Patent ID: 7751871
Filing Date: 2010-07-06
Classification: A61B,A61C,G01B,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for in-vivo scanning of teeth of a human or animal patient with a scanner to acquire three-dimensional information as to said teeth, said scanner comprising a first beam source and a second beam source, a two-dimensional electronic image converter and a carrier directing radiation from said beam sources towards said teeth, comprising the steps of: a) inserting a portion of said carrier into the oral cavity of said patient; b) operating said first beam source at a first illumination intensity so as to illuminate said teeth and substantially simultaneously obtaining a first image of said teeth with said electronic image converter at a first level of received beam energy; c) operating said second beam source so as to illuminate said teeth at a second illumination intensity and substantially simultaneously obtaining a second image of said teeth with said electronic image converter at a second level of received beam energy different from said first level; d) projecting a pattern onto said teeth during at least one of said steps b) and c) and subsequently analyzing said first and second images to generate three dimensional information for said teeth; e) wherein said steps b) and c) are performed in rapid succession to thereby obtain two consecutive images of the object with the electronic image converter at different effective amounts of received beam energy.