Selective Image Locking for Dental 3D Model Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Intraoral scanning technologies face challenges in accurately determining the finish line of preparation teeth, leading to suboptimal design and fit of dental prostheses, which can result in mechanical stress misalignment and potential infection or tooth decay.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for intraoral scanning that involves locking the initial set of high-quality images of a preparation tooth to prevent degradation by subsequent images, ensuring only the locked data is used for the 3D model generation, and employing image processing to select and prioritize data based on tooth identity and quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple intraoral images are captured and processed to improve completeness, then the quantity of scan data increases, but the image quality and accuracy of the preparation tooth deteriorate due to data degradation from subsequent images
Solution Approach 1:
The system locks the initial set of high-quality images of the preparation tooth before capturing subsequent images. This preliminary locking action preserves the quality of the initial scan data while allowing additional images to be captured for other teeth or areas, thus preventing data degradation while increasing overall data quantity
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the intraoral scan data by tooth or region, locking specific images associated with the preparation tooth while allowing other images to be processed independently. This segmentation enables selective use of high-quality data for the preparation tooth while incorporating additional data from other sources without compromising the accuracy of the critical preparation tooth images
2Measurement precision
If the initial set of high-quality images is locked to maintain image quality, then measurement precision is improved, but the adaptability to incorporate additional data from subsequent images is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism applies local quality control by selectively locking only the images associated with the preparation tooth while leaving other images unlocked and available for processing. This allows the system to maintain high image quality for critical areas while remaining adaptable to incorporate additional data from subsequent images for non-critical areas
3Productivity
If all intraoral images are processed together to improve productivity, then processing efficiency increases, but the reliability of the 3D model accuracy decreases due to potential data degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary locking of the initial high-quality images before processing subsequent images. This preliminary action ensures that the critical preparation tooth data remains unchanged and reliable, while still allowing efficient processing of all images through automated selection and prioritization mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
A system comprises an intraoral scanner to generate intraoral images of a dental site, and a computing device. The computing device is configured to: receive an intraoral image comprising a depiction of a first tooth; determine a contour of the first tooth in the intraoral image; select a portion of the intraoral image that is within the contour of the first tooth; lock the portion of the intraoral image that is within the contour of the first tooth; and generate a 3D model comprising the first tooth and one or more other intraoral objects based at least in part on the intraoral image and one or more additional intraoral images, wherein the locked portion of the intraoral image is used for the first tooth in the 3D model.