阅读说明：本技术 牙科护理单元 (Dental care unit ) 是由 K·奈豪姆 C·德戈德津斯基 于 2018-03-19 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及牙科护理单元(1),其包括框架部分(2)、用于支撑与牙科护理(6)相关的仪器的支撑构造(5,7),以及另一方面,被布置为与牙科护理结合使用的操作灯(8),该操作灯(8)被布置为在距离操作灯(8)期望距离处产生期望的光图案。相机装置被布置到该操作灯(8),该相机装置包括彼此相距一定距离的两个光学相机(85),它们被集成为牙科护理单元(1)的操作灯(8)的结构和功能部分。(The invention relates to a dental care unit (1) comprising a frame part (2), a support construction (5, 7) for supporting instruments in connection with dental care (6), and, on the other hand, an operating lamp (8) arranged for use in connection with dental care, which operating lamp (8) is arranged to produce a desired light pattern at a desired distance from the operating lamp (8). To the operating light (8) a camera device is arranged, which camera device comprises two optical cameras (85) at a distance from each other, which are integrated as structural and functional parts of the operating light (8) of the dental care unit (1).)

1. A dental care unit comprising:

-a frame structure (2);

-a support construction (5) for supporting a diagnostic instrument in connection with dental care (6) or an instrument used in connection with a dental care operation or both;

-a control system;

-means via which the power or control signals or both required for its operation can be delivered to at least a part of the instrument (6).

-an operating light (8) arranged to be used in connection with dental care and arranged to generate a light pattern of a desired kind at a desired distance from the operating light (8);

-support structure for operating lamps (7)

Characterized in that a camera device is arranged to the operating lamp (8), which camera device comprises two optical cameras (85), which two optical cameras (85) are arranged at a distance from each other and are structurally and operationally integrated as part of the operating lamp (8) of the dental care unit (1).

2. Dental care unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the two cameras (85) are oriented to take mainly at the point where the operating light (8) is arranged to produce a light pattern of the desired kind.

3. Dental care unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least a part of the electronics of both the operating light (8) and the camera (85) required for operation of both the operating light (8) and the camera (85) is arranged as a physical part of the structure of the operating light (8).

4. Dental care unit according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that the support structure (7) for the operating light (8) comprises a mechanism enabling adjustment of the position and orientation of the operating light (8), the balance of the mechanism being achieved by taking into account the additional mass added to the operating light (8) by the two cameras (85).

5. A dental care unit according to any of claims 1-4, characterized in that the control of the operation of the camera and its signal routing is part of the operating light (8) of the dental care unit (1).

6. A dental care unit according to any of claims 1-5, characterized in that said camera arrangement comprises two camera units (801), said two camera units (801) comprising an image detector and at least one optical component, a camera controller of the camera unit (802) and a control system of the operation light (804), which control system has been arranged in functional connection with the camera controller of the camera unit (802).

7. The dental care unit as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the camera unit (801) comprises at least one component configured to pre-process image information detected by the image detector.

8. A dental care unit as claimed in claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the camera unit (801) is arranged to generate image information as a continuous information stream.

9. A dental care unit according to any of claims 6-8, characterized in that the image detector and the optical components of the camera unit (801) are placed in the structure such that their field of view is open from the same structure of the operating light (8), from the direction of the same surface from which the light field of the operating light (8) is also emitted, from inside the cover of the operating light (8).

10. A dental care unit according to any of claims 1-9, characterized in that the cameras (85) are arranged to take a single picture and their control is implemented such that a single picture can be taken simultaneously.

11. A dental care unit according to any of claims 1-10, characterized in that the operation control of the camera (85) and the operation light (8) is synchronized so that the operation light (8) is switched off when taking a picture in order to prevent overexposure of the picture.

12. Dental care unit according to any of claims 1-11, characterized in that a data transmission communication is arranged to the operating light (8) for forwarding image information generated by the camera (85).

13. Dental care unit according to any of claims 1-12, characterized in that the means arranged in connection with operating the lamp (8) preprocesses the image information generated by the camera (85) such that the amount of image information forwarded from the lamp (8) is significantly smaller than the amount of image information generated by the camera (85).

14. Dental care unit according to claim 13, characterized in that the means for pre-processing image information are configured to enable forwarding of image information of only a part of the area taken by the camera (85).

15. A dental care unit according to any of claims 1-14, characterized in that the dental care unit (1) is arranged in functional connection with a computer (13) and that the computer (13) is configured to transmit information to the camera (85) about the area that the camera (85) is filming or which kind of partial area of the area, the forwarded information being to be limited.

16. A dental care unit according to any of claims 1-15, characterized in that the camera (85) comprises control electronics configured to identify predefined information from the information captured by the camera (85) and to forward only this predefined information, or alternatively or additionally, to forward the coordinates of the position in the image information where the information is identified.

