Abstract:
An illumination attachment for an intraoral camera quickly attaches to the distal end of the camera and provides non-white illumination at a specific desired wavelength for diagnosing gum disease and tooth decay.

Description:
This application claims benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 61/812,025, filed Apr. 15, 2013. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention concerns dental equipment, and in particular relates to a spectral illumination device that attaches to an intraoral dental camera (IOC) enabling the camera to become a diagnostic cancer and/or caries detection device. 
     A basic intraoral dental camera handpiece consists of a hand held implement having an optical probe that extends on a wand out about four inches from the handle portion and views at a right angle using its own lighting. Focus is adjustable and images range from full face down to macros. The optical tip is heated for an anti-fog feature which is produced by controlling heat from the lighting elements. 
     Analytic scope devices are currently sold in the dental market for examinations and inspections for oral cancer. These devices provide for inspection but are not cameras. 
     With the current invention described below, a single implement can serve as an intraoral dental camera and simultaneously as a diagnostic device for cancer or caries. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The device of the invention is an attachment to an intraoral dental camera that enhances the evidence that is seen with the IOC. It expands the functions of an intraoral camera and adds the parameters of multiple spectrums of light, enabling the intraoral camera to become a diagnostic device to detect various cancers and tooth decay and caries. The lighting is unique in this attachment device and is the salient feature of what makes the invention uniquely advantageous. The use of filters, visible white light and a selected diagnostic light spectrum in the range from 200 nm to 700 nm are what make this attachment enable the intraoral camera to do what no other IOC can do, help identify oral cancers and other diseases. 
     The illumination attachment interfaces with the dental camera preferably using magnets located on the inside of the attachment to secure the attachment to the camera&#39;s nose tip. The camera has specifically located iron-containing metal pads inside to connect the two parts. A small battery can be located inside the attachment to power the diagnostic light, or if without battery, electrical contacts are provided on both the camera and the attachment. These power contacts preferably are live only if and when the magnetics from the attachment are in place. All power is provided by a USB port on the IOC, and the USB connection also typically provides the video images to a computer and monitor. 
     The basic advantage of the multi-spectral diagnostic camera attachment of the invention over standard available cancer scopes is that the invention enables either a dedicated IOC or almost any standard IOC on current market to become a diagnostic imaging tool with the simplicity of attaching this illumination device to the camera. It also easily detaches so that the camera can again operate simply as a standard intraoral camera. The increased utility of the IOC now includes the standard use as an intraoral camera using its own white light for viewing full color images (typical use for an IOC), and the new ability to become a diagnostic imaging tool using a different light wavelength useful for that purpose. 
     The illumination attachment is powered by either a remote power supply (from the camera) or an onboard rechargeable battery. When needed, the user simply attaches the illumination unit to the dental camera handpiece with the magnetic coupling and then switches the power on via the camera. If used with a standard camera the user will turn off the camera&#39;s normal lighting system and then view the oral cavity using the spectral attachment&#39;s lighting system. If used with an exclusive, dedicated IOC, then the user will additionally switch on the spectral examination mode on the camera which will engage the addition of the electronic imagery enhancements of the camera that automatically work in accordance with the light spectrums and direct and/or reverse imagery to better amplify visual auto-fluorescence and excitation effects. 
     Exclusive or dedicated camera description: The exclusive intraoral dental camera is a USB device that is also a UVC (USB Video Class) device. It is simple to use and by using Microsoft&#39;s UVC platform as its video source the user can easily plug it into any computer and immediately operate the camera without the need of installing drivers. The exclusive IOC also has a specific mode switch that works in conjunction with the illumination attachment. Its processor and light control system help enhance the visual effects and help perfect images to see a clearer picture with greater penetration into tissues and dentin. With this combination of the spectral illumination attachment and the exclusive, dedicated camera, it can now use the above described features and wavelengths of lighting to auto-fluoresce tissues inside the oral cavity and better detect oral diseases. The practitioner can slip on the diagnostic illumination attachment and project a different wavelength or spectrum of light on the patient&#39;s teeth and tissues. 
     The invention achieves a versatile multi-function intraoral dental implement, useful as a camera, a disease-detecting scope or both simultaneously. These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment, considered along with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a intraoral camera in combination with a multi-spectral illumination attachment, secured on the distal end of the camera. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the attachment separated from the camera. 
         FIG. 3  is an elevation view showing the front of the camera. 
         FIG. 4  is a rear elevation view showing the back side of the camera. 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  are frontal elevation and side sectional views of the attachment. 
         FIG. 7  is a rear view of the attachment. 
         FIG. 8  is a front elevation view showing the IOC with attachment. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of the invention, the device  10  comprising a connected intraoral camera  12  and illumination attachment  14 .  FIG. 2  shows the camera  12  and the attachment  14  separately. 
     The camera  10  can be the IMAGEMASTER intraoral camera produced by Imagin Systems of San Carlos, Calif. 
