Methods and systems for management of information related to the appearance of an object

Abstract

The present invention provides an improved system for measuring the appearance of an object, that improves upon the prior art systems by employing a digital CMOS camera and a variety of features attendant thereto, provides an improved calibration system, an improved quality control system, an improved tooth whitening system, and an improved crown design system.

1 . A system for conducting quality control of direct and indirect dental restorations, said method comprising: 
 (a) an MAT device;    (b) a processing unit;    (c) said MAT device comprising an input means for inputting details of features of the patient's mouth to said processing unit; and    (d) a mouth modeler comprising means for mimicking the optical and appearance properties of the canonical human mouth..    
     
     
         2 . A system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said MAT device is a device as defined in  claim 1 .  
     
     
         3 . A system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said detail features comprise one or more of the arch size, gum color and teeth spacing.  
     
     
         4 . A system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said mouth modeler comprises means for allowing the placement of the prosthesis into the mouth modeler and to measure the results using the MAT.  
     
     
         5 . A system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said mouth modeler comprises means for displaying the original image of the tooth.  
     
     
         6 . A system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said mouth modeler comprises means for deforming or morphing the original teeth.  
     
     
         7 . A system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said mouth modeler comprises means for comparing the appearance of the original tooth with the prosthetic tooth.  
     
     
         8 . A system as defined in  claim 5  wherein said comparison means comprises a displayed map using a metric.  
     
     
         9 . A system as defined in  claim 1  further comprising means for providing information on how to remake the prosthesis.  
     
     
         10 . A system for providing information regarding a tooth whitening procedure; said method comprising: 
 (a) displaying to a patient a palette of colors that correspond to a range of shades of natural teeth and allowing the patient to select the shade that the patient feels most closely corresponds to the shade of the patient's teeth;    (b) using a MAT system to determine the shade pattern of the patient's teeth; and    (c) displaying the original image obtained by the MAT and shade map of the patients actual tooth, an image of the patient's tooth based on the selected shade, and an image of the tooth as predicted after tooth whitening.    
     
     
         11 . A computer aided shade design process comprising: 
 (a) an MAT system for obtaining appearance data;    (b) means for processing said appearance data into a shade map;    (c) means for allowing a user to manipulate said shade map; and    (d) means for processing said manipulated shade map to produce a revised shade map.    
     
     
         12 . A computer aided shade design process as defined in  claim 11  wherein said shade map manipulation means comprises means for selecting one or more areas of the map and changing, deleting or adding shade to said area.  
     
     
         13 . A computer aided shade design process as defined in  claim 11  wherein said means for processing said manipulated shade map to provide a revised shade map infers a choice of shade based on the surrounding shades.  
     
     
         14 . A computer aided shade design process as defined in  claim 10  further comprising a means for generating an error map by comparing said revised map to the user to the measured color information.  
     
     
         15 . A computer aided dental restoration design process comprising: 
 (a) an MAT system for obtaining appearance data;    (b) a three dimensional scanner for obtaining shape data;    (c) a data interface enabling the user to select coping material and surface material for dental restoration;    (d) a materials database providing appearance information regarding said material and/or mixing and layering of materials;    (e) means for processing said retrieving appearance information from said materials database based on user's selection of materials    (f) means for producing a virtual dental restoration based on said retrieved appearance information;    (g) means for producing a customized shade map based on said virtual dental restoration; and    (h) means for processing said manipulated shade map to produce a revised shade map.    
     
     
         16 . A computer aided dental restoration design process as defined in  claim 15  wherein said shade map manipulation means comprises means for selecting one or more areas of the map and changing, deleting or adding material to said area.  
     
     
         17 . A computer aided dental restoration design process as defined in  claim 15  wherein said means for processing said manipulated shade map to provide a revised shade map infers a choice of shade based on the surrounding shades.  
     
     
         18 . A computer aided dental restoration design process as defined in  claim 15  further comprising a means for generating an error map by comparing said revised map to the user to the measured color information.  
     
     
         19 . A computer aided dental restoration design process as defined in  claim 15  wherein said dental restoration comprises a crown.  
     
     
         20 . A computer aided dental restoration design process as defined in  claim 15  further comprising means for outputting the material input information for producing said revised customized shade map.