CN110840490A - Oral cavity scanning device and method based on high-frequency ultrasound - Google Patents

Abstract

A high-frequency ultrasound-based oral cavity scanning device is a single-vibration-element ultrasonic probe which is attached with a position sensor and a gel tooth socket made of ultrasonic gel or is fixed on a manipulator. A high-frequency ultrasound-based oral cavity scanning method comprises the following steps: 1) scanning teeth and periodontium one by using an oral cavity scanning device based on high-frequency ultrasound; 2) and (4) segmenting and reconstructing the target tooth section by using an ultrasonic image segmentation and reconstruction technology. The invention realizes the reconstruction of the tooth and the periodontal tissue with high speed, high efficiency and zero radiation, greatly improves the image acquisition speed and accuracy in oral medicine and has higher clinical practical value.

Description

Oral scanning device and method based on high frequency ultrasound

technical field

The invention belongs to the field of medical detection and medical equipment, and relates to an oral scanning device and method.

Background technique

In the current clinical practice of stomatology, the main methods of obtaining dental conditions are making dental molds, optical examinations and X-ray examinations. The dental model can visually see the condition of all crowns, but the production is relatively time-consuming, has many steps, and is affected by the oral environment. X-rays can diagnose problems that are not noticeable in appearance, and can accurately see if there is any abnormality in the condition of the teeth. However, X-ray imaging cannot do anything for some hard tissue loss. Although the radiation dose of modern dental equipment is small, X-rays cannot be used for a long time, especially for pregnant women and other patients. Basically, X-rays are only used in emergency situations. Optical scanning is currently the most widely used dental inspection method at home and abroad, but optical scanners will be affected by oral environment such as oral temperature and saliva, resulting in poor scanning results. Ultrasound is able to penetrate soft tissue and fluids without causing physical or biological damage to the patient, providing instantaneous, low-cost images without ionizing radiation. Ultrasound has been widely used in medical fields such as diagnosis, non-destructive testing and therapy. Because high-frequency ultrasound has the characteristics of short wavelength and high resolution, it is more suitable for use in dental medicine.

Various oral diseases are becoming more and more common with lifestyle changes, affecting the health of modern human beings. Many dental hard tissue diseases are related to the loss and erosion of components in the dental tissue, and can be controlled with appropriate treatment. Therefore, the detection and timely treatment of early tooth damage is very critical to prevent the deterioration of the lesions. Three-dimensional ultrasound reconstruction technology is more and more favored by medical workers because of its intuitive image display, accurate localization of lesions, and accurate measurement of parameters.

Because ultrasound images are reflected images, high-frequency sound waves are reflected at the interface between different tissues, and ultrasound waves are strongly reflected by bone, so objects inside the bone and beyond the surface of the bone are usually invisible. The main components of teeth are two distinct substances: enamel and dentin. Tooth enamel is the hardest tissue in the body and covers and protects the crown of the tooth. Its acoustic properties are similar to those of human bone. The layer under the enamel is dentin, which is slightly softer than enamel and is the most important substance that makes up teeth. Its acoustic properties are intermediate between soft tissue and hard tissue. The large difference in the acoustic properties of the two substances creates a highly reflective interface. In dental medicine, their border is called the dentin-enamel junction, which is also unique in the human body and has an important place in medical research.

Ultrasound can penetrate most hard structures and can detect damage in hard tissues, such as caries beneath a tooth restoration. This is something that conventional X-ray imaging cannot detect. In addition, ultrasound is very effective in the detection of physical discontinuities such as fractures and cracks. However, X-ray imaging can only detect cracks in the direction perpendicular to the X-ray beam, and cannot do anything about the early longitudinal root cracks. X-ray imaging can only detect when these cracks intensify into pulp infection. Using high-frequency ultrasound, three-dimensional imaging of teeth can be obtained and tiny dental defects can be detected. In ultrasound imaging, the surface in the oral cavity closer to the probe is shown, enabling a representation of depth. High-frequency ultrasound can provide higher resolution than conventional ultrasound imaging by sacrificing penetration depth. Ultrasound is less sensitive to scattering than light, so it provides greater imaging depth than optical imaging while maintaining good spatial resolution. Because ultrasound has no ionizing radiation and is real-time, it can be used by dentists in real-time during surgery and does not require surgery or other guidance to direct images or video to the patient. Unlike subgingival exploration, which is known to be somewhat imprecise, ultrasound does not require mechanical penetration of delicate soft tissue in the surgical field.

