Jig for oral cavity imaging and oral cavity imaging device equipped with the same

Abstract

To provide a jig for oral cavity imaging that allows an oral cavity image to be captured under an imaging environment with almost the same focal distance and sight without being affected by external light, and to provide an oral cavity imaging device equipped with the same.SOLUTION: A jig 20 for oral cavity imaging used for capturing an oral cavity image of a patient 90 includes: a lip expanding unit 30 having a right and left pair of mouth corner hooks 31 and 31, inserted into the mouth 91 of the patient for opening the mouth vertically and opening the right and left mouth corners 92 outward; and an occlusion unit 40 having a flat occlusion plane plate 41 that the patient bites with upper and lower teeth at the base end, which is connected to the lip expanding unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an intraoral photography tool capable of taking intraoral images together with a shade guide used as a tooth color sample, and an intraoral photography device equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] In cosmetic dentistry, tooth whitening is performed to remove yellowing and whiten teeth. A shade guide is used to determine the patient's desired tooth color.

[0003] A shade guide is a stick with multiple samples of different colors attached to it. Each shade guide is assigned a number that identifies its color, and whitening and other procedures are performed by comparing the color of the selected shade guide sample with the color of the patient's teeth (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] In addition, when prosthetics such as dentures and crown restorations are placed on a patient's teeth, it is desirable for the color of the prosthetics to be the same as the adjacent teeth. Therefore, the patient's teeth and a sample of a shade guide that is close to the color of the patient's teeth are identified, and the number is transmitted to the prosthetics maker to create the prosthetics.

[0005] Distinguishing the color of the shade guide from the patient's teeth (shade taking) is affected by lighting and sunlight. Specifically, it looks bluish under fluorescent lights and reddish under incandescent lights. Also, if the focal length of the camera lens is different from that of the shade guide or patient's teeth, the color of the photographed shade guide and teeth will change. For this reason, to perform shade taking correctly, it is necessary to take intraoral images in the same shooting environment that is not affected by external light, focal length, aiming, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-23653 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In Patent Document 1, an intraoral image is taken with a shade guide in a darkroom that is shielded from external light. However, it is costly to install and maintain the darkroom, and it also requires space to install it. Therefore, there is a demand for an imaging device that has a simple configuration and can take images without being affected by external light.

[0008] In addition, in Patent Document 1, the patient's forehead and chin are placed against the device and photographed with a camera installed in front, but there is variation in the position in which the chin is placed, and even if the forehead and chin are placed in the same position, there are individual differences in the position of the teeth, making it difficult to take photographs with the same focal length and aim.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide an intraoral photography tool and an intraoral photography device equipped with the same, which can take intraoral images under the same lighting conditions and with approximately the same focal length and aiming environment without being affected by external light. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The intraoral photography tool of the present invention is An intraoral imaging tool used to capture an intraoral image of a patient, A lip spreading unit is inserted into the patient's mouth and has a pair of lip hooks that open the mouth up and down and open the left and right corners of the mouth outward; An occlusion unit having a flat occlusion plate at a base end on which the patient bites with the upper and lower teeth and connected to the lip spreading unit; Equipped with.

[0011] The articulation unit may have a shade guide attachment portion for mounting a shade guide.

[0012] The occlusion unit may comprise an aiming unit for aiming an imaging means for imaging the patient's teeth.

[0013] The aiming unit has a first aiming frame on a front side away from the occlusal plane and a second aiming frame on a rear side close to the occlusal plane, The second aiming frame may be a frame body having a larger diameter than the first aiming frame.

[0014] The aiming unit has a removable distance setting rod for adjusting the distance from the patient's teeth.

[0015] The aiming unit may be fitted with lighting means for illuminating the patient's teeth.

[0016] The occlusal plane plate is configured by arranging a right occlusal plane plate to be bitten by the right teeth and a left occlusal plane plate to be bitten by the left teeth so that they can slide left and right and be positioned by a connecting mechanism, and has a right frame extending forward from the right occlusal plane plate outside the oral cavity, and a left frame extending forward from the left occlusal plane plate.

[0017] The right side of the lip hook is attached to the right frame, and the left side of the lip hook is attached to the left frame.

[0018] The bite unit is detachably and positionably attached to the lip spreading unit.

[0019] The lip spreading unit includes a lip corner hook biasing means for biasing the lip corner hook in the left and right opening directions.

[0020] The bite unit is detachably and positionably attached to the lip spreading unit.

[0021] The occlusion unit is provided at its tip with an imaging means mounting portion for mounting an imaging means for photographing the patient's teeth.

[0022] The imaging means mounting portion has a cylindrical shape and is provided with an imaging means mounting surface at its tip end.

[0023] In addition, the intraoral photography device of the present invention is Any of the above intraoral photography tools, an illumination means for illuminating the patient's teeth; An imaging means for imaging the patient's teeth; A light-shielding blackout curtain that covers the intraoral photography tool and the photography means from the photography means side; has. Effect of the Invention

[0024] The intraoral photography tool of the present invention can open the patient's lips up and down and left and right by using the lip opening unit, making it easy to view and photograph the patient with bare teeth. Also, by having the patient bite the occlusal plane plate of the occlusion unit with the upper and lower teeth, the occlusion unit or the intraoral photography tool can be made parallel to the patient's occlusal plane.

[0025] In this state, the photographing means is set in a photographing position on the intraoral photographing jig that is on the same plane as the occlusal plane, at the midpoint between the left and right, and at a predetermined photographing distance from the patient's teeth, or at a predetermined aiming distance when using an aiming unit. Then, the lighting means is turned on, and with a blackout curtain hung, the photographing means can take an intraoral image (tooth photo) together with the shade guide.

[0026] The occlusion unit can be placed at approximately the same position relative to the patient's teeth. Therefore, when the photographing means is attached to the photographing means mounting portion of the occlusion unit, or when the photographing means is aimed using the aiming unit, the focal length from the lens of the photographing means to the patient's teeth and the aim can be adjusted to be approximately the same, and intraoral images can be taken in the same shooting environment.

