US 12,274,600 B2
Intraoral 3D scanning system using uniform structured light projection
Ofer Saphier, Rechovot (IL); Yossef Atiya, Modiin-Maccabim-Reut (IL); Arkady Rudnitsky, Rehovot (IL); Nir Makmel, Tel Aviv (IL); Sergei Ozerov, Yerevan (AM); Tal Verker, Ofra (IL); and Tal Levy, Rehovot (IL)
Assigned to Align Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Align Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 11, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/914,013.
Application 18/914,013 is a continuation of application No. 18/485,222, filed on Oct. 11, 2023.
Application 18/485,222 is a continuation of application No. 17/826,016, filed on May 26, 2022, granted, now 11,826,225, issued on Nov. 28, 2023.
Application 17/826,016 is a continuation of application No. 16/446,181, filed on Jun. 19, 2019, granted, now 11,896,461, issued on Feb. 13, 2024.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/778,192, filed on Dec. 11, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/775,787, filed on Dec. 5, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/689,006, filed on Jun. 22, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2025/0032227 A1, Jan. 30, 2025
Int. Cl. A61C 9/00 (2006.01); A61B 1/00 (2006.01); A61B 1/24 (2006.01); G02B 27/42 (2006.01); G06T 7/521 (2017.01); G06T 7/586 (2017.01); G06T 7/80 (2017.01); G06T 17/00 (2006.01); H04N 9/31 (2006.01)
CPC A61C 9/006 (2013.01) [A61B 1/00096 (2013.01); A61B 1/00172 (2013.01); A61B 1/00193 (2013.01); A61B 1/24 (2013.01); G02B 27/4222 (2013.01); G02B 27/4227 (2013.01); G06T 7/521 (2017.01); G06T 7/586 (2017.01); G06T 7/80 (2017.01); G06T 7/85 (2017.01); G06T 17/00 (2013.01); H04N 9/3161 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10024 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10028 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10052 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30036 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An intraoral scanning system comprising:
an elongate handheld wand with a probe at a distal end;
a structured light projector configured to project a uniform structured light pattern onto an object, the structured light projector comprising a light source configured to transmit light and a pattern generating optical element configured to generate the uniform structured light pattern when the light is transmitted from the light source and through the pattern generating optical element;
a plurality of cameras configured to capture points of the uniform structured light pattern projected onto the object by the structured light projector; and
one or more processors configured to:
determine a correspondence between projected points in the uniform structured light pattern generated by the structured light projector and captured points of the uniform structured light pattern captured by the plurality of cameras viewing the uniform structured light pattern projected onto the object; and
use triangulation and the determined correspondence to determine three-dimensional points in space associated with the captured points of the uniform structured light pattern captured by the plurality of cameras viewing the uniform structured light pattern projected onto the object.