower) row of teeth into the corresponding recess 18 provided for this purpose (as “deep” or completely as possible), and in a Fig. Within the interior of the bite splint 16 (not shown), a camera carrier with camera elements is moved along a guide rail along the dental arch, successively acquiring individual images of the teeth. The bite splint is made of a transparent, preferably soft, plastic and serves to further protect the image-generating components arranged on the camera carrier (to be described later), in particular against accidental displacement of the mouthpiece against the dental arch, which could damage the camera carrier and / or the image-generating components. However, the bite splint may be unnecessary if maintaining the distance between the camera carrier and the dental arch can be ensured in another way, for example, by means of corresponding return elements on the mouthpiece.

[0045] In Fig. 2 as well as in Fig. As can be seen in Figure 1, the bite splint 16 (and correspondingly the mouthpiece 10) is open at its rear end 21, i.e., the recess 18 extends directly into the open space without being closed off by a further side wall. This design provides greater comfort for the patient, since a bite splint 16 (or a correspondingly closed mouthpiece 10) that is closed at its rear end 21 could exert pressure on the posterior palate or mouth area, which could potentially lead to an unpleasant sensation or even a gag reflex in some individuals (similar to the gag reflex caused by pressure on the back of the tongue).

[0046] In Fig. Figure 3 schematically shows an oblique view of an upper part 22 of the housing 2 with a top side of the mouthpiece 10 of the intraoral camera 1. Fig. Figure 1 shows the base plate 8 removed for better illustration. The upper part 22 of the housing 2 is designed such that it transitions into the handle 4, or forms its upper part, and transitions into the mouthpiece 10.

[0047] In the upper part 22 of the housing 2, directly below the in Fig. A ball recirculation guide 24 is embedded in the base plate 8 (not shown) and, in the mounted state of the intraoral camera 1, is concealed by the base plate 8. The ball recirculation guide 24 runs from a round recess 26 on the part associated with the handle 4, along both sides of the ridge-like connecting element 28 to the mouthpiece 10, where the ball recirculation guide 24 also replicates the course of a row of teeth, thereby forming a guide rail 30 for a camera carrier, which will be described later.

[0048] A multitude of balls (not shown) are embedded in the ball recirculation guide 24 for the operation of the intraoral camera 1. These balls lie close to the guide 24, with only slight play, so that they can be moved by thrust through it. The necessary thrust is provided by a Fig. 3. A gear (not shown) is reached, which is recessed in the round recess 26, and whose tooth spacing is matched to the ball diameter. An electric motor for the gear is located in the upper part 22 of the housing 2 (in the part associated with the handle 4).

[0049] Movement of the camera carrier can be achieved by the ball recirculation guide 24 forming a gap 31 for a guide element (e.g., a pin protruding through the gap 31) in the direction away from the image plane (i.e., opposite the base plate 8 in the mounted state) in the area of ​​the guide rail 30, wherein the camera carrier is rigidly connected to the guide element, and the guide element forms a ball head at the other end the size of the balls in the ball recirculation guide 24, so that the ball head is moved with (and through) these in the ball recirculation guide 24, and can transmit the movement to the camera carrier via the pin.

[0050] For better guidance, the outer edge 32 of the guide rail can also be used by guiding another guide element of the camera carrier along it, thus better restricting the movement of the camera carrier.

[0051] In Fig. Figure 4 schematically shows an oblique view of a camera carrier 40 for the intraoral camera 1 according to Fig. Figure 1 shows the camera carrier 40 having a supporting base element 42 on which all electronic components required for image generation are arranged directly or indirectly, i.e., are attached directly there or are mechanically connected to the supporting base element 42 via sockets or similar. The supporting base element 42 of the camera carrier 40 is formed by a PCB 44 (i.e., a printed circuit board).

[0052] At each of the two outer ends of the PCB 44, a lateral socket 46b, 46c is attached, thus mechanically fixed to the PCB 44 and electronically contacted via its conductor tracks. The camera carrier 40 therefore has a Π-shaped cross-section and is designed and configured to pass through the interior 20 of the bite splint 16. Fig. 2. The camera carrier 40 has, among other things, a guide element 48, which is designed and configured to be positioned on the outer edge 32 of the guide rail 30. Fig. 3 to be approached and guided along there.

[0053] The camera carrier 40 also has two pin-like guide elements 49 (in Fig. Figure 4 shows only one of these guide elements (shown separately from the camera carrier 40), which are attached to one of the two side ends of the PCB 44 opposite each other (i.e., with the short side of the PCB 44 lying between them) by means of a retaining pin 50 of the guide element 49. The guide elements 49 have a ball head 52, which determines the size of the balls in the ball recirculation guide 24. Fig. 3, so that the ball head 52 together with said balls can be moved through the ball recirculation guide 24.

[0054] The camera carrier 40 has on the underside of the PCB 44 (with respect to the viewing direction of the Fig. 4) a first camera element 54a, and in the side mounts 46b, 46c a second or a third camera element 54b, 54c.

[0055] The viewing angle 56a of the first camera element 54a is directed downwards from the camera carrier 40, i.e. in the direction of a chewing surface of a tooth.

[0056] The viewing angles 56b, 56c of the second and third camera elements 54b, 54c are directed laterally towards the (labial) outer surface and the (lingual) inner surface of the tooth, respectively.

