JP2007181577A - Tooth fixing camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tooth fixing camera capable of photographing, measuring, and examining reproducible oral cavity tissue, especially a tooth and gum. <P>SOLUTION: A tooth fixing means to keep a physical relationship between an imaging means and the tooth is used. A multipurpose type (ready-made type) such as a cone type or the like, cured type, image conformation type, or/and photo (electromagnetic wave) type or the like is used solely or combining the same as the tooth fixing means. The fixing means allow photographing, measurement, and examination at the same position, which offers a high reproducibility so that an accurate examination and diagnosis of a progress of dental caries could be obtained. When the fixing means is applied to a periodontal pocket, the progress of a periodontal disease and an increase/decrease of periodontopathic bacteria could be acquired. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is a technique related to inspection and measurement of oral tissues, particularly teeth.

  In the past, there was no such technique.

In conventional oral tissues, especially teeth and periodontal imaging, inspection and measurement, the first imaging, inspection and measurement, and the second imaging, inspection and measurement, etc. There was a problem of reproducibility that the same photographing, inspection and measurement were not possible.

1 [Means of Claim 1]
The tooth fixation camera according to claim 1 is:
It is characterized by comprising a tooth fixing means for maintaining a positional relationship (such as relative) between the imaging means and the tooth.

2 [Means of claim 2]
The tooth fixation camera according to claim 2 is:
It has a gripping means (handle) equivalent to a dental mirror and is provided with an imaging means at or near the position of a conventional dental mirror portion.

1 [Operation and effect of claim 1]
The tooth fixation camera according to claim 1 is:
Since it is equipped with a tooth fixing means for maintaining the positional relationship between the imaging means and the tooth (such as relative),
Since imaging can always be performed at the same position, imaging with reproducibility of oral tissues can be performed. Therefore, the progression of diseases such as caries can be photographed, measured and examined qualitatively or quantitatively.

2 [Operation and effect of claim 2]
The tooth fixation camera according to claim 2 is:
Since it has a gripping means (handle) equivalent to a dental mirror and has an imaging means at or near the position of a conventional dental mirror part,
The narrow oral cavity can be accurately positioned. Moreover, since it has the same feeling of use as a dental mirror, the operator can use it easily.

The tooth fixing camera of the present invention will be described based on the embodiment or the modification shown in FIGS.
It is an embodiment to employ a tooth fixing means for fixing, holding or positioning a tooth and an imaging means at a predetermined position when photographing oral tissue.

[Configuration of Example]
1 to 4, the tooth fixing means is a means for fixing a part of the imaging means to a predetermined position with good reproducibility with respect to the teeth at the time of photographing. As a result, an image at the same position can always be taken.
Some examples of the tooth fixing means are listed below.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 General-purpose type (pre-molded) tooth fixing means, such as a cone type 2 Hardening type tooth fixing means 3 Image matching type tooth fixing means (single use and combined use of 1 and 2 above)
4 Light (electromagnetic wave) type tooth fixing means (single use and combination of the above 1, 2 or 3 above or a combination thereof)

and so on.

[effect]
By these fixing means, photographing, inspection and measurement can always be performed at the same position.

High reproducibility can be obtained because shooting can always be performed at the same position. As a result, the progress of caries can be accurately inspected, measured, and diagnosed. If applied to the periodontal pocket, it can be seen the progression of periodontal disease and the increase or decrease of causative bacteria.

[Modification]
Each of the above means is selected, used and manufactured by an operator or manufacturer.

  The first embodiment is an example in which a tooth fixing means such as a cone (general-purpose type or pre-formed) tooth fixing means is used.

[First Embodiment]
The first embodiment is a tooth fixing camera that employs at least a general-purpose type tooth fixing means as a tooth fixing means.

[Constitution]
As shown in FIG. 1, a cone made of resin, rubber, metal, ceramics, or a combination thereof is used to determine the positions of the teeth and the imaging means on a part of the known imaging means equipped with an imaging device such as a known CCD. Shaped fixing means are provided. This is a tooth fixing means, and the tooth fixing means here is a general-purpose type tooth fixing means. The recommendation here is resin or rubber that does not damage the teeth.

[Operation]
As shown in FIG. 1, the conical fixing means is temporarily fixed or held at a predetermined position of the tooth.
Here, the predetermined place is a concave portion such as a distal fovea, a mesial fovea, a central fovea, and an interdental space. Any portion may be used as long as it can be used successfully as long as it is a reproducible portion such as a convex portion such as a cusp.

