Handpiece and image correction device

Abstract

To provide a hand piece and an image correction device which are easy to operate in diagnosing dental caries.SOLUTION: A lens barrel 13 built in a hand piece has a base part 14 on the upstream side of an optical path formed inside and a pair of upper and lower movable parts 15 extending forward from the base part 14 to the downstream side of the optical path, and a movement causing part 18 (gap) is formed between a lower side part 16 and an upper side part 17. When the lens 5 is pressed against the teeth and an external force is applied to the tip of the lower portion 16 from below, the lower portion 16 is slightly elastically deformed in a direction approaching the upper portion 17 with the base portion 14 as a starting point, and the upper portion 17 is also slightly elastically deformed upward with the base portion 14 as a starting point by being pressed by the lower portion 16. When the elastic deformation of the upper portion 17 is detected by the detection unit 21, the reflected light in the lens 5 is imaged by the light receiving element 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a handpiece and an image correction device used in dental treatment. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, diagnosis of caries and periodontal disease has been left to practitioners such as dentists and dental hygienists, and the accuracy of the diagnosis depends on the practitioner's experience. One example of a technology that enables objective diagnosis is the invention described in Patent Document 1 below (hereinafter, the invention described in Patent Document 1 will be referred to as the "Publication 1 Invention"). In the Publicly Known Document 1 Invention, light is reflected by an indenter attached to the tip of a microscope tube. When the indenter is pressed against the patient's tooth, a photodetector captures an image where no reflection occurs only at the contact point with the tooth. If the tooth is diseased, the tooth is softened, and therefore, compared to a healthy tooth, the indenter penetrates deeper into the tooth and the contact area also increases, resulting in a larger area where no reflection occurs. Therefore, caries and periodontal disease can be diagnosed based on the reflection area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7142849 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described above, the practitioner must press the indenter against the tooth and take an image with the light-receiving element. Therefore, the timing at which these actions are performed and the configuration in which they are implemented affect the accuracy of the diagnosis and the progress of the examination.

[0005] The present invention has been proposed in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has as its object to provide a handpiece and an image correction device that are easy to operate when diagnosing dental caries. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the handpiece of the present invention comprises a long lens barrel having an internal optical path, a base on the upstream side of the optical path, a pair of upper and lower movable parts extending from the base to the downstream side of the optical path, a lens exposed on the downstream side of the optical path, a light receiving element positioned upstream of the lens on the optical path, and a detection unit attached to the movable part, wherein the detection unit detects a load on the movable part caused by the lens abutting against a diagnostic site in the oral cavity, and the light receiving element captures an image of light formed from the lens based on the detection of the load by the detection unit.

[0007] The handpiece according to the present invention is characterized in that the movable portion has a lower portion and an upper portion, and the lower portion and the upper portion are in contact with each other to such an extent that they can be deformed.

[0008] The handpiece according to the present invention is characterized in that the movable part has a lower part and an upper part, and a gap is provided between the lower part and the upper part.

[0009] The handpiece according to the present invention is characterized in that a strain gauge, which is the detection unit, is attached to the upper portion.

[0010] The handpiece according to the present invention is characterized in that the lens is detachably attached to the lower portion.

[0011] The handpiece according to the present invention is characterized in that a light-emitting portion extending in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction is provided on the outer surface of a housing that covers the lens barrel.

[0012] The image correction device of the present invention is connected to the above-mentioned handpiece, and is characterized in that the light-receiving element in the handpiece is attached to the upper part, and corrects the image captured by the light-receiving element when the relative position between the light-receiving element and the lens is shifted. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The handpiece according to the present invention includes a longitudinal lens barrel having an internal optical path, a base portion located on the upstream side of the optical path, a pair of upper and lower movable portions extending from the base portion to the downstream side of the optical path, a lens exposed on the downstream side of the optical path, a light-receiving element located upstream of the lens along the optical path, and a detector attached to the movable portion. The detector detects a load on the movable portion caused by the lens abutting against a diagnostic site in the oral cavity, and based on the detection of the load, the light-receiving element captures an image of the light formed by the lens. When the lens is pressed against the diagnostic site, a load is applied to the movable portion, and this load is detected by the detector, causing the light-receiving element to capture an image. Therefore, when the practitioner presses the lens against the diagnostic site, an image is captured at the appropriate time. This simplifies operation.

[0014] In the handpiece according to the present invention, the movable part has a lower part and an upper part, and the lower part and the upper part are in contact with each other to a degree that allows deformation, or there is a gap between the lower part and the upper part. Because the movable part is separated into the upper part and the lower part, the movable part deforms when the lens is pressed against the diagnostic target area. Therefore, the detection part can detect deformation due to the load.

