Dental imaging equipment

Abstract

One aspect of the present invention provides a dental imaging device comprising a housing, a shielding cylinder, an oral retractor and a camera, the housing forming a chamber and a working surface, the working surface being a part of a surface formed to surround the chamber, a first hole being formed in the working surface, the camera being fixedly mounted within the chamber, the shielding cylinder extending from an edge of the working surface, the oral retractor extending from an end of the shielding cylinder for spreading a patient's lips and cheeks to expose teeth, the camera being mounted so as to capture images of the teeth exposed by spreading the patient's lips and cheeks with the oral retractor through the first hole and the shielding cylinder, and when the oral retractor is closed, the working surface and the shielding cylinder form a closed cavity.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to dental imaging equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] During orthodontic treatment, patients usually need to visit the clinic regularly, and dental professionals can judge whether the orthodontic treatment has achieved the intended effect by observing the patient's teeth. If the actual treatment results deviate significantly from the orthodontic treatment plan, dental professionals may need to adjust the subsequent treatment plan accordingly.

[0003] After orthodontic treatment is completed, the position and / or arrangement of the patient's teeth may change due to certain reasons and may deviate from the position and / or arrangement of the teeth achieved by orthodontic treatment. In order to detect and correct such deviations in a timely manner, dental professionals need to regularly examine the patient's teeth.

[0004] In order to reduce the number of times patients need to visit the dentist, devices that allow patients to take photos of their own teeth have been introduced. In this way, patients can take photos of their own teeth at any place and time for examination by a dental professional, which effectively reduces the number of times patients need to visit the dentist and provides convenience to patients.

[0005] US Patent Publication US2018 / 0303579A1 discloses a dental imaging device including a shielding cylinder, which is provided with an oral retractor at one end for pulling the lips and cheeks to expose the teeth, and a device for fixing a smartphone for photographing the teeth at the other end. However, the dental imaging device has a heavy structure and requires adjusting the position of the smartphone to align the camera with the center of the retractor before each photographing, which makes the operation complicated.

[0006] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new oral cavity photographing device. Summary of the Invention

[0007] One aspect of the present invention provides a dental imaging device comprising a housing, a shielding cylinder, an oral retractor and a camera, the housing forming a chamber and a working surface, the working surface being a part of a surface formed to surround the chamber, a first hole being formed in the working surface, the camera being fixedly mounted within the chamber, the shielding cylinder extending from an edge of the working surface, the oral retractor extending from an end of the shielding cylinder for spreading a patient's lips and cheeks to expose teeth, the camera being mounted so as to capture images of the teeth exposed by spreading the patient's lips and cheeks with the oral retractor through the first hole and the shielding cylinder, and when the oral retractor is closed, the working surface and the shielding cylinder form a closed cavity.

[0008] In some embodiments, the chamber may be a closed chamber.

[0009] In some embodiments, the cross-sectional edge profile of the shielding cylinder may be oval shaped with top-bottom and left-right symmetry.

[0010] In some embodiments, one portion of the shielding cylinder may be formed by integrally extending the housing towards the oral retractor, another portion of the shielding cylinder may be formed by integrally extending the oral retractor towards the housing, and the two portions of the shielding cylinder may be connected by a fit.

[0011] In some embodiments, a locking structure is provided at each joint of the two parts of the shielding cylinder, so that the two parts of the shielding cylinder remain fixed relative to each other.

[0012] In some embodiments, the shielding cylinder may be formed by an integral extension of the oral retractor towards the housing, the shielding cylinder fitting over an edge of the work surface.

[0013] In some embodiments, a locking structure is provided at one end of the shielding cylinder adjacent to the housing and at an edge of the working surface, so that the shielding cylinder and the housing remain fixed relative to each other.

[0014] In some embodiments, a first end of the shielding cylinder is fitted to an edge of the work surface and a second end opposite the first end is fitted to the oral retractor.

[0015] In some embodiments, a locking structure is provided on a first end of the shielding cylinder and an edge of the working surface, so that the shielding cylinder and the housing remain fixed relative to each other, and a locking structure is provided on a second end of the shielding cylinder and a joint portion of the oral retractor, so that the shielding cylinder and the oral retractor remain fixed relative to each other.

