Oral cavity scanner system

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides an oral cavity scanner system comprising: a housing; a scan unit which is provided in the housing and acquires image information about the oral cavity of an examinee; a fan which is provided at the rear of the housing and blows air into the housing; and a state analysis unit for analyzing the state of the oral cavity of the examinee on the basis of the image information provided from the scan unit, wherein the state analysis unit is configured to control the operation of the fan according to the distribution of saliva or secretions in the oral cavity of the examinee.

Description

Oral Scanner System

[0001] The present invention relates to an oral scanner system, and more particularly, to an oral scanner system in which the operation of a fan is controlled according to the oral condition of a subject.

[0002] In dental prosthetics, impression taking is a crucial step for creating accurate prosthetics. This process involves taking an impression using impression material, and then creating a plaster model based on the impression. However, creating a prosthesis using impression taking poses the risk of errors due to deformation of the impression material and the use of plaster.

[0003] Accordingly, oral scanners are being used recently to acquire optical images of objects through scanning sequences and to create three-dimensional model data through the acquired images.

[0004] Oral structural data, such as teeth and gums, measured by these intraoral scanners are then fed into a CAD / CAM system to manufacture dental prosthetics. Intraoral scanners typically utilize stereo vision, utilizing images acquired from two or more cameras.

[0005] This type of intraoral scanner is equipped with a fan. The fan prevents fogging and heat dissipation from various components within the intraoral scanner during operation.

[0006] However, if the fan speed is high, the subject's teeth may become sensitive and the fan may dry out the oral cavity. Conversely, if the fan speed is low, saliva may accumulate in the subject's mouth, preventing the intraoral scanner from acquiring accurate oral structural data.

[0007] Accordingly, various research and developments are being conducted on oral scanner systems that automatically adjust the fan speed according to the oral condition of the subject.

[0008] The technical task of the present invention to solve the above problems is to provide an oral scanner system in which the operation of a fan is controlled according to the oral condition of the subject.

[0009] In order to achieve the above technical task, one embodiment of the present invention provides an oral scanner system including a housing; a scanning unit provided within the housing to obtain image information of an oral cavity of a subject; a fan provided at the rear of the housing to blow air into the housing; and a condition analysis unit to analyze the oral cavity of a subject based on the image information provided from the scanning unit, wherein the condition analysis unit controls the operation of the fan according to the distribution of saliva or secretions within the oral cavity of the subject.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the state analysis unit may include an operation processing unit that derives a required image analysis value based on image information provided from the scanning unit; and a blower control unit that controls the operation of the fan according to the image analysis value derived from the operation processing unit.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the blower control unit can adjust the wind speed of the fan according to the derived image analysis value.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the calculation processing unit calculates white noise caused by saliva or secretions in the oral cavity of the subject on a pixel-by-pixel basis to derive the image analysis value, and the blower control unit can control the operation of the fan by comparing the image analysis value with a previously stored reference pixel value.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the operation processing unit calculates white noise caused by saliva or secretions in the oral cavity of the subject into pattern units at predetermined intervals to derive the image analysis value, and the blower control unit can control the operation of the fan by comparing the image analysis value with a previously stored reference pattern value.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the operation processing unit calculates the number of image processing operations for automatically removing white noise caused by saliva or secretions in the oral cavity of the subject by the reflection image removal unit, thereby deriving the image analysis value, and the blower control unit can control the operation of the fan by comparing the image analysis value with the number of previously stored reference image processing operations.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the state analysis unit is provided with a setting control unit that sets at least one range among a range of a reference pixel value, a range of a reference pattern value, and a range of a reference image processing operation number that serve as analysis criteria in the operation processing unit, and the setting control unit may be configured to be capable of communicating with an inspector terminal.

[0016] One embodiment of the present invention provides an oral scanner system including a housing; a fan provided at the rear of the housing and blowing air into the housing; and a blower control unit provided on the outer surface of the housing and controlling the operation of the fan.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the air blowing control unit may be formed using any one of a pressure sensor method, a button control method, a multi-stage switch method, and a touch screen method.

[0018] The effects of the oral scanner system according to the present invention described above are as follows.

[0019] According to the present invention, a condition analysis unit provided in the oral scanner system analyzes the oral condition of the subject and selectively controls the operation of the fan. For example, the operation of the fan is controlled based on the distribution of saliva or secretions within the subject's oral cavity, thereby accurately acquiring intraoral image information.

