Ultrasonic Tooth Imaging Device for 3D Internal Structure Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dental imaging technologies, such as X-ray diagnostics and advanced systems like Optical-Coherent Tomography, are costly, complex, and provide inaccurate measurements of internal dental formations due to irregularly shaped enamel and dentine layers, especially around corners and inside restoration areas.
Innovation Solution
A portable handheld ultrasonic 3-D imaging device that emits ultrasonic pulses from various angles, records echoes, and processes data to provide quantitative and graphical representations of internal tooth structures, including layer thicknesses and distances to interfaces, using a signal generator, transducers, position sensors, and a computer for data processing and visualization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional X-ray diagnostics are used for imaging internal tooth structures, then imaging capability is provided, but measurement precision is poor due to irregularly shaped enamel and dentine layers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from conventional 2D X-ray imaging to 3D ultrasonic imaging by emitting ultrasonic pulses from multiple angles and reconstructing the internal tooth structure in three dimensions. This dimensional change allows accurate measurement of irregularly shaped enamel and dentine layers by capturing their spatial geometry from multiple perspectives, resolving the measurement precision problem while maintaining comprehensive imaging information.
2Measurement precision
If sophisticated imaging systems like Optical-Coherent Tomography or Cone-Beam Tomography are used, then imaging precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical imaging systems (Optical-Coherent Tomography, Cone-Beam Tomography) with a simpler ultrasonic pulse-echo system. Instead of using sophisticated optical or mechanical scanning apparatus, the invention uses ultrasonic transducers to emit pulses and detect echoes, processing the time-delay and amplitude information to reconstruct 3D images. This substitution maintains high imaging precision while significantly reducing device complexity and cost.
3Reliability
If subjective data from visual examination is used for diagnosis, then ease of operation is maintained, but reliability of diagnosis decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The ultrasonic imaging device enables self-service diagnostic capability by providing objective 3D measurements of internal tooth structures directly to the dentist. The system automatically captures echo data from multiple angles, processes the signals, and generates quantitative 3D reconstructions of enamel thickness, dentine layers, and internal geometries. This eliminates reliance on subjective visual examination while keeping the operational process straightforward, thereby improving diagnosis reliability without excessive complexity.
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 device offers accurate, real-time, and non-invasive 3-D imaging of tooth structures, facilitating precise dental procedures by providing quantitative data on internal geometries and detecting flaws in restorations, improving treatment planning and monitoring bond integrity.
Implementation Method 1
emitting a sequence of ultrasonic pulses from a given point on the tooth surface into the tooth at various directions of incidence (angles of incidence) with respect to the local tooth surface, recording the corresponding sequence of ultrasonic echoes from different internal dental formations
Implementation Method 2
recording the corresponding sequence of ultrasonic echoes from different internal dental formations
Data Source
AI summary
Example embodiments of this invention include a method and a device for assessing the internal structure of the tooth. In one example, the method is comprised of emitting a sequence of ultrasonic pulses from a given point on the tooth surface into the tooth at various directions of incidence (angles of incidence) with respect to the local tooth surface, recording the corresponding sequence of ultrasonic echoes from different internal dental formations, and processing the collected ultrasonic pulse-echo and pulse-direction data to present internal structure of the tooth in quantitative or graphical form.