Dental Self-Scanning Guidance Using Extraoral Position Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Self-scanning dental scanners often require multiple attempts and longer times for unskilled users to achieve a good dental impression, and users may become frustrated due to operational differences between scanners.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing a mapping function to correlate the position of an intraoral scanner part with an extraoral scanner part, allowing for intuitive guidance of the scanner position through visual or audio cues, enabling quicker and more efficient scanning by eliminating the need for users to monitor the scanner's placement within the oral cavity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a self-scanning dental scanner is used to reduce costs and allow patient autonomy, then cost savings and user independence are improved, but scanning time increases and multiple attempts are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously captures extraoral images of the scanner handle and intraoral images, processes them to determine scanner position, and provides real-time visual feedback showing the current position versus target position. This feedback loop enables unskilled users to quickly learn and perform scans independently without requiring multiple attempts
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an image processing system that acts as an intermediary between the user and the scanning process. The system captures images, determines scanner position, and provides guidance through visual feedback, mediating the interaction between unskilled users and the complex scanning operation to reduce scanning time
2Measurement precision
If traditional intraoral scanning requires user monitoring of scanner placement to ensure image quality, then scanning precision is improved, but user complexity and frustration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-monitoring by automatically capturing extraoral images of the scanner handle, processing these images to determine scanner position, and comparing it with target positions. This self-service capability eliminates the need for user monitoring while maintaining scan quality, reducing user complexity and frustration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/visual monitoring system required of users with an automated image processing system. Instead of users visually tracking scanner position, the system uses image capture and processing to automatically determine and guide scanner position, maintaining precision while reducing complexity
3Adaptability or versatility
If different scanners have different operations requiring user adaptation, then scanner functionality is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates for new users
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a universal guidance mechanism that works across different scanner models. The image processing and visual feedback system provides consistent, model-agnostic guidance for scanner positioning, allowing users to operate different scanners without requiring model-specific training while preserving each scanner's functional capabilities
Data Source
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AI summary
The present teachings relate to a method for assisting an intraoral scan comprising: providing an intraoral image of a patient, providing an extraoral image; wherein the extraoral image is representative of the position of an extraoral scanner part, generating, using the intraoral image and the extraoral image, a mapping function correlating the position of the extraoral scanner part with the position of the intraoral scanner part; computing, using the mapping function, a desired extraoral position of the extraoral scanner part; wherein the desired extraoral position corresponds to a preferable intraoral position of the intraoral scanner part. The present teachings also relate to a system, a device, a use, data, and a storage medium.