[0020] According to the present invention, the oral scanner system is equipped with a fan control unit. Therefore, if the examinee's gums are in poor condition or their teeth are sensitive, the examiner (dentist) can selectively adjust the fan speed via the fan control unit. This minimizes discomfort to the examinee.

[0021] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the detailed description of the present invention or the composition of the invention described in the claims.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an oral scanner system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an oral scanner according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 3 is an image showing white noise caused by saliva or secretions of a subject within a predetermined area according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 4 is an operation flow chart of an oral scanner according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 5 is an image showing white noise caused by saliva or secretions of a subject within a predetermined area in units of patterns according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 6 is an operation flow chart of an oral scanner according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 7 is an operation flow chart of an oral scanner according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in various different forms and is therefore not limited to the embodiments described herein. In the drawings, irrelevant parts have been omitted for clarity of description, and similar parts have been designated with similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0030] Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only "directly connected" but also "indirectly connected" with other elements intervening. Furthermore, when a part is said to "include" a component, this does not exclude other components, but rather implies that the other components may be included, unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0031] In the present invention, upper and lower parts mean being located above or below the target member, but do not necessarily mean being located above or below with respect to the direction of gravity.

[0032] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an oral scanner system according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an oral scanner according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an image showing white noise caused by saliva or secretions of a subject within a predetermined area according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart of an oral scanner according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the oral scanner system (1000) may include a housing (100), a scanning unit (200), and a status analysis unit (300).

[0035] The housing (100) forms the exterior of the oral scanner.

[0036] A receiving space is formed within this housing (100), and various components provided in the oral scanner can be received in the receiving space.

[0037] When taking pictures of the oral scanner, the examiner takes pictures of the subject's oral cavity while holding the housing (100).

[0038] The entire front portion of the housing (100) is provided with a holder portion (110), and the probe tip (120) is configured to be detachable from the holder portion (110). A reflective member (not shown) is provided inside the probe tip (120). Accordingly, light generated from an optical portion (not shown) is irradiated into the inside of the oral cavity, including the teeth, through the reflective member provided inside the probe tip (120), and light reflected from the inside of the oral cavity, including the teeth, is incident again onto the image sensor through the reflective member, so that 3D data within the oral cavity can be acquired.

[0039] And a fan (130) is provided at the rear (back) of the housing (100). This fan (130) discharges heat generated from the substrate to the outside, for example, to maintain the internal temperature of the housing (100) at a predetermined temperature. This fan (130) is configured to selectively control the wind supplied into the housing (100), i.e., the blowing strength.

[0040] Meanwhile, the scanning unit (200) is provided within the housing (100).

[0041] This scanning unit (200) acquires image information of the patient's oral cavity. This scanning unit (200) may be, for example, an image sensor.

[0042] The scanning unit (200) provides the intraoral image information of the subject obtained from the scanning unit (200) to the condition analysis unit (300). (S100)

[0043] And the condition analysis unit (300) analyzes the oral condition of the examinee based on the image information provided from the scanning unit (200).

[0044] A state analysis unit (300) such as this may include an operation processing unit (310) and a blower control unit (320).

[0045] The operation processing unit (310) is configured to derive the required image analysis value based on the image information provided from the scanning unit (200). The operation processing unit (310) according to the first embodiment derives the image analysis value by calculating the white noise caused by the saliva or secretions in the oral cavity of the examinee on a pixel basis based on the image information provided from the scanning unit (200). Here, the white noise may be, for example, an area that appears white due to the light being reflected by the saliva or secretions in the oral cavity of the examinee during the process of irradiating light such as DLP (Digital Light Processing) or LED (Light Emitting Diode) into the oral cavity.

[0046] This operation processing unit (310) calculates white noise caused by saliva or secretions in the oral cavity of the subject within a predetermined area on a pixel basis to derive an image analysis value. (S200)

[0047] And the blower control unit (320) controls the operation of the fan (130) by comparing the image analysis value derived from the operation processing unit (310) with the reference pixel value previously stored in the operation processing unit (310). That is, the blower control unit (320) controls the operation of the fan (130) depending on whether the derived image analysis value is within the range of the previously stored reference pixel value. (S300)

[0048] At this time, the reference pixel value may be a value set by default during manufacturing, and may also be a value that can be changed by the user's choice.

