Technical object identification system, technical object identification method, and program

Abstract

To provide a technical object identification system capable of easily identifying a patient who belongs to a completed dental technical object, a technical object identification method, and a program.SOLUTION: A technical object identification system 100 includes: a reference shape data acquisition unit 101 that acquires reference shape data that is STL data associated with technical instructions; an identification target technical object shape data acquisition unit 103 that acquires identification target technical object shape data; and a similarity determination unit 105 that compares a first feature amount based on the reference shape data and a second feature amount based on the identification target technical object shape data and determines similarity between the first feature amount and the second feature amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a dental laboratory work identification system, a dental laboratory work identification method, and a program, and more specifically, to a technique for identifying which patient a completed dental laboratory work belongs to.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, dental laboratory work (hereinafter also simply referred to as laboratory work) has mostly been created based on dental models. Typically, in a dental clinic, a patient's dental mold is taken, and a dental model is created based on the dental mold. The dental model is sent to a dental laboratory (hereinafter simply referred to as a laboratory) together with information that can identify the patient. The laboratory constructs laboratory work with wax on the dental model, takes a mold of this wax-made laboratory work to create a casting mold. By pouring a material such as metal into this casting mold, laboratory work is obtained.

[0003] A laboratory may receive orders for creating laboratory work for different patients at the same time. At this time, if those laboratory works are of the same part and the same material, it may be difficult to identify which patient the completed laboratory work belongs to. This is because the patient name cannot be entered on the laboratory work. In such a case, the laboratory may try to identify the completed laboratory work by fitting it to the dental model like a puzzle. Since the patient name can be entered on the dental model, the correspondence between the laboratory work and the patient is confirmed through the dental model.

[0004] On the other hand, recently, a method has been proposed in which a dental clinic orders laboratory work by delivering intraoral scan data without creating a dental model (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] When fabricating a dental prosthesis based on intraoral scan data, it is not always necessary to fabricate a dental model. Therefore, from the perspective of cost reduction and the like, there is a possibility that the ordering form without using a dental model will increase. Also, even when fabricating a dental model as in the past, it is not uncommon for the dental model to be damaged during the fabrication process of the dental prosthesis. In such cases, it is impossible to identify the dental prosthesis by fitting it to the dental model like a puzzle. Therefore, even if there is no dental model, it is desired to provide a method for identifying the correspondence between the completed dental prosthesis and the patient.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a dental prosthesis identification system, a dental prosthesis identification method, and a program that can easily identify which patient a completed dental prosthesis belongs to.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] A dental prosthesis identification system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a reference shape data acquisition unit that acquires reference shape data, which is STL data associated with a dental prosthesis instruction, an identification target dental prosthesis shape data acquisition unit that acquires identification target dental prosthesis shape data, and a similarity determination unit that compares a first feature amount based on the reference shape data and a second feature amount based on the identification target dental prosthesis shape data to determine the similarity between the two. In the dental prosthesis identification system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the reference shape data is data in a format other than the STL data, and is any one of intraoral shape data, dental prosthesis design data, or reference dental prosthesis shape data. In a dental laboratory work identification system according to an embodiment of the present invention, there is further provided a shape data storage unit that stores the reference shape data and a patient identifier in association with each other, and an output unit that extracts and outputs the patient identifier associated with the reference shape data from the shape data storage unit according to the similarity. In a dental laboratory work identification system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first feature amount and the second feature amount include information regarding the shape of the margin line. In a dental laboratory work identification system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the reference shape data acquisition unit reads a two-dimensional code associated with the dental laboratory work instruction, and acquires the reference shape data from a storage location associated with the two-dimensional code. A dental laboratory work identification method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes steps of: an information processing apparatus acquiring a dental laboratory work instruction from a server; reading a two-dimensional code associated with the dental laboratory work instruction; acquiring the reference shape data from a storage location associated with the two-dimensional code; acquiring shape data of a dental laboratory work to be identified; and a similarity determination step of comparing a first feature amount based on the reference shape data and a second feature amount based on the shape data of the dental laboratory work to be identified, and determining the similarity between the two. A program according to an embodiment of the present invention is a program for causing an information processing apparatus to execute the above method.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] The present invention can provide a dental laboratory work identification system, a dental laboratory work identification method, and a program that can easily identify which patient a completed dental laboratory work belongs to.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, specific embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the dental prosthesis identification system 100. The dental prosthesis identification system 100 includes a CPU 11, a ROM 12, a RAM 13, a non-volatile memory 14, a bus 10, and an input / output device 60.

