Dental Cone Beam CT Arm Structure for Compact Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional medical CT apparatuses are too large and expensive for dental imaging, making them impractical for the dental environment, and existing solutions require moving the patient to change the relative position of the imaging means, which is cumbersome and costly.
Innovation Solution
A CT apparatus with a novel arm structure that allows the imaging means to be moved relative to a stationary patient using a system of turnable arm parts connected to a fixed structure, enabling the use of a larger, lighter radiation source and detector, and an area sensor for cone beam CT imaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional medical CT apparatuses are used for dental imaging, then imaging quality is improved, but device size and cost become too large for dental environment
Solution Approach 1:
The CT apparatus is divided into separate functional modules: a stationary patient support unit and a movable imaging means unit with arm parts. This segmentation allows the imaging system to be smaller and more adaptable while maintaining imaging quality, resolving the contradiction between imaging precision and device size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces multi-dimensional movement capabilities through arm parts that can rotate around multiple centers of rotation. This enables the imaging means to access different imaging volumes by moving in multiple dimensions rather than requiring a large stationary structure, thus reducing device footprint while maintaining imaging quality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the patient is moved to change relative position of imaging means, then imaging of different volumes is enabled, but operation becomes cumbersome and costly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving the patient to image different volumes, the invention inverts the approach by moving the imaging means relative to the stationary patient. The arm parts with multiple rotation centers enable the imaging means to be repositioned around the patient's head, making operation simpler and more versatile.
Solution Approach 2:
The imaging means is made dynamic through the arm structure with multiple rotation centers, allowing flexible repositioning to image different volumes. This dynamic positioning system replaces the static approach of moving the patient, significantly improving ease of operation and adaptability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a stationary center of rotation is used for imaging means, then structural stability is improved, but adaptability to image different volumes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The rotation system is segmented into multiple independent arm parts, each rotating around its own center of rotation. This segmentation allows the system to maintain stability during each rotation while achieving flexibility through the combination of multiple rotation centers, resolving the contradiction between stability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-center rotation to multi-center rotation across different spatial dimensions. Each arm part rotates around a different center, creating a stable yet adaptable configuration that can image various volumes by coordinating movements across multiple rotation centers.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables more cost-effective and efficient positioning of the imaging means relative to the patient, reducing the need to move the patient and allowing for easier repositioning of imaging volumes, while using a lighter and more affordable CT system for dental imaging.
Implementation Method 1
a radiation source 14 and a detector 15 arranged in connection to each other
Data Source
AI summary
This invention directed to a computer tomography imaging apparatus designed for dental use as well as to methods realizable by it, especially to a method for relative positioning of the imaging means and the patient for imaging. A relevant feature of the computer tomography imaging device according to the invention is an arm construction consisting of turnable arm parts. The use of the construction enables implementation of, particularly, a so-called Cone Beam computer tomography apparatus (CBCT) as lighter, and more inexpensive realization of it, than has been the case regarding CT devices of prior art, especially when thinking of their use in odontology.