Patent ID: 7823782
Filing Date: 2010-11-02
Classification: A61B,G01B,G01N

Abstract:
1. A dental optical coherence tomography apparatus using tissue in a stomatognathic region of a living body or an artificial composition in the stomatognathic region as a measured object, the apparatus comprising: a variable wavelength light source that emits light whose wavelength changes with time; a light splitting portion that splits light-source light emitted from the variable wavelength light source into reference light for irradiating a reference mirror and measuring light for irradiating a measured object; an interference portion that causes the measuring light reflected at the measured object and the reference light reflected at the reference mirror to interfere with each other, thereby generating interference light; a photodetection portion that measures the interference light, whose wavelength changes with time; an arithmetic portion that generates reflection property data representing a position at which the measuring light is reflected at the measured object and the reflection intensity thereof by Fourier transforming or inverse Fourier transforming an intensity of the interference light measured by the photodetection portion in each stage of the changing wavelength, and that generates an image of the measured object; a probe that radiates the measuring light so that the measuring light is guided to the measured object, receives the measuring light reflected at the measured object, and guides the measuring light to the interference portion; and a fixing means that is fixed to the probe and is able to fix a relative position between the probe and the measured object by being in contact with a portion of the measured object or by being bonded thereto via an adhesive member, wherein the fixing means comprises a mouthpiece having a shape that can be inserted between upper dentition and lower dentition and that matches the shape of dentition including a measured object, or a splint core including a mounting portion that is attachable to an adhesive member that has a shape matching the shape of dentition including a measured object.