[0013] The CPU 11 is a processor that controls the dental prosthesis identification system 100 as a whole. The CPU 11 reads out the system program stored in the ROM 12 via the bus 10 and controls the entire dental prosthesis identification system 100 according to the system program.

[0014] The ROM 12 stores in advance a system program for executing various processes. The RAM 13 temporarily stores temporary calculation data, display data, data input by the user via the input / output device 60, programs, and the like.

[0015] The non-volatile memory 14 is backed up by, for example, a battery (not shown) and retains the storage state even when the power supply of the dental prosthesis identification system 100 is cut off. The non-volatile memory 14 stores data, programs, and the like input from the input / output device 60. The programs and data stored in the non-volatile memory 14 may be expanded to the RAM 13 during execution and use.

[0016] The input / output device 60 is a data input / output device equipped with a display, a key input interface, and the like. The input / output device 60 displays the information received from the CPU 11 via the interface 18 on the display. The input / output device 60 passes the commands, data, etc. input from the key input interface, etc. to the CPU 11 via the interface 18.

[0017] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the technical object identification system 100 is configured as a stand-alone information processing device. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be realized by the cooperation of a plurality of information processing devices each having the above-described hardware. For example, the technical object identification system 100 can also be configured using cloud computing technology.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the technical object identification system 100. The technical object identification system 100 includes a reference shape data acquisition unit 101, an identification target technical object shape data acquisition unit 103, a similarity determination unit 105, and a shape data storage unit 107.

[0019] The reference shape data acquisition unit 101 acquires reference shape data. The reference shape data refers to the shape data used as a reference when identifying a technical object (hereinafter, an identification target technical object) whose owner is unknown. The reference shape data includes, for example, shape data of the inside of a patient's oral cavity (hereinafter, oral cavity shape data), design data of a technical object, shape data of a technical object (hereinafter, reference technical object shape data) whose owner is known.

[0020] The intraoral shape data includes data showing the shapes of the teeth, abutment teeth, and the gaps formed between them in the upper and lower jaws in the state where the mouth is open (hereinafter referred to as upper jaw data and lower jaw data), and data showing the shape of the dental arch in the state where the mouth is closed (occluded) (hereinafter referred to as upper and lower bite data) (see Figure 4). The intraoral shape data may be three-dimensional shape data including, for example, STL (Standard Triangulated Language) data that can be obtained by an intraoral scanner, and three-dimensional shape data constructed based on two-dimensional image data obtained by X-ray or CT (Computed Tomography) scan. The reference shape data acquisition unit 101 inputs the intraoral shape data from an intraoral scanner, an X-ray apparatus, a CT scan apparatus, or any information processing apparatus that processes the data output by these. Further, the reference shape data acquisition unit 101 accepts the input of an identifier of the patient corresponding to the intraoral shape data.

[0021] The design data is three-dimensional shape data that defines the shape of a dental prosthesis created based on the intraoral shape data. The design data is, for example, STL data and is used when casting, milling, etc. of the dental prosthesis are performed. Typically, a dental laboratory or a manufacturer creates the design data based on the intraoral shape data obtained at a dental clinic. More specifically, the design data is completed by modifying an existing template based on the intraoral data. The reference shape data acquisition unit 101 acquires the design data from a design apparatus, an instruction issuing apparatus that can store the design data, etc. Further, the reference shape data acquisition unit 101 accepts the input of an identifier of the patient corresponding to the design data.

[0022] The reference dental prosthesis includes, for example, a dental prosthesis being processed, a dental model obtained by taking an impression of the shape inside the patient's oral cavity, etc. The reference dental prosthesis shape data may be three-dimensional shape data configured based on, for example, three-dimensional shape data obtainable by measuring the reference dental prosthesis with a depth sensor or the like that acquires depth information, two-dimensional image data obtained by photographing the reference dental prosthesis with a camera, etc. The reference shape data acquisition unit 101 inputs the reference dental prosthesis shape data from a depth sensor, a camera, or any information processing device that processes the data output by these. Also, the reference shape data acquisition unit 101 accepts the input of an identifier of the patient corresponding to the reference dental prosthesis shape data.