[effect]
Since shooting at the same position is always possible, the progress of caries can be measured quantitatively. In addition, changes over time such as facets can be compared in terms of time. Since it is simpler than the second embodiment, it is highly versatile.
That is, the tooth fixing camera can be installed at the same position with high reproducibility.

[Modification]
In the above embodiment, a cone is adopted. However, any shape may be used as long as it can be fixed, for example, a truncated cone, a conical sphere, a cylinder, or a combination thereof may be used in accordance with the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, any material may be used. Further, an exchange means such as a screw, a caulking, or a snap may be adopted so that the general-purpose (pre-formed) tooth fixing means can be replaced.

Furthermore, if a tooth fixing camera is used while using a head-mounted display (preferably a transflective type), both visual recognition and camera images can be seen for medical care. As a result, diagnosis and treatment can be performed while viewing the root canal, periodontal pocket, etc., which has not been conventionally seen.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the tooth fixing camera has a good operability when a handle (grip means) is provided. This intraoral camera can use an intraoral camera with the same operation and visual field feeling as a conventional dental mirror. Moreover, since it is smaller than the conventional mirror, operability is further improved.

The second embodiment discloses a tooth fixing means by a curable tooth fixing means.

[Second Embodiment]
The tooth fixing camera of the second embodiment includes at least a hardened tooth fixing means using a hardener.

[Constitution]
The gap is filled with an immediately polymerized silicon material or the like between at least a part of the imaging means depicted in FIG. 2 and the teeth. This is a curable tooth fixing means.

[Operation]
In order to fix the imaging means or a handle, frame or handle connected to the imaging means to the teeth, a known silicone polymer is filled and cured in the gap as shown in FIG. Then, it is possible to reproduce the position where the measured object is photographed at any time. This is used for every checkup. Then, the same image is obtained every time. Specifically, the fixing means created as described above is applied every time a medical examination is performed. Then, the same image can be taken with good reproducibility, and the progress or healing state of diseases such as caries, facet or periodontal disease can be known.

[effect]
You can always shoot at the same position. It is possible to perform reproducible shooting with higher accuracy than the fixing means of the first embodiment. This makes it possible to measure the progress of caries and other factors quantitatively and over time.

[Modification]
In the above embodiment, instant polymerized silicon is used, but any polymer such as an instant polymerized resin, an instant polymerized metal, and an instant polymerized rubber may be used according to the spirit of the present invention. Further, any material may be used as long as it is in accordance with the gist of the present invention, such as using a curing material by an indirect method or a delayed-curing material.

The third embodiment is an example of performing reproducible photographing using the image-matching type tooth fixing means alone or the first or second embodiment and the image-matching type tooth fixing means.

[Third Embodiment]
The tooth fixing camera has at least an image alignment type tooth fixing means.

〔Constitution〕
As an example, it has the general-purpose type tooth fixing means and the image matching type tooth fixing means in the first embodiment.
As an example, the image matching type tooth fixing unit includes a storage unit that stores an image from the image sensor, and a display unit that displays an image of the storage unit and a live image. A certain shooting (mainly the first shooting) is stored and displayed on the display means as a semi-transparent image (does not move on the display means), and the current shooting (mainly a live image in the second and subsequent shootings) is displayed on the display means. (Currently, in photography, the image moves as the imaging means is moved).

[Operation]
As described above, when the conical tooth fixing means is positioned on the tooth, the positioned imaging means can move with three degrees of freedom of rotation about the tip of the cone.

At this time, the first captured image (dotted line) is displayed on the screen as shown in FIG. Specifically, a semi-transparent image such as an α filter is displayed, and the captured image that is the current live image is overlapped with this image, and the movement of the three degrees of freedom is performed so that the current image is aligned with the previous image. Align with. This is an image matching type tooth fixing means as an example.

[effect]
Intraoral imaging of reproducible teeth and periodontal tissues is possible. In particular, it has higher reproducibility than Example 1.

[Modification]
The above uses the overlap of the live image and the previous image, but as another example, the outline of the tooth is decomposed into line segments by known image processing, and the previous line segment and the pattern matching are matched by numerical display. Alternatively, image matching type tooth fixing means may be used in which the image is displayed and matched, the correlation coefficient thereof is displayed, or light or sound is displayed when a certain value is reached.

4th Example discloses the example which implement | achieves the tooth fixation by light (electromagnetic waves).

[Mode of the fourth embodiment]
The tooth fixing camera discloses an example in which at least a light (electromagnetic wave) type tooth fixing means is used for tooth fixing.

