Patent ID: 7534038

Claim:
A method of positioning a patient in an x-ray apparatus for dental scanning procedures, the method comprising the steps of: providing an x-ray system comprising an x-ray source and x-ray detector, a positioning arrangement to position a patient's head in a predefined position with respect to the x-ray system, and at least one video camera to generate video images of the patient's head; pre-positioning the patient's head in a patient area of the x-ray apparatus using the positioning arrangement; generating at least one image of the head of the pre-positioned patient from at least one view by the at least one video camera; comparing the at least one generated image of the patient's head and a position of the x-ray system; and aligning the x-ray system and the pre-positioned patient using the at least one image generated of the patient's head and the position of the x-ray system.