Patent Description:
In the conventional approach for intraoral X-ray imagings to obtain X-ray images of teeth and surrounding tissues in the mouth, a film-based method is used.

The film-based method may cause the images to be overly twisted in the mouth and is more likely to lead to image distortion, and is inefficient in terms of time and expense because the film on which the images have been captured needs to be developed and stored. To address this problem, a digital intraoral sensor is widely used these days.

The digital intraoral sensor typically consists of rigid parts, making it inflexible. Although image distortion is less likely to occur during the intraoral scan, this inflexibility gives the patient a foreign or painful feeling. Intraoral sensors which are bendable to some extent are known e.g. from <CIT> and <CIT>.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an intraoral sensor having a property of bendability that has different bending extents in relation to the shape or position of an intraoral structure, such as teeth coming in contact with the intraoral sensor inserted into the mouth for an intraoral X-ray imaging, thereby relieving the foreign and painful feeling felt by the user.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, disclosed is an intraoral sensor for intraoral X-ray imaging with the features of claim <NUM>, which is bendable along an intraoral structure during an intraoral X-ray imaging, including a first area corresponding to a center part along the major axis and a second area corresponding to remaining parts at both ends of the major axis, wherein the first area and the second area bend to different extents.

The first area may include a center part along the major axis, and may bend to a lesser extent than the second area. The first area may occupy <NUM> to <NUM>% of the entire area. The first area may bend at an angle ranging from <NUM>° to <NUM>° during the intraoral X-ray imaging. The second area may bend at an angle ranging from <NUM>° to <NUM>° during the intraoral X-ray imaging. The intraoral sensor may further include a rear-side support, included in the first area of a rear side, which is opposite the side on which X-rays are incident. The rear-side support may have a form that protrudes from the rear side. The thickness of the intraoral sensor may be <NUM> to <NUM>, except the rear-side support.

The intraoral sensor includes a sensor panel for generating electric signals from X-rays, a first case for covering the side of the sensor panel on which the X-rays are incident, and a housing for covering the sensor panel and the first case.

The sensor panel may include a semiconductor substrate having a thickness of <NUM> or less, a photoelectric transducer element formed on the semiconductor substrate, and a scintillator layer that covers the photoelectric transducer element. The intraoral sensor may further include a flexible layer formed in the semiconductor substrate on a side opposite the scintillator layer. The intraoral sensor includes an elasticity adjustment member, which covers the side of the sensor panel opposite the side on which the X-rays are incident, and a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) that covers the elasticity adjustment member. The intraoral sensor may further include a first adhesive, located between the sensor panel and the elasticity adjustment member, and a second adhesive, located between the elasticity adjustment member and the flexible PCB. The intraoral sensor may further include a rear-side support located on the flexible PCB, wherein the housing covers part or all of the rear-side support. The rear-side support may enable the first area to bend to a lesser extent than the second area by virtue of the position at which it is disposed. The intraoral sensor may further include a transmission cable electrically connected to the flexible PCB through the rear-side support. The intraoral sensor may further include an input/output pad unit, which is provided in the center of the major axis of the flexible PCB along the minor axis and is electrically connected to the transmission cable. The first case may enable the first area to bend to a lesser extent than the second area through its physical shape. The intraoral sensor may further include a rear-side support arranged on the side of the sensor panel opposite the side on which X-rays are incident, and having part or all of the rear-side support covered by the housing. The rear-side support may enable the first area to bend to a lesser extent than the second area through its arrangement position.

According to the present invention, an intraoral sensor may bend to a different extent in relation to the shape or position of an intraoral structure, thereby reducing the discomfort of the patient.

The intraoral sensor may also use a first case, which contains a sensor panel from ahead and has a property of limited bendability. Accordingly, the intraoral sensor bends within a limited range, enabling a bendable X-ray intraoral sensor to be implemented, which may minimize image distortion and relieve the discomfort of the patient to a great extent.

Furthermore, forming grooves in side walls of the first case to control bendability according to the position may help minimize image distortion and may more effectively relieve the discomfort of the patient during an intraoral scan.

Moreover, a rear-side support may be arranged behind the sensor panel to limit the bending extent of the center part of the sensor panel, which is pressed by the rear-side support, in comparison with the surrounding parts of the sensor panel, thereby minimizing image distortion and relieving the discomfort of the patient during an intraoral scan.

In addition, a second case may be used to combine the components of the intraoral sensor more firmly.

Furthermore, a soft molded housing may be used to cover the exterior of the intraoral sensor, thereby significantly relieving the discomfort felt by the patient during an intraoral scan.

Moreover, input/output pads may be arranged to correspond to a central area of a printed circuit board (PCB) having minimal stress applied thereto when bending takes place, such that defects of the input/output pads caused by the bending may be minimized.

Furthermore, grounding patterns may be formed at edges of the PCB and a grounding sheet connected to them may be combined with the sensor assembly, thus leading to the elimination of defects caused by static electricity.

In addition, an X-ray anti-reflection film may be arranged on the back of the sensor panel to alleviate a phenomenon of back-scattering.

Consequently, according to the present invention, an intraoral sensor having a property of limited bendability that helps minimize image distortion may be effectively implemented while simultaneously minimizing the discomfort felt by the patient.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings.

<FIG> is a perspective view of an intraoral sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention, <FIG> is an exploded perspective view of the intraoral sensor of <FIG>, <FIG> schematically shows the combined state of a sensor assembly, a first case, and a rear-side support, and <FIG> is a cross-sectional view of the intraoral sensor shown in <FIG>, cut along line A-A'. In <FIG>, for convenience of explanation, the structure of an intraoral sensor is shown with a housing <NUM> left out, and further, in <FIG>, the structure of the intraoral sensor is shown with a second case <NUM> left out. The intraoral sensor having the structure of <FIG> is given reference numeral 100a and the intraoral sensor having the structure of <FIG> is given reference numeral 100b.

Referring to <FIG>, an intraoral sensor <NUM> in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a sensor assembly <NUM> for detecting X-rays and generating electric signals, a first case <NUM> located in front of the sensor assembly <NUM> (i.e. on the side onto which X-rays are incident), and a rear-side support <NUM> located behind the sensor assembly <NUM> (i.e. on the side opposite the side on which X-rays are incident).