[0049] For example, if the image analysis value derived from the operation processing unit (310) exceeds the reference pixel value previously stored in the operation processing unit (310), it is determined that there is a lot of saliva or secretions in the oral cavity of the subject. In this case, the air blowing control unit (320) is configured to increase the wind speed of the fan (130). That is, the operation processing unit (310) determines that accurate image information cannot be obtained due to light reflection caused by liquids such as saliva or secretions in the oral cavity of the subject, and thus, the air blowing control unit (320) controls the air blowing control unit (320) to increase the wind speed of the fan (130) to quickly dry the saliva or secretions in the oral cavity and obtain more accurate image information. (S410)

[0050] On the contrary, if the image analysis value derived from the operation processing unit (310) is less than the reference pixel value previously stored in the operation processing unit (310), it is determined that there is no light reflection due to saliva or secretions, etc. in the oral cavity of the examinee. In this case, the air blowing control unit (320) is configured to lower the wind speed of the fan (130). That is, the operation processing unit (310) determines that there is no light reflection due to saliva or secretions, etc. in the oral cavity of the examinee, but rather that the oral cavity of the examinee is dry due to dry saliva due to excessive air blowing. Accordingly, the air blowing control unit (320) lowers the wind speed of the fan (130) to prevent discomfort due to excessive dry saliva of the examinee. (S420)

[0051] And if the image analysis value derived from the operation processing unit (310) is within the range of the reference pixel value previously stored in the operation processing unit (310), the blower control unit (320) maintains the wind speed of the fan (130) at the current state. (S430)

[0052] Here, the reference pixel value stored in the operation processing unit (310) can be set as a range value having a certain range.

[0053] In this way, the operation processing unit (310) calculates white noise caused by saliva or secretions in the oral cavity of the examinee on a pixel basis based on the image information provided from the scanning unit (200) to derive an image analysis value, and the ventilation control unit (320) controls the operation of the fan (130) according to the derived image analysis value. That is, the ventilation control unit (320) controls the operation of the fan (130) according to the image analysis value provided from the operation processing unit (310). At this time, the ventilation control unit (320) may selectively control the rotation speed of the fan (130) by adjusting the power provided to the fan (130). Alternatively, the ventilation control unit (320) may control the rotation speed of the fan (130) by continuously repeating the power on / off operation of the fan (130), and the method by which the ventilation control unit (320) controls the wind speed of the fan (130) may be controlled in various ways.

[0054] FIG. 5 is an image showing white noise caused by saliva or secretions of a subject within a predetermined area in units of patterns according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is an operation flow chart of an oral scanner according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the scanning unit (200) provides the intraoral image information of the subject obtained from the scanning unit (200) to the condition analysis unit (300). (S100)

[0056] And the operation processing unit (310) is configured to derive the required image analysis value based on the image information provided from the scanning unit (200). Here, the operation processing unit (310) according to the second embodiment derives the image analysis value by calculating the white noise caused by saliva or secretions in the oral cavity of the examinee within a predetermined area as a pattern unit (pattern line) at a predetermined interval based on the image information provided from the scanning unit (200). (S200')

[0057] And the blower control unit (320) controls the operation of the fan (130) by comparing the image analysis value derived from the operation processing unit (310) with the reference pattern value previously stored in the operation processing unit (310). That is, the blower control unit (320) controls the operation of the fan (130) depending on whether the derived image analysis value is within the range of the previously stored reference pattern value. (S300')

[0058] For example, if the image analysis value derived from the operation processing unit (310) exceeds the reference pattern value previously stored in the operation processing unit (310), the air blower control unit (320) is configured to increase the wind speed of the fan (130). In this case, the operation processing unit (310) determines that the subject has a lot of saliva or secretions in his / her mouth, and that accurate image information cannot be obtained due to light reflection caused by liquids such as saliva or secretions in his / her mouth. Accordingly, the air blower control unit (320) controls the air blower control unit (320) to increase the wind speed of the fan (130) to dry the saliva or secretions in his / her mouth, thereby obtaining more accurate image information. (S410')

[0059] Conversely, if the image analysis value derived from the operation processing unit (310) is less than the reference pattern value previously stored in the operation processing unit (310), the air blower control unit (320) is configured to lower the wind speed of the fan (130). In this case, the operation processing unit (310) determines that the oral cavity of the examinee is dry due to dry saliva, as there is no light reflection due to saliva or secretions in the oral cavity of the examinee. Accordingly, the air blower control unit (320) lowers the wind speed of the fan (130) to prevent discomfort due to dry saliva in the examinee. (S420')

[0060] And if the image analysis value derived from the operation processing unit (310) is within the range of the reference pattern value previously stored in the operation processing unit (310), the blower control unit (320) maintains the wind speed of the fan (130) at the current state. (S430')

[0061] Here, the reference pattern value stored in the operation processing unit (310) can be set as a range value having a certain range.

