Align Technology, Inc.
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MEASURING SURFACE TOPOGRAPHY OPTICALLY

Abstract:

An apparatus includes a probe and an illumination unit configured to output light. The apparatus includes a light focusing assembly comprising an image space lens, an object space lens and a focus changing assembly between the image space lens and the object space lens. The light focusing assembly has at least one of the following properties: 1) at least a portion of the focus changing assembly is located at a back focal length of the object space lens, 2) the light focusing assembly is free of moving parts, or 3) the light focusing assembly comprises double telecentric confocal optics. The apparatus includes a detector to measure characteristics of incident light returning from an illuminated patient's teeth and a processor coupled to the detector and configured to generate data representative of a topography of the patient's teeth based on the one or more measured characteristics of the incident light.