Due to the particularity of the tooth shape and space, it is not conducive to obtaining clear image information by using ultrasound. The volume of the tooth is small, so the required probe should also be relatively small. in small human teeth. Ultrasound can be expected to become a commonly used dental medical tool, for example to monitor the daily wear and tear of teeth, to provide doctors with accurate enamel thickness in diagnosis, to provide doctors with clear tooth surface condition in surgery, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the existing deficiencies, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to propose an oral scanning device and method based on high-frequency ultrasound, which scans the oral cavity with an original high-frequency ultrasound-based oral scanning device, so as to obtain the teeth and periodontal in real time. The whole picture of the tissue; the reconstruction of teeth and periodontal tissue will be achieved quickly, efficiently, and with zero radiation, which greatly improves the speed and accuracy of image acquisition in stomatology, making it of high clinical practical value.

The technical scheme adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problems is:

An oral scanning device based on high-frequency ultrasound, the device is a single-vibration-element ultrasonic probe with a position sensor and a gel brace made of ultrasonic gel, or a single-vibration-unit ultrasonic probe fixed on a manipulator.

Further, the position sensor includes but is not limited to mechanical and electromagnetic position sensors.

Still further, the surface making materials of the gel braces include but are not limited to ultrasonic permeable materials such as silica gel, and the filling materials of the gel braces include but are not limited to ultrasonic gel, deionized water, etc., which are close to water for ultrasonic absorption and reflectivity. s material.

A high-frequency ultrasound-based oral scanning method, comprising the following steps: 1) using a high-frequency ultrasound-based oral scanning device to scan teeth and periodontal tissue surface by surface; 2) using ultrasonic image segmentation and reconstruction technology Segment and reconstruct the target tooth segment.

Further, the teeth and periodontal tissue in the step 1) refer to the outer surface of the alveolar bone outside the crown, the neck and the root.

Preferably, each surface of the teeth and periodontal tissue refers to the buccal surface, the labial surface, the maxillary surface, the lingual surface, the occlusal surface of the posterior teeth and the incisal edge of the anterior teeth.

In the step 1), the tooth and periodontal tissue scanning method is to scan the high-frequency ultrasonic oral scanning device laterally along the teeth, according to the buccal surface, labial surface, jaw surface, lingual surface, posterior occlusal surface and The scanning results of the incisal edge of the anterior teeth can quickly and efficiently reconstruct the whole picture of the teeth and periodontal tissue.

In the step 2), the target tooth segment refers to the part of the tooth and periodontal tissue where the clinical treatment target detection area is located.

In the step 2), the ultrasonic image segmentation and reconstruction method refers to applying a signal and image processing algorithm to reconstruct a high-resolution ultrasonic image and extracting the tooth surface structure information and the enamel-dentin boundary information in each frame. ; Combine and smooth all edges to render a 3D surface image of the tooth.

In the step 1), the device is a single-vibration-element ultrasonic probe with a position sensor and a gel brace made of ultrasonic gel or a single-vibration-element ultrasonic probe fixed on a manipulator;

The method of using the gel braces made of ultrasonic gel is to place the braces in the patient's mouth to achieve seamless fit with the patient's teeth, and apply ultrasonic gel to the gel braces, adding deionized water, etc. to absorb the ultrasonic waves. A material with a reflectivity close to water to assist in achieving seamless full coverage of the gel braces and teeth.