In the meantime, the intraoral sensor <NUM> may further include a second case <NUM> that combines and modularizes the sensor assembly <NUM>, the first case <NUM>, and the rear-side support <NUM>, and a housing <NUM> that covers and wraps the second case <NUM>.

The sensor assembly <NUM> will be described in more detail in connection with <FIG> is a perspective view schematically illustrating the sensor assembly <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to <FIG>, the sensor assembly <NUM> may include a sensor panel <NUM>, an elasticity adjustment member <NUM>, and a printed circuit board (PCB) <NUM>. The sensor panel <NUM>, elasticity adjustment member <NUM>, and PCB <NUM> may be arranged in the direction of X-ray propagation, without being limited thereto.

In the sensor panel <NUM>, a number of pixels are arranged in rows and columns to form a matrix in an effective area, i.e., an active area for the acquisition of X-ray images. A photoelectric transducer element, such as one comprising a photo diode and a switching element, are arranged for each pixel to convert incident light into electric signals and transmit the electric signals. In the meantime, although not shown, pads may be formed on one side of the sensor panel <NUM> to output the electric signals, and the switching element may be implemented as a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) transistor or a thin film transistor (TFT).

To realize the bendable property of the intraoral sensor <NUM>, the sensor panel <NUM> may also be formed to be bendable, and for this, the sensor panel <NUM> may use a fragile substrate formed of e.g. semiconductor, ceramic, glass, or the like, which is <NUM> thick or less, for example, <NUM> to <NUM> thick, for the semiconductor substrate. With the substrate formed to this thickness, the sensor panel <NUM> may have the optimum bending strength.

To form the sensor panel <NUM> having this thickness, for example, a method for removing a certain thickness of material from the rear side of the substrate may be used. Specifically, on the other side, opposite the side on which the photoelectric transducer is formed, a process such as mechanical grinding, chemical polishing, plasma etching, etc., may be performed to form the substrate to the thickness described above.

In the meantime, as for the sensor panel <NUM>, a sensor panel using a direct conversion scheme for directly converting incident X-rays into electric signals, or a sensor panel using an indirect conversion scheme for converting incident X-rays into visible radiation, which is in turn converted into electric signals, may be used.

If the sensor panel <NUM> of the indirect conversion scheme is used, referring to <FIG>, showing a cross-sectional view of the sensor panel <NUM> in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a scintillator layer <NUM> for converting X-rays to visible rays may be formed on one side of a substrate <NUM> of the sensor panel <NUM>, i.e., on the photoelectric transducer element.

Although <FIG> shows an example where the scintillator layer <NUM> is formed on the side of the sensor panel <NUM> on which X-rays are incident, the scintillator layer <NUM> may be formed on the side opposite the side on which the X-rays are incident in another example.

For example, the scintillator layer <NUM> may be adhered to the substrate <NUM> using an adhesive <NUM>. Furthermore, on the scintillator layer <NUM>, a protective film <NUM>, which is transparent to radiation, may be formed to protect the scintillator layer <NUM>. The adhesive <NUM> may use a very soft adhesive that is highly transparent to light, e.g., an Optically Clear Adhesive (OCA) film, and the protective film <NUM> may use a film comprising a resin material with high radiation transmittance and high humidity-blocking performance. For reference, the adhesive <NUM> of the OCA film may be <NUM> to <NUM> thick, preferably <NUM> to <NUM> thick, to mitigate the brittleness of the substrate.

In the meantime, for the scintillator layer <NUM>, a CsI based scintillator or Gadox (Gadox: Gd2O2: Tb)-based scintillator may be used.

In an embodiment of the present invention, since the intraoral sensor <NUM> is formed to have the bendable property, a Gadox-based scintillator may be more appropriately used than a CsI-based scintillator. Since the Gadox-based scintillator has a corpuscular structure, when the intraoral sensor <NUM> is bendable, the intraoral sensor <NUM> is less likely to break, thereby avoiding defects. Furthermore, the scintillator layer <NUM> using Gadox has the advantage of being easily manufactured.

For reference, the scintillator layer <NUM> using Gadox may be <NUM> to <NUM> thick, and preferably <NUM> to <NUM> thick, in order to obtain sufficient intensity of radiation, in which case a separate protective film, which is highly transparent to radiation and has high performance of blocking humidity, may be added between the scintillator layer <NUM> and the adhesive <NUM> to protect and support the scintillator layer <NUM>. For reference, the overall thickness, including the scintillator layer <NUM>, the protective film <NUM>, and the separate protective film, may be <NUM> to <NUM>, and preferably <NUM> to <NUM>, without being limited thereto.

Moreover, a flexible layer <NUM> may be formed on the other side of the substrate <NUM> where the scintillator layer <NUM> is formed, and the flexible layer <NUM> may be formed of a flexible resin material, e.g. polyimide PI. The flexible layer <NUM> may have a thickness of, for example, <NUM> to <NUM>, sufficient to mitigate the brittleness of the sensor panel <NUM>, especially the substrate <NUM>, and to prevent breakage in the event of bending of the intraoral sensor <NUM>. The flexible layer <NUM> may be adhered to the substrate <NUM> with a predetermined adhesive material, e.g., Die Attach Film (DAF), and the thickness of the adhesive material may be <NUM> to <NUM> or so.

Turning back to <FIG>, the PCB <NUM>, which is a circuit panel, is located behind the sensor panel <NUM>, and is electrically connected to one side of the sensor panel <NUM> in order to receive an electric signal from the sensor panel <NUM> and to send a driving signal to the sensor panel <NUM>.

As the PCB <NUM>, a so-called "flexible PCB", made of a flexible material, may be used to realize the bendable property of the sensor assembly <NUM>.

In this regard, referring to <FIG>, showing a plan view schematically illustrating the PCB <NUM> in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a panel connection pad unit <NUM>, a conductive wire pattern unit <NUM>, and an input/output pad unit <NUM> may be formed on the PCB <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the panel connection pad unit <NUM> may be formed on one side of the PCB <NUM>, on which a number of pads are formed. The pads of the panel connection pad unit <NUM> are electrically connected to corresponding pads formed on one side of the sensor panel <NUM>, i.e. the substrate <NUM>, by wire bonding, by soldering, or using Anisotropic Conductive Film (ACF) or the like, for transmitting electric signals from the sensor panel <NUM>.