[0015] The handpiece according to the present invention has a strain gauge attached to the upper side as a detector. The strain gauge can detect the load even if the elastic deformation of the movable part is slight, and has a simple configuration.

[0016] The handpiece according to the present invention has a detachable lens attached to the lower portion, which allows the lens to be replaced for each patient, making it convenient and hygienic.

[0017] The handpiece according to the present invention has a light-emitting unit extending in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction on the outer surface of a housing that covers the lens barrel. The light-emitting unit emits light in accordance with the status of various devices, thereby notifying the practitioner of the status of the various devices. Because the light-emitting unit extends in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the handpiece, it is easy for the practitioner to see.

[0018] The image correction device according to the present invention is connected to a handpiece, and the light-receiving element of the handpiece is attached to the upper side. If the relative positions of the light-receiving element and the lens are misaligned, the image correction device corrects the image captured by the light-receiving element. This ensures that the captured image is correct, thereby enabling highly accurate diagnosis. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view from above of a handpiece according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an external side view of the handpiece according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the outer appearance of the handpiece according to the embodiment of the present invention from the underside. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a handpiece according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an internal top perspective view of a handpiece according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an internal side view of a handpiece according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an internal underside perspective view of a handpiece according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the interior of a handpiece according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the upper side of the barrel of the handpiece according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a side view of the barrel of the handpiece according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of the barrel of the handpiece according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The following is a description of a handpiece according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figures 1 to 3 show the appearance of a handpiece 1 according to this embodiment, and Figure 4 shows a cross section of the handpiece 1. Hereinafter, the longitudinal direction of the handpiece 1 will be referred to as the front and rear, and the directions perpendicular to the longitudinal direction will be referred to as the up, down, left side, and right side (see Figure 1).

[0021] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, handpiece 1 comprises a head 2 and a body 3 connected from front to rear, with the internal components (see Figure 4) covered by a housing 4. A lens 5, which serves as an indenter, is attached to the underside of head 2 in an exposed state. Lens 5 has a generally conical shape that protrudes downward and tapers downward. Lens 5 is optically transparent and is made of, for example, a photocurable resin such as a urethane acrylate resin, glass, ore, or the like. Lens 5 is attached to a detachable member 6. The detachable member 6 is made of, for example, polycarbonate, or the like. Lens 5 is detachable along with the detachable member 6, making it replaceable.

[0022] The outer surface of the body 3 is formed with a plurality of projections, recesses and dents. The practitioner's fingers are hooked onto the projections, recesses and dents to allow the practitioner to grip the device. An operation switch 7 is located on the top surface of the body 3. Behind the switch 7, light-emitting units 8 are located on the top and bottom surfaces of the body 3. The light-emitting units 8 are exposed to the outside through an opening formed in the housing 4. The opening and light-emitting units 8 are formed to be elongated in the left-right direction. A connector 9 to which a USB cable (not shown) is connected is built into the rear end of the body 3 (see Figure 4), and the connector 9 is covered with a rear-end cover 10. The rear-end cover 10 is freely attachable to and detachable from the housing 4.

[0023] Next, the internal components of the handpiece 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 5 to 7 show the internal components of the handpiece 1, and Figure 8 shows a cross section of the internal components. Figures 9 and 10 show the lens barrel 13, which is part of the internal components, and Figure 11 shows a cross section of the lens barrel 13.

[0024] 5 to 8, the internal equipment of the handpiece 1 includes a control board 11, a lens barrel 13 that is long from front to back, and a pair of upper and lower light guides 12. A light receiving element 20 and a detection unit 21 attached to the lens barrel 13, a light source for the light guide 12, a switch 7, and a connector 9 are connected to the control board 11. The lens barrel 13 is made of, for example, resin.

[0025] 9 to 11, the lens barrel 13 has an optical path inside. The lens barrel 13 has a base 14 on the upstream side of the optical path, and a pair of upper and lower movable parts 15 that extend forward from the base 14 to the downstream side of the optical path. The base 14 may be an integrated upper and lower member, or it may be separate upper and lower members that are fixed together. In other words, the upper member does not move relative to the lower member, and the lower member does not move relative to the upper member.