[0062] Fig. 7 is an operation flow chart of an oral scanner according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 7, the scanning unit (200) provides the intraoral image information of the subject obtained from the scanning unit (200) to the condition analysis unit (300). (S100)

[0063] And the operation processing unit (310) is configured to derive the required image analysis value based on the image information provided from the scanning unit (200). Here, the operation processing unit (310) according to the third embodiment calculates the number of image processing operations for automatically removing white noise caused by saliva or secretions in the oral cavity of the examinee within a predetermined area by the reflection image removal unit based on the image information provided from the scanning unit (200), thereby deriving the image analysis value. (S200")

[0064] And the blower control unit (320) controls the operation of the fan (130) by comparing the image analysis value derived from the operation processing unit (310) with the reference image processing operation number previously stored in the operation processing unit (310). That is, the blower control unit (320) controls the operation of the fan (130) depending on whether the derived image analysis value is within the range of the reference image processing operation number previously stored. (S300")

[0065] For example, if the image analysis value derived from the operation processing unit (310) exceeds the number of reference image processing operations previously stored in the operation processing unit (310), the air blowing control unit (320) is configured to increase the wind speed of the fan (130). In this case, the operation processing unit (310) determines that the subject has a lot of saliva or secretions in his / her mouth, and that accurate image information cannot be obtained due to light reflection caused by liquids such as saliva or secretions in his / her mouth. Accordingly, the air blowing control unit (320) controls the fan (130) to increase the wind speed to dry the saliva or secretions in his / her mouth, thereby obtaining more accurate image information. (S410")

[0066] On the contrary, if the image analysis value derived from the operation processing unit (310) is less than the reference image processing operation number previously stored in the operation processing unit (310), the air blowing control unit (320) is configured to lower the wind speed of the fan (130). In this case, the operation processing unit (310) determines that the oral cavity of the examinee is dry due to dry saliva, as there is no light reflection due to saliva or secretions in the oral cavity of the examinee. Accordingly, the air blowing control unit (320) lowers the wind speed of the fan (130) to prevent discomfort due to dry saliva in the examinee. (S420")

[0067] And if the image analysis value derived from the operation processing unit (310) is within the range of the reference image processing operation number previously stored in the operation processing unit (310), the blower control unit (320) maintains the wind speed of the fan (130) at the current state. (S430")

[0068] Here, the number of reference image processing operations stored in the operation processing unit (310) can be set to a range value having a certain range.

[0069] Meanwhile, the outer surface of the housing (100) may be provided with a setting control unit (not shown) that can control various setting values ​​of each component provided in the oral scanner, such as the operation processing unit (310) and the air blower control unit (320). Accordingly, the examiner can set, for example, the range of the reference pixel value of the operation processing unit (310), the range of the reference pattern value, and the range of the number of reference image processing operations, through the setting control unit, and can also control the operation setting (air blower power) of the air blower control unit (320) according to the image analysis value derived from the operation processing unit (310).

[0070] Alternatively, the setting control unit may be configured to communicate with an inspector terminal (not shown). Accordingly, the inspector may adjust various setting values ​​provided within the oral scanner, such as the operation processing unit (310) and the air blower control unit (320), through the inspector terminal.

[0071] Here, the inspector terminal may be any device equipped with an input device capable of inputting text and an output device capable of displaying text on a screen. Such an inspector terminal may be any type of handheld-based wireless communication device equipped with a touch screen panel, such as a mobile phone, smart phone, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), tablet PC, etc., or may be a device equipped with a foundation for installing and executing applications, such as a desktop PC, tablet PC, laptop PC, IPTV including a set-top box.

[0072] In this way, when the setting control unit is configured to communicate with the inspector terminal, the inspector can more easily adjust various setting values ​​of the status analysis unit (300).

