System and method for improved intra-oral scanning protocol and calibration

Abstract

A method of providing an accurate three-dimensional scan of a dental arch area is disclosed. The arch area has two segments and a connecting area between the two segments. The connecting area has homogeneous features. A connecting-geometry tool with at least one definable feature is affixed to the arch area. The definable feature overlays at least part of the connecting area. The arch area is scanned to produce a scanned dataset of the arch area. The definable feature of the connecting-geometry tool on the connection area is determined based on the scanned dataset. The dimensions of the arch area are determined based on the data relating to the definable features from the scanned dataset.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of determining dimensions of a soft tissue, homogenous, cross-arch connecting area extending between a dental arch area, the dental arch area including two segments separated by the soft tissue, homogenous, cross-arch connecting area, at least one of a healing abutment and dental implant being fixed in the dental arch area, the method comprising:
 receiving an intra-oral scan dataset comprising a portion of a patient's mouth including the two segments, the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area, and a connecting-geometry tool comprising at least one definable feature relative to the dental arch area, the at least one definable feature extending into at least part of the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area, wherein the connecting-geometry tool is attached to the at least one of a healing abutment and dental implant and extends over the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area;   determining, by the computing device, data in the intra-oral scan dataset relating to the at least one definable feature of the connecting-geometry tool overlaying the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area; and   determining, by the computing device, dimensions of the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area based on the data relating to the at least one definable feature.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the connecting-geometry tool is a mesh grid, the mesh grid including a plurality of geometric shapes and wherein the plurality of geometric shapes have at least two geometric shapes having different dimensions. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the connecting-geometry tool is a scan plate, wherein the at least one of a healing abutment and dental implant is the healing abutment, wherein the healing abutment comprises a top surface and a sidewall, and wherein the scan plate comprises a hole that receives the sidewall. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein determining the dimensions includes performing an error assessment to determine a skew between a known dimension of the at least one definable feature and a corresponding dimension of the at least one definable feature determined from the data in the intra-oral scan dataset relating to the definable feature. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising correcting the intra-oral dataset of the portion of the patient's mouth based on the error assessment to produce a corrected intra-oral dataset for use in the determining the dimensions and wherein the error assessment is performed in real-time. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the connecting-geometry tool is a scan plate, wherein the at least one of a healing abutment and dental implant is the healing abutment, wherein the at least one of a healing abutment and dental implant comprises a socket, and wherein the scan plate comprises a mating post locked into the socket of the at least one of a healing abutment and dental implant. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the connecting-geometry tool is a scan plate and includes at least one object having predetermined dimensions, wherein the at least one object is a protruding object on a top surface of the scan plate, wherein the scan plate occupies only a portion of the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area, and further comprising:
 comparing a predetermined dimension of the at least one object with a dimension for the at least one object obtained in the data to determine an error correction;   based on the determined error correction, correcting an initial intra-oral scan dataset of the portion of the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area generated in the absence of the connecting geometry tool.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the connecting-geometry tool is attached to the dental implant. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the plate includes at least one definable object, the at least one definable object having a predetermined dimension. 
     