[0027] Furthermore, with the intraoral photography device of the present invention, the intraoral photography tool is placed on the patient, and with the photography means attached, external light can be blocked by covering it with a blackout curtain, so that intraoral images can be taken in the same photography environment without being affected by external light.

[0028] By performing shade taking based on intraoral images taken in the same environment, the effects of the environment in which the images were taken are not affected. Therefore, by performing whitening according to the patient's preferences based on this image, the patient's desired whitening can be realized. In addition, by fabricating a prosthesis based on this image, the patient's desired prosthesis can be obtained. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an intraoral imaging apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the intraoral photography jig of the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the intraoral photography jig. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a left side view of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a front view of the lip spreading unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view of an intraoral photography device in which a smartphone, which is a photography means, is attached to an intraoral photography jig. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a side view of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a front view showing a state in which the lip spreading unit is attached to a patient. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the occlusal plane plate of the occlusal unit is attached to a patient. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the occlusion unit is attached to the lip spreading unit worn by a patient. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an intraoral photographing tool showing the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a side view showing a state in which the intraoral photographing tool is attached to a patient. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a front view showing a state in which the intraoral photographing tool is attached to a patient. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the imaging means with a blackout curtain attached. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a side view showing a state in which the intraoral photographing device is attached to a patient. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a side view showing the positional relationship between the aiming unit and the imaging means. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing the state where the aim is achieved. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of an intraoral photographing jig showing the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram of the connecting mechanism between the left and right occlusal plane plates. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing the left and right occlusal plane plates swung in the opening direction. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of an intraoral photographing tool showing the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the palpebral prosthesis is attached to a patient. [Diagram 23] FIG. 23 is a diagram of the inside of a patient's mouth when an intraoral photography tool is attached to the patient, as viewed from the jaw side. [Figure 24] FIG. 23 is a diagram of the inside of a patient's mouth when the intraoral photography tool is attached, viewed from the jaw side, with the aiming unit positioned at an angle rather than in the midline. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] Hereinafter, an intraoral photographing tool 20 and an intraoral photographing device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0031] First Embodiment 1, the intraoral photography device 10 of the present invention can be configured by attaching a photography means 60 such as a smartphone to an intraoral photography jig indicated by reference numeral 20 and covering it with a blackout curtain 70. Then, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 described later, with the intraoral photography jig 20 attached to the mouth 91 of a patient 90, an intraoral image is taken together with the shade guide 50 by the photography means 60.

[0032] 2 to 4, the intraoral photography tool 20 includes a lip spreading unit 30 that spreads the corners of the patient's mouth 92 (see FIG. 8) and an occlusion unit 40 that has an occlusion plane plate 41 on which the patient bites with upper and lower teeth 95, 96. In this embodiment, the lip spreading unit 30 and the occlusion unit 40 are detachable and positionable.

[0033] As a specific embodiment, the lip spreading unit 30, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, has mouthpiece-like corner hooks 31, 31 that are inserted into the mouth 91 of a patient 90 to spread the mouth 91 up and down and spread the corners of the mouth 92 left and right, and lip corner hook biasing means 32 that biases the corner hooks 31, 31 in the left and right opening directions.

[0034] The lip hook 31 is a generally arc-shaped or generally crescent-shaped member with a concave outer periphery that fits into the corners 92 of the mouth 91 of the patient 90 from the left and right of the upper and lower lips. The lip hook 31 can be symmetrical, for example. As shown in Fig. 8, the lip hook 31 has a length that exposes the upper gums 93 to the lower gums 94 when it is fitted into the mouth 91 of the patient 90 and the left and right corners 92 of the mouth are opened.

[0035] The mouth corner hook 31 may be made of resin. It is preferable to use a resin having excellent heat resistance so that it can be sterilized by boiling or the like.

[0036] The buccal hooks 31, 31 have an articulation unit mounting portion 33 on the front side, i.e., on the side of the intraoral photography jig 20, for mounting the articulation unit 40 so as to be able to position it, as shown in Fig. 5. The articulation unit mounting portion 33 in the first embodiment is a groove extending laterally into which the articulation unit 40 fits.

[0037] As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the corner hooks 31, 31 are biased in a direction spreading in the left-right direction by the corner hook biasing means 32. In the illustrated embodiment, the corner hook biasing means 32 is a spring-like arc-shaped member that connects the lower ends of the corner hooks 31, 31. In an unloaded state, the corner hook biasing means 32 pushes the corner hooks 31, 31 apart from the corners of the mouth of the patient 90 to the left and right.

[0038] An articulation unit 40 is attached to the lip spreading unit 30 configured as described above in a positionable manner.

[0039] 2 and 3, the occlusion unit 40 is a member having an occlusion plane plate 41 on the base end side and an imaging means mounting part 45 on the tip end. In this embodiment, the occlusion plane plate 41 and the imaging means mounting part 45 are connected by a frame body 42.

[0040] The occlusal plane plate 41 is a flat member that the patient 90 bites with the upper and lower teeth 95, 96. When the patient 90 bites the occlusal plane plate 41 with the upper and lower teeth 95, 96, the occlusal plane plate 41 can derive the occlusal plane of the patient 90, that is, a plane formed by connecting three points: the incisal point (the midpoint between the mesial angles of the left and right mandibular central incisors) and the distal buccal cusp tips of the left and right mandibular second molars.

[0041] In the illustrated embodiment, the occlusal plane plate 41 is U-shaped in plan view. The width of the occlusal plane plate 41 is such that it can be inserted into the oral cavity of the patient 90. The occlusal plane plate 41 may be in the shape of a circular arc with a recessed base end. The occlusal plane plate 41 is required to be strong enough to hold the imaging means mounting part 45 and the imaging means 60 attached thereto in fixed positions, and is also required to be heat resistant so that it can be sterilized by boiling or the like. Therefore, it is desirable to make the occlusal plane plate 41 from a metal such as stainless steel.