Technical Field

The invention relates to an apparatus that can be implemented in connection with a dental care unit, wherein a camera has been arranged in connection with an operating light of the dental care unit.

Background

In the field of dentistry, the term dental care unit (often simply referred to as "dental unit") is a device or apparatus that is directed to powering diagnostic instruments associated with dental care or instruments used in connection with dental care operations and possibly also to providing control signals. A typical solution is to arrange such an instrument on an instrument console supported by a support arm extending from the structure of the dental care unit.

In a dental care unit, there are often also arranged arms for operating lights required for dental care work. For such operating lights, there are standards relating to lighting, in particular, the oral area of a patient, which define the properties of the light field generated by the operating light, such as its size, shape, penumbra area, etc.

It is also known in the art to arrange an optical camera in connection with such a dental operation light. Cameras arranged in connection with operating lights have been utilized in teaching environments to enable monitoring of the work of persons training dental work, among other things, whereby it is not necessary to monitor the physical presence of the trained persons at the specific workstation, but the work can also be observed from elsewhere. When more than one training workstation is usually used in one facility or teaching organization, fixing the camera on the operation light of the dental care unit enables monitoring of the training occurring at several different workstations, even in the supervisor's own office.

When the structure supporting the operating light or its balance is not originally designed to also support such accessories, a camera retrofitted to the operating light may cause problems in placing and aligning the operating light in a desired location. Furthermore, while the dental care unit may have been arranged to support a set of various instruments and accessories, it is also not optimal to bring it nearby, i.e. in fact in a dental care facility the cables are spiraling in the air or crossing over the floor, thus hindering the work.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to design a new type of operating lamp for a dental care unit comprising a camera arrangement, wherein the camera arrangement has initially been designed as an integral part of the construction of the operating lamp, and which widens the range of possible uses of the operating lamp.

The invention is based on an apparatus in which a stereo camera, i.e. two cameras at a distance from each other, has been integrated in the structure of the dental operation light. Such a device may be used in combination with: for example, drilling the holes required for a dental implant to generate information about the location and position of the drill bit relative to the hole designed for the implant.

The essential features of the invention will be defined in the appended independent claims.

Some preferred embodiments of the invention will be presented in the appended dependent claims and in the following more detailed description of the invention.

Drawings

In the drawings:

figure 1 shows a typical dental care unit,

figure 2 shows a device for operating a lamp for a dental care unit according to the invention,

fig. 3 shows a block diagram of one possible apparatus that enables integration of a stereo camera with a dental operation light.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows the basic structure of a typical dental care unit 1 designed for use in connection with dental care. The dental care unit 1 according to fig. 1 comprises a frame structure 2 and a patient chair 3 connected thereto. Extending from the frame structure 2 is a vertical structure 4, to which vertical structure 4 a first support construction 5 is connected, which first support construction 5 is intended to support a diagnostic instrument in connection with a dental care 6 or an instrument used in connection with a dental care operation 6 or both. A second support structure 7 for operating the lamp 8 and a third support structure 9 for a display 10 are also connected to the vertical structure 4.

Fig. 1 also shows an instrument console 11, which instrument console 11 may be designed to support instruments typically used by dental assistants and foot controls 12, by means of which foot controls 12 the operation of the dental care unit 1 and/or the equipment and structures associated or connected thereto may be controlled. Furthermore, the dental care unit 1 is arranged in operative connection with a data network or a personal computer 13.

It should be noted that the dental care unit according to fig. 1 is only an example. Within the scope of the invention, the dental care unit may comprise more or less support structures for different kinds of equipment than shown in the structure according to fig. 1. For example, it is also possible that there is no need to have a patient chair in the dental care unit, but it can be realized as a completely separate structure from the frame part of the dental care unit. Furthermore, the frame structure of the dental care unit may replace the structure shown in fig. 1 with significant horizontal and vertical dimensions, but only one support structure based on its dimensions, from which one or more support arms extend, and this structure may also be arranged integrated with the structure of the floor standing dental care chair. However, the frame structure of the dental care unit has typically been implemented such that, via the frame structure, it is arranged to supply the power and/or control signals required for using the instrument and the equipment used in connection with dental care. Therefore, physically, it is a problem to supply, for example, at least one of the following: water, compressed air, electricity, or other control signals. Thus, when referring to a dental care unit in the present application, it refers to a structure comprising means for supplying at least some of the above listed or equivalent to a dental care instrument arranged in connection with the dental care unit or other equipment used in connection with dental care.

