Digital Dental Mirror
THE INNOVATIVE ALLIANCE OF HALO DENTAL TECHNOLOGIES AND ORTHOGONE
Digital Dental Mirror
Bridging Technology and Dentistry
The Challenge
Bridging Technology and Dentistry
CLIENT: HALO DENTAL TECHNOLOGIES
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LOCATION: BROSSARD, QC, CANADA
In a healthcare landscape perpetually shifting toward technological advancement, Halo Dental Technologies, founded by a dentist with an innate enthusiasm for technology, aimed to redefine a cornerstone tool of the dental profession. The company’s founder envisioned transforming the traditional dental mirror into an intelligent device that would significantly improve the flow of dentists and hygienists and the patients’ experience.
Two significant challenges made achieving this goal difficult:
- Minimizing the size of electronic components to fit within a traditional dentist’s mirror.
- Crafting a proof-of-concept model within a limited time frame and financial constraints.
Halo needed the fastest and most efficient partner to develop the prototype to achieve this. The company partnered with Orthogone to develop a proof-of-concept prototype of an intelligent dental mirror.
Reduce the size of electronic components
Create a prototype within a tight timeframe
Use advanced optical technologies
"Orthogone was instrumental in helping us realize our vision of transforming the traditional dentist's mirror into a smart multi-functional dental tool. They provided a comprehensive solution that met all our needs, from designing the product to utilizing advanced optical technologies. We especially appreciated their collaboration with optical specialists to ensure the mirror's light output was balanced with the camera's image quality. Their expertise and commitment to our project made it a success, and we are extremely grateful for their partnership."
- Guillaume Joly, VP of Products - Halo Dental Technologies
The Solution
Realizing an Ambitious Vision through Technical Mastery
STRATEGIC PLANNING
The collaboration began with Orthogone diligently crafting a detailed specification document, laying the foundation for design and subsequent development. The objective was clear: to create a dental mirror that looks and feels like a traditional model and incorporates modern features such as video streaming, diffused lighting, and a Wi-Fi connection.
TECHNICAL EXECUTION
With size and ergonomics being paramount, Orthogone turned to advanced technologies. Our team utilized high-density electronic boards and ultra-compact components to maintain the product’s elegance without compromising its functionalities.
But the innovation continued. The team needed to address opposite use cases for the mirror. When the mirror is in operating mode, the lighting must not dazzle the dentist. However, in the intraoral camera mode, the light must be increased to the maximum for the camera.
But the innovation continued. The team needed to address opposite use cases for the mirror. When the mirror is in operating mode, the lighting must not dazzle the dentist. However, in the intraoral camera mode, the light must be increased to the maximum for the camera.
Another challenge we had to tackle for optimizing the image sensor’s useful light was the light that actually enters the camera. To ensure the camera could capture and transfer high-quality images, we needed to find a way to direct a maximum amount of light towards it while limiting the LED use. This would preserve the battery, but most importantly, it would prevent the digital mirror from heating too much.
Orthogone, therefore, collaborated with Tak Design’s team and Optech‘s optical specialists to measure the desired light levels and run simulations to determine the perfect balance of brightness, helping our team of developers optimize the concept. The team’s synergy ensured adequate lighting for the camera, fostering the delicate balance between normal mirror use and image quality.
Orthogone also selected a cutting-edge SOC designed to acquire and encode video. The user can control various parameters such as requesting video, activating the lighting LEDs around the mirror (front and back), turning on the mirror, and triggering other functionalities. In addition, the mirror includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to control its use and a status LED to inform the user of its current state. Orthogone used its knowledge of Wi-Fi video transport to reduce latency between sensor acquisition and image display on the screen.
TECHNOLOGY
- Embedded Linux
- MIPI-CSI Image acquisition
- Video: H.264 encoding + RTP streaming
- Wi-Fi
- Google Protobuf
- Google gRPC,
- HTTP REST API
The Result
A patient-centered tool for the passionate dental professional.
The collaboration between Tak Design‘s industrial designers, Optech’s optical micro-system experts, and Orthogone‘s technological prowess have been instrumental in bringing Halo Dental Technologies‘ ambitious vision to life as a practical, real-world digital mirror.
The team created a reliable tool that has been thoroughly tested for everyday use and autoclave sterilization. It has been designed to integrate seamlessly into daily workflows and to retain a size and weight similar to a traditional dentist’s mirror. This device changes the dental experience, making it one of the most advanced dental tools in the world.
At the end of the project, Orthogone developed a digital dental mirror with all the functionalities Halo requested. The prototype had the visual appearance and weight of a regular mirror and could collect photographic information. With the prototype’s success, Orthogone was called in to work on the battery charger—an essential mirror component—and functionality testing.
Through this initiative, Orthogone and Halo Dental Technologieshave collaborated to create a new product category that combines dentistry, user and patient experience, and technology. The result is the Digital Dental Mirror, which optimizes patient care and professional efficiency. This innovative product is set to mark a new era in dentistry.