[0042] The tip side of the occlusal plane plate 41 is provided with a frame body 42 that spreads from the occlusal plane plate 41 to the left and right and extends to the photographing means mounting part 45 on the tip side. In the illustrated embodiment, the occlusal plane plate 41 and the frame body 42 are formed from the same plate material. The left and right base ends of the frame body 42 form positioning parts 43 that fit into the occlusal unit mounting part 33 of the lip spreading unit 30. In order to prevent the frame body 42 from being photographed and to prevent the first premolar from being difficult to see, it is desirable to chamfer the inner front surface of the connection part with the occlusal plane plate 41 as shown in FIG. 1 etc.

[0043] As will be described in more detail later, when the lip spreading unit 30 is attached to the mouth 91 of the patient 90, the occlusion unit attachment portion 33 and the positioning portion 43 are engaged as shown in Figures 3 and 4, and the patient 90 bites the occlusion plane plate 41, thereby positioning the lip spreading unit 30 almost immovably.

[0044] The occlusion unit 40 is formed with a shade guide attachment portion 44 for mounting the shade guide 50 thereon.

[0045] The shade guide 50 is a stick 52 on which a sample 51, which is a color sample used for color comparison during tooth whitening, is attached. The shade guide 50 may be, for example, 16 colors in the A, B, C, and D series, two colors in the P series, and two colors in the W series (for whitening), depending on the shade brightness and color tone of the sample 51. These colors are numbered close to the sample 51 (e.g., A1, B1, etc.) according to the series to which they belong and the difference in brightness within the series.

[0046] The shade guide attachment section 44 positions the sample 51 of the shade guide 50 near the teeth 95, 96 of the patient 90 when the intraoral photography jig 20 is attached to the patient 90. Specifically, the shade guide attachment section 44 can be configured by directly providing an attachment hole in the frame body 42 into which the stick 52 fits, or by attaching a cylinder having an attachment hole to the frame body 42. It is desirable that the shade guide attachment section 44 is configured to allow the stick 52 to swing up and down, left and right, etc., so that the sample 51 can be positioned near the teeth 95, 96 of the patient 90. Also, the stick 52 may be made of a wire or the like, and the stick 52 may be bent so that the sample 51 is in a desired position.

[0047] The imaging means mounting part 45 is provided at the tip of the frame body 42. The imaging means 60 is a device having a camera function, such as a smartphone, a tablet, or a digital camera. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in this embodiment, the imaging means mounting part 45 is cylindrical, more specifically, truncated cone, and the closed top surface (outside) on the tip side serves as the imaging means mounting surface 46. The imaging means mounting part 45 is provided perpendicular to the occlusal plane plate 41 so that the imaging means 60 can photograph the teeth 95, 96 of the patient 90, which is the subject, straight at the center of the angle of view.

[0048] The imaging means mounting part 45 has a lens hole 47 on the imaging means mounting surface 46 through which the lens of the imaging means 60 is exposed. The lens hole 47 is opened at a position on the same plane as the occlusal plate 41 and on an extension of the left-right center of the occlusal plate 41. This is for photographing the inside of the patient's mouth from a midline position directly in front of the patient using the imaging means 60. The imaging means mounting part 45 is also provided on the imaging means mounting surface 46. The imaging means mounting part 45 has a holder, a quick shoe, screws, etc. that hold the imaging means 60 with a spring-loaded claw (not shown), and has a means for detachably fixing the imaging means 60.

[0049] The photographing means 60 may be a smartphone or the like as described above, and is preferably equipped with an illumination function. If the photographing means 60 does not have an illumination function, a separate illumination means such as an LED light may be attached to the frame 42 or the photographing means attachment section 45. By employing a ring light as the illumination means and photographing with the photographing means 60 through a central hole of the ring light, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of shadows and perform suitable photographing. For example, the ring light may be disposed on the inner surface side of the photographing means attachment surface 46 of the photographing means attachment section 45, which has a substantially truncated cone shape.

[0050] The blackout curtain 70 blocks external light during photography. The blackout curtain 70 may be a light-shielding cloth, and may be, for example, a bag-shaped cloth with an opening at the bottom, as shown in FIG. 1. The blackout curtain 70 may be made by wrapping a rubber band around low-resilience urethane to cover the patient 90 in order to block light. By using cloth for the blackout curtain 70, as shown in FIG. 10, the bottom of the blackout curtain 70 covers the face 97 of the patient 90 when the intraoral imaging device 10 is attached to the patient 90, and the length of the blackout curtain 70 is such that external light does not enter the intraoral imaging device 10 between the blackout curtain 70 and the face 97. By using cloth for the blackout curtain 70, the bottom of the blackout curtain 70 fits the face 97 of the patient 90, thereby improving the light-shielding properties.

[0051] The intraoral imaging device 10 having the above-mentioned configuration is used by placing it on a dental chair with the backrest reclined and the patient 90 lying on his / her back.

[0052] The intraoral photography device 10 is separated into the lip spreading unit 30 and the occlusion unit 40, and the photography means 60 is also removed from the occlusion unit 40. The blackout curtain 70 is not covered. The shade guide 50 of the desired sample 51 can be attached to the shade guide attachment portion 44 of the occlusion unit 40 in advance. The shade guide 50 may be attached later.

[0053] From this state, first, the intraoral photography jig 20 is attached to the patient 90. The intraoral photography jig 20 first attaches the lip opening unit 30 to the mouth 91 of the patient 90 lying on his back as shown in Fig. 8. The practitioner has the patient 90 open his mouth 91, narrows the gap between the lip hooks 31, 31 against the lip hook biasing means 32 so that the lip hooks 31, 31 can be inserted into the mouth 91 of the patient 90, and inserts the lip hooks 31, 31 into the mouth 91 of the patient 90. As a result, the lips of the patient 90 are opened up and down and left and right, and the teeth 95, 96 can be exposed to the extent that the upper gums 93 and the lower gums 94 can be seen.

