Patents
A foundational patent, cited by the industry
KronosMD owns the issued U.S. patent on combined ultrasound-and-camera intraoral 3D imaging, plus the research data and prototype built on it.
Issued
US 10,799,210 B1 — Dental imaging apparatus and method
What it claims
An intraoral scan head combining an ultrasonic transducer with a light-based image sensor, producing three-dimensional dental images: ultrasound for geometry below the surface, the camera for color and texture.
Status
Issued and active. 3.5-year maintenance fee paid February 2024; next fee due about April 2028. Owned by KronosMD, Inc. through the 2022 acquisition of the IP and technology.
Cited by 11 later filings
Later applications by Colgate-Palmolive, Carestream/Trophy, Konica Minolta and the University of California cite it as prior art, a sign that the combination it claims became the direction the field moved in.
Citation count per USPTO forward-citation records as reviewed by the Company; a citation does not imply licensing, infringement or endorsement.
Forward citations
Who cites KronosMD’s patent
A forward citation means a later applicant or examiner identified this patent as relevant prior art. It does not imply licensing, infringement or endorsement by the cited companies.
Origin
From timber inspection to teeth: US 6,589,054 (2000, expired)
In 2000 an Oregon dentist, Ken Johnson, and a lumber engineer, Dan Tingley, filed a patent adapting stress-wave defect detection, the method used to find hidden flaws in timber, to detect cracks and decay in teeth. That filing, US 6,589,054, is the root of the S-WAVE™ lineage. It has since expired and is in the public domain; KronosMD owns it as part of the acquired portfolio for its history and data.
What the expiry means
Anyone may practice the 2000 claims. KronosMD’s protection rests on the 2020 patent (ultrasound plus camera in one scan head), on trade secrets in the reconstruction methods, and on the new filings planned after the raise.
Next filings
Provisional applications planned after the raise
Tray architecture
Multi-wall thin-film sensor arrays and the fixed-geometry acquisition that replaces the swept probe.
Reconstruction and AI
Methods for turning multi-angle echoes into a registered 3D volume and for month-to-month change detection.
Coupling and human factors
How a lay user seats the tray and obtains consistent contact across different mouths.
Third-party patents and freedom to operate
Other parties hold patents in intraoral ultrasound and ultrasound trays. KronosMD has not established freedom to operate and may need licenses; the Form C discusses this risk. Trade secrets and unpublished methods are not described on this website.
Use of proceeds allocates $200,000 to patent filings at the $5,000,000 maximum. Provisional applications do not guarantee that any patent will be granted.
Dental imaging without radiation, from home.
Questions about S-WAVE™, the research or a collaboration? Our team is here to help.