[0073] Meanwhile, the exterior of the housing (100) may further include a ventilation control unit (not shown) that allows the examiner to selectively control the operation of the fan (130). Through this ventilation control unit, the examiner can visually check the condition of the subject's oral cavity and manually selectively adjust the wind speed of the fan (130). When the fan (130) is operated through this ventilation control unit, the operation of the condition analysis unit (300) mentioned above is stopped, and the fan (130) is operated in manual mode.

[0074] Such a blower control unit may be formed, for example, in the form of a pressure sensor. Such a pressure sensor-type blower control unit may be formed so that the wind speed of the fan (130) is controlled according to the strength of the pressure applied to the blower control unit by the inspector.

[0075] Alternatively, the airflow control unit may be configured with a button control. This button control type airflow control unit is provided with buttons for increasing and decreasing the wind speed of the fan (130), so that the inspector can selectively adjust the wind speed of the fan (130).

[0076] And the blower control unit may be configured in a multi-stage switch manner. That is, the inspector may selectively control the wind speed of the fan (130) by adjusting the position of the multi-stage switch.

[0077] In addition, the fan control unit may be configured with a touch screen. That is, the inspector can selectively adjust the fan speed (130) through a touch screen to achieve the desired wind speed.

[0078] In this way, if the patient's gums are in poor condition and the patient's teeth are sensitive during the examination process, the examiner can manually selectively adjust the wind speed of the fan (130) through the air blower control unit.

[0079] Meanwhile, in the various embodiments described above, when the temperature of the oral scanner exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature, the blower control unit (320) may control the fan (130) to operate at the maximum wind speed, taking priority over the analysis result of the operation processing unit (310). In this case, the predetermined threshold temperature may be the maximum temperature value within the operating temperature allowable range that is preset to allow the oral scanner to perform stable operation.

[0080] However, this is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of the rights of the present invention is not limited by the scope of the description of this embodiment.

[0081] The foregoing description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention can be readily modified into other specific forms without altering the technical spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single entity may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined manner.

[0082] The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims described below, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. Housing; A scanning unit provided within the housing and configured to obtain image information of the oral cavity of a subject; A fan provided at the rear of the housing and blowing air into the housing; and It includes a condition analysis unit that analyzes the oral condition of the examinee based on the image information provided from the above scanning unit. An oral scanner system in which the above condition analysis unit controls the operation of the fan according to the distribution of saliva or secretions in the oral cavity of the subject.

2. In paragraph 1, The above status analysis unit, An operation processing unit that derives required image analysis values ​​based on image information provided from the above scanning unit; and An oral scanner system characterized by including a blower control unit that controls the operation of the fan according to the image analysis value derived from the operation processing unit.

3. In paragraph 2, An oral scanner system characterized in that the above-described blower control unit adjusts the wind speed of the fan according to the derived image analysis value.

4. In paragraph 2, The above operation processing unit calculates white noise caused by saliva or secretions in the subject's mouth on a pixel basis to derive the image analysis value. An oral scanner system characterized in that the above-mentioned blower control unit controls the operation of the fan by comparing the image analysis value with a previously stored reference pixel value.

5. In paragraph 2, The above-mentioned operation processing unit calculates white noise caused by saliva or secretions in the subject's mouth into pattern units at predetermined intervals to derive the image analysis value. An oral scanner system characterized in that the above-mentioned blower control unit controls the operation of the fan by comparing the image analysis value with a previously stored reference pattern value.

6. In paragraph 2, The above operation processing unit calculates the number of image processing operations for automatically removing white noise caused by saliva or secretions in the subject's mouth by the reflection image removal unit, and derives the image analysis value. An oral scanner system characterized in that the above-mentioned blower control unit controls the operation of the fan by comparing the number of previously stored reference image processing operations with the image analysis values.

7. In paragraph 2, The above status analysis unit, An oral scanner system characterized in that the above-mentioned operation processing unit is provided with a setting control unit that sets at least one of a range of a reference pixel value, a range of a reference pattern value, and a range of a reference image processing operation number that serves as an analysis criterion, and the setting control unit is configured to be capable of communicating with an inspector terminal.

8. Housing; A fan provided at the rear of the housing and blowing air into the housing; and An oral scanner system comprising a blower control unit provided on the outer surface of the housing and controlling the operation of the fan.

9. In paragraph 8, An oral scanner system characterized in that the above-mentioned air blower control unit is formed by one of a pressure sensor method, a button control method, a multi-stage switch method, and a touch screen method.

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