[0054] The lip spreading unit 30 has not yet been fitted with the bite unit 40, etc. Therefore, the practitioner can attach the lip spreading unit 30 to the patient 90 while visually checking the lip hooks 31, 31 and the mouth 91 of the patient 90.

[0055] When the practitioner releases the lip hooks 31, 31 in this state, the lip hooks 31, 31 move apart to the left and right due to the biasing force of the lip hook biasing means 32, widening the corners of the mouth 92 of the patient 90 to the left and right. If the opening of the corners of the mouth 92 to the left and right is insufficient, the practitioner can simply push the lip hooks 31 outward with their fingers. This allows the lip hooks 31 to be attached to the patient 90.

[0056] When the chevron 31 is attached to the mouth 91 of the patient 90, the center in the front-to-back direction substantially coincides with the surfaces of the upper and lower teeth 95, 96 of the patient 90. In other words, the focal position when photographing the teeth 95, 96 is on the surface of the teeth 95, 96, and therefore on the plane connecting the centers of the chevron 31 in the front-to-back direction.

[0057] Next, the occlusion unit 40 is attached. The occlusion unit 40 is prepared so that the occlusion plane plate 41 is approximately parallel to the upper and lower occlusion of the patient's 90 teeth 95, 96 on the patient 90 side. Next, the patient 90 opens the upper and lower teeth 95, 96 slightly, and the occlusion plane plate 41 is inserted between the upper and lower teeth 95, 96 as shown in Fig. 9. Then, the occlusion unit 40 is pushed in until the positioning portion 43 hits the occlusion unit mounting portion 33 of the lip spreading unit 30 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

[0058] The positioning portion 43 of the occlusion unit 40 comes into contact with the occlusion unit mounting portion 33 of the lip spreading unit 30, so that the occlusion unit 40 can always be positioned at the same position in the front-back direction of the lip spreading unit 30. That is, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the distance L from the front-back center of the lip corner hooks 31, 31 to the photographing means mounting portion 45 of the occlusion unit 40 can be set to be approximately the same. This distance L corresponds to the focal length from the photographing means mounting portion 45 to the surfaces of the teeth 95, 96 of the patient 90.

[0059] From this state, the patient 90 closes the upper and lower teeth 95, 96 and bites the occlusal plane plate 41 with the upper and lower teeth 95, 96. As a result, the occlusal plane plate 41 is approximately flush with the occlusal plane of the patient 90, and the occlusion unit 40 is positioned such that the imaging means attachment surface 46 of the imaging means attachment part 45 is approximately perpendicular to the occlusal plane.

[0060] As described above, the occlusion unit 40 is always positioned at the same position in the front-rear direction by the positioning portion 43 coming into contact with the occlusion unit mounting portion 33 of the lip spreading unit 30. Also, by the patient 90 biting the occlusion plane plate 41, the occlusion unit 40 can be positioned so that the occlusion plane plate 41 is substantially flush with the occlusion plane of the patient 90. In this way, the intraoral photography jig 20 can be assembled and attached to the patient 90.

[0061] According to the present invention, the intraoral photographing jig 20 can be attached so that the distance L from the lip hooks 31, 31 to the photographing means mounting part 45 of the occlusion unit 40 is approximately the same even if the patient 90 wears it on different occasions. In addition, even if the patient is different, the mounting position of the occlusion unit 40 relative to the lip opening unit 30 is the same, so the distance L can be the same. Furthermore, although the angle of the occlusion plane plate 41 differs depending on the patient 90, the angle of the occlusion unit 40 relative to the occlusion plane is approximately horizontal, so that the photographing means mounting surface 46 can be approximately perpendicular to the teeth 95, 96 of the patient 90, and the lens hole 47 formed in the photographing means mounting surface 46 can be brought directly in front of the teeth 95, 96 of the patient 90. Therefore, the positional relationship of the occlusion unit 40 relative to the teeth 95, 96 of the patient 90 can be approximately the same in any case.

[0062] The position of the shade guide 50 is then adjusted as necessary.

[0063] Then, the photographing means 60 is attached to the photographing means attachment portion 45 of the occlusion unit 40. If the photographing means 60 does not have an illumination function, the illumination means is also attached to the occlusion unit 40. By attaching the photographing means 60 later, the weight of the photographing means 60 is not added to the intraoral photographing jig 20 until immediately before photographing, so that the weight that the patient 90 must bear via the buccal hooks 31, 31 and the occlusion plane plate 41 can be reduced.

[0064] The photographing means 60 is positioned and fixed so that the center of the lens is located at the center of the lens hole 47 formed in the photographing means attachment surface 46. The focal length of the photographing means 60 is the distance L from the photographing means attachment surface 46 of the photographing means mounting part 45 to the teeth 95, 96 of the patient 90 (the center of the angle of the mouth 31 in the anterior-posterior direction). The photographing means 60 faces the midline position (directly in front) of the teeth 95, 96.

[0065] After the imaging means 60 is attached, the blackout curtain 70 is hung from above the imaging means 60. The blackout curtain 70 is hung so as to cover the face 97 of the patient 90, as shown in Fig. 10. Then, the bottom of the blackout curtain 70 is brought into close contact with the face 97 so that external light does not enter the blackout curtain 70. This blocks external light from entering the inside of the blackout curtain 70, making it completely dark. Desirably, the blackout curtain 70 is placed so as not to cover the patient 90's eyes.

[0066] Next, the lighting function or lighting means is turned on, and an intraoral image is taken by the photographing means 60 together with the shade guide 50. According to the intraoral photographing device 10 of the present invention, the focal distance from the teeth 95, 96 of the patient 90 to the photographing means 60 can be set to approximately the same distance L by the intraoral photographing jig 20. In addition, the inside of the intraoral photographing device 10 is not affected by external light due to the blackout curtain 70, and the same brightness can be set inside the blackout curtain 70 by using the same lighting function or lighting means. Therefore, photographing can be performed in the same photographing environment every time. In addition, if the blackout curtain 70 is placed so as not to cover the patient 90's eyes, the light from the lighting function or lighting means does not enter the patient 90's eyes, so the patient does not feel dazzled.

