Geometrical instruments – Gauge – Anatomical
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-05
2001-05-01
Bennett, G. Bradley (Department: 2859)
Geometrical instruments
Gauge
Anatomical
C033S025100, C033S551000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223444
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a system for sensing and mapping a body component, and more particularly, for mapping dental structures.
2. Prior Art
The remote sensing and mapping of remote components is desirable in the medical field, and particularly so in the dental field. This would permit the treatment, replacement, and resurfacing of body elements, if such tracking and sensing were available. Such remote sensing is desirable in the dental field, for the manufacture of crowns and tooth restoration.
Some devices are shown in the following patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,139 to Mushabac, entitled “Mechanical support for hand-held dental/medical instrument”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,049 to Mushabac entitled “Method, system and mold assembly for use in preparing a dental prosthesis”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,184 to Mushabac, entitled “Method and apparatus with multiple data input stylii for collecting curvilinear contour data”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,391 to Mushabac, entitled “Device for obtaining three dimensional contoured data and for operating on a patient and related method”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,454 to Mushabac, entitled “Method, system and mold assembly for use in preparing a dental restoration”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,472 to Mushabac entitled “Method using reference indicia on tape attached to mouth surface to obtain a three dimensional contour data”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,039 to Mushabac entitled “Method and apparatus for preparing tooth or modifying dental restoration”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,448 to Mushabac entitled “Method for facilitating dental diagnosis and treatment”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,578 to Mushabac entitled “Method and apparatus for affecting change in shape of pre-existing object”. Each of the foregoing Mucabac Patents are incorporated herein by reference, in their entireties.
It is an object of the present invention, to provide a remote sensing apparatus and method which further improves upon the prior art.
It is yet a further object of the present invention, to provide a remote sensing apparatus which is useful for sensing human body components for the medical field.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a method and a system for the remote sensing of a body component by a hand held moveable stylus which permits the simultaneous recordation of a plurality of signals to map and track the shape, size, and contour of a component, such as a body organ, i.e., a tooth, bone, or the like. The system includes a stylus, which is an elongated pin pivotably supported along its mid portion, in a head. The distal end of the stylus has a first radius. The second end of the stylus is movably supported within a hemispherically shaped electrode. A compression spring maintains a bias on the stylus, yet permits the proximal end of the stylus to pivot and strike the electrode during a swinging or pivoting motion of the stylus or a longitudinal motion of the stylus. When such contact is made, a signal is sent through a proper circuit for recordation as to the time and the location of such contact.
The stylus and head are disposed on the distal end of a freely swingable first arm. The first arm is supported on a main shaft. The first arm is permitted to swing or pivot in any direction or angle because the main shaft is rotatably supported in a bearing disposed on the distal end of a holding arm. The holding arm is supported in a bearing on the distal end of a second arm. The second arm is supported by a bearing having a vertically disposed axis. The vertically disposed axis holding the second arm is always in vertical alignment with the distal end of the stylus. The second arm is connected to an arrangement of parallelogram linkages, forming a 3-D pantograph. The pantograph is anchored to a support stand or to ground. One end of the pantograph linkage is attached to a laser beam generator.
The laser beam generator has an output, a proportion of which comprises a reflected beam and a straight exit beam. The exit beam and the reflected beam are directed towards X, Y, and Z planes of a sensor apparatus. Such sensor apparatus may be seen in the aforementioned patents, incorporated by reference herein. Such a sensor is similar to that manufactured by EG&G called an Amorphous Silicon Screen Sensor.
The second arm, connected to the first vertical linkage, comprises one side of the first parallelogram. The first vertical linkage has an upper bearing and a lower bearing thereattached. An upper first horizontal linkage and a lower first horizontal linkage are attached to upper and lower portions of the first vertical linkage by a bearing which permits the upper horizontal linkage and the lower horizontal linkage to move in a vertical plane. A second vertical linkage completes the first rectangle comprising the pantograph. The second vertical linkage has a bearing on its uppermost end, in arrangement with the first horizontal linkage and the lower horizontal linkage. The second vertical linkage also has an upper and a lower bearing permitting rotation of that vertical linkage about the vertical axis. A second parallelogram comprised of a second primary vertical linkage and a second secondary vertical linkage, each second primary vertical linkage and second secondary vertical linkage are connected by parallel upper and lower linkages. The first parallelogram and the second parallelogram are each connected by a pair of upper and lower linkages, one of which extends to a third vertical linkage for ground support.
The second primary vertical linkage has an upper end onto which a laser beam generator is mounted. The laser beam generator has a beam reflector thereon. The laser beam passes partially through the reflector and part of the beam is reflected by the reflector. The axis of rotation of the second primary vertical linkage is coaxial with the reflected laser beam, reflected from the reflector. The reflected laser beam strikes the aforementioned sensor in the plane defined by the XY axes thereof. The exit beam passing through the reflector strikes the sensor defined by the ZX axes.
The split laser beam output permits simultaneous tracking by the sensors, of the motion by the stylus. When the stylus is in contact with an object, such occurance and location is recorded by virtue of the electrode input generated by its contact with the stylus head. The spherical contact area of the head is twice the radius of the stylus. By virtue of the relative sizes of the two parallelagram connected as the pantograph assembly, there is a proportion two to one ratio of motion to tracking dimension recorded by the sensor. The location of the distalmost tip of the stylus is always in axial alignment with the first vertical link of the first parallelogram, no matter what angle the stylus head is turned, rotated, or swung in, such orientation is always maintained. The reflected laser beam is always in axial alignment with the second primary vertical link of the second parallelogram. Thus the multiplication factor between the two parallelagrams in their pantograph linkages permits an accurate tracking of location and data through a proper control circuit connected to the sensors. By the combination of signals from the stylus, as to when contact is made with an article or object and its recordation through the circuit from the electrode in the head, in conjunction with the signals generated by the laser beam, an accurate domain may be mapped of a body component or the like.
The invention thus comprises an arrangement for the remote sensing and recordation of information of a body component, comprising a stylus held within a support head, the support head having an electrode therein for the detection and recordation of stylus contact with a body component; a plurality of parallelogram linkages articulably supporting the stylus, the linkages having a first or input end and a second or output end; a motion tracking generator attached to the output end of linkages; and a sensor arranged to receive and record signals from the track
Mushabac David R.
Policht Stanislaw A.
Bennett G. Bradley
Halgren Don
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