     
         30 . A system for determining dimensions of a soft tissue, homogenous, cross-arch connecting area extending between a dental arch area, the dental arch area including two segments separated by the soft tissue, homogenous, cross-arch connecting area, at least one of a healing abutment and dental implant being fixed in the dental arch area, the system comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one storage device comprising instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, configured the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:   receive an intra-oral scan dataset comprising a portion of a patient's mouth including the two segments, the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area, and a connecting-geometry tool with at least one definable feature relative to the dental arch area, the at least one definable feature extending at least part of the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area, wherein the connecting-geometry tool is attached to the at least one of a healing abutment and dental implant and extends over the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area;   perform an error assessment to determine a skew between a known dimension of the at least one definable feature and a corresponding dimension of the at least one definable feature determined from data in the intra-oral scan dataset relating to the at least one definable feature to produce a corrected dataset; and   determine the dimensions of the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area based on the corrected dataset relating to the at least one definable feature.   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the connecting-geometry tool is a mesh grid, the mesh grid including a plurality of geometric shapes and wherein the plurality of geometric shapes have at least two geometric shapes having different dimensions. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the connecting-geometry tool is a scan plate, wherein the at least one of a healing abutment and dental implant is the healing abutment, wherein the healing abutment comprises a top surface and a sidewall, and wherein the scan plate comprises a hole that receives the sidewall. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 determine data in the intra-oral scan dataset relating to the at least one definable feature of the connecting-geometry tool overlaying the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area; and   wherein the connecting-geometry tool is a scan plate, wherein the at least one of a healing abutment and dental implant is the healing abutment, wherein the at least one of a healing abutment and dental implant comprises a socket, and wherein the scan plate comprises a mating post locked into the socket of the at least one of a healing abutment and dental implant.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the at least one object is a protruding object on a top surface of the scan plate, wherein the scan plate occupies only a portion of the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area, and further comprising:
 comparing a predetermined dimension of the at least one object with a dimension for the at least one object obtained in the intra-oral scan dataset to determine an error correction;   based on the error correction, correcting an initial intra-oral scan dataset of the portion of the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area generated in the absence of the connecting geometry tool.   
     
     
         35 . A system for determining dimensions of a soft tissue, homogenous, cross-arch connecting area extending between a dental arch area, the dental arch area including two segments separated by the soft tissue, homogenous, cross-arch connecting area, at least one of a healing abutment and dental implant being fixed in the dental arch area, the system comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one storage device comprising instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, configured the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:   receive an intra-oral scan dataset comprising a portion of a patient's mouth including the two segments, the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area, and a connecting-geometry tool comprising at least one definable feature relative to the dental arch area, the at least one definable feature extending into at least part of the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area, wherein the connecting-geometry tool is attached to the at least one of a healing abutment and dental implant and extends over the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area;   determine data in the intra-oral scan dataset relating to the at least one definable feature of the connecting-geometry tool overlaying the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area; and   determine dimensions of the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area based on the data in the intra-oral scan dataset relating to the at least one definable feature.   
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein determining the dimensions includes performing an error assessment to determine a skew between a known dimension of the at least one definable feature and a corresponding dimension of the at least one definable feature determined from the data in the intra-oral scan dataset relating to the definable feature, wherein the connecting-geometry tool is a scan plate, wherein the at least one of a healing abutment and dental implant is the healing abutment, wherein the at least one of a healing abutment and dental implant comprises a socket, and wherein the scan plate comprises a mating post locked into the socket of the at least one of a healing abutment and dental implant. 
     
     
         37 . A system for determining dimensions of a soft tissue, homogenous, cross-arch connecting area extending between a dental arch area, the dental arch area including two segments separated by the soft tissue, homogenous, cross-arch connecting area, at least one of a healing abutment and dental implant being fixed in the dental arch area, the system comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one storage device comprising instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, configured the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:   receive first intra-oral scan dataset comprising a portion of a patient's mouth including the two segments, the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area, and at least one definable feature relative to the dental arch area;   receive second intra-oral scan dataset comprising the portion of the patient's mouth including the two segments, the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area, and the at least one definable feature relative to the dental arch area;   determine dimensions of the soft tissue, homogeneous, cross-arch connecting area based on the data relating to the at least one definable feature to form a corrected intra-oral scan dataset;   virtually align the at least one definable feature of the first intra-oral scan dataset with the at least one definable feature of the second intra oral scan dataset to determine an error correction; and   apply the determined error correction to the first intra-oral scan dataset to produce a corrected intra-oral scan dataset.   
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the at least one definable feature comprises at least one of a tooth and an abutment. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the first intro-oral scan dataset is acquired by an optical scanner and wherein the second intra-oral scan dataset is acquired by computed tomography. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein a connecting geometry tool comprises the at least one definable feature.