[0023] The identification target dental prosthesis shape data acquisition unit 103 acquires data indicating the shape of the identification target dental prosthesis (hereinafter referred to as identification target dental prosthesis shape data). The identification target dental prosthesis is a dental prosthesis whose patient is unknown. The identification target dental prosthesis shape data acquisition unit 103 can acquire the identification target dental prosthesis shape data by the same method as when the reference shape data acquisition unit 101 acquires the reference dental prosthesis shape data.

[0024] The shape data storage unit 107 is a storage area for storing the intraoral shape data, the design data, the reference dental prosthesis shape data, and the identification target dental prosthesis shape data. Among these, the intraoral shape data, the design data, and the reference dental prosthesis shape data are usually stored in association with patient identification information (such as name and identification number). It is assumed that the patient identification information is supplied together with the intraoral shape data, the design data, and the reference dental prosthesis shape data.

[0025] The similarity determination unit 105 inputs the identification target dental prosthesis shape data, compares it with the intraoral shape data, the design data, or the reference dental prosthesis shape data stored in the shape data storage unit 107, and calculates the similarity between the two. The similarity determination unit 105 includes a feature extraction unit 1051, a comparison unit 1053, and an output unit 1055.

[0026] The feature extraction unit 1051 extracts feature quantities from the intraoral shape data, design data, or reference dental prosthesis shape data, and the dental prosthesis shape data to be identified. The feature quantity in the present embodiment is a numerical value that quantitatively represents the features of the shapes of the intraoral cavity, design data, reference dental prosthesis, and dental prosthesis to be identified. For example, the coordinate values of characteristic points included in the shape, the normal vectors of characteristic surfaces, etc. may be used as feature quantities, but any feature quantity may be adopted without being limited thereto.

[0027] It is desirable that the feature quantity includes those indicating the shape of the margin line. The margin line is a virtual line indicating the boundary surface between the dentin remaining after forming the abutment tooth (the tooth that serves as the base of the dental prosthesis) and the dental prosthesis. The margin line is an important feature characterizing the shape of the dental prosthesis to be identified. The outer shape of the dental prosthesis is generally determined based on the shape of the abutment tooth included in the upper jaw data or lower jaw data and the shape of the cavity that can be obtained from the upper and lower bite data. Typically, it can be determined almost automatically by selecting the optimal one from several pre-prepared shape patterns. Also, the shape of the occlusal surface of the dental prosthesis can be determined almost automatically by selecting the optimal one from several pre-prepared shape patterns. However, regarding the margin line at the root side of the dental prosthesis, there are large differences among individual patients, and dental technicians design it individually for each patient. Although it is possible to automatically design the margin line, individual differences also occur in its shape in this case. Therefore, the shape of the margin line can be a feature like a fingerprint where no two are the same.

[0028] For dental prostheses (such as inlays, crowns, onlays, etc.) from which the margin line can be extracted as a feature quantity, the feature extraction unit 1051 can perform highly accurate similarity determination by extracting the feature quantity indicating the shape of the margin line as described above. For other dental prostheses, feature quantities of elements other than the margin line can be used. For example, the feature extraction unit 1051 can extract feature quantities indicating the outer shape of the dental prosthesis (including the retention device), the shape of the gap (such as the distance between the teeth adjacent to both sides of the dental prosthesis), the shape in the oral cavity (the state of the ridge), the shape of the fossa fissure groove (the groove on the occlusal surface of the tooth) (indicating the position of the groove, the degree of wear, etc.). For example, for a partial denture, feature quantities indicating the outer shape of the dental prosthesis including the retention device and the shape of the gap, for a complete denture, feature quantities indicating the shape in the oral cavity (the state of the ridge of the maxillary and mandibular dental arches), for an implant, feature quantities indicating the shape or positional relationship of the implant base (indicating the distance to the adjacent tooth or other implant bases), etc. can be extracted. Note that even for a dental prosthesis for which the feature quantity of the margin line can be used, the determination may be made using feature quantities other than the margin line. Or, the feature quantity of the margin line and other feature quantities may be used in combination.

[0029] The comparison unit 1053 compares the feature quantity of the intraoral shape data, the design data, or the reference dental prosthesis shape data with the feature quantity of the dental prosthesis shape data to be identified, and calculates the similarity. The design data or the reference dental prosthesis shape data and the dental prosthesis shape data to be identified can be subjected to similarity determination by a method of comparing the feature quantities of the outer shapes of both. The intraoral shape data and the dental prosthesis shape data to be identified can be subjected to similarity determination by, for example, a method of comparing the shape of the gap in the oral cavity with the shape of the dental prosthesis to be identified, or a method of comparing the intraoral shape (such as the state of the ridge) with the shape of the contact surface between the dental prosthesis and the oral cavity. Since various methods are known for similarity determination by comparing feature quantities, detailed description is omitted here.

