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Problem the Invention Addresses (Simplified Explanation)

Modern dentistry relies heavily on accurate dental impressions to plan treatments such as crowns, bridges, orthodontics, implants, and restorative procedures. However, the commonly used methods for capturing these impressions present several practical problems.

Traditional impression techniques use soft, moldable materials placed inside the mouth. These methods are often uncomfortable for patients, can cause gagging, and require significant chair time. They are also sensitive to movement and handling, which can result in distortions or inaccurate impressions. If errors occur, the process must be repeated, increasing time, cost, and patient dissatisfaction.

Digital intraoral scanning was introduced to improve this process, but existing digital solutions also have limitations. Most current systems rely on handheld scanning wands that must be manually moved around the mouth. These scanners are highly operator-dependent and require skill and steady hand movement to capture accurate data. Even small movements by the patient or operator can lead to incomplete scans, stitching errors, or reduced image quality. This makes consistent results difficult, especially in busy clinics or where operator skill levels vary.

Another challenge during intraoral scanning is moisture and fogging. Saliva, humidity, and condensation inside the mouth can collect on camera lenses or sensors, reducing visibility and accuracy. Managing moisture often requires additional tools or repeated interruptions during scanning.

Additionally, many existing systems scan the mouth in segments rather than capturing multiple areas at once. This increases scanning time and can lead to alignment issues between different scanned regions. Capturing both internal oral structures (teeth and gums) and external features (such as lips) usually requires separate steps or equipment.

Overall, the industry lacks a solution that can:

• Capture stable and accurate full-mouth 3D images in a single or reduced number of steps
• Reduce dependency on operator skill and hand movement
• Improve patient comfort during scanning
• Minimize errors caused by moisture and fogging
• Increase efficiency and consistency across different clinics and users

The invention addresses these limitations by rethinking how intraoral imaging is performed, focusing on stability, simultaneous data capture, and improved reliability for everyday dental practice.

The Invention – Solution to the Identified Problem (Simplified Explanation)

The invention provides a tray-based three-dimensional oral imaging system that offers a more stable, efficient, and patient-friendly way to capture digital dental impressions. Instead of relying on handheld scanners or traditional impression materials, the system uses a dental tray fitted with integrated imaging components that are positioned inside the mouth in a fixed and controlled manner.

When the tray is placed in the patient’s mouth, multiple imaging sensors and light sources embedded along the tray simultaneously capture images of the teeth, gums, and surrounding oral structures. Because the imaging components remain largely stationary relative to the mouth, the system significantly reduces errors caused by hand movement, patient motion, or operator technique. This allows consistent and repeatable image capture across different users and clinical environments.

To address common issues related to moisture and fogging, the system incorporates airflow or suction channels positioned near the imaging sensors. These channels help remove saliva, moisture, and condensation from the imaging area, ensuring clearer images without frequent interruptions. This improves reliability during scanning and reduces the need for additional moisture-control tools.

In certain configurations, the system includes external extensions that allow imaging of outer oral features, such as the lips, at the same time as internal scanning. This enables a more complete oral model to be captured in a single procedure rather than through multiple separate steps.

The invention also supports configurations where upper and lower dental trays can be used together, allowing full-mouth scanning in one session. Optional positioning features help align the jaw accurately, supporting reliable bite registration and jaw relationship analysis.

Captured image data is transmitted to a processing system that converts the information into high-quality 3D digital models. These models can be used directly in digital dentistry workflows, including treatment planning, orthodontics, prosthetics, implants, and restorative procedures.

Overall, the invention solves key problems in dental imaging by:

• Reducing dependence on operator skill
• Improving scan stability and consistency
• Enhancing patient comfort
• Minimizing moisture-related image issues
• Enabling faster and more comprehensive data capture

This makes the system well suited for high-volume clinics, standardized dental chains, and modern digital dentistry environments seeking reliable and efficient imaging solutions.

Brief Description of the Gap Addressed

Prior art in dental impression and intraoral imaging generally falls into two main categories:

traditional physical impression methods and digital intraoral scanners, primarily handheld or benchtop systems. Each of these approaches leaves a significant unmet gap that the invention directly addresses.

Traditional impression techniques rely on soft molding materials placed inside the mouth. While widely used, these methods are uncomfortable for patients, time-consuming, prone to distortion, and unsuitable for fully digital workflows. They also require repeat procedures when impressions are inaccurate, increasing clinical inefficiency.

Existing digital solutions improve accuracy but introduce new limitations. Handheld intraoral scanners depend heavily on the operator’s skill and steady hand movement. Small variations in scanning technique, patient motion, or scanning path can lead to stitching errors, incomplete scans, and inconsistent results. This makes it difficult to achieve standardized outcomes across clinics, operators, and patient types. Benchtop scanners, on the other hand, require impressions or models to be created first, adding extra steps and delaying workflows.

Another key gap in prior art is the lack of a stable, fixedurl

fixed-position intraoral imaging solution. Most prior systems capture images sequentially rather than simultaneously, increasing scan time and alignment complexity. In addition, moisture management—such as saliva, fogging, and condensation on imaging sensors—remains a persistent problem in prior systems and is typically handled through external tools rather than being integrated into the imaging device itself.

Furthermore, prior art generally treats internal oral scanning and external facial or lip scanning as separate processes, requiring different devices or multiple procedures. This separation increases time, cost, and complexity for clinics.

The invention addresses this gap by introducing a tray-based, fixed-position, multi-sensor oral imaging system that:

• Captures multiple oral regions simultaneously rather than sequentially
• Reduces operator dependency by stabilizing sensor position inside the mouth
• Integrates moisture and fog control directly into the imaging structure
• Enables internal and external oral imaging in a single coordinated system
• Supports full-arch and full-mouth scanning in fewer steps

By shifting from handheld, motion-dependent scanning to a stable, integrated tray-based imaging architecture, the invention fills a clear and commercially significant gap in prior art, offering improved consistency, efficiency, and scalability for modern digital dentistry workflows.