X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices – Photographic detector support – Dental
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-24
2001-02-20
Porta, David P. (Department: 2876)
X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices
Photographic detector support
Dental
C378S167000, C378S168000, C378S169000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06190042
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to film positioning systems for dental radiography procedures and, more particularly, to an aiming device that assures that a desired alignment is consistently and repeatedly maintained between an x-ray film, a dental arch, and an x-ray equipment.
Dental radiographic images are made using x-ray examination units for obtaining intraoral images of a patient's dental arch (e.g., teeth and gums). Such intraoral images are typically examined shortly after developing the x-ray film for the purpose of diagnosing the patient's oral health.
It is desired, however, to create a series of radiographic images over an extended period of time to better diagnose the patient's oral health. To support proper longitudinal analysis, it is important that the radiographic images are repeatedly aligned and taken with the same relative projection geometry.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, traditional dental radiography utilizes a rigid aiming device such as the device
10
. The device
10
includes a bite block
14
located on a distal end
16
of a guiding rod
18
. The bite block
14
includes a biting portion
20
and a film holder
22
. A top surface of the biting portion
20
is parallel with the guiding rod
18
and perpendicular to the film holder
22
.
Near a proximal end
24
of the guiding rod
18
is an aiming ring
26
. The aiming ring
26
is circumferentially engageable about a x-ray position indicating device (or simply “cone”)
28
for positioning the film holder
22
in a perpendicular orientation with respect to a line of sight
30
for x-rays emanating from the cone.
In operation, a patient places the bite block
14
inside his mouth
32
and compresses the biting portion
20
between corresponding upper and lower teeth
34
. Ideally, a perpendicular orientation between the line of sight
30
and the film holder
22
will be maintained.
However, as is often the case, the film holder
22
provides discomfort because it contacts a surface of the mouth
32
(e.g., the roof of the mouth). When this occurs, the film holder
22
is often adjusted to a new position, such as is shown in phantom with film holder
22
a
. If the perpendicular orientation is to be maintained, then the biting portion
20
and the guiding rod
18
(and hence the aiming ring
26
and the line of site
30
) must move to a new position, such as is shown in phantom with biting portion
20
a
and guiding rod
18
a
, respectively. If the biting portion
20
a
is flexibly connected to the film holder
22
a
and the guiding rod
18
a
, the orientation between the film holder
22
a
and the guiding rod
18
a
will most likely not be perpendicular. If the biting portion
20
a
is rigidly connected to the film holder
22
a
and the guiding rod
18
a
, the orientation may be perpendicular, but the exact position of the film holder
22
a
inside the mouth
32
will vary from one radiographic image to the next.
Therefore, what is needed is an aiming device that secures and maintains a desired orientation between the film holder and the guiding rod, yet accommodates different sized and shaped mouths and/or different projection geometries.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A technical advance is achieved by an improved dental x-ray aiming device for longitudinal radiographic analysis. The device includes a bite block, a guiding rod, and an aiming ring. In one embodiment, the bite block includes a film holder that is not perpendicular to a top surface of the bite block. The guiding rod is also attached to the bite block in a non-parallel relationship to accommodate the non-perpendicular arrangement of the film holder. The aiming ring is attached to the guiding rod. As a result, a proper relationship is maintained between the aiming ring (and hence a dental radiography device) and the film holder.
In some embodiments, the aiming device includes a supplemental aiming ring attached to the guiding rod. The supplemental ring has an open portion for receiving the dental radiography device and a closed portion for restricting the dental radiography device to a fixed location.
In some embodiments, the bite block includes a top portion, a bottom portion, and two side walls for defining a slot. The slot can receive and hold a reference device for density reference measurements. The slot may be aligned so that a line of sight of a beam emanating from the dental radiography device is parallel with the slot.
In some embodiments, an indicator is provided to record the angular relationship of the bite block and the film holder on a radiographic image produced using the aiming device.
In some embodiments, the bite block is pivotally attached to the film holder and the guiding rod. The pivotal attachments allow an angular relationship between the top surface of the bite block and the film holder to be adjusted while maintaining an angular relationship between the film holder and the guiding rod. In some embodiments, one or more adjustable locking mechanisms can be used for selectively locking the angular relationship of the film holder and/or the guiding rod. In some embodiments, a connecting rod maintains the overall angular relationship of the guiding rod, the top surface of the bite block, and the film holder.
In some embodiments, the aiming ring is attached to the guiding rod through a sliding member. The sliding member secures the aiming ring at a predetermined distance from the guiding rod, while allowing the aiming ring to move on an axis parallel with the guiding rod. In some embodiments, the guiding rod includes an upward extending portion that aligns a central portion of the aiming ring with a central portion of the film holder.
The present invention also includes a method for using an improved aiming device to conduct dental radiography procedures on a dental arch, taken over time. Several aiming devices, such as those discussed above, are defined at certain, predefined angular relationships. A specific aiming device is selected and a dental image of a patient's dental arch is taken using the dental radiography device and the selected aiming device. The dental image is sent to a diagnostic radiographic entity, such as for digital subtraction radiography, and the selected aiming device is recorded. As a result, the same aiming device (or another device with the same angular relationship), can be used for subsequent radiographic images, thereby facilitating digital subtraction radiography analysis.
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Alder Marden E.
Dove S. Brent
Electro Medical Systems
Haynes and Boone LLP
Ho Allen C.
Porta David P.
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