[0030] The output unit 1055 outputs the intraoral shape data or the reference dental prosthesis shape data determined to be similar to the dental prosthesis shape data to be identified, and the patient identification information associated with these data. For example, among the intraoral shape data and the reference dental prosthesis shape data stored in the shape data storage unit 107, several data with high similarity may be displayed in a ranking format.

[0031] Note that each of the above-described processing units may be implemented in a distributed manner in a plurality of information processing devices constituting the dental prosthesis identification system 100. For example, all the processing units may be implemented in a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone, or a part or all of the processing units may be configured by virtual information processing resources using cloud computing technology.

[0032] The operation of the dental prosthesis identification system 100 will be described in chronological order using the flowchart of FIG. 5. S1: Acquisition of reference shape data The reference shape data acquisition unit 101 collects intraoral shape data, design data, reference dental prosthesis shape data, etc., and stores them in the shape data storage unit 107 in association with a patient identifier. The intraoral shape data can be obtained, for example, together with an instruction sheet via an instruction sheet issuance system when a dental laboratory receives an order for a dental prosthesis from a dental hospital. The reference dental prosthesis shape data is preferably obtained, for example, at a dental laboratory at a stage prior to a situation where dental prostheses of a plurality of patients are mixed such as firing or cleaning.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a chart showing an example of a flow when a dental laboratory acquires STL data, which is typical intraoral shape data, from a dental hospital. S101: Creation of STL data STL data is created at a dental hospital. For example, when a dentist scans the intraoral shape of a patient using an intraoral scanner, the intraoral scanner generates STL data and stores the STL data in a storage medium such as a local PC or cloud storage.

[0034] S102: Sharing of STL data A dental clinic can share STL data with a dental laboratory via an instruction issuance system.

[0035] Here, the instruction issuance system is typically a system including a dental clinic-side terminal, a server, and a dental laboratory-side terminal, which provides a function for a dental clinic to place an order for the production of dental prostheses (see, for example, JP-A-2018-124868, JP-A-2018-124872, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-032920). Generally, at the dental clinic-side terminal, a dental technician's instruction can be created and uploaded to the server, and at the dental laboratory-side terminal, the dental technician's instruction uploaded to the server can be viewed.

[0036] In the present embodiment, when creating and placing an order for a dental technician's instruction or after placing an order, the dental clinic-side terminal uploads the STL data related to the order to the server. The server notifies the dental laboratory-side terminal to that effect when the dental technician's instruction is issued (i.e., when the order is placed) or when the STL data is uploaded. The dental laboratory-side terminal can not only view and print the dental technician's instruction on the terminal but also download the STL data. Thereby, the STL data is transferred from the dental clinic to the dental laboratory.

[0037] Note that not only the dental laboratory-side terminal but also other information processing devices used in the dental laboratory (for example, an information processing device including the reference shape data acquisition unit 101 according to the present embodiment or a PC for designing dental prostheses, etc.) may be enabled to directly download the STL data. For example, the dental laboratory-side terminal of the instruction issuance system can print, display on the screen, or output by other means a locator (URL: Uniform Resource Locator, etc.) for downloading the STL data on the dental technician's instruction or other forms. The position designator can be encoded in a format such as a two-dimensional code (QR code (registered trademark)) or a barcode, and then printed, displayed, or output. In this case, the reference shape data acquisition unit 101 reads the two-dimensional code or the like to obtain the position designator, accesses the resource indicated by the position designator, and downloads the STL data. Thereby, the STL data is transferred from the dental hospital to the dental laboratory.

[0038] In the present embodiment, a method in which the dental laboratory side terminal downloads the STL data from the server of the instruction issuance system is mainly disclosed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the dental laboratory side terminal can obtain the STL data from any storage area where the STL data is stored. For example, the STL data may be stored in a dedicated or general-purpose online storage provided by a medical device vendor or another service provider. In this case, the server of the instruction issuance system holds a position designator for accessing the storage where the STL data is stored in association with the dental technician instruction. In addition, the dental laboratory side terminal can obtain a position designator for accessing the storage where the STL data is stored from the server, and print it in the form of a two-dimensional code or the like on the dental technician instruction or other forms, display it on the screen, or output it by other means.

