Patents by Inventor Stefan EICHNER

Stefan EICHNER 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).

  • Publication number: 20250017546
    Abstract: An extraoral dental X-ray apparatus for imaging of a patient in the dental region including: a radiator array having at least two individual radiators each for emitting X-rays, and offset at least along a predetermined direction (z); and an X-ray detector for at least partially detecting the X-rays emitted by the individual radiators, the radiator array and the X-ray detector being rotatably arranged about an axis parallel to said predetermined direction, further including a control device for separately controlling the individual radiators, the control device being configured such that the emitted X-rays of the at least two individual radiators differ in intensity and/or spectral distribution of the X-rays to effect an intensity and/or spectral distribution which can be varied along the predetermined direction. The control device can adaptively adapt the intensity and/or spectral distribution to the anatomy of the patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2022
    Publication date: January 16, 2025
    Applicant: DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc.
    Inventors: Susanne MAUR, Stefan EICHNER
  • Publication number: 20240338865
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method including: (S1) Determining the jaw arch form as a model-based prior knowledge about the anatomy of a patient based on one or more previous panoramic images or 3D images or one or more optical 3D scans of the patient; (S2) Determining a patient-specific x-ray device imaging trajectory for the panoramic image of the patient; (S3) Performing the imaging on the basis of the determined patient-specific x-ray device imaging trajectory to acquire imaging data; (S4) Adjusting reconstruction parameters according to the determined patient-specific x-ray device imaging trajectory; (S5) Determining the patient-specific focal curve for the panoramic image of the patient to be produced by using the model-based prior knowledge; (S6) Reconstructing the panoramic image using the acquired imaging data, the adjusted reconstruction parameters including the determined patient-specific focal curve, and a layer to be imaged which overlaps with the determined jaw arch
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Publication date: October 10, 2024
    Applicant: DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc.
    Inventors: Stefan EICHNER, Michael ELVERS
  • Patent number: 12064279
    Abstract: A device for editing a panoramic radiography image of an examination object generated by a panoramic X-ray machine, including: an input interface for receiving the panoramic radiography image as well as reconstruction data of the panoramic radiography image, the reconstruction data including information on a course of projection lines of the panoramic radiography image between an X-ray source and an X-ray detector of the panoramic X-ray machine as well as information on an image surface of the panoramic radiography image; an evaluation unit for evaluating the reconstruction data and for determining an image section of the panoramic radiography image that has been generated on the basis of one of the projection lines with two intersection points with the image surface; an image editing unit for editing the panoramic radiography image based on the determined image section; and an output unit for outputting the edited panoramic radiography image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Stefan Eichner, Markus Hülsbusch
  • Patent number: 12048576
    Abstract: A method for generating a panoramic layer image of an object to be imaged, by employing a 2D panoramic X-ray device, the object being imaged by projecting X-rays generated by an X-ray source through the object in a projection direction and recording the X-rays with an X-ray detector. Several 2D X-ray projection images are continuously recorded from various imaging directions while the X-ray source and the X-ray detector move around the object. At least one panoramic layer image is calculated from the recorded 2D X-ray projection images using a reconstruction method. The panoramic layer image is calculated by selecting and employing at least one partial area from at least two 2D X-ray projection images in relation to an active sensor area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Michael Elvers, Ulrich Schulze-Ganzlin, Stefan Eichner
  • Patent number: 11963812
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a panoramic tomographic image (1, 11, 60) of an object (2) to be recorded using a 2D panoramic X-ray device (3), in the course of which X-rays (4) produced by means of an X-ray source (5) irradiate the object (2) and are acquired by means of an X-ray detector (7), wherein, during a movement of the X-ray source (5) and the X-ray detector (7) around the object (2), a number of 2D X-ray projection images (30) are acquired from different acquisition directions (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Stefan Eichner, Markus Hülsbusch
  • Patent number: 11832977
    Abstract: The present invention proposes a method for producing a 2D panoramic image of an oral cavity comprising the steps: A) provision of a plurality of projection images acquired during an at least partial revolution of a recording unit comprising a radiation source and an electronic image sensor about the oral cavity in a given position; B) calculation of an image including at least one anatomical feature from the plurality of projection images using a calculation rule with reconstruction parameters; C) provision of a model of the at least one anatomical feature, which describes the at least one anatomical feature in a target position in an image; D) identification of the at least one anatomical feature in the calculated image; E) determination of a deviation between an actual position of the at least one identified anatomical feature in the calculated image and the target position of the at least one anatomical feature in the model by applying a metric; F) variation of at least one of the reconstruction parameter
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Susanne Maur, Stefan Eichner
  • Publication number: 20230309938
    Abstract: A method for generating a panoramic image with reduced overlapping of neighboring teeth, including: acquiring 2D x-ray images respectively at a different radiographic directions by a rotating an x-ray source and an x-ray detector around the jaw of a patient. It includes a step of identifying one or more regions each including at least one pair of overlapping neighboring teeth in the 2D x-ray images and/or in temporary panoramic images reconstructed from the 2D x-ray images for which an optimal radiographic directions are determined, among the corresponding radiographic directions, which reduces the overlap in the panoramic image to be reconstructed. It includes determining one or more optimal radiographic directions respectively among the corresponding radiographic directions of the 2D x-ray images for which one or more regions each including at least one pair of overlapping neighboring teeth has been identified, to reduce the overlaps in the panoramic image to be reconstructed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Applicant: DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc.
