Patent ID: 7139016

Claim:
A portable intra-oral capture and display system for use by a dental practitioner in connection with a patient seated in a dental chair, said system comprising: a handpiece elongated for insertion into an oral cavity of the patient, said handpiece including a light emitter on a distal end thereof for illuminating an object in the cavity and an image sensor for capturing an image of the object and generating an image signal therefrom; a monitor interconnected with the handpiece, said monitor containing electronics for processing the image for display, and a display element for displaying the image, where the interconnection between the monitor and the handpiece includes an electrical connection for communicating the image signal from the image sensor in the camera to the electronics in the monitor; a receptacle on the dental chair for receiving the monitor, wherein the receptacle conforms to the monitor such that the monitor may be withdrawn from the receptacle in order to allow the display element to be seen by the dental practitioner or the patient; and further including a contamination control device for the portable monitor comprising a pouch enclosing the monitor and having a transparent front panel that is positioned adjacent the display element.