[0026] On the other hand, although the movable portion 15 appears to be a single member connected to the base portion 14, the lower portion 16 and the upper portion 17 are separate members. The lower portion 16 and the upper portion 17 are in contact with each other to the extent that they can elastically deform, with the base portion 14 as the starting point, or there is a gap between the lower portion 16 and the upper portion 17 (hereinafter, the portion where the lower portion 16 and the upper portion 17 are simply in contact, or the gap, will be referred to as the movable portion 18). The lower portion 16 and the upper portion 17 are in contact at the tip portion of the movable portion 15. Therefore, for example, when an external force is applied to the lower portion 16 from below, the lower portion 16 elastically deforms slightly in a direction from the base portion 14 toward the upper portion 17. When the upper portion 17 is pressed by the lower portion 16, it elastically deforms slightly upward with the base portion 14 as the starting point. The distance between the lower portion 16 and the upper portion 17 is arbitrary, but should be such that the lower portion 16 or the upper portion 17 is slightly elastically deformed when an external force is applied, and the optical path is not exposed and the function is not affected.

[0027] The lens barrel 13 has a light source 19 attached to the rear end, a lens 5 attached to the front end, a light receiving element 20 and a detection unit 21 attached to the top surface between the light source 19 and the lens 5, and various optical elements arranged in the optical path. Therefore, the light source 19, splitter 25, prism 26, and lens 5 are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the optical path.

[0028] The light source 19, for example, an LED, is attached to the rear end of the lens barrel 13 and is built into the base 14. The splitter 25 is built into the movable section 15 on the downstream side of the light source 19. The light receiving element 20, for example, a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor, is attached to the outer surface of the upper section 17 of the movable section 15 and is positioned directly above the splitter 25, facing inward. Therefore, the splitter 25 is positioned between the light source 19 and the light receiving element 20. The prism 26 is built into the front end of the movable section 15 on the downstream side of the splitter 25. The lens 5 is positioned directly below the prism 26 in the lower section 16 of the movable section 15. The lens 5 is exposed from the underside of the lower section 16 and is freely attached and detached together with the detachable member 6 to the lens barrel 13. The detection section 21, for example, is a strain gauge, and is attached to the outer surface of the upper section 17 of the movable section 15 via a metal plate.

[0029] When an image is captured by the light-receiving element 20, the movable part 15 of the lens barrel 13 elastically deforms, causing a slight change in the relative distance between the lens 5 and the light-receiving element 20, which may result in blurred images. Therefore, the handpiece 1 is connected to an image correction device (not shown) that corrects the position of the image captured by the light-receiving element 20. Specifically, the image correction device is realized by application software that controls the handpiece 1 and processes the captured images and measurement results.

[0030] The handpiece 1 is configured as described above. Next, the procedure for using the handpiece 1 will be explained, along with the actions and effects of the handpiece 1. It is assumed that the handpiece 1 is connected to a PC (not shown) via a USB cable and that application software is running on the PC.

[0031] A disposable cover (not shown) is placed over the entire handpiece 1, and a new or sterilized lens 5 is attached to the head 2 of the handpiece 1 together with the detachable member 6 from above the disposable cover. The disposable cover is a thin plastic cover. The disposable cover and lens 5 are replaced for each patient, which is convenient and hygienic.

[0032] A reference image is acquired before the lens 5 is placed against the tooth to be diagnosed. When the reference button on the switch 7 is pressed, the reference image is captured. At this time, the light-emitting unit 8 lights up blue and a buzzer sounds. The captured reference image is displayed on the PC monitor. The head 2 is inserted into the patient's mouth, and the lens 5 is placed against the tooth. When the lens 5 is pressed against the tooth, a resistance load is applied to the movable part 15 of the lens barrel 13, causing the movable part 15 to elastically deform. The deformation is detected by the detector 21. When the measurement value obtained by the detector 21 reaches or exceeds a preset reference value, the light-receiving element 20 captures the light image from the lens 5. At the same time, the light-emitting unit 8 lights up green and a buzzer sounds, indicating whether the image capture was successful. The captured image is displayed next to the reference image on the monitor. The hardness is calculated from the measurement value, recorded on the PC, and displayed on the monitor.

[0033] To explain the interior of lens barrel 13 in more detail, light emitted from light source 19 passes through splitter 25. The transmitted light is reflected by prism 26 at an angle of 90 degrees and enters lens 5. The light reflected by lens 5 is reflected by prism 26 at an angle of 90 degrees, forms an image, and is reflected by splitter 25 at an angle of 90 degrees. An image of the reflected light is captured by light receiving element 20.

[0034] If the teeth are healthy, the teeth are hard and the lens 5 does not dig into the teeth. In this case, the contact area between the lens 5 and the teeth is small, so the area where the lens 5 does not reflect is small. On the other hand, if the teeth are diseased, the teeth are softened, so the lens 5 digs into the teeth to a greater depth than when the teeth are healthy, and the contact area also increases, so the area where the lens 5 does not reflect is larger. Therefore, it is possible to measure the hardness of the teeth and diagnose caries and periodontal disease based on the reflection area.

