Abstract: A method for segmenting a 3D model image of a patient's dentition obtains a first 3D model image of the patient dentition and obtains a first segmentation of the first 3D model image, wherein the first segmentation provides at least a tooth surface contour and a tooth label for one or more teeth of the first 3D model. A second 3D model image of the patient dentition is obtained. Each segmented tooth surface contour of the first 3D model is registered to corresponding tooth surface contour of the second 3D model. A second segmentation of the second 3D model image is obtained according to the registered tooth surface contour, wherein the second segmentation similarly provides at least tooth surface contour and a tooth labeling for one or more teeth of the second 3D model image. The segmented second 3D model image is displayed, transmitted, or stored.

Abstract: A method for color shade matching obtains a 3D tooth surface representation using an intraoral scanner wherein the 3D tooth surface representation comprises surface data and a spatially resolved angular distribution of color vectors, wherein the spatially resolved angular distribution of color vectors associates one or more point positions from the surface data to the corresponding angular distribution of color vectors. The method identifies one or more shade values, where each shade value is associated with one angular distribution of color vectors from the spatially resolved angular distribution of color vectors, by comparing the angular distribution of color vectors to a set of reference angular distributions of color vectors, wherein each reference angular distribution in the set is associated with a corresponding shade value. The method displays, stores, or transmits the surface data with an indication of the one or more shade values.

Abstract: At least one embodiment of a method for training automatic tooth charting systems, the method comprising: obtaining, through a communication network, a plurality of electronic dental charts generated by the plurality of tooth charting systems, the plurality of electronic dental charts being related to a plurality of patients; for each of the obtained electronic dental charts: extracting at least a portion of an image representing a tooth or a region of interest and obtaining at least a corresponding item of information characterizing the represented tooth or the represented region of interest; storing the extracted at least a portion of the image and the corresponding item of information in a training data set, training the automatic dental charting system with the training data set.

Abstract: An apparatus (70) for surface contour imaging of an object has an illumination apparatus energizable to direct one or more illumination patterns (46) toward a surface position. A sensing apparatus (40) has at least one lens (34) and a sensor (30) that is energizable to obtain one or more images of the surface position corresponding to the illumination patterns (46). A calibration target (100) is detachably coupled to the apparatus (70) in the surface position, wherein the calibration target (100) has a set having a plurality of raised features (50) that are uniformly spaced apart with respect to first and second orthogonal axes that define a first plane and having a uniform height along a height axis that is orthogonal to the first plane. The raised features (50) further have at least a first slanted surface (54) that is oblique with respect to the first plane and oblique with respect to the height axis.

Abstract: A method for segmenting a 3D model image of a patient's dentition obtains a first 3D model image of the patient dentition and obtains a first segmentation of the first 3D model image, wherein the first segmentation provides at least a tooth surface contour and a tooth label for one or more teeth of the first 3D model. A second 3D model image of the patient dentition is obtained. Each segmented tooth surface contour of the first 3D model is registered to corresponding tooth surface contour of the second 3D model. A second segmentation of the second 3D model image is obtained according to the registered tooth surface contour, wherein the second segmentation similarly provides at least tooth surface contour and a tooth labeling for one or more teeth of the second 3D model image. The segmented second 3D model image is displayed, transmitted, or stored.

Abstract: A shade matching method for a tooth obtains a plurality of digitized tooth shade references, obtains a three-dimensional (3D) surface representation of a tooth and associated color information defined on the three-dimensional (3D) surface, selects a region on the three-dimensional (3D) surface representation of the tooth, determines a plurality of correspondences with the common tooth shape of all the tooth shade references, computes color difference with each of the tooth shade reference from the plurality of tooth shade references, and records the label corresponding to the shade reference with a smallest difference.

Abstract: A method for color shade matching obtains a 3D tooth surface representation using an intraoral scanner wherein the 3D tooth surface representation comprises surface data and a spatially resolved angular distribution of color vectors, wherein the spatially resolved angular distribution of color vectors associates one or more point positions from the surface data to the corresponding angular distribution of color vectors. The method identifies one or more shade values, where each shade value is associated with one angular distribution of color vectors from the spatially resolved angular distribution of color vectors, by comparing the angular distribution of color vectors to a set of reference angular distributions of color vectors, wherein each reference angular distribution in the set is associated with a corresponding shade value. The method displays, stores, or transmits the surface data with an indication of the one or more shade values.

Abstract: An exemplary optical apparatus has an OCT imaging apparatus with a first light source for low coherence light of wavelengths above a threshold wavelength and a signal detector that obtains an interference signal between low coherence light from the sample and low coherence light reflected from a reference. A surface contour imaging apparatus has a second light source that emits one or more wavelengths of surface illumination below the threshold wavelength, a camera to acquire images from illumination reflected from the sample. The exemplary optical apparatus and/or exemplary methods for using the same can provide reduced errors in generating a dental 3D surface mesh.

Abstract: Method and apparatus embodiments can acquire and update a 3-D surface of a dentition in real time by replacing the corresponding portion of the 3-D surface of the dentition with the contents of newly acquired 3-D image. In certain embodiments, the position of the 3-D scanning device relative to the 3-D surface of the dentition can be determined in real time by comparing the size and the shape of the overlap to the cross-section of the field-of-view of the 3-D scanning device, where the size and the shape of the overlap of the newly acquired 3-D image is used to determine the distance and the angles from which the 3-D image was acquired relative to the 3-D surface of the dentition.