[0057] To illuminate the image area, i.e., the areas of a tooth to be depicted, the camera carrier 40 has two light sources 58 in the form of a white LED 58b as a first light source 58 and an infrared LED 58c as a second light source 58, which are arranged in the corners of the PCB 44 with the side sockets 46b, 46c, and emit light diagonally towards the center of the space surrounded by the camera carrier 40.

[0058] By eliminating the need for additional encapsulation or a separate housing for the supporting base element 42 for the arrangement of the light source 58 and the camera elements 54a, 54b, 54c (especially for the first camera element 54a) on the camera carrier, and instead using the PCB 44 directly, a significant space saving can be achieved in the mouthpiece. The feed of the camera carrier 40 via the aforementioned ball screw guide further improves the space savings.

[0059] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail by the preferred embodiment, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples and other variations can be derived by the person skilled in the art without leaving the scope of protection of the invention. Reference symbol list 1 Intraoral camera 2 cases 4 Grab handle 6 retaining element 8 Base plate 10 Mouthpiece 12 outer side wall 14 inner side wall 16 Bite splint 18 recess 21 rear end (of the bite splint) 22 upper part (of the case) 24 Ball Recirculation Guide 26 recess 28 (web-like) connecting element 30 guide rail 31 space 32 outer edge (of the guide rail) 40 camera carriers 42 load-bearing basic element 44 PCB 46b / c side version 48 Guide element 49 Guide element 50 retaining pin 52 ball head 54a / b / c first / second / third camera element 56a / b / c field of view 58 light sources 58b white LED 58c Infrared LED

Claims

[1] Intraoral camera (1) for taking images of a row of teeth, comprising: - a housing (2) with a holding element (6) for holding the intraoral camera (1), - a mouthpiece (10) which replicates the course of a row of teeth, - a guide rail (30) arranged in the mouthpiece (10), - a camera carrier (40) with at least one camera element (54a, 54b, 54c) for recording said images, and - Drive means for moving the camera carrier (40) along the guide rail (30) through the mouthpiece (10), wherein the camera carrier (40) has a circuit board (44) as a supporting base element (42) on which the at least one camera element (54a, 54b, 54c) is arranged. [2] Intraoral camera (1) according to claim 1, wherein the drive means comprise a plurality of balls which are arranged in a corresponding ball recirculation guide (24). [3] Intraoral camera (1) according to claim 2, wherein at least some of the spheres are equipped for magnetic position determination. [4] Intraoral camera (1) according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the camera carrier (40) is mechanically connected to a guide element (49) projecting into the ball recirculation guide (24), which is configured to translate a feed of the balls in the ball recirculation guide (24) into a movement of the camera carrier (40). [5] Intraoral camera (1) according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the camera carrier (40) is mechanically connected to a pull hook, wherein the plurality of balls are connected to each other to form a ball chain which is connected to the pull hook, and wherein the pull hook is configured to translate a movement of the ball chain into a movement of the camera carrier (40). [6] Intraoral camera (1) according to one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the housing (2) comprises a gear which is configured to move the balls in the ball recirculation guide (24). [7] Intraoral camera (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the camera carrier (40) comprises at least one light source (58) for illuminating a tooth to be imaged by the at least one camera element (54a, 54b, 54c). [8] Intraoral camera (1) according to claim 7, wherein the camera carrier (40) comprises a white LED (58b) as a first light source and an infrared LED (58c) as a second light source. [9] Intraoral camera (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the camera carrier (40) - a first camera element (54a) for recording images of an occlusal surface of a tooth, - a second camera element (54b) for recording images of the outside of a tooth and - has a third camera element (54c) for recording images of the inside of a tooth. [10] Intraoral camera (1) according to claim 8 in conjunction with claim 9, wherein the white LED (58b) and the infrared LED (58c) are each arranged between two of the camera elements (54a, 54b, 54c) and are configured for diagonal illumination of a tooth. [11] Intraoral camera (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, further - an evaluation unit arranged in the housing (2) for processing and / or evaluating, and / or - a storage medium arranged in the housing (2) for storing, and / or - an interface arranged in the housing (2) for output and / or - comprising a transmission unit arranged in the housing (2) for transmitting images from the at least one camera element (54a, 54b, 54c). [12] Intraoral camera (1) according to any of the preceding claims, which is configured to be connected to an external control unit. [13] Intraoral camera (1) according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the circuit board (44) has a cable connection with the evaluation unit and / or the interface and / or the storage medium and / or the transmission unit for transmitting the images generated by the at least one camera element (54a, 54b, 54c) to the evaluation unit or to the interface or to the storage medium or to the transmission unit. [14] Intraoral camera (1) according to claim 13, wherein a reset device is arranged in the housing (2) which is configured to maintain a tensile tension of the cable connection. [15] Intraoral camera (1) according to claim 14, wherein the reset device has a torsion spring with a cable pull which is mechanically connected to and acts on the cable connection. [16] Intraoral camera (1) for taking images of a row of teeth, comprising: - a housing (2) with a holding element (6) for holding the intraoral camera (1), - a mouthpiece (10) which replicates the course of a row of teeth, - a guide rail (30) arranged in the mouthpiece (10), - a camera carrier (40) with at least one camera element (54a, 54b, 54c) for recording said images, and - Drive means for moving the camera carrier (24) along the guide rail (30) through the mouthpiece (10), wherein the drive means comprise a plurality of balls which are arranged in a corresponding ball recirculation guide (24), and wherein the camera carrier is mechanically connected to a guide element (49) projecting into the ball recirculation guide (24), which is designed to translate a feed of the balls in the ball recirculation guide (824) into a movement of the camera carrier (40).

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