[0067] By performing shade taking based on intraoral images taken in the same environment, whitening can be performed according to the patient's preferences and prostheses can also be created.

[0068] After the photographing is completed, the blackout curtain 70 is removed and the patient 90 separates the upper and lower teeth 95, 96. In this state, the practitioner lifts the occlusion unit 40 together with the photographing means 60. The lip opening unit 30 is removed from the mouth 91 of the patient 90 by narrowing the gap between the corner hooks 31, 31 against the biasing force of the corner hook biasing means 32.

[0069] The lip spreading unit 30 can be reused after use by sterilizing it by boiling etc. Also, the occlusion unit 40 can be washed and sterilized after removing the photographing means 60.

[0070] <Second embodiment> 11 is a perspective view of an intraoral photography jig 20 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Note that explanations, illustrations, and reference numerals for members having the same functions and configurations as those of the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0071] In the first embodiment, the photographing means 60 is attached to the photographing means mounting portion 45 to take photographs, but in this embodiment, an aiming unit 80 for setting the aim of the photographing means 60 is provided in the occlusion unit 40, and the photographing means 60 can be aimed using the aiming unit 80.

[0072] The lip spreading unit 30 has an articulation unit mounting portion 33 formed on the lip corner hook 31 that is a groove into which the articulation plane plate 41 fits vertically so that the lip spreading unit 30 can slide forward and backward (as seen by the patient) relative to the articulation unit 40.

[0073] The aiming unit 80 can be arranged on the frame 42 of the articulation unit 40 so as to be slidable and positionable back and forth when viewed from the patient 90. The positioning mechanism of the aiming unit 80 is not particularly limited, but sliders 85, 85 can be adopted, which allow the practitioner to easily slide the aiming unit 80 on the frame 42 by pulling or pushing it, and to position it by releasing the hand. The sliders 85, 85 and the aiming unit 80 are connected by a holding piece 84. Since the aiming unit 80 does not enter the patient's mouth, it is desirable to make it detachable from the articulation unit 40 in order to eliminate the need for sterilization by boiling or the like.

[0074] As shown in Fig. 11, the aiming unit 80 can be exemplified by a configuration including a first aiming frame 81 (upper side in Fig. 11) located in a front position away from the mouth 91 (see Fig. 13) of the patient 90, and a second aiming frame 82 located in a rear position closer to the mouth 91. The first aiming frame 81 and the second aiming frame 82 can both be rectangular frame bodies of similar shapes, and are linked by a connecting frame 83 so as to be spaced a predetermined distance in the front-rear direction (as seen from the patient: the same applies below). The aiming unit 80 is disposed in a position that is central in the front-rear direction and left-right direction with respect to the left and right frame bodies 42 of the articulation unit 40.

[0075] The first targeting frame 81 can be configured with a smaller rectangular aperture than the second targeting frame 82, and the first targeting frame 81 and the second targeting frame 82 are arranged so that their corners overlap vertically when viewed from the front side. In the illustrated embodiment, the corners of both frames 81, 82 are connected to each other by a connection frame 83, so that the targeting unit 80 has a trapezoidal shape with a lower base longer than an upper base when viewed from the side. When the targeting unit 80 is photographed with the photographing means 60, as shown in Figs. 16 and 17 described later, the first targeting frame 81 and the second targeting frame 82 overlap each other, and the practitioner positions the photographing means 60 at a height and position where the second targeting frame 82 is not visible, and adjusts the focus, so that the photographing means 60 can be positioned at a position that is on the same plane as the occlusal plane and at a central position in the left-right center, and where the target distance to the teeth 95, 96 is constant.

[0076] 11, the aiming unit 80 is previously fitted with lighting means 65 such as a spotlight or a ring light. By fitting the lighting means 65 to the aiming unit 80, it is possible to make the illumination that falls on the patient's teeth 95, 96 constant. Note that the lighting means 65 may be configured to be attached to the aiming unit 80 after the aiming unit 80 is positioned on the frame body 42.

[0077] The aiming unit 80 is positioned by sliding the frame body 42 back and forth so that the first aiming frame 81 is located at a height that is a predetermined distance away from the front teeth 95, 96 of the patient 90. Whether the aiming unit 80 is a predetermined distance away from the front teeth 95, 96 can be measured by a distance setting rod 100 shown in Fig. 11. The distance setting rod 100 can be composed of a vertical rod 101 with a length F1 corresponding to a preset distance, and a cross-shaped horizontal rod 102 that is placed on the front end of the vertical rod 101, for example, on the first aiming frame 81, but the shape is not limited to this.

[0078] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the lip spreading unit 30 is attached to the mouth 91 of the patient 90 in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and then the patient 90 bites the occlusal plane plate 41 with the teeth 95, 96 while positioning the occlusion unit 40 on the lip spreading unit 30. Note that Figures 12 and 13 only show a part of the configuration of the intraoral photography jig 20. By attaching the lip spreading unit 30 and then the occlusion unit 40, the occlusion plane plate 41 becomes flush with the occlusion plane of the patient 90, and the occlusion unit 40 itself can be positioned in the left-right center by the lip spreading unit 30.

[0079] From this state, the distance setting rod 100 in Fig. 11 is inserted from the first aiming frame 81, and the tip of the vertical rod 101 is brought into contact with the front teeth 95, 96 of the patient 90. Then, the aiming unit 80 is moved up and down relative to the frame 42 until the horizontal rod 102 abuts against the front surface of the first aiming frame 81 of the aiming unit 80. As a result, the aiming unit 80 positions the first aiming frame 81 at a predetermined distance F1 (see Fig. 12) from the teeth 95, 96 of the patient 90.