In the conductive wire pattern unit <NUM>, multiple wire patterns are formed to connect the panel connection pad unit <NUM> and the input/output pad unit <NUM>, located at either end of the conductive wire pattern unit <NUM>. One end of the wire pattern is connected to the panel connection pad unit <NUM> and the other end is connected to the input/output pad unit <NUM> to transmit signals.

The input/output pad unit <NUM> is arranged such that it is connected directly or indirectly to the transmission cable (see <NUM> of <FIG>) to transmit electric signals to the outside. In an embodiment of the present invention, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the input/output pad unit <NUM> is directly connected to the transmission cable <NUM>. In this case, the transmission cable <NUM> may be connected to the input/output pad unit <NUM> in various ways, e.g. by soldering, using a connector, or using a conductive film.

In another example, a flexible soft circuit film may be attached onto the back of the PCB <NUM>, and the soft circuit film may include bumps that come into contact with the input/output pad unit <NUM>. In this case, the transmission cable <NUM> may be connected to the soft circuit film, and may be electrically connected to the input/output pad unit <NUM> through the soft circuit film. The soft circuit film may be formed to have a smaller area than the PCB <NUM>.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the input/output pad unit <NUM> be formed to be elongate along the minor axis across the center area CA of the sensor assembly <NUM>. In other words, input/output pads 135a may be arranged in the center area CA while being defined along the minor axis of the PCB <NUM>.

In this regard, in the case where the sensor assembly <NUM> is shaped like a rectangle in an x-y plane, being longer along the x-axis than along the y-axis, the sensor assembly <NUM> may be formed to have greater bendability along the x-axis (which is the main axis) than along the y-axis (which is the minor axis), taking into account various factors, such as relief of the discomfort of the patient. That is, it is preferable that the extent of bending forward or backward along the x-axis be greater than that along the y-axis.

At this time, the center area CA of the sensor assembly <NUM> with respect to the x-axis is the part that is subjected to the smallest amount of stress when bending takes place. Accordingly, if the input/output pad unit <NUM> is arranged along the y-axis in the center area CA of the x-axis, the stress and displacement applied to the input/output pad unit <NUM> may be minimized, leading to minimization of defects of the input/output pad unit <NUM> caused by bending.

In the meantime, a metal thin film <NUM>, electrically isolated from the panel connection pad unit <NUM>, conductive wire pattern unit <NUM>, and input/output pad unit <NUM>, may be formed on one side of the PCB <NUM>. The metal thin film <NUM> may be made of copper Cu, but is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the metal thin film <NUM> may be formed in a mesh pattern, but is not limited thereto.

The metal thin film <NUM> may be formed on at least a part of an area except the area in which the panel connection pad unit <NUM>, the conductive wire pattern unit <NUM>, and the input/output pad unit <NUM> are formed. At this time, if necessary, the metal thin film <NUM> may be formed over the entire area of another layer in the PCB <NUM>, which is isolated from the panel connection pad unit <NUM>, the conductive wire pattern unit <NUM>, and the input/output pad unit <NUM>, and may thus serve to alleviate back scattering, as will be described later. In this case, the metal thin film <NUM> may be made of a metal having a high atomic number, such as W or Ti.

The metal thin film <NUM> may serve as a means of grounding and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding for the PCB <NUM>.

In particular, the metal thin film <NUM> may further serve as a means of controlling the bendability of the PCB <NUM>.

In this regard, without the metal thin film <NUM>, there is a big difference in the extent of bending between the area where the panel connection pad unit <NUM>, the conductive wire pattern unit <NUM>, and the input/output connection pad unit <NUM> are formed and the remaining area, but with the metal thin film <NUM> formed, the difference may be reduced, making the overall extent of bending of the PCB <NUM> uniform across all areas. The extent of bending of the PCB <NUM> may be adjusted by varying the material, formation area, thickness, etc., of the metal thin film <NUM>.

Furthermore, in the back of the PCB <NUM>, grounding patterns <NUM> made of a metal material may be formed along the edges while being exposed to the outside. The grounding patterns <NUM> may serve as grounding terminals of the PCB <NUM> together with the metal thin film <NUM>, thereby preventing malfunctions of the intraoral sensor <NUM> that might be caused by static electricity.

To improve the discharging ability of the grounding patterns <NUM>, the intraoral sensor <NUM> may include a metal sheet <NUM> that comes into contact with the grounding patterns <NUM>. In this regard, referring now to <FIG>, the metal sheet <NUM> may be formed to wrap the entirety of the front and sides of the sensor assembly <NUM>, and particularly, cover the back edges of the sensor assembly <NUM>, i.e., the back edges of the PCB <NUM>. Accordingly, the grounding patterns <NUM> may come in contact with the metal sheet <NUM>, enabling static electricity to come into the metal sheet <NUM> through the grounding patterns <NUM>, thereby mitigating defects caused by the static electricity.

The metal sheet <NUM> may be formed of a metal material, which is transparent to radiation, e.g., Au, Al, etc., without being limited thereto. The sensor assembly <NUM> combined with the metal sheet <NUM> may be formed to be received in the first case <NUM>.

In the embodiment of the present invention, a PCB <NUM> having a size corresponding to the sensor panel <NUM> was used. In another embodiment, a PCB <NUM> formed to be smaller than the sensor panel <NUM> and substantially including the panel connection pad unit <NUM>, the conductive wire pattern unit <NUM>, and the input/output pad unit <NUM>, but no metal thin film <NUM>, may be used. For reference, the thickness of the PCB <NUM> in an embodiment of the present invention may be <NUM> to <NUM>, preferably <NUM> to <NUM>, without being limited thereto.

The elasticity adjustment member <NUM> will be described in more detail in connection with <FIG>. The elasticity adjustment member <NUM> may be located, for example, between the sensor panel <NUM> and the PCB <NUM>, and may have a shape corresponding to the sensor panel <NUM> and may be formed to cover the whole rear side of the sensor panel <NUM>. The elasticity adjustment member <NUM> may be made of an elastic material having elasticity equal to or greater than that of the sensor panel <NUM> or the PCB <NUM>. With this configuration, the elasticity adjustment member <NUM> may allow the sensor assembly <NUM> to have bendability and restorability within the limit of elasticity of the elasticity adjustment member <NUM>, as well as reduce the brittleness of the sensor panel <NUM> to protect the sensor panel <NUM> against bending of the sensor assembly <NUM> by controlling the extent of bending of the sensor panel <NUM> and the PCB <NUM>, i.e., controlling the elasticity of the sensor panel <NUM> and PCB <NUM> to less than the bending extent of the elasticity adjustment member <NUM>, that is, to more than the elasticity thereof.