[0016] In some embodiments, the dental imaging apparatus may further include N illumination light sources mounted within the chamber, and N second holes are formed on the work surface in one-to-one correspondence with the N illumination light sources, such that the N illumination light sources provide illumination for image capture by the camera through the N second holes, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 1.

[0017] In some embodiments, N is a natural number greater than 1, and the N second holes are uniformly distributed around the camera.

[0018] In some embodiments, the dental imaging apparatus may further include a controller mounted within the chamber, the controller being electrically connected to the camera and the N illumination sources and used to control the camera and the illumination sources.

[0019] In some embodiments, the dental imaging device may further include a battery mounted within the chamber, the battery electrically connected to provide power to the controller, camera, and illumination source.

[0020] In some embodiments, the relative positions of the first hole and the shielding cylinder along the working surface are pre-designed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] The above-mentioned and other features of the present application are further explained below with reference to the drawings and their detailed description. It should be understood that these drawings only illustrate a number of exemplary embodiments according to the present application and should not be considered as limiting the scope of protection of the present application. Unless otherwise specified, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and like reference numerals in the drawings refer to like parts. [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a dental imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic diagram showing the main body of the dental imaging apparatus shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an oral retractor of the dental imaging apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a top view of the main body shown in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the main body shown in FIG. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] The following detailed description refers to the drawings, which form a part of this specification. The exemplary embodiments described in the specification and drawings are merely for illustration purposes and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present application. Based on the teachings of this application, those skilled in the art can understand that other various embodiments can be adopted and various modifications can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the spirit and protection scope of the present application. It should be understood that each aspect of the present application described and illustrated in this specification can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated and designed in various different configurations, and all of these different configurations are within the protection scope of the present application.

[0023] One aspect of the present application provides a dental imaging device, the position of its camera is fixed and there is no need to align it to the center of the mouth gag before imaging, making it very easy to use.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of a dental imaging device 100 according to an embodiment of the present application, the dental imaging device 100 includes a body 101 and an oral retractor 103 which are connected by fitting.

[0025] 2 to 5, FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the main body 101 shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the oral retractor 103 shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a top view of the main body 101 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the main body 101 shown in FIG. 1.

[0026] The outer contour of the main body 101 is generally U-shaped, and the cross-sectional contour is an egg shape with vertical and horizontal symmetry. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the main body 101 may have any other suitable shape in addition to the shape of the embodiment.

[0027] The main body 101 includes a housing 1010, the lower half of which forms a closed chamber for mounting corresponding components. A working surface 1011, which is a part of a surface formed to surround the chamber, is formed on the side of the housing 1010 close to the oral retractor 103. A first hole 1013 is formed in the working surface 1011, so that a camera 1015 fixedly mounted in the chamber can capture images through the first hole 1013. The camera 1015 is mounted at a position and angle such that it can capture suitable images of the patient's teeth through the oral retractor 103.

[0028] In one embodiment, the work surface 1011 may be a flat surface. In a further embodiment, the work surface 1011 may be a curved surface. It is understood that the work surface 1011 may be a surface of any suitable form in addition to flat and curved surfaces.

[0029] In one embodiment, the first hole 1013 can be closed by a lens (e.g., a glass plate or a resin lens, etc.), and a camera 1015 mounted in the housing can capture an image through the lens, and the lens can prevent dust and moisture from entering the housing. In a further embodiment, the camera 1015 can slightly protrude from the first hole 1013, and a seal (e.g., a rubber ring, adhesive, etc.) closes the gap between the outer wall of the camera 1015 and the first hole 1013 to prevent dust and moisture from entering the housing.

[0030] In one embodiment, at least one second hole (not shown) may be formed at an appropriate location on the work surface 1011 so that at least one illumination source or flash mounted within the chamber can provide illumination through the at least one second hole to ensure the quality of images captured by the camera 1015. In one embodiment, a plurality of the second holes may be uniformly disposed around the first hole 1013.

[0031] The housing 1010 extends integrally upward from the edge of the working surface 1011 (i.e., toward the oral retractor 103) to form a cylinder 1017 surrounding the working surface 1011. A plurality of locking portions 1019 are formed on one end of the cylinder 1017 away from the working surface 1011.

