Dental imaging with photon-counting detector

Abstract

An extra-oral dental imaging apparatus for obtaining an image from a patient has a radiation source; a first digital imaging sensor that provides, for each of a plurality of image pixels, at least a first digital value according to a count of received photons that exceed at least a first energy threshold; a mount that supports the radiation source and the first digital imaging sensor on opposite sides of the patient's head; a computer in signal communication with the digital imaging sensor for acquiring a first two-dimensional image from the first digital imaging sensor; and a second digital imaging sensor that is alternately switched into place by the mount and that provides image data according to received radiation.

1 . A dental imaging apparatus for obtaining an image from a patient, the apparatus comprising:
 a radiation source;   a first digital imaging sensor that provides, for each of a plurality of image pixels, at least a first digital value according to a count of received photons that exceed at least a first energy threshold;   a mount that supports the radiation source and the first digital imaging sensor on opposite sides of the patient's head;   a computer in signal communication with the first digital imaging sensor for acquiring a first two-dimensional image from the first digital imaging sensor; and   a controller electrically coupled to the radiation source, the first digital imaging sensor, the mount and the computer, the controller configured to operate the dental imaging apparatus in at least one imaging mode.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where the dental imaging apparatus is configured to operate in at least one imaging mode, where the at least one imaging mode comprises volume imaging, CT imaging, panoramic imaging, or cephalometric imaging. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where the dental imaging apparatus is configured to operate in three or more imaging modes, where the three or more imaging modes comprises a combination of volume imaging, CT imaging, panoramic imaging, or cephalometric imaging. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where the dental imaging apparatus is configured to operate in two or more imaging modes, where the two or more imaging modes comprises a combination of volume imaging, CT imaging, panoramic imaging, or cephalometric imaging. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  comprising at least one second digital imaging sensor that is alternately used by the dental imaging apparatus and to provide image data according to received radiation, where the dental imaging apparatus comprises at least an extra-oral dental imaging apparatus or an intra-oral dental imaging apparatus. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4  where the dental imaging apparatus is configured to selectably operate in both of a panoramic imaging mode and a cephalometric imaging mode, where the cephalometric imaging mode is configured to use the first digital imaging sensor, and where the panoramic imaging mode is configured to use the first digital imaging sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  where the dental imaging apparatus is configured to move the first digital imaging sensor to a first imaging position for use in the cephalometric imaging mode and to a second imaging position for use in the panoramic imaging mode, where the first digital imaging sensor is configured to move between the first imaging position and the second imaging position by operator action, responsive to an operator selection or automatically based on imaging mode. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the mount is coupled to a rotational actuator that is energizable to revolve the imaging sensor and source in a scan pattern about the patient's head. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising one or more vertical actuators energizable for changing the relative vertical position of the imaging sensor and the radiation source to the patient's head and wherein the computer combines two or more images in the series to form a helical computed tomography image, wherein the one or more vertical actuators translate the mount for changing the relative vertical position of the imaging sensor and the radiation source to the patient's head during imaging. 
     
     
         10 . The imaging apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising an alignment apparatus for providing alignment of the patient's head for obtaining the one or more images. 
     
     
         11 . The imaging apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a memory in communication with the computer for storing the one or more two-dimensional images; and 
 at least one height sensor in communication with the computer. 
 
     
     
         12 . The imaging apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the at least the first energy threshold is selectable. 
     
     
         13 . The imaging apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the imaging sensor further provides, for each of the plurality of image pixels, a second digital value obtained from a count of photons of ionizing radiation energy that exceed a second threshold and an upper threshold, where the at least the first digital value is according to the count of received photons that both exceed the first energy threshold and are less than the upper threshold, and where the second digital value is according to the count of received photons that both exceed the second energy threshold and are less than the upper threshold. 
     
     
         14 . An imaging apparatus for obtaining a volume image of at least a portion of a patient's head, the apparatus comprising:
 a rotatable mount comprising a radiation source and a digital imaging sensor and coupled to a rotational actuator that is energizable to move the imaging sensor and source in a scan pattern about the patient's head;   a computer in signal communication with the digital imaging sensor for acquiring a plurality of two-dimensional images at successive positions along the scan pattern; and   a patient support structure to provide a spatial relationship to the scan pattern during the scan movement;   wherein the imaging sensor provides, for each of a plurality of image pixels, a digital value according to a count of received photons that exceed at least one energy threshold.   
     
     
         15 . The imaging apparatus of  claim 14  further comprising one or more vertical actuators energizable for changing the relative vertical position of the imaging sensor and the radiation source to the patient's head during the revolution. 
     
     
         16 . An extra-oral dental imaging apparatus for obtaining an image from a patient, the apparatus comprising:
 a radiation source;   a first digital imaging sensor that provides, for each of a plurality of image pixels, at least a first digital value according to a count of received photons that exceed at least a first energy threshold;   a mount that supports the radiation source and the first digital imaging sensor on opposite sides of the patient's head;   a computer in signal communication with the digital imaging sensor for acquiring a first two-dimensional image from the first digital imaging sensor; and   a second digital imaging sensor that is alternately switched into place by the mount and that provides image data according to received radiation.