Tooth Shade Imaging System for Accurate Prosthetic Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dental shade imaging systems fail to accurately capture the complex shades and translucencies of natural teeth due to limitations in light separation, accounting for nonuniformities, and integration with dental treatment systems.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for tooth shade imaging that utilizes a dental professional system with image capturing devices and processors to receive and process 3D scan data and shade data, accounting for light conditions and material properties to generate accurate digital models for prosthetic design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If current imaging devices and techniques are used to capture tooth shade, then the imaging process is simple, but the accuracy of capturing complex shades and translucencies is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system segments the light interaction with the tooth by capturing multiple images at different positions and orientations, then processes these segmented views to separate reflected light (color information) from diffused light (translucency information). This allows accurate capture of complex optical properties through systematic decomposition of the imaging task.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from traditional 2D imaging to 3D imaging by capturing images at multiple positions and orientations around the tooth. This dimensional expansion enables the system to account for lateral and axial nonuniformities and capture the full complexity of tooth optical properties that cannot be obtained from single-angle views.
2Measurement precision
If shade guides are used to determine tooth shade, then the process is simple and quick, but the accuracy is insufficient due to inability to capture translucency and material properties
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a digital copy of the tooth's optical properties through computational modeling. By capturing images at multiple positions and processing them to separate reflected and diffused light components, the system generates a digital representation that accurately predicts the tooth's appearance under various lighting conditions, eliminating the need for physical shade guides and manual matching.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the mechanical shade guide matching process with an optical-computational approach. Instead of physically comparing shade tabs to tooth surfaces, the system uses image capture, light separation algorithms, and digital modeling to determine shade, thereby increasing accuracy while maintaining efficiency.
3Measurement precision
If traditional shade imaging is performed without controlled lighting, then the workflow is simple, but lighting variations cause incorrect shade determination due to metamerism
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically captures images at multiple positions and orientations around the tooth, allowing the imaging device to adapt to different lighting conditions. By collecting data from multiple angles, the system can separate the effects of reflected light (lighting conditions) from the tooth's intrinsic optical properties, ensuring consistent shade determination regardless of ambient lighting.
4Adaptability or versatility
If single purpose shade devices are used, then the device is simple, but it cannot account for uncertainties of lighting, tooth material properties, and integration with dental treatment systems
Solution Approach 1:
The system integrates multiple functions into a single platform: it captures 3D scan data, captures shade images at multiple positions, processes light separation, accounts for material properties, and integrates with dental treatment systems. This multi-functional approach allows one system to handle all shade determination tasks and integrate with broader dental workflows, replacing multiple separate devices and processes.
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
The system achieves more accurate tooth shade determination by separating reflected and diffused light, accounting for lateral and axial nonuniformities, and integrating with dental treatment systems to ensure accurate prosthetic matching.
Implementation Method 1
separating reflected light, which is mainly the color of the light source, from diffused light, which is mainly the color of the object
Implementation Method 2
separating reflected light, which is mainly the color of the light source, from diffused light, which is mainly the color of the object
Data Source
AI summary
A system for tooth shade imaging in dental treatment may include one or more processors and memory having instructions that when executed by the one or more processors may cause the system to receive scan data of a patient's dentition, determine that a tooth of interest for shade capture is within a field of view of a shade capture device, capture a first shade of the tooth of interest before tooth preparation, capture a second shade of the tooth of interest after tooth preparation, generate a digital model of the tooth of interest after tooth preparation, and model a third shade resulting from placing a prosthetic on the tooth of interest after tooth preparation using the digital model of the tooth of interest after tooth preparation including the second shade and a digital model of the prosthetic.