[0080] After the aiming unit 80 is positioned on the occlusion unit 40 at the distance F1 from the teeth by the distance setting rod 100, the distance setting rod 100 is removed. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing the practitioner looking from above at a patient 90 lying on his back, and the aiming unit 80 has a second aiming frame 82 visible on the rear side of the first aiming frame 81 on the front side, surrounding the first aiming frame 81.

[0081] 14, the photographing means 60 such as a smartphone can be configured by attaching a cylindrical blackout curtain 70 to the side of a casing 63 that houses the smartphone, so that the blackout curtain 70 is continuous with the casing 63. The casing 63 and the blackout curtain 70 are made of a material that does not transmit light, and the casing 63 and the blackout curtain 70 are also connected so that light cannot pass through. The photographing means 60 has the blackout curtain 70 attached so that an operation unit such as a touch panel that also serves as the display means 62 is exposed to the outside.

[0082] From this state, the practitioner holds the photographing means 60 and drapes the blackout curtain 70 over the face of the patient 90 as shown in Fig. 15 to prevent light from entering inside. Then, the lighting means 65 is turned on, the photographing means 60 is set to photographing mode, and while referring to the display means 62, the practitioner moves the photographing means 60 up and down, left and right, and back and forth to find a position where the second targeting frame 82 overlaps with the first targeting frame 81 and is no longer visible, as shown in Figs. 16 and 17. This position is on the same plane as the occlusal plane, is a midpoint in the left-right center, and is a distance F2 away from the top surface of the first targeting frame 81 as shown in Fig. 15. 17, when the second targeting frame 82 is hidden and only the first targeting frame 81 is displayed on the display means 62, the distance L from the patient's teeth 95, 96 to the lens 61 of the photographing means 60 can be set to the sum of the distance F1 from the teeth 95, 96 to the first targeting frame 81 and the distance F2 from the first targeting frame 81 to the lens 61. That is, after setting the intraoral photographing jig 20 on the patient, the photographing means 60 is moved to a position where the first targeting frame 81 and the second targeting frame 82 overlap while referring to the display means 62, so that the position of the lens 61 can always be adjusted to a position centered on the teeth 95, 96 and the target distance L (=F1+F2).

[0083] When the practitioner confirms that the lens 61 of the photographing means 60 is at the midline position and distance L, he or she can operate the photographing means 60 to take a photograph. The inside of the intraoral photographing device 10 is not affected by external light because of the blackout curtain 70, and the lighting means 65 is attached to the aiming unit 80 whose distance from the teeth 95, 96 is set to F1, so that the lighting can be constant and the inside of the blackout curtain 70 can be set to the same brightness. In addition, the intraoral photographing tool 20 allows the focal distance from the teeth 95, 96 of the patient 90 to the photographing means 60 to be approximately the same distance L (=F1+F2), and the aim is at the midline position, so that photographing can be performed in the same photographing environment every time.

[0084] In the first embodiment, the weight of the imaging means 60 is added to the patient 90, but in the second embodiment, the practitioner can take images while holding the imaging means 60, so the load on the patient can be reduced.

[0085] <Third embodiment> In the first embodiment, the lip spreading unit 30 connects the lip corner hooks 31, 31 with the lip corner hook biasing means 32, and biases the lip corner hooks to spread left and right by the lip corner hook biasing means 32. In the intraoral photography jig 20 of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 18, the lip corner hooks 31, 31 are attached to the occlusion unit 40, and the occlusion unit 40 is configured to adjust the angle of the occlusion plane plates 41a, 41b left and right by the linking mechanism 48 shown in Fig. 19, and by spreading the occlusion plane plates 41a, 41b left and right as shown in Fig. 20, the lip corner hooks 31, 31 are also configured to spread left and right. Although not shown, the intraoral photography jig 20 is equipped with a mechanism (photography means mounting part 45 or aiming unit 80) similar to that of the first or second embodiment.

[0086] As an embodiment, as shown in Fig. 18, the occlusion unit 40 is connected by a connecting mechanism 48 so that the occlusion plane plates 41a, 41b can be swung and positioned at the base end side. In addition, the frame bodies 42, 42 connected to the occlusion plane plates 41a, 41b are arranged so that the corner hooks 31, 31 can move left and right together with the occlusion plane plates 41a, 41b by the corner hook biasing means 32 having spring properties.

[0087] As shown in Fig. 19, the linking mechanism 48 can be configured to include a support part 48a at the base end of one occlusal plane plate 41a (left occlusal plane plate) and an engagement part 48d at the base end of the other occlusal plane plate 41b (right occlusal plane plate). The support part 48a is arc-shaped in side view and rectangular in plan view, and has a slide hole 48b that penetrates in the front-back direction (as seen from the patient: up and down in the figure) and is long on the left and right. On the other hand, the engagement part 48d has an engagement rod 48e that penetrates the slide hole 48b. The engagement rod 48e is slidably and positionably fitted into the slide hole 48b, and cannot fall off the slide hole 48b by a non-illustrated stopper. For example, the engagement rod 48e approaches or moves away from the slide hole 48b by strongly pulling the frame bodies 42a, 42b (left and right frames) connected to the left and right occlusal plane plates 41a, 41b away from each other or pushing them toward each other, but is preferably positioned when the force is released, so-called soft locking is used. The soft locking can be achieved by roughening the slide hole 48b and / or the engagement rod 48e. A click mechanism or the like may also be used for the linking mechanism 48.

[0088] Then, the practitioner inserts the occlusal plane plates 41a, 41b into the mouth of the patient 90 in the state where the left and right occlusal plane plates 41a, 41b are closest to each other, and then hooks the lip hooks 31, 31 on the lips. From this state, the practitioner pulls the frame bodies 42a, 42 to the left and right extending outside the oral cavity, and as shown in FIG. 20, the engaging portion 48d of the linking mechanism 48 slides through the slide hole 48b, and the frame bodies 42a, 42b and the occlusal plane plates 41a, 41b swing left and right. In addition, as the occlusal plane plates 41a, 41b spread left and right, the lip hooks 31, 31 are also pulled by the lip hook biasing means 32 to spread left and right, spreading the patient's mouth. When the practitioner confirms that the patient's mouth has spread to a state where it can be photographed, he or she may have the patient bite the occlusal plane plates 41a, 41b. The interlocking mechanism 48 and the bite force of the interlocking plates 41a, 41b maintain the interlocking plates 41a, 41b in a state in which they are spread apart to the left and right.

