Intraoral Photography Support Device for Missing Image Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In dentistry, obtaining accurate intraoral images requires skilled photography to ensure appropriate composition and absence of defects like defocus and clipped whites, but existing methods lack objective guidance, leading to subjective variations and potential missed or inappropriate images, which can delay diagnosis and treatment.
Innovation Solution
A photography support device with a determining unit to identify photography target parts and a missing-image sensing unit, integrated into a camera system, ensures complete and accurate capture of intraoral images by determining the type of photography target parts and alerting the user to any missing images, facilitating better composition and image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If photography is performed by skilled personnel with high-level skills and experience, then appropriate composition and high image quality are achieved, but the operation becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system performs self-diagnosis by automatically analyzing captured images to determine whether required photography target parts have been photographed. The system independently identifies missing images and provides guidance without requiring external expert judgment, enabling the device to serve itself in quality control
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback to the operator by displaying information about which photography target parts have been captured and which are missing. This feedback loop allows operators to immediately understand their photography status and make corrections, transforming the complex skill-based process into a guided workflow
2Productivity
If photography is performed without objective guidance, then the operation is simpler and faster, but image quality and composition accuracy deteriorate due to subjective variations
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-defines the required photography target parts (front view, left side view, right side view, lower jaw occlusion face view, upper jaw occlusion face view) before photography begins. This preliminary preparation provides a clear checklist that guides the photography process, ensuring all necessary views are captured without requiring expert knowledge during the actual shooting
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors photography progress by analyzing captured images and comparing them against the predefined target parts. Real-time feedback is provided to the operator indicating which views have been successfully captured and which are still missing, maintaining composition accuracy through objective guidance rather than subjective judgment
3Productivity
If complete intraoral image sets are captured in one session, then diagnosis efficiency is improved, but the time required for photography increases due to multiple target parts
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-identifies and displays the complete set of required photography target parts before the photography session begins. By presenting a clear checklist of what needs to be captured, the system enables operators to systematically work through all required views in one session, preventing the need for time-consuming rephotography later
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides continuous feedback during photography indicating progress toward completing the required image set. This real-time information allows operators to efficiently track which views remain to be captured and ensures all necessary images are obtained in a single session, maximizing diagnosis efficiency while minimizing total photography time
Data Source
AI summary
A photography support device is configured to support photography of N types (where N is an integer greater than 1) of photography target parts defined in advance. The photography support device includes at least one memory and at least one processor which function as: a determining unit configured to determine, with respect to a plurality of images obtained by photography of inside of an oral cavity of a patient, which of the N types of photography target parts a photography target part in each image corresponds to; and a missing-image sensing unit configured to, based on determination results regarding each of the plurality of images, sense whether or not shooting of images of the N types of photography target parts is complete.