In an alignment state indicating apparatus and method according to the present invention, scanning is performed by means of a scanner, raw data is formed through light incident into the scanner, 3D data is formed through the raw data, and alignment is performed. When it is determined that such an alignment process of 3D data is not performed normally, the alignment state indicating apparatus and method according to the present invention provide visual feedback to a user on an alignment error in the form of a specific pattern, thereby allowing the user to quickly recognize whether to perform the alignment. Accordingly, the alignment state indicating apparatus and method have the advantage of improving the reliability of scanning by allowing the user to scan an object closely.

An intra-oral scanning device includes a light source and an optical system, and communicates with a display system. The device has a reduced form factor as compared to prior devices, and it provides for more efficient transmission and capture of images.

An intraoral scanner comprises a light source, a moveable opto-mechanical module, an axial actuator, and an image sensor. The light source is configured to generate light that is to be output onto an object external to the intraoral scanner. The moveable opto-mechanical module comprises integrated projection/imaging optics and an exit pupil, the projection/imaging optics having an optical axis, wherein the projection/imaging optics are entirely integrated into the moveable opto-mechanical module. The axial actuator is coupled to the projection/imaging optics and configured to move the moveable opto-mechanical module comprising an entirety of the projection/imaging optics in the optical axis to achieve a plurality of focus settings. The image sensor is configured to receive reflected light that has been reflected off of the object external to the intraoral scanner for the plurality of focus settings.

An intraoral scanner includes a probe with a sensing face, patterned light sources that are coupled to the probe, un-patterned light sources coupled to the probe, near infrared (NIR) light sources couple to the probe, cameras coupled to the probe, and a processing device coupled to the probe. The processing device is configured to control an operation of the patterned light sources, the un-patterned light sources, and the NIR light sources.

A method of multimodal scanning may include generating surface scan data of an intraoral structured using structured light. The method may include generating volumetric scan data of an internal structure of the intraoral structure with OCT scanning. The OCT scan data may be aligned with the surface scan data. A three-dimensional volumetric model of the patient's dentition may be generated based on the aligned OCT scan data and the surface scan data.

A method for generating a 3D image includes driving structured light projector(s) to project a pattern of light on an intraoral 3D surface, and driving camera(s) to capture images, each image including at least a portion of the projected pattern, each one of the camera(s) comprising an array of pixels. A processor compares a series of images captured by each camera and determines which of the portions of the projected pattern can be tracked across the images. The processor constructs a three-dimensional model of the intraoral three-dimensional surface based at least in part on the comparison of the series of images. Other embodiments are also described.

An intraoral scanning system is described herein. The intraoral scanning system includes a scanning device and a processing device. The scanning device is configured to illuminate an object of interest with a burst light pattern at one or more intervals and receive a set of reflected images reflected off the object of interest. The processing device is configured to receive the set of reflected images from the scanning device and convert the set of reflected images into a three-dimensional model of the object of interest. The burst light pattern comprises a first image and a second image in succession. One of the first image and the second image is a structured light image and the other of the first image and the second image is an unstructured light image.

A method of scanning an oral cavity including: acquiring, using an intraoral scanner (IOS) head, without changing a position of the IOS head, a first image of a first region of interest (ROI) and a second image of a second ROI where the first and the second ROIs are of different portions of a dental arch of the oral cavity and do not overlap; reconstructing depth information for the first and the second ROI; and generating a single model of the dental arch by combing the depth information.

Proposed is a method of compensating data, the method including: acquiring a plurality of initial scan shots by scanning a target object onto which a predetermined pattern is projected; detecting a non-scan region on the basis of the plurality of initial scan shots; and acquiring at least one compensated scan shot by additionally scanning at least one portion of the target object when the non-scan region is detected.

A dental device tracking method including acquiring, using an imager of a dental device, at least a first image which includes an image of at least one user body portion outside of a user's oral cavity; identifying the at least one user body portion in the first image; and determining, using the at least the first image, a position of the dental device with respect to the at least one user body portion.