Patent ID: 7852492

Claim:
A device for tomographic scanning objects, such as dental teeth, said device comprising: a source of light ( 1 ) generating a light beam ( 15 ) for irradiating the object ( 14 ); a first grid ( 3 ) arranged in the optical axis of the light beam ( 15 ) downstream of the source of light ( 1 ) through which the light beam ( 15 ) is guided before irradiating the object ( 14 ) so that a pattern of the first grid ( 3 ) is projected on the object ( 14 ); an optical imaging assembly ( 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 , 10 ) for imaging the object ( 14 ) on a sensor ( 13 ); a second grid ( 12 ) provided in the optical axis of the light beam ( 15 ) reflected from the object having a pattern matching the first grid ( 3 ), through said second grid ( 12 ) the reflected light beam ( 16 ) having the pattern of the first grid ( 3 ) being guided so that the sensor ( 13 ) senses the light beam ( 16 ) reflected by the object ( 14 ) with a Moiré pattern resulting from overlying the pattern of the first grid ( 3 ) and the pattern of the second grid ( 12 ); means ( 4 ) for moving either or both the first grid ( 3 ) and the second grid ( 12 ) at a frequency causing fluctuations in the intensity of the resulting Moiré pattern; and means for detecting fluctuations in the intensity including a bandpass filter associated with said sensor and tuned to said frequency.