Apparatus and methods for full-mouth intraoral image acquisition

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for full-mouth intraoral image acquisition. An intraoral sensor configuration includes a multi-aperture digital camera and/or a conformal layered sensor structure, a bite piece, and an electronic cable for imaging inside surfaces of a mouth of a patient without having to re-position the digital camera and/or the conformal layered sensor structure within the mouth of the patient during an image acquisition session. Images may be acquired sequentially or simultaneously.

1 . An intraoral sensor configuration, said configuration comprising:
 an optical fiber layer;   a plurality of illumination sources interspersed throughout said optical fiber layer;   a sensor layer optically coupled to said optical fiber layer and capable of capturing electromagnetic energy passing through said optical fiber layer; and   an electronic cable operatively coupled to said sensor layer, said electronic cable providing a transmission path for transmitting digital image data formed by said sensor layer out of said sensor layer.   
     
     
         2 . The intraoral sensor configuration of  claim 1  further comprising a bite piece mechanically attached to at least said sensor layer and having said electronic cable positioned therethrough. 
     
     
         3 . The intraoral sensor configuration of  claim 1  wherein said sensor layer includes:
 a pixel sensor array capable of converting said captured electromagnetic energy to electrical signals; 
 a digital memory; and 
 control circuitry capable of reading out said electrical signals from said pixel sensor array and storing a representation of said electrical signals to said digital memory as pixels of said digital image data, and capable of reading out said digital image data from said digital memory and transmitting said digital image data over said electronic cable. 
 
     
     
         4 . The interoral sensor configuration of  claim 1  wherein said sensor layer includes:
 a pixel sensor array capable of converting said captured electromagnetic energy to electrical signals; and 
 control circuitry capable of reading out said electrical signals as said digital image data from said pixel sensor array and transmitting said digital image data over said electronic cable. 
 
     
     
         5 . The interoral sensor configuration of  claim 3  wherein said control circuitry is capable of reading out and transmitting said digital image data in one of a serial manner or a parallel manner. 
     
     
         6 . The interoral sensor configuration of  claim 4  wherein said control circuitry is capable of reading out and transmitting said digital image data in one of a serial manner or a parallel manner. 
     
     
         7 . The interoral sensor configuration of  claim 1  further comprising an electrical connector operatively coupled at a proximal end of said electronic cable. 
     
     
         8 . The interoral sensor configuration of  claim 1  further comprising a radio frequency antenna operatively coupled at a proximal end of said electronic cable. 
     
     
         9 . The interoral sensor configuration of  claim 1  wherein said electromagnetic energy comprises at least one of visible light energy, ultraviolet energy, and infrared energy. 
     
     
         10 . The interoral sensor configuration of  claim 1  wherein each of said plurality of illumination sources includes one of a light emitting diode, a laser diode, a light emitting diode optically coupled to at least one optical fiber, and a laser diode optically coupled to at least one optical fiber. 
     
     
         11 . The intraoral sensor configuration of  claim 1  further comprising an external power source capable of providing power to at least one of said plurality of illumination sources and said sensor layer via said electronic cable. 
     
     
         12 . The intraoral sensor configuration of  claim 1  wherein said electronic cable further provides a transmission path for transmitting control signals from an image processor to said sensor layer. 
     
     
         13 . The intraoral sensor configuration of  claim 1  wherein said sensor layer includes one of a charge-coupled device (CCD), a solid state device, an active pixel sensor array, and a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) array. 
     
     
         14 . A method to image inside surfaces within a mouth of a patient, said method comprising:
 positioning a conformal layered sensor structure within a mouth of a patient against an irregular surface of said mouth of said patient;   said patient biting down on a bite piece attached to said conformal layered sensor structure;   acquiring intraoral digital image data of said irregular surface using said conformal layered sensor structure while said conformal layered sensor structure remains in a fixed position within said mouth of said patient; and   transmitting said digital image data from said conformal layered sensor structure to an image acquisition machine via a transmission path through said bite piece.