Fig. 2 shows a device for operating a lamp for a dental care unit according to the invention. The operation lamp 8 includes a frame portion 81 and a cover glass 82, the frame portion 81 and the cover glass 82 defining in their interiors spaces where components for generating a light beam suitable for dental use, not shown in fig. 2, are located. These components typically include optics, such as one or more lenses and/or reflective surfaces, in addition to the actual light source or sources. Thus, the dental procedure light is designed to produce a desired light pattern with desired properties at a distance substantially from the procedure light, which light pattern can then be positioned in the mouth region of the patient so that the mouth of the patient can be illuminated without the light dazzling the patient.

The operating lamp 8 according to fig. 2 further comprises a mechanical connection structure 83 via which the operating lamp 8 is connected to the dental care unit, such as the second support structure 7 comprised in the dental care unit 1 according to fig. 1. Furthermore, handles 84 are arranged on two different sides of the frame part 81, which handles 84 serve for positioning the operating lamp 8.

Two optical cameras 85 are also arranged in the operating lamp 8 according to fig. 2 at a distance from one another. These cameras 85 are physically and operationally implemented as an integral part of the operating light 8. The camera 85 is arranged in the operating light 8 to be oriented to mainly shoot the point at which the operating light 8 is arranged to produce the desired light pattern. On the other hand, the optics of the camera may be arranged to enable adjustment of the field of view (FOV). The shooting direction of the camera may also be adjustably arranged.

Since the operating light has originally been designed to also include two cameras, the mechanism of its support structure can also be designed by taking into account the additional mass added by the cameras. Also, the need to pass these cables through the support structure of the operating light can be taken into account already at the outset when designing these structures, as long as it is necessary to arrange additional cables for the operating light in order to use the camera and to forward the image information produced by them.

Fig. 2 shows an operating lamp in which a cover glass protects components placed to a frame portion of the operating lamp. The operating lamp may also be realized without a cover glass without departing from the inventive concept. It is important that the camera is structurally and operationally integrated as part of the operating light of the dental care unit. That is, the control of the operation of the camera and its signal routing is part of the operation light of the dental care unit, as opposed to the camera device being a component retrofitted outside the frame of the operation light and its control of the operation and its signal routing is completely independent (i.e. external with respect to the operation light and the dental care unit).

Fig. 3 shows a block diagram of one possible apparatus that enables integration of a stereo camera with a dental operation light. The arrangement according to fig. 3 comprises two camera units 801, which two camera units 801 are arranged in operative connection with a camera controller 802, which camera controller 802 is in turn in operative connection with a control system 804 operating the lamp 8. A control system 804 operating the lamp 8 controls and possibly also communicates with the light projector 803.

The camera unit 801 for operating the lamp may comprise a lens system and an image detector, as well as their required and possible peripheral components. The operation of these components may be related to, for example, processing detected image information or controlling the lens system.

The lens system may include a lens with a fixed or adjustable focal length that forms an image on the detector. Image information is forwarded from the camera unit 801 to the camera controller 802 in digital form. The image information may be pre-processed in the camera unit 801 before it is forwarded, for example by compensating for defective pixels of the detector, by eliminating artifacts caused by the lens, or by adjusting the exposure, sensitivity or color balance.

The camera controller 802 may comprise components whose operation involves processing and storing image information in addition to receiving signals and image information from the camera unit 801 and on the other hand forwarding them.

The camera controller 802 may also be arranged to receive information and signals from an external data system.

Therefore, the above-described processing that is possible to be implemented in the camera unit 801 may be partially or entirely executed only in the camera controller 802. The components used in the processing may be implemented as, for example, ASIC or FPGA based solutions. In forwarding data as well as receiving data, a WLAN or ETHERNET connection, for example, may be used as an alternative to a cable.

In the arrangement according to fig. 3, the camera controller 802 is arranged in operative connection with a control system operating the lamp 804, the camera controller 802 being communicable with the control system operating the lamp 804 and it being arranged to receive power from the camera controller 802. If desired, means for converting the power supplied to it into a suitable voltage for internal use by the camera controller 802 and also for the camera unit 801 may be implemented for the camera controller 802.

Furthermore, a control system 804 for operating the lamp is operatively connected to the light projector 803 for operating the lamp. The light projector 803 of the operating lamp may comprise a device known in the art which generates a light beam which the operating lamp has to generate according to the standards of the field, intended for use in connection with dental care. The light projector 803 may comprise the actual light emitting components, e.g. LED devices and other optical components, such as one or more lenses and/or reflective surfaces.

The camera controller 802 thus receives image information in digital form from the camera unit 801, and both the camera controller 802 and the camera unit 801 may be arranged to process the received information. The camera controller 802 may also include a mass memory in which image information detected and processed by the device may be stored. Especially in embodiments of the invention where the information is not forwarded from the operating light via a cable, the image information may preferably be compressed into a format that is easy to transmit and store before forwarding.

It is clear to the person skilled in the art that the arrangement according to fig. 3 is only one way of realizing an operating lamp according to the invention. For example, it is not necessary to implement the camera controller 802 as a separate device from the camera unit 801.