The beneficial effects of the present invention are mainly manifested in:

First, ultrasound is able to penetrate soft tissue and fluids without physical or biological damage to the patient, provides instantaneous, low-cost images without ionizing radiation, can be used by dentists in real-time during surgery, and does not require surgery or other guidance to direct images or video to the patient;

Second, the use of high-frequency ultrasound can obtain three-dimensional imaging of teeth and detect tiny dental defects;

Third, in ultrasound imaging, the surface closer to the probe in the oral cavity is displayed, enabling a representation of depth;

Fourth, unlike subgingival exploration, which is known to be somewhat imprecise, ultrasound does not require mechanical penetration of delicate soft tissue in the surgical field, enabling treatment that is less invasive to the patient.

The application of the high-frequency ultrasonic-based oral scanning method and device provided by the present invention is beneficial to exert the advantages of non-damage, non-radiation, real-time and economical ultrasonic imaging, and reduce the consumption of commonly used dental mold materials and the oral environment factors in dental mold making. The resulting production failure may eliminate the radiation damage obtained by today's mainstream dental tablets, and achieve accurate presentation of oral teeth and periodontal tissues.

Description of drawings

1 is a schematic diagram of a high-frequency ultrasonic-based oral scanning device, wherein (a) is a side view of the high-frequency ultrasonic-based oral scanning device, and (b) is a top view of the high-frequency ultrasonic-based oral scanning device;

2 is a schematic diagram of a gel mouthpiece used for high-frequency ultrasonic oral scanning method and device, wherein (a) is a top view of the gel mouthpiece used for high-frequency ultrasonic oral scanning method and device, and (b) is used for high-frequency ultrasound Side view of gel braces of oral scanning method and device;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a method for oral scanning based on high frequency ultrasound.

Detailed ways

The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

1 to 3, a high-frequency ultrasound-based oral scanning device, the device is a single-vibration ultrasonic probe with a position sensor and a gel brace made of ultrasonic gel or a single-vibration unit fixed on a manipulator Ultrasound probe.

Further, the position sensor includes but is not limited to mechanical and electromagnetic position sensors.

Still further, the surface making materials of the gel braces include but are not limited to ultrasonic permeable materials such as silica gel, and the filling materials of the gel braces include but are not limited to ultrasonic gel, deionized water, etc., which are close to water for ultrasonic absorption and reflectivity. s material.

A high-frequency ultrasound-based oral scanning method, comprising the following steps: 1) using a high-frequency ultrasound-based oral scanning device to scan teeth and periodontal tissue surface by surface; 2) using ultrasonic image segmentation and reconstruction technology Segment and reconstruct the target tooth segment.

Further, the teeth and periodontal tissue in the step 1) refer to the outer surface of the alveolar bone outside the crown, the neck and the root.

Preferably, each surface of the teeth and periodontal tissue refers to the buccal surface, the labial surface, the maxillary surface, the lingual surface, the occlusal surface of the posterior teeth and the incisal edge of the anterior teeth.

In the step 1), the tooth and periodontal tissue scanning method is to scan the high-frequency ultrasonic oral scanning device laterally along the teeth, according to the buccal surface, labial surface, jaw surface, lingual surface, posterior occlusal surface and The scanning results of the incisal edge of the anterior teeth can quickly and efficiently reconstruct the whole picture of the teeth and periodontal tissue.

In the step 2), the target tooth segment refers to the part of the tooth and periodontal tissue where the clinical treatment target detection area is located.

In the step 2), the ultrasonic image segmentation and reconstruction method refers to applying a signal and image processing algorithm to reconstruct a high-resolution ultrasonic image and extracting the tooth surface structure information and the enamel-dentin boundary information in each frame. ; Combine and smooth all edges to render a 3D surface image of the tooth.

In the step 1), the device is a single-vibration-element ultrasonic probe with a position sensor and a gel brace made of ultrasonic gel or a single-vibration-element ultrasonic probe fixed on a manipulator;

The method of using the gel braces made of ultrasonic gel is to place the braces in the patient's mouth to achieve seamless fit with the patient's teeth, and apply ultrasonic gel to the gel braces, adding deionized water, etc. to absorb the ultrasonic waves. A material with a reflectivity close to water to assist in achieving seamless full coverage of the gel braces and teeth.