[Constitution]
The light (electromagnetic wave) type tooth fixing means is a light (electromagnetic wave) irradiating means from at least a part of the imaging means or a part whose relative position is fixed (known) as shown in FIG. A light spot (electromagnetic wave) matching means is provided that has a function of matching the light spot with the light spot photographing position (dot or dot group) of the previous (initial) measurement. Here, the angle of the beam of light (electromagnetic wave) and the imaging surface is set so as not to be parallel to the imaging axis (the optical axis of the imaging optical system). When positioned at a position, the position of the light spot is changed on the imaging surface by a rotational motion with three degrees of freedom. In this means, if the light spot is the same position and the tip of the cone is the same position, the same photographing position is obtained.

  Specifically, a known triangulation means for measuring a light spot position based on the principle of triangulation is applied to the light spot, and two or more light spot positions and three cone vertices on this imaging screen are applied. Spatial positioning can be performed by (above). As a more specific example, the value of (X1, Y1) (X2, Y2) is stored in the storage means as an example of the initial (previous) light spot position on the CCD imaging surface. The point position is a value of (X11, Y11) (X22, Y22) in real time or the like, and is displayed on the display means while changing in accordance with the movement of the imaging means. The imaging means is moved so that this value (X11, Y11) (X22, Y22) matches (X1, Y1) (X2, Y2). This fixes the same position as the previous shooting location. This is a light (electromagnetic wave) type tooth fixing means as an example.

[Operation]
As shown in FIG. 4, a cone is placed in the fossa of the tooth, and the light spot is imaged by the imaging means. Then, when matching from the position different from the previous time to the same position, the matching means notifies the position matching by sound or light. The imaging means is moved with three degrees of freedom and positioned at a position where a warning sound is produced. That is, it converges at the same position.

As another example, the positioning of 3 degrees of freedom is displayed, and the pattern is moved so that the position matches the previous position. At this time, it is important to keep the cone at the same position in the fovea. Specifically, the light spot position by the triangulation means is displayed as a level meter as an example. If the position of the level meter is the same, the imaging position is the same.

[effect]
You can always shoot the same time. Thereby, the change with time can be measured qualitatively or quantitatively. Specifically, it is possible to carry out a comparative examination of the progress of caries, the change of gingiva and the progress of wear.

[Modification]
The above uses a light spot, but the tooth may be fixed using a light line or pattern.
Further, although the conical tooth fixing means and the two light (electromagnetic wave) type tooth fixing means of Example 1 were used as the tooth fixing means, all may be light (electromagnetic wave) type tooth fixing means, or one or more cones. It is good also as a tooth fixing means for performing a reproducible imaging | photography using either one or both of a type | mold tooth fixing means and 1 or more.

[General modification]
In the above embodiment, the photographing of a natural image is disclosed, but it is used for positioning of 3D shape measurement of a tooth, implant drilling (especially, drilling an implant to an appropriate position linked to 3D CAD), shade, etc. It may be used for any purpose as long as it can be used for taking, etc., or used for examination and measurement of gingiva and periodontal tissue.

    The image pickup means may be mounted with any image pickup element such as a CCD element, a CMOS element, a PSD element or the like in accordance with the spirit of the present invention. Any imaging means may be used in accordance with the gist of the present invention.

The fixed tooth camera may be wired or wireless, but wireless is more operable.
You may set a connection means with a light injection fixed position means.

The above embodiments or modifications may be carried out alone, in combination, or used for other purposes. As an example, it may be used in combination with the tooth periodontal inspection apparatus of Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-305406, or may be used in combination with the tooth periodontal inspection apparatus of MICRO06002 filed on January 8, 2006. Alternatively, the imaging means may be used as a hand piece for precision formation or implant positioning. In this case, the implant can be drilled with precise formation and positioning.

Capable of photographing, measuring, and inspecting oral tissues.
Thereby, as an example, the progress of caries and bite can be photographed, measured, and inspected qualitatively or quantitatively.

An example of a general-purpose (pre-made) tooth fixing means such as a cone. An example in a curable tooth fixing means. An example in an image matching type tooth fixing means. An example in a light (electromagnetic wave) type tooth fixing means.

Claims (2)

Tooth fixing camera
A tooth fixing camera comprising a tooth fixing means for maintaining a positional relationship between an imaging means and a tooth. The tooth fixation camera according to claim 1 is:
It has a gripping means (handle) equivalent to a dental mirror and is provided with an imaging means at or near the position of a conventional dental mirror portion.

Images