[0035] As described above, the practitioner simply presses the lens 5 against the teeth, capturing an image at the appropriate timing, making operation simple. If the movable trigger 18 is appropriately configured, the elastic deformation of the movable part 15 is kept to a minimum and does not interfere with the treatment, and if the detection unit 21 is a strain gauge, it can detect the load even if the elastic deformation of the movable part 15 is slight. When pressing the lens 5 against the teeth, the practitioner can properly grip it by placing their fingers on the multiple irregularities and depressions formed on the outer surface of the body 3, allowing them to apply an appropriate amount of force.

[0036] Even if the captured image is blurred due to elastic deformation of the movable part 15 of the lens barrel 13, the image position is corrected by the image correction device. A reference image captured in advance is used as a reference, and the degree to which the center position of the image at the time of measurement is deviated from the center position of the reference image is determined. The difference between the center position of the reference image and the center position of the image at the time of measurement is calculated, and the center position of the image at the time of measurement is corrected according to the difference to match the center position of the reference image. The corrected image is displayed on the PC monitor. Therefore, the captured image is appropriate. This enables highly accurate diagnosis.

[0037] The light-emitting unit 8 emits light depending on the status of various devices, as well as the success or failure of imaging, thereby notifying the practitioner of the status of various devices. For example, it lights up white while the power is on, lights up blue when a reference image is successfully acquired, lights up green when imaging is successfully completed, lights up yellow when an excessive load is applied to the movable unit 15 and the measured value reaches or exceeds the reference value, and lights up orange when an error occurs. The light-emitting unit 8 is a pair, one above the other, and extends in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the handpiece 1, making it easy for the practitioner to see. In other words, the practitioner can hold and operate the handpiece 1 in various positions, and the light-emitting unit 8 can be seen even if the handpiece 1 is held upside down, and can be seen from any angle.

[0038] The captured images are recorded on a PC. Using application software installed on the PC, it is possible to associate the dental chart with the image and save it.

[0039] It should be noted that other embodiments of the present invention do not include an image correction device. In another embodiment, the light emitting portions are located on the left and right sides of the body. In other embodiments, the light emitting portions are on the top, bottom, left and right surfaces of the body, or on the top, bottom, left and right surfaces adjacent to the body. In another embodiment, the light emitting portion is located on any one of the top, bottom, left and right surfaces of the body. In other embodiments, the light emitting portion is located at any position. In other embodiments, the type of blinking, lighting, color, and buzzer sound of the light emitting part is arbitrary. Another alternative embodiment does not have a light emitting portion. In another embodiment, the range of the movable element is arbitrary within the range from the boundary between the base and the movable element to the tip of the movable element, for example, the movable element extends from the boundary between the base and the movable element to the tip of the movable element, and a movable element is also formed at the tip.

[0040] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 handpiece 2 heads 3. Body 4. Cabinet 5 Lenses 6 Detachable parts 7 Switch 8 Light-emitting part 9 Connector 10 Rear cover 11 Control board 12 Light Guide 13 Telescope tube 14 Base 15 Moving parts 16 Lower part 17 Upper part 18 Movable origin 19 Light source 20 Photodetector 21 Detection unit 25 Splitter 26 Prism

Claims

1. A long telescope tube with an internal optical path is a base portion on the upstream side of the optical path; a pair of upper and lower movable parts extending from the base part to a downstream side of the optical path; a lens exposed on the downstream side of the optical path; a light receiving element disposed upstream of the lens in the optical path; a detection unit attached to the movable unit, The detection unit detects a load on the movable unit caused by the lens abutting against a diagnostic target site in the oral cavity, and the light receiving element captures an image of light formed by the lens based on the detection of the load by the detection unit. A handpiece characterized by:

2. the movable portion having a lower portion and an upper portion; the lower portion and the upper portion are in contact with each other to a deformable extent; 2. The handpiece according to claim 1.

3. the movable portion having a lower portion and an upper portion; A gap is provided between the lower portion and the upper portion.

2. The handpiece according to claim 1.

4. The strain gauge serving as the detection unit is attached to the upper side portion.

4. The handpiece according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The lens is removably attached to the lower portion.

4. The handpiece according to claim 2 or 3.

6. A light-emitting portion extending in a direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction is provided on the outer surface of a housing that covers the lens barrel.

4. The handpiece according to claim 1, wherein the handpiece is a stent.

7. 6. An image correction device to which the handpiece according to claim 5 is connected, wherein the light receiving element of the handpiece is attached to the upper part, correcting an image captured by the light receiving element when the relative positions of the light receiving element and the lens are misaligned; An image correction device characterized by:

Images