Patents by Inventor Laurence Rossman Gaalaas

Laurence Rossman Gaalaas has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9907520
    Abstract: Digital tomosynthesis systems, methods, and computer readable media for intraoral dental tomosynthesis imaging are disclosed. In some aspects, an intraoral tomosynthesis imaging system includes an x-ray source array for positioning outside a mouth of a patient, wherein the x-ray source array contains multiple x-ray focal spots that are spatially distributed on an anode, an area digital x-ray detector for positioning inside the mouth of the patient, a geometry calibration mechanism for connecting the x-ray detector to the x-ray source array, an x-ray collimator for confining x-ray beams to a region of interest, a controller for regulating x-ray radiation and synchronization of the x-ray radiation with the x-ray detector, such that multiple 2D projection images of the ROI are acquired without mechanical motion of the x-ray source array, the x-ray detector, or the mouth of the patient, and a computer program and workstation for 3D tomosynthesis image reconstruction and display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignees: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, XINTEK, INC.
    Inventors: Otto Z. Zhou, Jianping Lu, Jing Shan, Andrew Tucker, Pavel Chtcheprov, Enrique Platin, André Mol, Laurence Rossman Gaalaas, Gongting Wu
  • Patent number: 9782136
    Abstract: Intraoral tomosynthesis systems, methods, and computer readable media for dental imaging can include an x-ray source containing multiple focal spots spatially distributed on one or multiple anodes in an evacuated chamber, an x-ray detector for positioning inside a mouth of a patient, a device for determining imaging geometry of the intraoral tomosynthesis system; and control electronics configured to regulate the x-ray source, by sequentially activating each of the multiple focal spots, such that multiple two dimensional (2D) projection images of the mouth of the patient are acquired from multiple viewing angles. In some aspects, the device for determining the imaging geometry can comprise a plate connectedly attached to the x-ray detector, at least one light source connectedly attached to the x-ray source, and a camera configured to capture at least one light spot produced by a projection of at least one light beam onto the plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignees: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Xintek, Inc.
    Inventors: Otto Z. Zhou, Jianping Lu, Jing Shan, Andrew Tucker, Pavel Chtcheprov, Enrique Platin, André Mol, Laurence Rossman Gaalaas, Gongting Wu
  • Publication number: 20160317107
    Abstract: Digital tomosynthesis systems, methods, and computer readable media for intraoral dental tomosynthesis imaging are disclosed. In some aspects, an intraoral tomosynthesis imaging system includes an x-ray source array for positioning outside a mouth of a patient, wherein the x-ray source array contains multiple x-ray focal spots that are spatially distributed on an anode, an area digital x-ray detector for positioning inside the mouth of the patient, a geometry calibration mechanism for connecting the x-ray detector to the x-ray source array, an x-ray collimator for confining x-ray beams to a region of interest, a controller for regulating x-ray radiation and synchronization of the x-ray radiation with the x-ray detector, such that multiple 2D projection images of the ROI are acquired without mechanical motion of the x-ray source array, the x-ray detector, or the mouth of the patient, and a computer program and workstation for 3D tomosynthesis image reconstruction and display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Otto Z. ZHOU, Jianping LU, Jing SHAN, Andrew TUCKER, Pavel CHTCHEPROV, Enrique PLATIN, André MOL, Laurence Rossman GAALAAS, Gongting WU
  • Publication number: 20150359504
    Abstract: Intraoral tomosynthesis systems, methods, and computer readable media for dental imaging can include an x-ray source containing multiple focal spots spatially distributed on one or multiple anodes in an evacuated chamber, an x-ray detector for positioning inside a mouth of a patient, a device for determining imaging geometry of the intraoral tomosynthesis system; and control electronics configured to regulate the x-ray source, by sequentially activating each of the multiple focal spots, such that multiple two dimensional (2D) projection images of the mouth of the patient are acquired from multiple viewing angles. In some aspects, the device for determining the imaging geometry can comprise a plate connectedly attached to the x-ray detector, at least one light source connectedly attached to the x-ray source, and a camera configured to capture at least one light spot produced by a projection of at least one light beam onto the plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Otto Z. Zhou, Jianping Lu, Jing Shan, Andrew Tucker, Pavel Chtcheprov, Enrique Platin, André Mol, Laurence Rossman Gaalaas, Gongting Wu