[0039] In the present embodiment, the case of transferring the STL data has been mainly described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is possible to share intraoral shape data, design data, reference dental prosthesis shape data, etc. in any format in a similar scheme. In addition, the functions of the dental hospital side terminal and the dental laboratory side terminal can typically be provided as an application operating on a PC, a tablet terminal, or the like, or an application operating on a web browser, but may be provided in any other form.

[0040] S2: Acquisition of the dental prosthesis shape data to be identified When it becomes impossible to determine which patient the dental prosthesis belongs to, the identification target dental prosthesis shape data acquisition unit 103 is activated. The identification target dental prosthesis shape data acquisition unit 103 acquires the identification target dental prosthesis shape data.

[0041] S3: Similarity determination The similarity determination unit 105 collates the identified target dental prosthesis shape data acquired in S2 with the reference dental prosthesis shape data stored in S1 one by one to perform similarity determination.

[0042] S4: Output The output unit 1055 outputs the result of S3. For example, it displays the patient identifier corresponding to the reference dental prosthesis shape data determined to have the highest similarity. Alternatively, the patient identifiers corresponding to the reference dental prosthesis shape data can also be displayed in a ranking format in order from those determined to have high similarity. If necessary, an index indicating the similarity etc. may also be displayed together.

[0043] According to the present embodiment, even in a situation where it is difficult to identify which patient a dental prosthesis belongs to, by collating with the reference dental prosthesis shape data accumulated in the past, the patient corresponding to the dental prosthesis can be easily identified. Here, the reference dental prosthesis shape data may be intraoral shape data, design data, or reference dental prosthesis shape data, so whether it is a manufacturing method using a conventional dental model or an automatic manufacturing method using an intraoral scanner, identification is possible.

[0044] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be arbitrarily changed as long as the gist of the present invention is not impaired. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a method of comparing any one of the intraoral shape data, design data, or reference dental prosthesis shape data with the identified target dental prosthesis shape data was mainly disclosed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of data among the intraoral shape data, design data, or reference dental prosthesis shape data may be compared with the identified target dental prosthesis shape data.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0045] 100 Dental prosthesis identification system 101 Reference shape data acquisition unit 103 Identified target dental prosthesis shape data acquisition unit 105 Similarity determination unit 1051 Feature extraction unit 1053 Comparison unit 1055 Output unit 107 Shape data storage unit

Claims

1. A reference shape data acquisition unit that acquires reference shape data, which is STL data associated with a technical instruction sheet; An identification target technical object shape data acquisition unit for acquiring identification target technical object shape data; a similarity determination unit for determining a similarity between the first feature amount based on the reference shape data and the second feature amount based on the identification target technical object shape data by comparing the first feature amount based on the reference shape data and the second feature amount based on the identification target technical object shape data. Technical item identification system.

2. The reference shape data is data in a format other than the STL data, and is any one of intraoral shape data, design data of a dental prosthesis, and shape data of a reference dental prosthesis. The technical product identification system according to claim 1.

3. The present invention further includes a shape data storage unit that stores the reference shape data and a patient identifier in association with each other, and an output unit that extracts and outputs the patient identifier associated with the reference shape data from the shape data storage unit in accordance with the degree of similarity. The technical product identification system according to claim 1.

4. The dental technical product identification system according to claim 1 , wherein the first feature amount and the second feature amount include information regarding a shape of a margin line.

5. The reference shape data acquisition unit reads a two-dimensional code associated with the technical instruction sheet and acquires the reference shape data from a storage location associated with the two-dimensional code. The technical product identification system according to claim 1.

6. An information processing device, Obtaining a laboratory instruction from a server; Reading a two-dimensional code associated with the technical instruction; retrieving the reference shape data from a storage location associated with the two-dimensional code; A step of acquiring shape data of a technical work to be identified; a similarity determination step of comparing a first feature amount based on the reference shape data with a second feature amount based on the identification target technical object shape data to determine a similarity between the two. Technique identification method.

7. In the information processing device, Obtaining a laboratory instruction from a server; Reading a two-dimensional code associated with the technical instruction; retrieving the reference shape data from a storage location associated with the two-dimensional code; A step of acquiring shape data of a technical work to be identified; a similarity determination step of comparing a first feature amount based on the reference shape data with a second feature amount based on the identification target technical product shape data to determine a similarity between the two. program.

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