For example, although there may be a difference in elasticity between the components depending on their sizes, thicknesses, or the like, assuming that the sensor panel <NUM> and the PCB <NUM> have arbitrary first and second elasticities, respectively, and given that the sensor panel <NUM> has the structure and thickness shown in <FIG>, the first elasticity is typically equal to or greater than the second elasticity. Furthermore, the elasticity adjustment member <NUM> is made of an elastic material having third elasticity, which is equal to or greater than the first elasticity, and accordingly, the elasticity adjustment member <NUM> may then serve to make the sensor assembly <NUM> bendable within the elasticity limit of the elasticity adjustment member <NUM> by setting the elasticity of the sensor panel <NUM> and PCB <NUM> to the third elasticity or more and to make the oral sensor device <NUM> return to its original shape when the external force is eliminated after the intraoral sensor <NUM> is bendable within the elasticity limit of the elasticity adjustment member <NUM>.

For this, the elasticity adjustment member <NUM> may use a resin material, particularly a complex mixture of more than two types of substances, and preferably, a complex resin substance including a reinforcing material and a resin.

Furthermore, when superficially observed, the elasticity adjustment member <NUM> has different bending properties in the first direction and the second direction, perpendicular to the first direction.

In this regard, for example, in the case where the sensor assembly <NUM> is shaped like a rectangle in an x-y plane, being longer along the x-axis than along the y-axis, the elasticity adjustment member <NUM> is formed to have greater bendability along the x-axis (as the main axis) than along the y-axis (as the minor axis). Even if the sensor assembly <NUM> is substantially shaped like a square, it may also be formed to have different bending properties for the x- and y-axes.

With the bending properties, the sensor assembly <NUM> is bendable more easily along the major axis than along the minor axis, thereby effectively relieving the discomfort of the patient using the sensor assembly <NUM> during an intraoral scan.

In this regard, during the intraoral scan, the patient may experience discomfort due to the edges of the sensor assembly <NUM>, and in particular due to the ends of the major axis. Accordingly, forming the sensor assembly <NUM> to have greater bendability along the major axis may significantly help relieve the discomfort felt by the patient.

Furthermore, since the bendability along the x-axis, which is the major axis, is greater than that along the y-axis, which is the minor axis, torsional stress may be distributed along the x- and y-axes, and most of the torsional stress may be converted to stress along the x-axis to thus prevent breakage of the sensor panel <NUM>, in particular the substrate <NUM>.

As described above, the elasticity adjustment member <NUM> having different bending properties in different directions in the plane may be made of a complex resin material, e.g., fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) including a fiber reinforcing material. FRP is a substance in which an inorganic fiber, such as glass fiber, carbon fiber, boron fiber, etc., or an organic fiber, such as aramid fiber, polyester fiber, Kevlar fiber, etc., is included as a reinforcing substance in a thermoset resin, such as unsaturated polyester, epoxy, phenol, polyimide, etc., or a thermoplastic resin, such as polyamide, polycarbonate, ABS, PBT, PP, SAN, etc..

The elasticity adjustment member <NUM> will be described in more detail in connection with <FIG> is an expanded view of part 'A' of <FIG>, schematically illustrating a part of the elasticity adjustment member <NUM>, which is a cross-section of the elasticity adjustment member <NUM>.

Further referring to <FIG>, in the elasticity adjustment member <NUM>, a first thread layer <NUM>, on which first threads (FT1) are arranged in a first direction, the direction of the x-axis, and a second thread layer <NUM>, on which second threads (FT2) are arranged in a second direction, the direction of the y-axis, are alternately arranged in the thickness direction while being impregnated in the resin substance. The first and second threads FT1 and FT2 may each be formed by gathering and weaving the aforementioned fiber in one direction.

Especially, in <FIG>, the number of first thread layers <NUM> arranged along the x-axis, the major axis, is less than the number of second thread layers <NUM> arranged along the y-axis, the minor axis, and <FIG> shows an example where one first thread layer <NUM> and two second thread layers <NUM> are arranged, for convenience of explanation. The first and second thread layers FT1 and FT2 are made of carbon materials, and the elasticity adjustment member <NUM> in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may use CFRP.

As such, with the first thread layers <NUM> arranged along the major axis in a smaller number than the number of second thread layers <NUM> arranged along the minor axis, the direction of the major axis has relatively low elasticity, i.e., high bendability, while the direction of the minor axis has relatively high elasticity, i.e., low bendability.

The ratio of elasticity in the direction of the major axis to that of the minor axis is approximately <NUM>:<NUM> to <NUM>:<NUM>. The elasticity adjustment member <NUM> may be formed to a thickness of about <NUM> to <NUM>, preferably, <NUM> to <NUM>.

With the different number of thread layers <NUM>, <NUM> arranged in alternate directions relative to each other in the form described above, an elasticity adjustment layer <NUM> having higher bendability along the major axis than along the minor axis may be implemented.

<FIG> is a partially enlarged perspective view schematically illustrating a part of the elasticity adjustment member <NUM>, according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is different in structure from the elasticity adjustment member <NUM> of <FIG>. Referring to this, the resin substance is impregnated with FT1, arranged in the first direction along the x-axis, and with FT2, arranged in the second direction along the y-axis, alternating with each other, and especially, the density of FT1 arranged in the direction of the x-axis, i.e., the major axis, is lower than the density of FT2 arranged along the y-axis, i.e., the minor axis, that is, the arrangement interval of FT1 is wider than the arrangement interval of FT2. The first and second thread layers FT1 and FT2 are made of carbon materials, and the elasticity adjustment member <NUM> in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may use CFRP.

As such, with the density of FT1 in the direction of the major axis lower than that of FT2 in the direction of the minor axis, the direction of the major axis has relatively low elasticity, i.e., high bendability, while the direction of the minor axis has relatively high elasticity, i.e., low bendability.

Similar to what is described above, the ratio of the elasticity of the major axis to the elasticity of the minor axis may be approximately <NUM>:<NUM> to <NUM>:<NUM>. The elasticity adjustment member <NUM> may be formed to a thickness of about <NUM> to <NUM>, preferably <NUM> to <NUM>.

