Patent Document ID: 8126112
Application ID: 12250423
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of classifying osseo structure and/or prosthetic osseointegration using 3-D digital tomosynthesis medical and dental modeling, which comprises the steps of: providing a computer including a digital memory adapted for storing patient densitometry information, an input and an output; providing an input subsystem including a pair of source/receptor units each including a signal source and a receptor; providing said input subsystem with a DEXA modality; providing said signal positioning subsystem with a rotating mechanism mounting said source/receptor units in generally opposite relation with a patient region of interest (ROI) located therebetween; rotating said source/receptor units in both directions through coplanar, circular paths of movement around a first rotational axis; providing a signal positioning subsystem connected to said computer and mounting said source and receptor, said positioning subsystem moving said source and/or said receptor through a predetermined path of movement relative to a patient; rotating said source/receptor units in a first direction with said input subsystem at a low energy level and rotating said source/receptor units in a second direction with said input subsystem at a high energy level; providing said signal positioning subsystem with a second rotational axis defining a second set of coplanar, circular paths of movement of said source/receptor units; corresponding said first rotational axis to an X axis extending top-to-bottom relative to the patient; corresponding said second rotational axis to a Z axis extending front-to-back relative to the patient; providing said circular paths of movement with ranges of approximately between 90° and 270°; connecting said receptor to the computer input; producing signals with said receptor to said computer input representing a condition of the patient's dental and/or orthopedic structure; integrating signals obtained along said first and second paths of movement; modeling a patient ROI in three dimensions from said integrated signals; filtering tomographic information from said receptors; subtracting signals corresponding to scatter and other extraneous information and reversing the polarity and output of signals representing different types of structure; constructing multiple slices at different depths and with different thicknesses from individual tomographic data acquisitions; creating, storing and comparing 3-D digital models of patient dental and/or orthopedic structure; providing an output device connected to said computer output and adapted for communicating patient condition information consisting of or derived from a respective said 3-D digital model; providing a database accessible by said computer and including information chosen from among the group consisting of patient history, age, gender and locations; assessing and modeling patient parameters chosen from among the group consisting of: prosthesis position, load (stress/strain), osseointegration, septic/aseptic, inflammation and fracture; and classifying osseo structure and/or prosthetic osseointegration based on said densitometry data.