The steps of using the oral scanning device based on high frequency ultrasound are:

1. Intraoral scanning is performed from the midline of the teeth on the mesial surface along their long axis through a single-vibration ultrasonic probe attached with a position sensor or a single-vibration ultrasonic probe fixed to a manipulator.

2. Place the ultrasound probe at the intersection of the palate and the alveolar process of the maxilla, slightly away from the second molar, then move the transducer back and forth and down in small increments until the occlusal surface can be seen, along the An intraoral scan was performed with the long axis of the tooth.

Place the ultrasound probe at the intersection of the mandibular tooth and the alveolar process, slightly away from the second molar, then move the transducer back and forth and up in small increments until the occlusal surface can be seen, along the long axis of the tooth, Perform an intraoral scan.

3. Place the ultrasound probe on the lingual side of the mandibular second molar, at the level of the alveolar ridge, and move the transducer along the lingual mucosal surface until the lingual nerve is exposed in the image.

The invention realizes the reconstruction of teeth and periodontal tissues quickly, efficiently and with zero radiation, greatly improves the image acquisition speed and accuracy in stomatology, and has high clinical practical value.

Claims (10)

1. An oral cavity scanning device based on high-frequency ultrasound is characterized in that the device is a single-vibration-element ultrasonic probe which is attached with a position sensor and a gel tooth socket made of ultrasonic gel or a single-vibration-element ultrasonic probe fixed on a manipulator.

2. The high frequency ultrasound-based oral scanning device of claim 1, wherein the position sensor is a mechanical or electromagnetic position sensor.

3. The oral cavity scanning device based on high-frequency ultrasound according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surface of the gel mouthpiece is made of silica gel, and the filling material of the gel mouthpiece is ultrasound gel or deionized water.

4. A method implemented by a high frequency ultrasound-based oral scanning apparatus according to claim 1, the method comprising the steps of: 1) scanning teeth and periodontium one by using an oral cavity scanning device based on high-frequency ultrasound; 2) and (4) segmenting and reconstructing the target tooth section by using an ultrasonic image segmentation and reconstruction technology.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the tooth and periodontal tissue in step 1) is the external surface of the crown, the neck and the extraroot alveolar bone.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of said dental and periodontal tissue surfaces is according to buccal, labial, buccal, lingual, posterior occlusal and anterior incisal margins of the teeth.

7. The method as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein in step 1), the tooth and periodontal tissue scanning method comprises scanning a high frequency ultrasonic oral cavity scanning device transversely along the tooth, and reconstructing the full appearance of the tooth and periodontal tissue rapidly and efficiently according to the scanning results of the buccal surface, labial surface, jaw surface, lingual surface, posterior occlusal surface and anterior incisal margin of the tooth.

8. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein in step 2), the target tooth section is a tooth and a periodontal tissue portion where a target detection region is located for clinical treatment.

9. The method as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein in the step 2), the ultrasonic image segmentation and reconstruction method is to apply signal and image processing algorithm to reconstruct high resolution ultrasonic image and extract tooth surface structure information and enamel-dentin boundary information in each frame; all edges are combined and smoothed to render a three-dimensional surface image of the tooth.

10. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein in step 1), the device is a single-vibrator ultrasonic probe with a position sensor and a gel mouthpiece made of ultrasonic gel or a single-vibrator ultrasonic probe fixed to a manipulator;

the use method of the gel tooth socket manufactured by utilizing the ultrasonic gel comprises the steps of placing the tooth socket in the oral cavity of a patient to be in seamless joint with the teeth of the patient, and smearing the ultrasonic gel and adding deionized water and other materials with the ultrasonic absorption reflectivity close to water in the gel tooth socket to assist in realizing the seamless full coverage of the gel tooth socket and the teeth.

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