With the different densities of FT1 and FT2 alternating with each other as described above, an elasticity adjustment layer <NUM> having higher bendability along the major axis than along the minor axis may be implemented.

In the meantime, as shown in <FIG>, the elasticity adjustment member <NUM> may be combined with the sensor panel <NUM> and the PCB <NUM>, located in front and back of the elasticity adjustment member <NUM>, respectively, using adhesives <NUM>, <NUM>. For convenience of explanation, the adhesive <NUM> between the elasticity adjustment member <NUM> and the sensor panel <NUM> is called a first adhesive <NUM>, and the adhesive <NUM> between the elasticity adjustment member <NUM> and the PCB <NUM> is called a second adhesive <NUM>.

The first and second adhesives have high softness and may, by way of example, be optically clear adhesives (OCAs).

With the use of the first and second adhesives <NUM> and <NUM> having high softness, inter-layer stress, produced when the intraoral sensor <NUM> is bendable, may be effectively relieved.

In this regard, the sensor panel <NUM>, the elasticity adjustment member <NUM>, and the PCB <NUM> are separate configurations having different properties, in particular having different tensile properties. Accordingly, while the intraoral sensor is bending, there occurs a difference in displacement between the different components, leading to the occurrence of tensile stress. In this case, owing to the use of the soft adhesives <NUM>, <NUM> between the different components, the tensile stress may be effectively relieved.

Taking into account various general properties, the first and second adhesives <NUM>, <NUM> may be formed of an OCA film having a thickness of, for example, about <NUM> to <NUM>.

In the sensor assembly <NUM> in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an X-ray anti-reflection film may be arranged on the back of the sensor panel <NUM> to alleviate a so-called "phenomenon of back scattering", where X-rays are reflected from behind and incident onto the sensor panel <NUM>.

In this regard, reference may be made to <FIG> and <FIG>, which are cross-sectional views schematically illustrating an X-ray anti-reflection film arranged on the sensor assembly <NUM>, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

<FIG> illustrates an X-ray anti-reflection film 165a arranged on one side of the PCB <NUM>, namely the front side thereof, and <FIG> illustrates an X-ray anti-reflection film 165b arranged in the place of the elasticity adjustment member <NUM>.

The X-ray anti-reflection film 165a, 165b has a property of absorbing X-rays that have passed through the sensor panel <NUM> among incident X-rays, thereby preventing the X-rays from being incident onto the sensor panel <NUM>. Accordingly, the degradation of X-ray image quality due to the reflection of X-rays from behind the sensor panel <NUM> may be avoided. The anti-reflection film 165a, 165b may be formed of a material that absorbs X-rays, e.g., a metal material having a high atomic number, such as W, Ti, etc., without being limited thereto.

The positions of the anti-reflection films 165a, 165b shown in <FIG> and <FIG> are only shown by way example, and may be anywhere behind the sensor panel <NUM>.

A first case <NUM> will now be described in more detail in connection with <FIG> is a perspective view schematically illustrating the first case <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to <FIG>, the first case <NUM>, located in front of the sensor panel <NUM>, serves as a window cover that is shaped like a box with the rear side open and is transparent to X-rays. The sensor assembly <NUM> may be received in the internal space above the bottom floor of the first case <NUM>.

The first case <NUM> may be combined with the sensor assembly <NUM> using an adhesive <NUM> that is transparent to radiation. As the adhesive <NUM>, for example, OCA or foam tape may be used, without being limited thereto.

The first case <NUM> having such a structure may protect the sensor assembly <NUM>, in particular the front of the sensor panel <NUM>, from the external environment.

In particular, the first case <NUM> in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention serves to define and limit the overall bendability of the intraoral sensor <NUM> depending on its physical structure, such as the texture, shape, etc..

In this regard, the first case <NUM> may be made of a highly bendable and high-strength material. For example, the first case <NUM> may be made of resin, flexible glass or FRP, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the first case <NUM> may be about <NUM> to <NUM> thick, but is not limited thereto.

Because the first case <NUM> is formed of such a material, the sensor assembly <NUM> may limit its bending to the range that falls within the bendability of the first case <NUM>. This may prevent the sensor panel <NUM>, which is a key component, from breaking when the sensor assembly <NUM> is bent excessively. Furthermore, since the intraoral sensor <NUM> is bendable within a limited range, the distortion of images may be minimized.

The first case <NUM> may include a base part <NUM> and side walls <NUM> that bend orthogonally and protrude backwards from the edges of the base part <NUM>.

The base part <NUM> may be formed to be substantially planar. Preferably, the side walls <NUM> may not be formed at the corners of the base part <NUM>. In other words, the neighboring side walls <NUM> may be disconnected and separated at the corners of the base part <NUM>, meaning that there may be gaps <NUM> between neighboring side walls <NUM>.

As such, the side walls <NUM>, discontinuously formed along the edges of the base part <NUM> with gaps <NUM> at the corners of the base part <NUM> where neighboring side walls <NUM> meet, may reduce the occurrence of structural resistance at the corners of the first case <NUM> and may prevent the first case <NUM> from breaking due to the concentration of stress at the corresponding parts while the intraoral sensor <NUM> is being bendable.

Additionally, grooves <NUM> may be vertically formed in the side walls <NUM>.

In this regard, more specifically, corresponding grooves <NUM> are formed in the two opposite side walls <NUM> located along the x-axis, which is the major axis for the rectangular first cover <NUM>, and in particular, the intervals at which the grooves <NUM> are formed become narrower as the grooves <NUM> are located farther from the center of the corresponding side wall <NUM>.

With the grooves <NUM> formed as described above, the extent of bending changes depending on the position along the x-axis. In other words, the narrower the intervals between the grooves <NUM>, the more the corresponding part is bendable, that is, the wider the intervals between the grooves <NUM>, the less the corresponding part is bendable.

Accordingly, the first case <NUM> has a property such that the extent of bending increases moving toward either end from the center along the x-axis, and such a property is applied to the intraoral sensor <NUM>.

As such, by adjusting the bending property according to the position, the patient's discomfort during an intraoral scan may be more effectively relieved.

In other words, during the intraoral scan, the end parts, rather than the center part of the intraoral sensor <NUM>, mostly come into contact with tissues in the mouth and cause pain. Therefore, increasing the bendability of the end parts helps relieve the patient's discomfort. A part nearer the center part is characterized in that it is less bendable, which helps to minimize overall image distortion attributable to bending.

