Wireless Intraoral Scanning with Shared Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intraoral scanning systems are expensive, bulky, and require wired connections, limiting their availability and flexibility in dental offices, as they often need to be moved between rooms or dedicated to a single room for scanning.
Innovation Solution
A distributed intraoral scanning system comprising multiple intraoral scanners and computing devices connected via wireless connections, allowing for the generation of 3D surfaces of dental arches and the output of these views to various displays or computing devices, enabling flexible and efficient scanning operations across different locations within a dental office.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple intraoral scanners are used to increase scanning capacity, then productivity is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple intraoral scanners are merged into a single networked system that shares a common computing device for data processing and storage. The scanners communicate wirelessly with the shared computing device, allowing multiple scanning stations to operate simultaneously while consolidating processing resources. This reduces overall system complexity and cost compared to having separate processing systems for each scanner.
Solution Approach 2:
The computing device is designed to serve multiple functions: it processes scan data from any connected intraoral scanner, stores data from multiple scanners, and can output to various display devices. This universal computing platform eliminates the need for dedicated processing equipment at each scanning station, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining high productivity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the entire intraoral scanning system is moved to different rooms, then adaptability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The scanning system is segmented into mobile scanner units and a stationary computing device. The scanner units are lightweight and wireless, allowing them to be easily moved to different rooms without moving the entire system. Each scanner operates independently and wirelessly connects to the central computing device, simplifying relocation and setup procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
A wireless communication network acts as an intermediary between the mobile scanners and the stationary computing device. This allows scanners to be positioned in different rooms while maintaining reliable data transmission to the central processing unit, thereby achieving location flexibility without compromising ease of operation.
3Reliability
If wired connections are used for power and data transmission, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation worsens
Solution Approach 1:
Physical wired connections are replaced with wireless communication technologies for data transmission between scanners and the computing device. This substitution maintains reliable communication through established wireless protocols while dramatically improving the portability and ease of operation of the scanning system.
Solution Approach 2:
The intraoral scanners are equipped with onboard power sources (rechargeable batteries) that provide autonomous operation without requiring continuous connection to external power sources. This self-service capability enhances portability while maintaining operational reliability through built-in power management systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A system comprises an intraoral scanner, a first computing device and a second device. The intraoral scanner includes light projectors to generate a light pattern, one or more cameras to capture 2D images of the 3D dental object in response to illuminating said 3D dental object using the one or more light projectors, and a processor configured to process the 2D images to generate intraoral scan data. The first computing device is configured to receive the intraoral scan data from the intraoral scanner, generate a digital 3D model of at least part of the 3D dental object based on the intraoral scan data, generate a plurality of 2D images of the digital 3D model, and transmit the plurality of 2D images to a second device. The second device is configured to output the plurality of 2D images to a display associated with the second device.