Virtual Dental Model Cleanup Using Optimization Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical methods for detecting the three-dimensional geometry of teeth often unintentionally capture soft tissue, leading to erroneous recordings that are difficult to correct, resulting in unnecessary data and computational inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A method involving defining an extension line of the jaw arch, generating an optimization surface as a cylinder around this line, and removing elements outside the optimization surface to simplify the representation without complex error correction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If optical methods are used to detect three-dimensional geometry of teeth, then non-invasive and radiation-free measurement is achieved, but soft tissue is unintentionally detected causing erroneous recordings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes erroneously detected soft tissue surfaces from the scanned dental arch model by identifying them as separate from the hard tissue structures, thereby eliminating the harmful effect of incorrect data while preserving the beneficial non-invasive measurement capability
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of trying to prevent soft tissue detection during scanning, the patent inverts the approach by accepting all detected surfaces and then selectively removing the unwanted soft tissue portions through geometric analysis and separation algorithms
2Measurement precision
If erroneous soft tissue recordings are corrected after scanning, then measurement accuracy can be improved, but computing resources are consumed and errors may persist
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary geometric analysis and surface separation during the scanning process itself, identifying and separating soft tissue from hard tissue structures before final model generation, thereby avoiding the need for complex post-processing corrections
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual or complex computational error correction methods with a geometric-based automatic separation system that uses spatial relationships and surface properties to distinguish between soft and hard tissue structures
3Area of stationary object
If accidentally recorded soft tissue surfaces are included in the data, then complete coverage is achieved, but unnecessary data volume increases slowing down visualization processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the relevant hard tissue surfaces from the complete scanned data by separating them from soft tissue portions, thereby reducing unnecessary data volume while maintaining complete coverage of the dental arch structures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different processing qualities to different regions of the scanned model, maintaining high detail for hard tissue structures while reducing or removing soft tissue data, thereby optimizing the balance between coverage and processing efficiency
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for cleaning, in particular for removing unwanted data, optically captured virtual representations of objects, especially teeth and intraoral structures, characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: a. Defining a line of extension of the representation, b. Determining at least one optimization surface which has a constant distance to the line of extension in at least one region, c. Determining an inside and an outside of the optimization surface, d. Determining all elements of the representation outside the outside of the representation, e. Removing all elements outside the representation.