     The intraoral camera has a CMOS image detector, and the device plugs into a computer via USB cable, for a dentist to view teeth and tissue, moving the distal wand  16  of the camera device as he views a moving image on a computer monitor. A camera imaging window is near the tip of the wand, at  18 , positioned adjacent to and essentially between two LED light sources  20  (pillow LEDs) that produce white light. The actual CMOS image detector is not at the tip of the wand but deeper down the length of the camera device, with a right-angle prism (not shown) just inside the image window directing light of the viewed area down to the CMOS detector. The camera device  12  typically has an image capture button on the handle, as at  22 , and a slide focus adjustment at  24 , usable from either side of the device&#39;s handle  26 . The handle also has a mode button  27  ( FIG. 4 ) which can be used to adjust the type of imaging. The camera includes firmware and a processor for adjusting the light output and mode of imaging, including grayscale and translucency mode, as controlled by the mode button. 
     The remaining drawings also show the camera  12 , as well as the attachment  14 , in other views. In  FIG. 3  a USB connector port is at  29  at the bottom of the handle. The capture button  22 , focus slider  24 , and LEDs  20  and imaging window  18  are also seen in that frontal view. 
     The invention encompasses primarily the spectral illumination attachment  14 , but also the camera  12  in slightly modified form, and the combination of the camera with the illumination device  14  attached.  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  5  show the attachment  14  with a preferably circular head  28  that carries three or four LED light sources  30 , three such light sources being shown at equal-angular positions on the head in these views. The attachment  14  has a stem portion  32  that slides onto and closely fits on the distal wand  16  of the camera device. When the attachment is fitted onto the distal end of the camera device, as can be envisioned from the perspective view of  FIG. 2  and also  FIGS. 5-8 , the tip of the wand with the imaging window  18  slides up into the head  28  so that the imaging window  18  is located essentially centrally within the circular head, with the LED illumination sources  30  surrounding the imaging window. The two components are attached together preferably using magnets, with permanent magnets  31  (shown in the sectional view of  FIG. 6 ) being included in the stem portion  32  of the attachment and ferrous metal being included at corresponding locations in the wand  16  of the camera device. 
     Further, the modified intraoral camera  12  preferably has a pair of electrical contacts  34  at positions to be engaged by electrical contacts  36  on the attachment, seen in  FIG. 7  and shown in dashed lines in  FIG. 5 . Between the contacts  36  is preferably included a pin port  37  for a locating pin  35  on the camera. When the attachment is secured in place on the camera, these contacts  34 ,  36  conduct electrical current to activate the LEDs  30  on the illumination attachment. This contact can also have the effect of switching off power to the IOC&#39;s own pair of illumination LEDs  20 , or the camera device can include an internal switch, triggered by the magnet of the attachment, to turn off power to the two LEDs  20 . 
     The spectral illumination attachment  14  preferably has specifically selected LEDs that produce a specific desired wavelength which will make certain conditions and diseases visible to the practitioner, and which will cause auto-fluorescing of features to reveal their presence. One preferred wavelength for the light emitted from the attachment is about 460 nm, preferably in the blue range of 450 nm to 470 nm. However, filters to adjust color could be placed over the LEDs in production of the attachment if desired. In a variation of the invention, the circular head  28  could have a manually rotatable adjustment wheel enabling the practitioner to select different filter enhancements to fine-tune wavelength, if needed, by positioning different filters in front of the LEDs. Details of such an embodiment are not shown, but the head includes a circular area  42  surrounding the central opening or window  29 , and this could be an open disc retained in place by the surrounding structure so as to be manually rotatable when desired. 
       FIG. 6  also shows a central filter window  44  on the attachment&#39;s head  28 , this filter being to reduce blue in the images detected by the camera. Further,  FIG. 6  indicates a heat sink  45 , such as of aluminum, to draw heat from the LEDs and to provide anti-fog protection for viewing. 
     The illumination attachment can be open at its back side  46  as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , forming a sort of cupped sleeve channel  48  for receipt of the IOC wand, or it could be formed fully envelop the distal wand  16  of the camera. 
       FIG. 4 , showing the back side of the IOC, reveals various controls. The mode selection button is at  27 , for selecting black and white, translumination, etc., and also a cancer diagnostic mode for operating the camera&#39;s processor to present the image, as illuminated by the attachment  14 , as desired. Also seen is a button  50  for on-screen arrow and mirror orientation, a light brightness adjustment/ON/OFF button  52  (which operates the attachment&#39;s lights when the attachment is present) and a top capture button  54  for capturing images. Note that some of these functions could be operable by one or more foot pedals if desired, via the USB connection. 
       FIG. 4  also shows in dashed lines at  56  the internal device referred to above that senses a magnetic field of the attachment&#39;s magnets and switches off power to the IOC&#39;s LEDs  20 . 
       FIG. 8  shows the combined IOC/illumination attachment with the LEDs  30  of the attachment surrounding the camera&#39;s imaging window  18  projecting light of the desired wavelength via filtration. 
     The intraoral camera, referred to above as being a variant of the IMAGEMASTER camera of Imagin Systems, cooperates with the attachment  14  by including at least the following new features: the magnetic pickup switching device  56 ; the ferrous metal contained within the IOC wand  16  for attraction by the attachment magnets; the electrical contacts  34  and locating pin  35  on the distal wand; and programming of the internal processor of the IOC for presenting spectrally illuminated images in different modes as described above (translumination, cancer diagnostic mode, etc.). 
     The above described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention, but not to limit its scope. Other embodiments and variations to these preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.