Initial evaluation of linear and spatially oriented planar images from a new dental panoramic system based on tomosynthesis

Objective The purpose of this study was to describe a newly developed dental panoramic system based on the tomosynthesis method and to validate the accuracy of linear and spatially oriented planar images. Study design An original robotic mechanism incorporating a new high-speed cadmium-telluride (CdTe) semiconductor detector was fabricated to acquire panoramic images (raw data). The shift-and-add tomosynthesis method was applied to facilitate changes in the depth of the panoramic imaging layer. Using the texture mapping method, planar and spatially oriented images were reconstructed along a custom curved imaging plane. Using a custom phantom and dry skulls, the accuracy of selected linear measurements was evaluated. Results Preliminary measurements demonstrated acceptable linear accuracy in reconstructed panoramic images with variations Conclusions This preliminary investigation demonstrates that dental panoramic images acquired by a novel robotic mechanism and CdTe detector using a tomosynthesis method provides planar and spatially oriented images with an image quality that may be acceptable for dental practice.