Although the grooves <NUM> are formed in the side walls <NUM> along the major axis in the above embodiment, the grooves <NUM> may be formed in the side walls <NUM> along the minor axis, if necessary, and the intervals between the grooves <NUM> may be adjusted.

The grooves <NUM> formed in the side walls <NUM> have a form such that they vertically extend from the top of the side walls <NUM>. The grooves <NUM> may each include a first groove part 175a, extending down from the top, and may substantially have a constant first width w1 and a second groove part 175b located below the first groove part 175a. At least a portion of the second groove part 175b may be formed to have a second width w2, which is wider than the first width w1.

The second groove part 175b may have various forms, and in an embodiment of the present invention, it is assumed that the second groove part 175b may be shaped like a round circle.

As such, forming the second groove part 175b of the side wall <NUM> to have a relatively wide width w2 may help prevent the bottom part of the grooves <NUM> on the side walls <NUM> from breaking while the intraoral sensor <NUM> is bending, and may widen the groove <NUM> while the intraoral sensor <NUM> is bending, thereby improving its bendability.

Unlike what is shown in the drawings, the grooves <NUM> may extend to a portion of the base part <NUM>, in which case they still work the same way. Furthermore, if necessary, a plurality of extra grooves may be formed in at least one of the sides of the base part <NUM>, i.e., in at least one of the side with which the sensor panel <NUM> comes into contact and the other side, in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the intraoral sensor <NUM>, and the intervals between the extra grooves may also become narrower the closer they are located to the ends from the center. In this case, the extra grooves may not have to pass through the base part <NUM>, and especially, may have a depth equal to or less than the thickness of the base part <NUM> when formed in the inner side of the base part <NUM>, and may have a tapering form in which the width becomes wider the more closely they are located to the outside of the base part <NUM>.

Turning back to <FIG>, the rear-side support <NUM> in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may be located behind the sensor assembly <NUM>, and may serve as a grip post that supports the intraoral sensor <NUM> during an intraoral X-ray imaging to contact a finger of the user or to be connected to machinery, such as extension cone paralleling (XCP) machinery.

As shown in <FIG>, the rear-side support <NUM> may include a body frame <NUM>, a contact part <NUM>, located below and connected to the body frame <NUM> and having the form of a plate that extends to the outside, and a lead-in port <NUM>, passing through the rear-side support <NUM> from one side of the body frame <NUM> to the contact part <NUM>. The rear-side support <NUM> may be formed of a high-strength resin material, such as PC, ABS, etc., without being limited thereto.

The body frame <NUM> may be comprised of an upper part 181a and a lower part 181b, located below the upper part 181a, and indented inwards, the width of the upper part 181a being wider than that of the lower part 181b, thus making the sides of the rear-side support <NUM> stepped, without being limited thereto.

The contact part <NUM> may be connected to the lower part 181b of the body frame <NUM> and may be located to correspond, without being limited thereto, to the center part of the sensor assembly <NUM>, and may occasionally be located away from the center part. The front of the contact part <NUM> tightly contacts the bottom of the sensor assembly <NUM> and supports the back of the sensor assembly <NUM>. Accordingly, the bending extent of the center part of the sensor assembly <NUM>, supported by the contact part <NUM>, may be limited more than the other parts, in particular both ends of the major axis. The contact part <NUM> may be held onto the bottom of the sensor assembly <NUM> through a combining member, e.g., an adhesive, or through a combining hole formed in the contact part <NUM> and the bottom of the sensor assembly <NUM> (e.g., PCB <NUM>) by inserting a fastening member into the combining hole.

As a result, the center part of the intraoral sensor <NUM> corresponding to the contact part <NUM> may bend less while the surrounding parts bend relatively more, thereby relieving the discomfort of the patient and also minimizing image distortion. As such, the rear-side support <NUM> may be able to limit the bending extent of the intraoral sensor <NUM> as well as control the bendability depending on the position.

The transmission cable <NUM> is inserted into the lead-in port <NUM>. One end of the lead-in port <NUM> may be located in one side of the body frame <NUM>, and the other end of the lead-in port <NUM> may be located in the bottom of the contact part <NUM>. The other end of the lead-in port <NUM> is located to correspond to the input/output pad unit <NUM>.

The transmission cable <NUM> inserted into the lead-in port <NUM> may be electrically connected to the input/output pad unit <NUM> at the other end of the lead-in port <NUM>.

For electrical connection between the transmission cable <NUM> and the input/output pad unit <NUM>, Anisotropic Conducting Film (ACF), wire bonding, soldering, etc., may be used.

As described above, the contact part <NUM> tightly contacts the back of the sensor assembly <NUM> to support the rear part of the sensor assembly <NUM>, thereby achieving a reliable electrical connection between the transmission cable <NUM> and the sensor assembly <NUM>.

In the meantime, the rear-side support <NUM> may be formed in a different shape from what is described above, for example, in a shape defining an internal space S extending downwards like a pipe, as shown in <FIG>. Specifically, the rear-side support <NUM> may include a cover part <NUM>, defining the internal space S, side walls <NUM>, and contact parts <NUM> bending and extending outwards from the side walls <NUM>, and may thus be shaped like a box that is open in the top-down direction. The rear-side support <NUM> may be formed to have an open shape with at least one side open to the outside, and the transmission cable <NUM> may be drawn out through the open side. The internal space S may be filled with an insulating material after the transmission cable <NUM> and the input/output pad unit <NUM> are connected, thereby protecting the connecting part between the transmission cable <NUM> and the input/output pad unit <NUM> and fixing the rear-side support <NUM> onto the sensor assembly <NUM>.

In the meantime, the aforementioned components, namely the sensor panel <NUM>, the first case <NUM> in front of the sensor panel <NUM>, and the rear-side support <NUM> behind the sensor panel <NUM>, are combined together and modularized. To more firmly combine the components, a second case <NUM> may be used. The second case <NUM> may be a molded case. Referring to <FIG>, the second case <NUM> may be formed to cover part or all of the front and outer sides of the first case <NUM>, the back of the sensor assembly <NUM>, and part or all of the contact part <NUM>. The second case <NUM> may be formed to have a certain thickness from the back of the contact part <NUM> and to cover portions of the sides of the lower part 181b. In other words, the second case <NUM> may be formed such that parts other than the part of the lower part 181b of the rear-side support <NUM> may be exposed. Alternatively, in the case of the rear-side support <NUM> of <FIG>, it is possible for the second case <NUM> to cover a portion or all of the contact part <NUM>, and if necessary, a portion of the side walls <NUM>.