[0089] Next, the photographing means 60 is positioned using the photographing means mounting portion 45 and the aiming unit 80, and photographing can be performed.

[0090] According to this embodiment, the practitioner can open the palate retractors 31, 31 and maintain that state, so that the patient's teeth can be photographed suitably.

[0091] The linking mechanism 48 is not limited to the embodiment shown in the figure, and may be, for example, a shaft support or the like.

[0092] <Fourth embodiment> In the third embodiment, the occlusion unit 40 with the buccal hooks 31, 31 attached thereto is spread in the mouth of the patient 90. The intraoral photography jig 20 of this embodiment is configured such that the buccal hooks 31, 31 are spread in advance in the mouth of the patient 90, the distance between the buccal hooks 31, 31 is measured, and the occlusion unit 40 with the left and right occlusion plane plates 41a, 41b aligned to the distance is inserted into the mouth 91 of the patient 90.

[0093] 21 is a perspective view of the fourth embodiment of the intraoral photographing tool 20. As shown in the figure, the intraoral photographing tool 20 has a lip spreading unit 30 and an occlusion unit 40 that are not integrated but are detachable.

[0094] The lip opening unit 30 may be connected by the lip corner hook biasing means 32 as in the first embodiment, but as shown in Fig. 21, the left and right lip corner hooks 31, 31 are separate members, and each is equipped with a handle 31a that the patient 90 can pull. The occlusion unit mounting part 33 is a groove extending vertically into which the occlusion plane plates 41a, 41b fit.

[0095] The occlusal unit 40 is configured such that the left and right occlusal plane plates 41a, 41b can slide left and right and can be positioned by the linking mechanism 48. As the linking mechanism 48, as shown in the figure, a plurality of locking pieces 48f, 48f are provided protruding inward at equal intervals, and the locking pieces 48f of one occlusal plane plate 41a are fitted between the locking pieces 48f, 48f of the other occlusal plane plate 41b to be softly locked. The linking mechanism 48 moves the occlusal plane plates 41a, 41b closer to or farther from each other by strongly pulling them apart left and right or pushing them closer to each other, but the plates can be positioned by releasing the force.

[0096] The frame bodies 42a, 42b are connected to the occlusal plane plates 41a, 41b. In this embodiment, the gap between the occlusal plane plates 41a, 41b is not adjusted by pulling the frame bodies 42a, 42b as in the third embodiment, but the gap between the occlusal plane plates 41a, 41b is adjusted by pulling the occlusal plane plates 41a, 41b themselves as described above. Therefore, the frame bodies 42a, 42b only need to have the strength to hold the aiming unit 80, so that a thin or slim material can be used as shown in FIG. 21.

[0097] The frame bodies 42a, 42b extend forward (as viewed from the patient: upward in the figure) from the occlusal plane plates 41a, 41b, and are provided with vertical rods 42c, 42c that extend further forward. A mechanism for holding the aiming unit 80, such as clips 86, 86, is attached to the vertical rods 42c, 42c. The clips 86, 86 have a clothespin-like structure biased by a spring (not shown) in the direction in which the clamping pieces 88, 88 close (toward the paper surface in FIG. 21), and the clamping pieces 88, 88 open when the knobs 87, 87 are pressed. The clamping pieces 88, 88 clamp the vertical rods 42c of the frame bodies 42a, 42b and clamp and fix the aiming unit 80. That is, when the knobs 87, 87 are pressed, the clamping pieces 88, 88 are opened, and the clip 86 can be moved up and down relative to the vertical rod 42c. When the knobs 87, 87 are closed, the clip 86 is positioned on the vertical rod 42c.

[0098] The aiming unit 80 is formed by stacking a first aiming frame 81 and a second aiming frame 82 as in the second embodiment, and is equipped with an illumination means (not shown) as in the second embodiment. Also, holding pieces 84 for clamping with clips 86 are protrudingly provided on the left and right sides of the aiming unit 80.

[0099] 22, the patient 90 inserts the mouth hooks 31, 31 into the mouth 91 and pulls the handles 31a, 31a to the left and right. In this state, the distance W between the mouth hooks 31, 31 is measured (specifically, the distance between the occlusion unit mounting parts 33, 33).

[0100] Next, the practitioner pulls the occlusion unit 40 left and right so that the distance on the outer surfaces of the occlusion plane plates 41a and 41b matches the measured distance W (see FIG. 21). In addition, the clips 86, 86 hold the holding pieces 84 of the aiming unit 80 at an approximate position.

[0101] In this state, the patient 90 is asked to pull the buccal hooks 31, 31 by himself until the distance between them becomes W or more (see FIG. 22). Then, the practitioner inserts the occlusal plane plates 41a, 41b whose distance has been adjusted into the occlusal unit mounting parts 33, 33 of the buccal hooks 31, 31, and asks the patient 90 to bite with the upper and lower teeth 95, 96. FIG. 23 is a view of the inside of the mouth 91 of the patient 90 from the jaw side in a state in which the occlusal unit 40 is mounted (the lower teeth 96 are not shown). As shown in the figure, the patient can attach the occlusal unit 40 while maintaining the distance between the buccal hooks 31, 31 at W.

[0102] 23, while the distance setting rod 100 is placed against the teeth 95, 96 of the patient 90 in the same manner as in the second embodiment, the clip 86 is operated to move the aiming unit 80 up and down, and the first aiming frame 81 is positioned at a predetermined distance F1 from the teeth 95, 96 of the patient 90. Thereafter, the aiming distance L of the imaging means 60 is set using the aiming unit 80 in the same manner as in the second embodiment, and imaging can be performed.

