Dental health assessment assisting apparatus and dental health assessment assisting system
Inventors
Assignees
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-10842383-B2
Publication Date
2020-11-24
Expiration Date
Abstract
The dental health assessment assisting apparatus includes a gray scale converter configured to convert a fluorescence image obtained by imaging fluorescence of a tooth irradiated with excitation light into a gray scale image, a gray scale value acquiring unit configured to acquire gray scale values of a reference point and a plurality of evaluation points in an image of the tooth in the gray scale image, a normalization unit configured to normalize the gray scale values of the plurality of evaluation points by the gray scale value of the reference point, and a dental health assessment data generator configured to generate dental health assessment data visually representing the gray scale value of the reference point and the gray scale values of the plurality of evaluation points which have been normalized.
Core Innovation
The invention is a dental health assessment assisting apparatus and system that converts a fluorescence image of a tooth into a gray scale image, where the fluorescence image is obtained by imaging fluorescence of the tooth irradiated with excitation light. The apparatus includes a gray scale converter configured to perform the conversion from the fluorescence image into the gray scale image.
The apparatus includes a gray scale value acquiring unit configured to acquire gray scale values for a reference point and a plurality of evaluation points in an image of the tooth in the gray scale image. The gray scale value acquiring unit extracts an entire image of the tooth to obtain the center of gravity or the center of the entire image, sets as the reference point a point having maximal luminance in the entire image, and sets the evaluation points at points located on a plurality of virtual lines with predetermined distance from an edge of the tooth toward the center.
The virtual lines pass the center of gravity or the center and form a predetermined angle with respect to a 0-degree axis connecting the center of gravity or the center to the reference point. A dental health assessment data generator generates dental health assessment data visually representing the gray scale value of the reference point and the gray scale values of the plurality of evaluation points, thereby supporting dental health assessment using visually represented gray scale values and their evaluation-point distributions.
Claims Coverage
One independent claim is present. It contains inventive features centered on converting a fluorescence tooth image into a gray scale image, selecting a maximal-luminance reference point and multiple evaluation points defined by virtual lines with predetermined distance and angle relative to a 0-degree axis, acquiring gray scale values, and generating visually represented dental health assessment data based on those values.
Fluorescence-to-gray-scale conversion for tooth imaging
A gray scale converter configured to convert a fluorescence image obtained by imaging fluorescence of a tooth irradiated with excitation light into a gray scale image.
Acquiring reference and evaluation gray scale values from the tooth image
A gray scale value acquiring unit configured to acquire gray scale values of a reference point and a plurality of evaluation points in an image of the tooth in the gray scale image.
Reference point as maximal luminance and evaluation points on virtual lines
The gray scale value acquiring unit is configured to extract an entire image of the tooth from the gray scale image to obtain the center of gravity or the center of the entire image of the tooth, to set as the reference point a point having a maximal luminance in the entire image of the tooth, and to set, as the plurality of evaluation points, points located on a plurality of virtual lines with a predetermined distance from an edge of the tooth in a direction to the center of gravity or the center, the virtual lines passing the center of gravity or the center and forming a predetermined angle with respect to a 0-degree axis connecting the center of gravity or the center to the reference point.
Visually represented dental health assessment data from reference and evaluation values
A dental health assessment data generator configured to generate dental health assessment data visually representing the gray scale value of the reference point and the gray scale values of the plurality of evaluation points.
The independent claim focuses on using a fluorescence image of an irradiated tooth, converting it to gray scale, defining a maximal-luminance reference point and evaluation points on virtual lines defined by predetermined distance and angle relative to a 0-degree axis, acquiring corresponding gray scale values, and generating visually represented dental health assessment data based on the reference and evaluation gray scale values.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
Interested in licensing this patent?