The second case <NUM> may be formed of, for example, a resin material, without being limited thereto. Especially, taking into account the property of bending to a limited extent, a material having a shore hardness of about D <NUM> to <NUM> may be used for the second case <NUM>, without being limited thereto.

As such, including the second case <NUM> may help combine the sensor assembly <NUM>, the first case <NUM>, and the rear-side support <NUM> more firmly, and may more reliably secure the electrical connection between the sensor assembly <NUM> and the transmission cable <NUM>. The use of a material bendable to a limited extent for the second case <NUM> may limit the overall bending extent of the intraoral sensor <NUM>, depending on the purpose.

In another example, as shown in <FIG>, the second case <NUM> may have a form that wraps the whole first case <NUM> and covers the back edges of the sensor assembly <NUM>. In this case, the second case <NUM> may use a soft material, such as silicon, having a shore hardness of about A <NUM> to <NUM>, without being limited thereto, and may be formed only to cover the metal sheet (see <NUM> of <FIG>), without being limited thereto.

By applying a molding method to the intraoral sensor <NUM> having the second case <NUM>, an intraoral sensor <NUM>, the exterior of which is covered by the housing <NUM> as shown in <FIG>, may be manufactured.

The housing <NUM> serves to enclose and protect the exterior of the intraoral sensor <NUM>. The housing <NUM> may be formed to cover the entire second case <NUM>. Accordingly, the housing <NUM> is formed to cover the exterior of the first case <NUM> and the back of the sensor assembly <NUM>, and if necessary, may be formed to additionally cover the rear-side support <NUM>.

The housing <NUM> may be formed to fill at least a part of the lead-in port <NUM> of the rear-side support <NUM>. For example, the housing <NUM> may be formed to cover an end of the lead-in port <NUM> that is located on one side of the rear-side support <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. Furthermore, with respect to the transmission cable <NUM> extending to the outside from the lead-in port <NUM>, the housing <NUM> may be formed to extend a certain length to wrap a part of the transmission cable <NUM> from an end of the lead-in port <NUM>. In other words, the housing <NUM> may include an extension <NUM> to wrap the transmission cable <NUM>.

If a part of the transmission cable <NUM> extending to the outside from the lead-in port <NUM> is covered with a cover formed of a material from the same family to which the material of the housing <NUM> belongs, the cover may be enclosed by the extension <NUM>. The cover may be formed to extend up to the connection part between the transmission cable <NUM> and the sensor assembly <NUM>. Specifically, a certain length of the transmission cable <NUM> passing through the lead-in port <NUM> from the connection part of the sensor assembly <NUM> may be wrapped with the cover. Alternatively, the entire length of the transmission cable <NUM> may be wrapped by the cover.

In the case that the housing <NUM> and the cover are formed of materials from the same family, the strength of the junction between the molded housing <NUM> and the cover may be enhanced, and as a result, the connection between the transmission cable <NUM> and the intraoral sensor <NUM> may be more robust.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the housing <NUM> may be formed of a soft material, e.g., silicon or urethane. More particularly, as the soft material for the housing <NUM>, a material having a shore hardness of about A <NUM> to <NUM> may be used, without being limited thereto.

The use of the soft housing <NUM> as described above may help greatly in relieving the pain felt by the patient during an intraoral scan. In other words, using a soft material for the housing <NUM>, which is the outermost component of the intraoral sensor <NUM> that comes into direct contact with intraoral tissues, feels soft to the patient using the intraoral sensor <NUM>, thereby effectively relieving the pain felt by the patient. The intraoral sensor <NUM> covered with the housing <NUM> may have a thickness of about <NUM> or so, except the rear-side support <NUM>, without being limited thereto, taking into account its characteristics.

The intraoral sensor <NUM> in accordance with the embodiment of the present disclosure as described above may have various structural modifications, which will now be described in connection with <FIG>.

<FIG> are perspective and cross-sectional views, respectively, of the intraoral sensor <NUM> according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The intraoral sensor <NUM> of <FIG> may, with some exceptions, include components that are the same or similar to those of the embodiment described above, and the same or similar components will not be further described herein.

The intraoral sensor <NUM> in the present embodiment may include the sensor assembly <NUM>, the first case <NUM>, and the housing <NUM>.

Moreover, the intraoral sensor <NUM> may include a protective cover <NUM> in the back of the sensor assembly <NUM>. The protective cover <NUM> may be formed to be substantially planar, without being limited thereto.

The protective cover <NUM> may protect the components of the intraoral sensor <NUM> from behind.

Furthermore, the protective cover <NUM> may be formed to define and limit the overall bendability of the intraoral sensor <NUM> together with the first case <NUM>.

For this, the protective cover <NUM> may be made of a low-elasticity, high-strength material, for example, polycarbonate (PC), having a thickness of <NUM> to <NUM>, without being limited thereto.

In addition, an opening <NUM> through which the transmission cable <NUM> passes may be formed in the center of the protective cover <NUM>.

The transmission cable <NUM> is drawn in through the opening <NUM> in the protective cover <NUM> and is connected to the PCB (see <NUM> of <FIG>).

The protective cover <NUM> and the sensor assembly <NUM> may be formed to be separated from each other. Specifically, a separation gap <NUM> may be formed between the protective cover <NUM> and the sensor assembly <NUM>, and may be connected to the opening <NUM> to draw the transmission cable <NUM> into the separation gap <NUM> through the opening <NUM>.

In this case, the separation gap <NUM> may be filled with a filler <NUM>. The filler <NUM> may fill the separation gap <NUM> up to the opening <NUM>.

The filler <NUM> may use a resin that is hardened by heat or ultraviolet (UV) radiation, e.g., an epoxy resin. The filler <NUM> is injected into the separation gap <NUM>, and is then hardened by heat or UV radiation.

Because the separation gap <NUM> is filled with the filler <NUM>, the electrical connection of the transmission cable <NUM> may be more reliable.

In another example, an adhesive may be used to fill the separation gap <NUM>, instead of the filler <NUM>. The adhesive is a means of attaching the sensor assembly <NUM> and the protective cover <NUM> to each other, and with the adhesive, the transmission cable <NUM> may be reliably fixed to the sensor assembly <NUM>. For reference, reference numeral <NUM> denotes a cover, a part or all of which is covered by the housing <NUM> and which wraps a part of the transmission cable <NUM>, and the cover may be made of a resin material from the same family as that of the housing <NUM>.

