1. A method of generating a patient-specific color-textured three-dimensional dental model, the method comprising:
obtaining a three-dimensional dental model of a patient;
generating a three-dimensional gingival margin of the three-dimensional dental model, wherein the three-dimensional gingival margin is represented by a three-dimensional continuous curve;
obtaining a two-dimensional intra-oral photograph of the patient;
generating a two-dimensional gingival margin of the two-dimensional intra-oral photograph, wherein the two-dimensional gingival margin is represented by a two-dimensional continuous curve; and
generating the patient-specific color-textured three-dimensional dental model by delineating the three-dimensional gingival margin of the three-dimensional dental model and the two-dimensional gingival margin of the two-dimensional intra-oral photograph,
wherein the three-dimensional gingival margin is generated by projecting the two-dimensional gingival margin of the two-dimensional intra-oral photograph onto the three-dimensional dental model using anatomical landmarks if the three-dimensional dental model is deficient of volumetric data to represent the three-dimensional gingival margin.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the three-dimensional dental model comprises:
obtaining volumetric data of a dentition of the patient; and
generating the three-dimensional dental model based on the volumetric data.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the volumetric data that represent the three-dimensional gingival margin is obtained from CT scanning.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the three-dimensional dental model is segmented into a plurality of sections with reference to one or more reference lines.
5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:
obtaining a plurality of two-dimensional intra-oral photographs; and
segmenting the three-dimensional dental model into a plurality of sections is based on the plurality of two-dimensional intra-oral photographs obtained.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of two-dimensional intra-oral photographs are obtained based on a predetermined plurality of sections for the three-dimensional dental model.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the color-textured three-dimensional dental model further comprises:
indexing data for each of the two-dimensional intra-oral photographs to a corresponding section of the three-dimensional dental model; and
projecting data for each of the two-dimensional intra-oral photographs onto the corresponding section of the three-dimensional model.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of sections comprises an upper anterior section, an upper right posterior section, an upper left posterior section, a lower anterior section, a lower right posterior section and a lower left posterior section.
9. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of sections comprises one or more gingival sections and one or more tooth sections.
10. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of sections comprises one or more buccal side sections.
11. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of sections comprises one or more occlusal side sections.
12. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of sections comprises one or more lingual side sections.
13. A system for generating a patient-specific color-textured three-dimensional dental model, the system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the processor and having stored therein a series of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
obtain a three-dimensional dental model of a patient,
generate a three-dimensional gingival margin of the three-dimensional dental model, wherein the three-dimensional gingival margin is represented by a three-dimensional continuous curve;
obtain a two-dimensional intra-oral photograph of the patient,
generate a two-dimensional gingival margin of the two-dimensional intra-oral photograph, wherein the two-dimensional gingival margin is represented by a two-dimensional continuous curve; and
generate the patient-specific color-textured three-dimensional dental model by delineating the three-dimensional gingival margin of the three-dimensional dental model and the two-dimensional gingival margin of the two-dimensional intra-oral photograph,
wherein the three-dimensional gingival margin is generated by projecting the two-dimensional gingival margin of the two-dimensional intra-oral photograph onto the three-dimensional dental model using anatomical landmarks if the three-dimensional dental model is deficient of volumetric data to represent the three-dimensional gingival margin.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the memory having stored therein a series of further instructions which cause the processor to:
obtain volumetric data of a dentition of the patient; and
generate the three-dimensional dental model based on the volumetric data.
15. The system of claim 13, wherein the volumetric data that represent the three-dimensional gingival margin is obtained from CT scanning.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the three-dimensional dental model is segmented into a plurality of sections with reference to one or more reference lines.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the memory having stored therein a series of further instructions which cause the processor to:
obtain a plurality of two-dimensional intra-oral photographs; and
segment the three-dimensional dental model into a plurality of sections is based on the plurality of two-dimensional intra-oral photographs obtained.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of two-dimensional intra-oral photographs are obtained based on a predetermined plurality of sections for the three-dimensional dental model.
19. The system of claim 17, wherein the memory having stored therein a series of further instructions which cause the processor to:
index data for each of the two-dimensional intra-oral photographs to a corresponding section of the three-dimensional dental model; and
project data for each of the two-dimensional intra-oral photographs onto the corresponding section of the three-dimensional model.
20. A machine-readable non-transitory medium having stored thereon a series of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate a patient-specific color-textured three-dimensional dental model by:
obtaining a three-dimensional dental model of a patient;
generating a three-dimensional gingival margin of the three-dimensional dental model, wherein the three-dimensional gingival margin is represented by a three-dimensional continuous curve;
obtaining a two-dimensional intra-oral photograph of the patient;
anatomical
generating a two-dimensional gingival margin of the two-dimensional intra-oral photograph, wherein the two-dimensional gingival margin is represented by a two-dimensional continuous curve; and
generating the patient-specific color-textured three-dimensional dental model by delineating the three-dimensional gingival margin of the three-dimensional dental model and the two-dimensional gingival margin of the two-dimensional intra-oral photograph,
wherein the three-dimensional gingival margin is generated by projecting the two-dimensional gingival margin of the two-dimensional intra-oral photograph onto the three-dimensional dental model using anatomical landmarks if the three-dimensional dental model is deficient of volumetric data to represent the three-dimensional gingival margin.
21. The machine-readable non-transitory medium of claim 20, wherein obtaining the three-dimensional dental model comprises:
obtaining volumetric data of a dentition of the patient; and
generating the three-dimensional dental model based on the volumetric data.
22. The machine-readable non-transitory medium of claim 20, wherein the volumetric data that represent the three-dimensional gingival margin is obtained from CT scanning.
23. The machine-readable non-transitory medium of claim 20, wherein the three-dimensional dental model is segmented into a plurality of sections with reference to one or more reference lines.
24. The machine-readable non-transitory medium of claim 20, wherein generating the color-textured three-dimensional dental model further comprises:
obtaining a plurality of two-dimensional intra-oral photographs;
indexing the plurality of two-dimensional intra-oral photographs to a corresponding section of the three-dimensional dental model; and
projecting the two-dimensional intra-oral photographs onto the corresponding section of the three-dimensional model.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for driving an articulating probe, the apparatus comprising:
at least one elongate probe constructed and arranged to articulate in at least one predetermined degree of motion and to transition from a flexible state to a rigid state;
a force transfer mechanism constructed and arranged to apply a force to the at least one elongate probe, said force selected from the group consisting of:
a force that causes the at least one elongate probe to articulate in the at least one predetermined degree of motion; and
a force that causes the at least one elongate probe to transition from the flexible state to the rigid state; and
a base structure attached to at least a portion of the force transfer mechanism and the at least one elongate probe; the base structure comprising one or more stabilizing elements constructed and arranged to resist undesired movement of the at least one elongate probe caused by force from the force transfer mechanism.
2-295. (canceled)