[54] TOOTH SHADE ANALYZER SYSTEM AND METHODS
[75] Inventor: Maryann Lehmann, Darien, Conn.
[73] Assignee: Shade Analyzing Technologies, Inc.,
Darien, Conn.
[ * ] Notice: This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
[21] Appl. No.: 09/082,030 [22] Filed: May 20, 1998
Related U.S. Application Data
[63] Continuation-in-part of application No. 08/494,979, Jun. 26, 1995, Pat. No. 5,766,006.
[51] Int. C I. A61C 19 10
[52] U.S. CI 433/26; 356/408
[58] Field of Search 433/26, 29, 203.1,
433/215; 364/413.28; 356/402, 405, 406,
408
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
3,986,777 10/1976 Roll 356/176
4,247,202 1/1981 Failes 356/310
4,414,635 11/1983 Gast et al 364/526
4,518,258 5/1985 Broersma 356/405
4,547,074 10/1985 Hinoda et al 356/405
4,623,973 11/1986 Hoffrichter et al 364/405
4,654,794 3/1987 O'Brien 364/413
4,692,481 9/1987 Kelly 523/210
4,836,674 6/1989 Lequime et al 356/319
4,881,811 11/1989 O'Brien 356/323
An intraoral camera connects to a shade analyzer subsystem, e.g., a digital video processor, and a color display monitor. The camera captures a digital color image ol the patient's tooth and the subsystem compares that image to a stored plurality ol tooth shades. Each tooth shade is represented in a block ol data, including color image data, a tooth shade digital word, and a manulacturer type. The patient's tooth image includes an RGB chromaticity representation that is scanned and compared with the several tooth shades stored in memory, and a match is determined and communicated to a user ol the system. The methodology includes the specification ol fractional tooth shades, il needed, corresponding to a plurality ol porcelain films for manulacturing a reconstructed tooth.
8 Claims, 9 Drawing Sheets
