The present invention includes systems and methods for dental imaging using near infrared (NIR) light to illuminate a tooth (or teeth) using a sensor, such as a camera, to obtain a single image for each view of the tooth (or teeth) imaged for a dental assessment.

The present invention relates to a device capable of disinfecting and sterilizing a medical sensor by ultraviolet radiation, the device comprising: a box-shaped case having a space portion formed therein and having an opening formed through a surface thereof; a door hingedly coupled to a side of the case so as to open and close the opening of the case; a holding member installed in the space portion of the case and allowing a medical sensor to be held on a side thereof; and an ultraviolet sterilizer installed on a side of the holding member.

The infrared alignment guide for an x-ray machine is used to align a target tooth and an x-ray sensor with transmitted x-rays, as well as aligning the transmitted x-rays with a most effective orientation for imaging the target tooth. The guide includes a body having an attached x-ray sensor holder. The x-ray sensor holder may be adjusted in relation to the body for imaging different teeth. The x-ray sensor holder emits infrared light towards the body, which is detected by an infrared camera on the front of the body. The image produced by the infrared camera, which shows the crowns of the teeth, is used to align the transmitted x-rays with the tooth and the x-ray sensor holder.

An auxiliary instrument according to the present invention is an auxiliary instrument for dental use used as a reference of alignment for creating three-dimensional intraoral image data by connecting a plurality of pieces of three-dimensional image data obtained by three-dimensionally measuring an inside of an oral cavity, the auxiliary instrument including a sheet portion having a first surface and a second surface opposed to the first surface, and a plurality of identification portions formed in a thickness direction (Z direction) of the sheet portion from the first surface of the sheet portion, each of the plurality of identification portions having a three-dimensional shape configured to be identified.

Systems and methods for producing aligners include an appointment management system that receives a request to schedule an appointment at an intraoral scanning site and schedules the appointment at the intraoral scanning site based on the request. A message is generated and caused to be transmitted to a device of the user and the message includes a confirmation confirming the scheduled appointment. An intraoral scan is conducted at the intraoral scanning site using an intraoral scanner. Aligners are sent to the user and are specific to the user for repositioning one or more teeth of the user in accordance with a treatment plan. The aligners are sent to the user without first providing the aligners to a dentist or an orthodontist such that the user receives orthodontic treatment without ever having physically seen a dentist or an orthodontist.

A back illuminated sensor preferably is included as a collector component of a detector for use in intraoral and extraoral 2D and 3D dental radiography, positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The disclosed imaging method includes one or more intraoral or extraoral emitters for emitting a low-dose gamma ray or x-ray beam through a dental examination area; and one or more intraoral or extraoral detectors for receiving the beam, each detector including a back illuminated sensor. Within the detector, the beam preferably is converted into light and then focused and collected at a photocathode layer without passing through the wiring layer of the back illuminated sensor.

Disclosed are an oral fixation device for radiation therapy and an oral fixation method in treatment of a lip cancer. The oral fixation device for radiation therapy includes a first spacer including a first insert inserted between a first lip portion and a first gum portion, and a teeth support coupled to the first spacer at a side of the first spacer disposed inwardly of an oral cavity, wherein teeth or a gum of a patient is supported on the teeth support, wherein a first spacer has a specific thickness to maintain a specific spacing between the first lip portion and the first gum portion, wherein the first lip portion includes a treatment target portion to be subjected to the radiation therapy.

A medical imaging system includes at least an image plate, X-ray device for producing an image of an object on said image plate, and a reading device for reading image information held by the image plate. In connection with the image plate there is a tag containing information for controlling the arrangement in such a manner that when the arrangement has read the information in the tag the arrangement is adapted to perform at least one operation controlled by the information read.

An intraoral imaging apparatus for tomosynthesis imaging has an x-ray source having a primary collimator that defines boundaries of a radiation field. A transport apparatus translates the x ray source along a path for tomographic imaging. An intraoral x-ray detector defines an imaging area for the radiation field. A positioning apparatus correlates the position of the intraoral detector to the position of a secondary collimator. One or more radio-opaque markers provided on a detector attachment is coupled to the detector, the one or more markers configured to condition acquired x-ray images to relate the spatial position of the intraoral x-ray detector to the x-ray source position, wherein the one or more markers are disposed within the defined imaging area. A control logic processor accepts image data from the detector and determines the relative location of the source with respect to the detector according to detected marker position.

Three dimensional x-ray imaging systems are described in this application. In particular, this application describes a 3D dental intra-oral imaging (3DIO) system that collects a series of 2D image projections. The x-ray imaging system comprises a housing, an x-ray source attached to a articulating or motion gantry configured to move the source within the housing to multiple positions, an x-ray detector array located on an opposite side of an object to be imaged from the x-ray source, where the detector array is synchronized with the x-ray source to capture 2D images of the object when the x-ray source is located in multiple imaging positions, and a processor configured to accept the 2D images and reconstruct a 3D image. The multiple imaging positions can be located on a plane substantially parallel to the x-ray detector array. Other embodiments are described.