When an intraoral sensor having the structure described in the above embodiment of the present invention is inserted into the mouth of a patient to take X-ray imagings of an intraoral structure, such as teeth and surrounding tissues, the intraoral sensor may be bendable in relation to the shape or position of the intraoral structure, and as a result, the shape of the intraoral structure may be changed, as will be described later in connection with <FIG>. The intraoral sensor <NUM> bends differently at different positions due to the external force applied to the intraoral structure of the patient and the repulsive force from the intraoral structure, and may bend differently within the limit of elasticity in relation to the arrangement of the intraoral structure at each position. Accordingly, an unfamiliar feeling and pain that might be felt by the patient may be greatly relieved, and furthermore, image distortion is less likely to occur.

<FIG>, and <FIG> illustrate the taking of intraoral X-ray imaging using the intraoral sensor <NUM> according to the present invention. For reference, <FIG> illustrate intraoral X-ray imaging of the upper and lower jaws, respectively, and <FIG> illustrates an X-ray imaging of a root of a tooth.

The intraoral sensor <NUM> in accordance with the present invention is bendable along the intraoral structure during the intraoral X-ray imaging, and thus, substantially the entire front of the intraoral sensor <NUM> makes tight contact along the intraoral structure, e.g., the teeth T and gums G, which cover the roots of the teeth R. At this time, a part of the intraoral sensor <NUM> may be separated from the intraoral structure at some X-ray imaging positions, but the resultant gap is <NUM> or less.

Accordingly, compared to a common rigid intraoral sensor, the intraoral sensor of the present invention may relieve the pain of the patient while being placed relatively closer to the object of the X-ray imaging, such as the root of the teeth R, thereby obtaining more accurate X-ray images.

Furthermore, in conjunction with <FIG>, the intraoral sensor <NUM> according to the present invention may be bendable along the intraoral structure during X-ray imaging of the upper and lower jaws and an occlusion state, ensuring that substantially its entire front comes into tight contact along the entire shape of the intraoral structure, and that even if a part of the front of the intraoral sensor <NUM> is separated from the intraoral structure, the gap is <NUM> or less.

Accordingly, compared to a common rigid intraoral sensor, the intraoral sensor of the present invention may relieve the pain of the patient while being placed relatively closer to an object to be scanned, such as the teeth, thereby obtaining more accurate X-ray images of the occlusion.

<FIG> and <FIG> schematically illustrate the bendability of an intraoral sensor according to the present invention. For reference, <FIG> and <FIG> are plan views of an intraoral sensor along the major axis, according to the present invention.

The intraoral sensor according to the present invention remains flat when no particular force is applied thereto, as shown in <FIG>, the thickness t, except the rear-side support, being <NUM> to <NUM>, preferably <NUM> to <NUM> or so.

Furthermore, the intraoral sensor according to the present invention is bendable along the intraoral structure during an intraoral X-ray imaging, in which case, as discussed above, the intraoral sensor is relatively less bendable at its center area, which is a first area M corresponding to the rear-side support, than at its ends, which are second areas E distinct from the first area M with respect to the major axis. The area occupied by the first area M is about <NUM> to <NUM> of the whole area.

Accordingly, the first and second areas M and E of the intraoral sensor in accordance with the present invention are bendable at different angles, the specific values of which are varied by the shape or position of the intraoral structure and by the force applied to the intraoral sensor, but, for example, the first area M may be bendable at angle α1 ranging from <NUM>° to <NUM>°, preferably from <NUM>° to <NUM>°, and the second area E may be bendable at angle α2 ranging from <NUM>° to <NUM>°, preferably from <NUM>° to <NUM>°.

As described above, the intraoral sensor in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure may be formed to have different bending extents in relation to the position of the intraoral structure, thereby relieving the discomfort of the patient.

The intraoral sensor may use a first case, which is located in front of the sensor panel for containing the sensor panel and has a property of limited bendability. Accordingly, the intraoral sensor bends within a limited range to enable a bendable X-ray intraoral sensor to be implemented, which may minimize image distortion and significantly relieve the discomfort of the patient.

Furthermore, forming grooves in the side walls of the first case to control the bendability according to the position may help minimize image distortion and more effectively relieve the discomfort of the patient during an intraoral scan.

Moreover, a rear-side support may be arranged behind the sensor panel to limit the bending extent of the center part of the sensor panel pressed by the rear-side support as compared to the surrounding parts of the sensor panel, thereby minimizing image distortion and relieving discomfort of the patient during an intraoral scan.

A molding second case may also be used to combine the components of the intraoral sensor more firmly, and accordingly, the electrical connection between the transmission cable and the intraoral sensor may be reliably achieved.

Moreover, input/output pads may be arranged to correspond to the central area of a printed circuit board (PCB), where stress is minimized when bending occurs, such that defects of the input/output pads caused by bending may be minimized.

Furthermore, grounding patterns may be formed on edges of the PCB and a grounding sheet connected to them may be combined with the sensor assembly, to reduce the incidence of defects caused by static electricity.

In addition, an anti-X-ray reflection film may be arranged on the back of the sensor panel to alleviate a phenomenon of back-scattering.

Claim 1:
An intraoral sensor (<NUM>) for intraoral X-ray imaging, comprising:
a sensor panel (<NUM>) for generating electric signals from X-rays;
a first case (<NUM>) for covering a side of the sensor panel (<NUM>) on which the X-rays are incident; and
a housing (<NUM>) for covering the sensor panel (<NUM>) and the first case (<NUM>);
characterized in that the intraoral sensor (<NUM>) further comprises:
an elasticity adjustment member (<NUM>) covering a side of the sensor panel that is opposite a side on which the X-ray incident; and
a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) (<NUM>) covering the elasticity adjustment member (<NUM>),
wherein the intraoral sensor (<NUM>) is bendable along an intraoral structure during an intraoral X-ray imaging, and has a first area corresponding to a center part along a major axis and a second area corresponding to remaining parts at both ends of the major axis, the first area and the second area are bending to different extents, wherein the elasticity adjustment member (<NUM>) is formed to have greater bendability along the major axis of the intraoral sensor than along the minor axis.