Patent Document ID: 9610052
Application ID: 15059752
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A dental imaging apparatus, which apparatus includes a support construction ( 11 , 13 ) for supporting a structure supporting imaging means ( 14 ), at least one imaging station ( 18 ) for placing a patient to the apparatus for imaging, said apparatus including at least one lighting structure ( 23 ) at the imaging station ( 18 ) to illuminate the patient's face; in which apparatus the imaging means includes at least an x-ray source ( 15 ) and a receiver module ( 20 ) including a means for receiving x-ray image information ( 21 ), which have been arranged in the apparatus in such a way with respect to said imaging station ( 18 ) that the x-ray source ( 15 ) and the means for receiving x-ray image information ( 21 ) can be positioned at opposite sides of the imaging station ( 18 ) such that a beam generated by the x-ray source ( 15 ) can be aligned to go through said imaging station ( 18 ) and towards said means for receiving x-ray image information ( 21 ), a control system for controlling operations of the imaging apparatus and a means integrated with the imaging apparatus or arranged into functional connection with it for processing information detected at the means for receiving x-ray image information ( 21 ), characterized in that the apparatus includes a means for photographing ( 22 ) a patient's face and/or for producing a moving picture of the patient's face from at least two directions while the patient is positioned at said imaging station ( 18 ), which means comprises at least one colour camera ( 22 ) the location of which with respect to said imaging station is arranged changeable and/or at least two colour cameras being arranged to image the patient's face positioned at the patient support station ( 18 ) from different directions, wherein said lighting structure ( 23 ) and at least one means for photographing ( 22 ) are arranged into connection with said structure supporting the imaging means ( 14 ), and a means arranged into functional connection with said at least one colour camera ( 22 ) for processing the image information acquired when imaging the patient's face to create a virtual three-dimensional texture model of the patient's face, and/or for combining the image information detected by said at least one colour camera ( 22 ), or the three-dimensional texture model created from it, to a surface model of the patient's face to create a virtual three-dimensional texture model of the patient's face.