System and method for imaging in laser dental treatment

Abstract

A device for determining a contour of a dental treatment area during treatment thereof includes a laser beam guidance system and an imaging system. The laser beam guidance system can guide a laser beam and, optionally, a scanning light to a dental treatment area, and the imaging system, which can include an adjustable focus image sensor, can obtain an image of the dental treatment area based on light rays reflected therefrom. The device also includes a computation system to compute a contour, e.g., a 2D contour, of a surface of the dental treatment area based on the image obtained by the imaging system and, optionally, geometries of one or more components of the laser beam guidance system and/or optical components associated with the imaging system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for determining a contour of a dental treatment area, the device comprising:
 a laser beam guidance system for guiding, via a handpiece, a laser beam to a dental treatment area;   an imaging system to obtain an image of the dental treatment area based on light rays reflected therefrom and traveling via the hand piece; and   a computation system adapted for determining, based on the image obtained by the imaging system, a contour of a surface of the dental treatment area.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the imaging system comprises an adjustable focus lens. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , further comprising at least one of a joystick and a foot pedal for adjusting a focal length of the adjustable focus lens. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the adjustable focus lens comprises at least one of a motorized lens stack and a liquid lens. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the computation system is adapted for determining an in-focus portion of the image. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the computation system is adapted for determining the contour based at least in part on a geometry of at least one of a component of the laser beam guidance system and the imaging system. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein both the laser beam and the light rays reflected from the dental treatment area travel along a common optical axis. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , further comprising a splitter for directing the light rays reflected from the dental treatment area to the imaging system. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the imaging system is located within the handpiece. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an illumination system for providing light to the dental treatment area. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the illumination system is adapted for providing light having a pattern. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the pattern comprises at least one of a spot, a one-dimensional pattern, and a two-dimensional pattern. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the laser beam guidance system is adapted to scan the dental treatment area by directing light from the illumination system. 
     
     
         15 . A method of determining a contour of a dental treatment area, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) receiving at an imaging system a first image based on a first set of light rays reflected from a dental treatment area and traveling via a handpiece;   (b) generating a first contour of the dental treatment area based on the first image;   (c) directing via the handpiece a laser beam to the dental treatment area using a laser beam guidance system, to remove at least a portion of tissue from the dental treatment area;   (d) receiving at the imaging system a second image based on a second set of light rays reflected from the dental treatment area and traveling via the handpiece;   (e) generating a second contour of the dental treatment area based on the second image; and   (f) repeating steps (c) through (e) until treatment is completed.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first contour and the second contour is a two-dimensional (2D) contour. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 receiving the first image comprises adjusting a focal length associated with the imaging system; and   generating the first contour comprises determining an in-focus portion of the first image.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the focal length is adjusted using at least one of a joy stick and a foot pedal. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein both the laser beam and the first and second sets of light rays reflected from the dental treatment area and received by the imaging system travel along a common optical axis. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein receiving the first image comprises scanning the dental treatment area according to a pattern of light obtained from an illumination system. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the laser beam is guided to the dental treatment area along a first axis and the first and second sets of light rays reflected from the dental treatment area and received by the imaging system travel along a second axis that is at an angle with respect to the first axis. 
     
     
         22 .- 27 . (canceled)