[0032] The oral retractor 103 includes a cylinder 1031, a first end of which remote from the body 101 forms a flange 1033, and a second end opposite the first end is formed with a number of locking portions 1035 which respectively engage with a number of locking portions 1019 on the top of the cylinder 1017 of the housing 1010. The oral retractor 103 and the housing 1010 are connected by fitting, and the engagement of the locking portions 1035 and 1019 keeps them relatively fixed. It is understood that in addition to the locking fixation, any other suitable fixing manner can be used between the oral retractor 103 and the housing 1010, such as, for example, an interference fit.

[0033] When taking a photograph of the teeth, a first end of the oral retractor 103 is placed into the patient's mouth and the lips and cheeks are spread apart to expose the teeth, allowing the camera 1015 to capture an image of the teeth through the oral retractor 103; at this time, the patient's lips and cheeks come into contact with the flange 1033, preventing the oral retractor 103 from falling out of the patient's mouth.

[0034] The cylinder 1017 of the housing 1010 and the cylinder 1031 of the oral retractor 103 form a shielding cylinder, and when the first end of the oral retractor 103 is closed, the working surface 1011 of the housing 1010 and the shielding cylinder form a closed cavity to prevent ambient light from affecting the quality of the dental image captured by the camera 1015.

[0035] It will be appreciated that the length of cylinders 1017 and 1031 may vary within the teachings of this application, and several different configurations are shown below.

[0036] In one embodiment, the housing 1010 does not have a cylinder formed therein, and the cylinder 1031 of the oral retractor 103 fits over the edge of the working surface 1011 of the housing 1010 .

[0037] In a further embodiment, the cylinder 1017 of the housing 1010 is long and the oral retractor 103 does not have a cylinder formed therein.

[0038] In a further embodiment, the housing 1010, the shielding cylinder and the oral retractor 103 may be integrally molded.

[0039] In a further embodiment, the connection between the housing 1010 and the oral retractor 103 is by fit via a separate adapter cylinder.

[0040] All of the various embodiments of the shielding cylinder described above can be described as extending from the edge of the work surface 1011 to form the shielding cylinder, where "extending" does not mean that the shielding cylinder and the housing 1010 are integrally molded, but rather encompasses all of the different embodiments described above.

[0041] A control button 1021 for a user to operate the dental imaging apparatus 100 is provided on a side wall of the main body 101. A charging interface 1023 for charging the main body 101 is provided on the bottom of the main body 101.

[0042] In one embodiment, a controller (e.g., a control circuit module) and a battery (not shown) are mounted within the housing of the main body 101, and the camera 1015, illumination source / flash, controller and battery are electrically connected, the controller is used to control the camera 1015 to capture images, and the battery provides power to the controller, camera 1015 and the illumination source / flash. In one embodiment, the camera 1015, illumination source / flash, controller and battery are mounted within a closed chamber of the housing 1010.

[0043] Various aspects and embodiments of the present application have been disclosed herein, and other aspects and embodiments of the present application will be apparent to those skilled in the art under the teachings of the present application. Each aspect and embodiment disclosed herein is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting. The scope and spirit of the present application are determined solely by the appended claims.

[0044] Similarly, the diagrams may depict example architectures or other configurations of the disclosed methods and systems, which are made to aid in understanding the features and functionality that may be included in the disclosed methods and systems. The subject matter for which protection is sought is not limited to the example architectures or configurations shown, and various alternative architectures and configurations may be used to achieve the desired features. Furthermore, with respect to flow charts, functional descriptions, and method claims, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the order of blocks depicted herein should not be limited to being performed in the same order to implement various embodiments of the described functionality.

[0045] Unless expressly indicated otherwise, all terms and phrases used herein and variations thereof should be construed as open ended rather than limiting. In some instances, the presence of open-ended words and phrases such as, for example, "one or more," "at least," "including but not limited to," or other similar terms should not be construed to imply that a narrower context is intended or required in instances where such open-ended terms may not be present.

Claims

1. a housing, a shielding cylinder, an oral retractor, and a camera; the housing defines a chamber and a work surface, the work surface being a portion of a surface formed to surround the chamber, the work surface defining a first hole; the camera is fixedly mounted within the chamber; the shielding cylinder extends from an edge of the work surface; the oral retractor extending from a distal end of the shielding cylinder for spreading the patient's lips and cheeks to expose the teeth; the camera is mounted so as to capture an image of the patient's lips and cheeks exposed by the oral retractor through the first hole and the shielding cylinder; when a first end of the tubular oral retractor remote from the housing is closed, the working surface and the shielding cylinder form a closed cavity; A dental imaging device, characterized in that one portion of the shielding cylinder is formed by integrally extending the housing toward the oral retractor, and another portion of the shielding cylinder is formed by integrally extending the oral retractor toward the housing, and the two portions of the shielding cylinder are connected by a fitting.

