Imaging In The Worst Possible Environment

Trips to the dentist are rarely pleasant, and that unpleasantness can be compounded when the doctor needs a 3D model of your teeth. Enter sticky goop and prolonged discomfort, and good luck to you if you have a stuffy nose. It was for this reason that a medical device manufacturer developed a 3D dental imaging wand with sophisticated optics and sensors that can make a precise 3D model of a patient’s teeth and gum area. Because the mouth is dark, wet, and shiny, teeth are translucent, and patients rarely sit still during any type of procedure, the manufacturer had their work cut out for them.

This case study explains how they leveraged Zygo’s expertise as it relates to engineering and manufacturing precision electro-optical assemblies to see the dental imaging device from concept to volume manufacturing, while overcoming the challenges they had with their 3D dental wand’s design.