Determining position and orientation of a dental implant

Abstract

Method for determining a position and an orientation of a dental implant includes scanning a surface of a scan body connected to the implant wherein a plurality of data points is determined which correspond to positions of points that are located on the surface of the scan body. The method further included reconstructing at least three planes based on the data points, reconstructing intersection information of the reconstructed planes, where the intersection information includes the reconstruction of straight intersection lines and of intersection points, and determining the position and the orientation of the implant based on the reconstructed intersection information.

1 . A method for determining a position and an orientation of a dental implant the method comprising:
 scanning a surface of a scan body connected to the implant, wherein a plurality of data points is determined, the data points corresponding to positions of points that are located on the surface of the scan body; or   loading a data set having a plurality of data points corresponding to positions of points that are located on the surface of a scan body connected to the dental implant;   the method further comprising:   reconstructing at least three planes based on said data points;   reconstructing intersection information of the reconstructed planes, the intersection information comprising one or more straight intersection lines and/or one or more intersection points; and   determining the position and the orientation of the implant based on at least part of the reconstructed intersection information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the position and the orientation of the implant comprises one, two or all of the following:
 associating reconstructed planes with physical plane areas on the surface of the scan body;   associating reconstructed straight intersection lines with physical edges of the scan body; and   associating reconstructed intersection points with physical corners of the scan body.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the positions of all points which are used for the reconstruction of planes are located inside plane areas on the surface of the scan body. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determination of the implant position is based on at least one, two or three reconstructed intersection points and at least one, two or three reconstructed straight intersection lines and/or at least two, four, six or eight reconstructed intersection points and/or at least two reconstructed straight intersection lines, wherein at least two of said straight intersection lines intersect each other. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein reconstructing the planes comprises fitting a plane through a subset of the data points. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the position and the orientation of the implant is further based on the previously known dimensions of the scan body and/or the implant and/or or other parts in between the scan body and the implant, such as an adaptor piece. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 generating a digital model, wherein the digital model is three-dimensional, and wherein the digital model models at least in part the implant inside the mouth of a patient.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the digital model comprises modelling of neighbouring teeth next to the implant and/or modelling of the gingiva ( 17 ) next to the implant ( 12 ). 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the scanning of the surface of the scan body is performed while the scan body is located inside the mouth of a patient or wherein the scanning of the surface of the scan body is performed while the scan body is attached to a physical model, wherein the physical model preferably reflects the situation of part of a patients mouth. 
     
     
         10 . A computing device for executing the method, and/or a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the method, of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . A scan body for determining a position and an orientation of a dental implant, the scan body comprising:
 a bottom end with means for connecting the scan body with the implant, wherein the scan body is connected directly to the implant or wherein the scan body is connected with the implant via an adaptor piece; and   a top end having a scan geometry   wherein the surface of the scan geometry comprises a plurality of plane areas, wherein from every possible point of view there are at least three of said plane areas (visible, wherein a possible point of view is located at the same level or above said scan geometry, where a point of view is located above said scan geometry in case the orientation of the scan body is such that the top end points up and the bottom end points down and the point of view is located at any position higher than the topmost end of the scan body.   
     
     
         12 . The scan body of  claim 11 , wherein the scan geometry is polyhedral with one, two, three or all of the following features:
 the scan geometry comprises at least two or at least three types of plane areas having different orientation angels with respect to the longitudinal axis of the scan body, wherein the longitudinal axis of the scan body connects the top end and the bottom end of the scan body;   the scan geometry comprises at least two or at least three types of plane areas, wherein the number of corners of the at least two or at least three types of plane areas is different;   the scan geometry comprises at least one type of plane areas, where one particular plane area of said type has a plurality of sides, wherein all side lengths of said plane area are equal, or wherein said plane area comprises at least two or at least three sides with different lengths; and   the scan geometry comprises a first corner and at least three additional corners, wherein at least three of the additional corners define a plane, and wherein the first corner lies outside said plane.   
     
     
         13 . The scan body of  claim 11 , the scan body further comprising a coding associating the scan body with a particular type of implant and/or with a particular type of adaptor piece. 
     
     
         14 . The scan body of claim, wherein the coding is located such that the coding is visible from every possible point of view, where a possible point of view is located at the same level or sideways above said coding, where a point of view is located sideways above said coding in case the orientation of the scan body is such that the top end points up and the bottom end points down and the point of view is located at any position higher than the topmost end of the scan body. 
     
     
         15 . The scan body of  claim 13 , wherein the coding comprises one or more ribs and/or channels and/or coloured rings. 
     
     
         16 . The scan body of  claim 11 , wherein parts of the scan geometry are light reflective and/or parts of the scan geometry are non-light reflective. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the positions of all points which are used for the reconstruction of planes are located inside plane areas on the surface of the scan body. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the determination of the implant position is based on at least one, two or three reconstructed intersection points and at least one, two or three reconstructed straight intersection lines and/or at least two, four, six or eight reconstructed intersection points and/or at least two reconstructed straight intersection lines, wherein at least two of said straight intersection lines intersect each other. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein reconstructing the planes comprises fitting a plane through a subset of the data points. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein determining the position and the orientation of the implant is further based on the previously known dimensions of the scan body and/or the implant and/or or other parts in between the scan body and the implant, such as an adaptor piece.