[0103] According to this embodiment, the occlusal unit 40 allows the distance W between the occlusal plane plates 41a, 41b to be adjusted by directly grasping the occlusal plane plates 41a, 41b rather than by the frame bodies 42a, 42b. This allows the frame bodies 42a, 42b to be made narrower or thinner, thereby reducing the reflection of the frame bodies 42a, 42b during photography.

[0104] In this embodiment, the height of the aiming unit 80 can of course be changed using clips 86, 86, and by changing the left and right height of the aiming unit 80 as shown in Figure 24, it is also possible to capture intraoral images from an oblique direction inclined by θ that is parallel to the occlusal plane but not in the midline position.

[0105] The aiming unit 80 is not limited to being held by the clip 86, and may be configured such that the slider 85 of the second embodiment is fitted onto the vertical rod 42c and is slidable left and right relative to the slider 85, and is capable of maintaining a midline position relative to the vertical rods 42c, 42c whose interval changes depending on the distance W. Of course, the aiming unit 80 can also be supported on the vertical rod 42c by other structures, configurations, and mechanisms.

[0106] In addition, the lip hooks 31, 31 may be Steinberg lip hooks or the like to prevent reflections.

[0107] The above description of the embodiment is for the purpose of explaining the present invention, and should not be interpreted as limiting the invention described in the claims or narrowing its scope. Furthermore, the configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the technical scope described in the claims.

[0108] For example, the shape, material, and size of each member of the intraoral imaging device 10 are not limited to those in the above embodiment.

[0109] In the first embodiment, the articulation unit 40 has the photographing means mounting portion 45 in a substantially truncated cone shape, but it may have a circular frame, a rectangular frame, etc. Also, a shape other than a frame may be adopted.

[0110] In addition, although the occlusion unit 40 is formed integrally with the occlusion plane plate 41 and the imaging means mounting portion 45, these may be configured to be detachable. In this case, sterilization after use needs to be performed only on the occlusion plane plate 41.

[0111] In the above embodiment, the shade guide 50 is photographed together with the teeth 95, 96 of the patient 90, but instead of the shade guide 50, green, red, blue, and lucency may be photographed at the same time. This is effective when digitalizing and converting the data.

[0112] Furthermore, the aiming unit 80 of the second embodiment and the like is not limited to a rectangular shape, and may be a circular shape, an elliptical shape, or the like.

[0113] Furthermore, the aiming unit 80 may be attached to the frame body 42 so as not to slide. In this case, before the patient bites the occlusal plate 41, the distance from the patient's teeth to the aiming unit 80 is set to the distance F1 with the distance setting rod 100 attached, and the patient bites the occlusal plate 41 in this state.

[0114] It should be understood that some of the configurations of the above-described embodiments can be combined. [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 10 Intraoral photography equipment 20 Intraoral photography tool 30 Lip expansion unit 31 Mouth corner hook 32 Mouth corner hook biasing means 33 Occlusion unit attachment part 40 Occlusal Unit 41 Occlusal Plane 43 Positioning part 45 Photographing means attachment part 46 Photographing means mounting surface 50 Shade Guide 60 Filming Method 70 Blackout Curtain 80 Targeting Units 81 First sight frame 82 Second sight frame 90 patients 91 mouths 95 teeth 96 teeth

Claims

1. An intraoral imaging tool used to capture an intraoral image of a patient, A lip spreading unit is inserted into the patient's mouth and has a pair of lip hooks that open the mouth up and down and open the left and right corners of the mouth outward; An occlusion unit having a flat occlusion plate at a base end on which the patient bites with the upper and lower teeth and connected to the lip spreading unit; An intraoral photography tool comprising:

2. The occlusion unit has a shade guide attachment portion for attaching a shade guide. The intraoral photography tool according to claim 1 .

3. The occlusion unit includes an aiming unit for aiming an imaging means for imaging the patient's teeth. The intraoral photography tool according to claim 1 .

4. The aiming unit has a first aiming frame on a front side away from the occlusal plane and a second aiming frame on a rear side close to the occlusal plane, The second aiming frame is a frame body having a larger caliber than the first aiming frame. The intraoral photography tool according to claim 3.

5. The aiming unit is provided with a detachable distance setting rod for stabilizing the distance from the patient's teeth. The intraoral photography tool according to claim 4.

6. The aiming unit is fitted with lighting means for illuminating the patient's teeth. The intraoral photography tool according to claim 5 .

7. The occlusal plane plate is configured by arranging a right occlusal plane plate to be bitten by the right teeth and a left occlusal plane plate to be bitten by the left teeth so that they can slide left and right and be positioned by a linking mechanism, and has a right frame extending forward from the right occlusal plane plate to the outside of the oral cavity, and a left frame extending forward from the left occlusal plane plate. The intraoral photography tool according to claim 6.

8. The right side of the lip hook is attached to the right frame, and the left side of the lip hook is attached to the left frame. The intraoral photography tool according to claim 7.

9. The bite unit is detachably and positionably attached to the lip spreading unit. The intraoral photography tool according to claim 7.

10. The lip opening unit includes a lip corner hook biasing means for biasing the lip corner hook in a left / right opening direction. The intraoral photography tool according to claim 1 .

11. The bite unit is detachably and positionably attached to the lip spreading unit. The intraoral photography tool according to claim 10.

12. The occlusion unit has a photographing means mounting portion at its tip for mounting a photographing means for photographing the patient's teeth. The intraoral photography tool according to claim 11.

13. The imaging means mounting portion has a cylindrical shape and is provided with an imaging means mounting surface at its tip side. The intraoral photography tool according to claim 12.

14. The intraoral photography tool according to any one of claims 1 to 13, an illumination means for illuminating the patient's teeth; An imaging means for imaging the patient's teeth; A light-shielding blackout curtain that covers the intraoral photography tool and the photography means from the photography means side; An intraoral photography device having the same.

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