    Inventors: Kai STANNIGEL, Stefan EICHNER, Michael ELVERS
  • Publication number: 20220202382
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for generating a panoramic layer image (1, 2) of an object (3) to be imaged, by employing a 2D panoramic X-ray device, wherein the object is imaged by projecting X-rays (6) generated by an X-ray source (7) through the object (3) in a projection direction (8) and recording said X-rays (6) with an X-ray detector (9), wherein several 2D X-ray projection images are continuously recorded from various imaging directions while the X-ray source (7) and the X-ray detector (9) move around the object (3), wherein at least one panoramic layer image (1, 2) is calculated from the recorded 2D X-ray projection images by means of a reconstruction method. The panoramic layer image (2) is calculated by selecting and employing at least one partial area (50, 52, 55, 57, 65) from at least two 2D X-ray projection images (51) in relation to an active sensor area (73).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Applicant: DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc.
    Inventors: Michael ELVERS, Ulrich SCHULZE-GANZLIN, Stefan EICHNER
  • Publication number: 20220192616
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a panoramic tomographic image (1, 11, 60) of an object (2) to be recorded using a 2D panoramic X-ray device (3), in the course of which X-rays (4) produced by means of an X-ray source (5) irradiate the object (2) and are acquired by means of an X-ray detector (7), wherein, during a movement of the X-ray source (5) and the X-ray detector (7) around the object (2), a number of 2D X-ray projection images (30) are acquired from different acquisition directions (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Applicant: DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc.
    Inventors: Stefan EICHNER, Markus HÜLSBUSCH
  • Publication number: 20220022827
    Abstract: The present invention proposes a method for producing a 2D panoramic image of an oral cavity comprising the steps: A) provision of a plurality of projection images acquired during an at least partial revolution of a recording unit comprising a radiation source and an electronic image sensor about the oral cavity in a given position; B) calculation of an image including at least one anatomical feature from the plurality of projection images using a calculation rule with reconstruction parameters; C) provision of a model of the at least one anatomical feature, which describes the at least one anatomical feature in a target position in an image; D) identification of the at least one anatomical feature in the calculated image; E) determination of a deviation between an actual position of the at least one identified anatomical feature in the calculated image and the target position of the at least one anatomical feature in the model by applying a metric; F) variation of at least one of the reconstruction parameter
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Applicant: DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc.
    Inventors: Susanne MAUR, Stefan EICHNER
  • Publication number: 20210407159
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for editing a panoramic radiography image of an examination object generated by a panoramic X-ray machine, comprising: an input interface for receiving the panoramic radiography image as well as reconstruction data of the panoramic radiography image, the reconstruction data including information on a course of projection lines of the panoramic radiography image between an X-ray source and an X-ray detector of the panoramic X-ray machine as well as information on an image surface of the panoramic radiography image; an evaluation unit for evaluating the reconstruction data and for determining an image section of the panoramic radiography image that has been generated on the basis of one of the projection lines with two intersection points with the image surface; an image editing unit for editing the panoramic radiography image based on the determined image section; and an output unit for outputting the edited panoramic radiography image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Applicant: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
    Inventors: Stefan EICHNER, Markus HÜLSBUSCH