2. 2. The dental imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chamber is a closed chamber.

3. 2. The dental imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the edge contour of the cross section of the shielding cylinder is an egg shape that is vertically and horizontally symmetrical.

4. The dental imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the joints of the two parts of the shielding cylinder are provided with locking structures, respectively, so that the two parts of the shielding cylinder remain fixed relative to each other.

5. A method of treating a patient comprising: a housing, a shielding cylinder, an oral retractor, and a camera; the housing defines a chamber and a work surface, the work surface being a portion of a surface formed to surround the chamber, the work surface defining a first hole; the camera is fixedly mounted within the chamber; the shielding cylinder extends from an edge of the work surface; the oral retractor extending from a distal end of the shielding cylinder for spreading the patient's lips and cheeks to expose the teeth; the camera is mounted so as to capture an image of the patient's lips and cheeks exposed by the oral retractor through the first hole and the shielding cylinder; when a first end of the tubular oral retractor remote from the housing is closed, the working surface and the shielding cylinder form a closed cavity; 2. A dental imaging apparatus comprising: a housing having an aperture for receiving said oral retractor and a housing having an aperture for receiving said oral retractor; a housing having an aperture for receiving said oral retractor;

6. 6. The dental imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an end of the shielding cylinder adjacent to the housing and an edge of the working surface are provided with a locking structure, so that the shielding cylinder and the housing remain fixed relative to each other.

7. A method of using an oral retractor comprising: a housing, a shielding cylinder, an oral retractor, and a camera; the housing defines a chamber and a work surface, the work surface being a portion of a surface formed to surround the chamber, the work surface defining a first hole; the camera is fixedly mounted within the chamber; the shielding cylinder extends from an edge of the work surface; the oral retractor extending from a distal end of the shielding cylinder for spreading the patient's lips and cheeks to expose the teeth; the camera is mounted so as to capture an image of the patient's lips and cheeks exposed by the oral retractor through the first hole and the shielding cylinder; when a first end of the tubular oral retractor remote from the housing is closed, the working surface and the shielding cylinder form a closed cavity; A dental imaging apparatus, comprising: a first end of said shielding cylinder that is fitted to an edge of said work surface; and a second end opposite to said first end that is fitted to said oral retractor.

8. The dental imaging device according to claim 7, characterized in that a locking structure is provided on a first end of the shielding cylinder and an edge of the working surface, respectively, so that the shielding cylinder and the housing remain fixed relative to each other, and a locking structure is provided on a second end of the shielding cylinder and a joint portion of the oral retractor, respectively, so that the shielding cylinder and the oral retractor remain fixed relative to each other.

9. A method of using an oral retractor comprising: a housing, a shielding cylinder, an oral retractor, and a camera; the housing defines a chamber and a work surface, the work surface being a portion of a surface formed to surround the chamber, the work surface defining a first hole; the camera is fixedly mounted within the chamber; the shielding cylinder extends from an edge of the work surface; the oral retractor extending from a distal end of the shielding cylinder for spreading the patient's lips and cheeks to expose the teeth; the camera is mounted so as to capture an image of the patient's lips and cheeks exposed by the oral retractor through the first hole and the shielding cylinder; when a first end of the tubular oral retractor remote from the housing is closed, the working surface and the shielding cylinder form a closed cavity; A dental imaging device further comprising N illumination light sources mounted within the chamber, wherein N second holes are formed on the working surface in one-to-one correspondence with the N illumination light sources, such that the N illumination light sources provide illumination for image capture by the camera through the N second holes, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 1.

10. 10. The dental imaging apparatus of claim 9, wherein N is a natural number greater than 1, and the N second holes are uniformly distributed around the camera.

11. 10. The dental imaging apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a control device mounted within the chamber, the control device being electrically connected to the camera and the N illumination light sources and used to control the camera and the illumination light sources.

12. 12. The dental imaging system of claim 11, further comprising a battery mounted within the chamber, the battery electrically connected to provide power to the control unit, the camera, and the illumination source.

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