Abstract: An exemplary optical apparatus has an OCT imaging apparatus with a first light source for low coherence light of wavelengths above a threshold wavelength and a signal detector that obtains an interference signal between low coherence light from the sample and low coherence light reflected from a reference. A surface contour imaging apparatus has a second light source that emits one or more wavelengths of surface illumination below the threshold wavelength, a camera to acquire images from illumination reflected from the sample. The exemplary optical apparatus and/or exemplary methods for using the same can provide reduced errors in generating a dental 3D surface mesh.

Abstract: A method for three-dimensional imaging stores a first image of field of view from a handheld optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanning device at a first position where a first OCT scan of an object is captured with the scanning device freely operated by a user. A location metric of a second image of field of view of the scanning device is estimated at a second position relative to the first image while the scanning device is moved from the first to the second position. Instructions on providing user feedback are generated based on the location metric. Feedback is provided to indicate if the second position is adequate for a second OCT scan, wherein providing feedback includes providing user perceivable light of a first color to indicate that the second position is adequate and providing user perceivable light of a second color to indicate that the second position is not adequate.

Abstract: An apparatus (70) for surface contour imaging of an object has an illumination apparatus energizable to direct one or more illumination patterns (46) toward a surface position. A sensing apparatus (40) has at least one lens (34) and a sensor (30) that is energizable to obtain one or more images of the surface position corresponding to the illumination patterns (46). A calibration target (100) is detachably coupled to the apparatus (70) in the surface position, wherein the calibration target (100) has a set having a plurality of raised features (50) that are uniformly spaced apart with respect to first and second orthogonal axes that define a first plane and having a uniform height along a height axis that is orthogonal to the first plane. The raised features (50) further have at least a first slanted surface (54) that is oblique with respect to the first plane and oblique with respect to the height axis.

Abstract: A method for obtaining one or more 3D surface images of a tooth, the method executed at least in part by a computer repeats a sequence of acquiring a succession of images of the tooth from a scanner, in particular an intra-oral structured-light scanner, at a scanner acquisition rate and changing the scanner acquisition rate according to differences between successive images in the acquired succession of images. In particular, said differences are used to determine the relative speed of movement of the scanner and to use this information to adjust the acquisition frequency such that the amount of redundant information in the image data is reduced.

Abstract: The present invention relates to method and system for bite registration using multiple bite registrations. In this method or system, when both the 3D teeth model of the upper jaw and the 3D teeth model of the lower jaw are successfully aligned with the bite surface, the bite surface with the 3D teeth models of the upper jaw and the lower jaw is displayed for further evaluation; the bite surfaces selected by the user are combined to generate a final bite registration. Using multiple bite surfaces for registration improves the accuracy.

Abstract: A method for displaying a 3-D surface of an object, the method executed at least in part on a computer, acquires a set comprising a plurality of members, wherein each member is a 3-D view of the object Relation data that associates each member of the set of 3-D views to at least one other member of the set is generated according to at least displacement between the members. A composite 3-D surface of the object is formed according to the generated relation data. One or more positioning errors in the composite surface are automatically detected according to the generated relation data and at least a portion of the relation data re-generated to correct the one or more positioning errors. A corrected composite 3-D surface formed according to the re-generated relation data is displayed.

Abstract: A method for three-dimensional imaging stores a first image of field of view from a handheld optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanning device at a first position where a first OCT scan of an object is captured with the scanning device freely operated by a user. A location metric of a second image of field of view of the scanning device is estimated at a second position relative to the first image while the scanning device is moved from the first to the second position. Instructions on providing user feedback are generated based on the location metric. Feedback is provided to indicate if the second position is adequate for a second OCT scan, wherein providing feedback includes providing user perceivable light of a first color to indicate that the second position is adequate and providing user perceivable light of a second color to indicate that the second position is not adequate.

Abstract: A method for three-dimensional imaging is provided, storing a first two-dimensional image of field of view of a scanning device at a first position where a first three-dimensional view of the object is captured with said handheld scanning device; estimating location metric of a second two-dimensional image of field of view of said scanning device at a second position relative to said first image while said scanning device is being moved from said first position to said second position; and generating instructions on providing feedback to the user based on said location metric; wherein said feedback is provided to indicate if said second position is adequate for capturing a second three-dimensional view. A system for three-dimensional imaging is provided as well.

Abstract: A method for displaying a 3-D surface of an object, the method executed at least in part on a computer, acquires a set comprising a plurality of members, wherein each member is a 3-D view of the object Relation data that associates each member of the set of 3-D views to at least one other member of the set is generated according to at least displacement between the members. A composite 3-D surface of the object is formed according to the generated relation data. One or more positioning errors in the composite surface are automatically detected according to the generated relation data and at least a portion of the relation data re-generated to correct the one or more positioning errors. A corrected composite 3-D surface formed according to the re-generated relation data is displayed.

Abstract: A method for three-dimensional imaging is provided, storing a first two-dimensional image of field of view of a scanning device at a first position where a first three-dimensional view of the object is captured with said handheld scanning device; estimating location metric of a second two-dimensional image of field of view of said scanning device at a second position relative to said first image while said scanning device is being moved from said first position to said second position; and generating instructions on providing feedback to the user based on said location metric; wherein said feedback is provided to indicate if said second position is adequate for capturing a second three-dimensional view. A system for three-dimensional imaging is provided as well.

Abstract: The present invention relates to method and system for bite registration using multiple bite registrations. In this method or system, when both the 3D teeth model of the upper jaw and the 3D teeth model of the lower jaw are successfully aligned with the bite surface, the bite surface with the 3D teeth models of the upper jaw and the lower jaw is displayed for further evaluation; the bite surfaces selected by the user are combined to generate a final bite registration. Using multiple bite surfaces for registration improves the accuracy.