In one embodiment of the invention, the camera unit 801 has been arranged to generate image information as a continuous stream of information that can be analyzed and processed within the camera system. Such processing may be based on controls external to the system or on analysis performed in the system itself. The information handling may be, for example, deleting information unrelated to its intended use before forwarding the information.

The analysis of the image data may include, for example, identifying spatial frequency components and their intensities in different parts of the image, identifying patterns predefined to be detected and identifying their two-dimensional locations, or calculating the variation between successive images.

The processing of the image information may again comprise, for example, processing the image into the form: wherein a portion of the spatial frequency components of the image are presented with a lower numerical accuracy than other portions, wherein regions are deleted from the image information, or wherein the image information is partially or fully replaced by the results of the analysis.

In one embodiment of the invention, the above-mentioned information stream refers to individual images ("frames") taken at high frequency. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the camera controller 802 is arranged to enable control of such camera unit 801 that generates the individual images, such that such camera unit 801 may generate a pair of images that are taken substantially simultaneously. Then, a high-quality stereoscopic image of the image information generated by the camera unit 801 can be generated.

In one embodiment of the invention, the control of the operation of the camera and the operating light is synchronized so that the light is turned off when the image is taken in order to prevent overexposure of the image. Thus, a live image may be produced such that the light flashes at a suitable frequency, which is arranged to substantially correspond to the image capturing frequency.

In the present invention, it is therefore important that the camera unit or equivalent according to fig. 3 is arranged as part of the structure of the operating light itself and that the components required for its control are arranged as part of the operating light of the dental care unit, or possibly partly or wholly as part of the structure of the dental care unit. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the image detector and the optical component of the camera unit are located in the structure such that their fields of view open from the same structure of the operating lamp, from the direction of the same surface from which the light field of the operating lamp is also emitted, and from the inside of the cover of the operating lamp.

An operating light according to the invention may be used, for example, for monitoring a dental care instrument, such as a drill bit. In such an arrangement, features, markers, which the camera is arranged to associate with the operation light image, are added in the instrument or at known points in the instrument. Computer software operatively connected to the operating light is arranged to detect from the image information the marker itself and its position and orientation in the image produced by the operating light.

This detection function may be arranged to be performed already in the operating light. If only information on the position and orientation of the marker is forwarded instead of the detected image information, the amount of information forwarded from the operation lamp can be reduced.

In order to enable control of the drilling, in addition to detecting the position and orientation of the instrument, information is needed about how the markers arranged in conjunction with the instrument are positioned relative to the anatomy that is the target of the dental care operation. This information may be obtained, for example, by placing some different markers at known points of the anatomy; however, it is also possible to use as a reference a surface model showing the intra-oral anatomy imaged by the camera, which is generated and the resulting image information can be updated according to the camera arranged in the operating light.

If the above-described type of method is applied, for example, in order to drill a dental implant in the jaw bone, the information of the position and orientation of the instrument obtained in the above-described manner can be compared with a model of the anatomical structure stored in the device as an operation target, which model has also been modeled with a hole designed for the implant. When all of this information is present, there are a number of possible arrangements for its use. For example, the location where the instrument should be located, and on the other hand, the location where it is currently located, may be visually indicated on some display, and such a system may be implemented to indicate when the instrument is at (within a certain margin of error) the point and orientation corresponding to the drilling plan, or when it is not. This information may even be used to control a robot performing the drilling.

In summary, it can be said that the invention consists of a dental care unit comprising a frame structure, a support construction for supporting diagnostic instruments related to dental care or instruments used in connection with dental care operations or both, a control system, means via which electrical power or control signals or both required for their operation can be transmitted to at least a part of the instruments used in connection with dental care operations, and a support structure for operating a lamp to be used in connection with dental care, the lamp being arranged to generate a desired kind of light pattern at a desired distance from the lamp. Basically, two optical cameras are arranged to the operating lamp at a distance from each other.

The camera of such a camera arrangement may be oriented to mainly shoot the point at which the operating light is arranged to produce the desired type of light pattern. At least a part of the electronics of both the operation lamp and the camera required for its operation may be arranged as a physical part of the structure of the operation lamp.

The means in combination with the operating light may be arranged to pre-process the image information generated by the camera such that the amount of image information forwarded from the light is significantly smaller than the amount of image information generated by the camera. The means for pre-processing the image information may be configured to enable forwarding of image information of only a part of the area taken by the camera. In addition, the functional connection may be arranged with a computer configured to transmit to the camera information about the area the camera is shooting or which type of local area of the area, the forwarded information to be limited. On the other hand, the control electronics of the apparatus may be configured to identify predefined information from the information captured by the camera and to forward only that information, or alternatively or additionally, to forward the coordinates of that location in the image information at which the information is identified.