Patent ID: 7961935
Filing Date: 2011-06-14
Classification: G16H

Abstract:
1. A method of providing dental-related imaging data of a patient to a dental practitioner, the dental-related imaging data being obtained by a third party imaging provider at a third-party imaging provider site using a three-dimensional digital imaging device, said method comprising: obtaining three-dimensional image data of at least a portion of a maxillofacial complex of the patient with the imaging device by the third party imaging provider; analyzing, by the third party imaging provider, the three-dimensional image data so as to form a diagnosis; forming, by the third party imaging provider, a two-dimensional image from the three-dimensional image data, the two-dimensional image being associated with the diagnosis; combining, by the third party imaging provider, the two-dimensional image and the diagnosis, as described and prepared in textual form by the third party imaging provider, to form a composite file, the dental-related imaging data of the patient including the composite file; storing the dental-related imaging data at the third-party imaging provider site, in read-only format executable by a standard commercially-available Flash multi-media player; making the dental-related imaging data, in encrypted read-only format, available to the dental practitioner in a secure arrangement by publishing the dental-related imaging data on the Internet in encrypted secure read-only format so as to be selectively executable on-line by the dental provider with the standard commercially-available Flash multi-media player, the composite file of the dental-related imaging data thereby being selectively viewable by the dental practitioner via the Flash multi-media player so as to allow the dental practitioner to determine an appropriate treatment for the patient; and displaying the composite file to the dental practitioner in a Flash multimedia presentation, the Flash multimedia presentation comprising a diagnosis display for displaying the textual diagnosis to the dental practitioner and an image display for selectively displaying, concurrently with the textual diagnosis, the two-dimensional image associated with the textual diagnosis to the dental practitioner, the image display being further configured to display, concurrently with the textual diagnosis and the two-dimensional image, a series of thumbnail images associated with the three-dimensional image data, each thumbnail image being selectively viewable as the two-dimensional image.