US 11,712,164 B2
Intraoral scanner with moveable opto-mechanical module
Yossef Atiya, Maccabim (IL); and Tal Verker, Ofra (IL)
Assigned to Align Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Align Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on May 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/737,349.
Application 17/737,349 is a continuation of application No. 17/142,064, filed on Jan. 5, 2021, granted, now 11,357,404.
Application 17/142,064 is a continuation of application No. 16/586,744, filed on Sep. 27, 2019, granted, now 10,918,286, issued on Feb. 16, 2021.
Application 16/586,744 is a continuation of application No. 15/859,010, filed on Dec. 29, 2017, granted, now 10,456,043, issued on Oct. 29, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/445,663, filed on Jan. 12, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0257121 A1, Aug. 18, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61C 7/00 (2006.01); A61C 9/00 (2006.01); G02B 21/00 (2006.01); G01B 11/24 (2006.01); G02B 21/36 (2006.01); A61B 1/247 (2006.01); G01B 11/06 (2006.01); A61C 19/04 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/0068 (2013.01) [A61B 1/247 (2013.01); A61B 5/0088 (2013.01); A61C 7/002 (2013.01); A61C 9/006 (2013.01); A61C 9/0066 (2013.01); G01B 11/0608 (2013.01); G01B 11/24 (2013.01); G02B 21/0024 (2013.01); G02B 21/0028 (2013.01); G02B 21/367 (2013.01); A61B 5/7246 (2013.01); A61C 19/04 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An intraoral scanner, comprising:
a light source to generate light that is to be output onto an object external to the intraoral scanner;
a moveable opto-mechanical module comprising a) integrated projection/imaging optics comprising three to nine lenses and b) an exit pupil, the projection/imaging optics having an optical axis, wherein the three to nine lenses of the projection/imaging optics are entirely integrated into the moveable opto-mechanical module;
an axial actuator coupled to the moveable opto-mechanical module 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, wherein the three to nine lenses maintain fixed positions relative to one another with changes in the plurality of focus settings; and
an image sensor configured to receive reflected light that has been reflected off of the object external to the intraoral scanner for the plurality of focus settings.