Some big news from Align Technology just yesterday!
They have revealed their latest intraoral scanner - the iTero Lumina!
Finally! It’s the company’s first brand new intraoral scanner release since 2019, when they released the iTero Element 5D - to a mixed reception from the iDD team.
It is nice to see iTero back in the game with a brand new scanner, as we have seen multiple releases from the likes of Medit, 3Shape, etc and were wondering when Align would launch their next flagship IOS.
The iTero Lumina looks quite interesting as the company appears to be addressing the size issues of their previous scanners, which were some of the largest and heaviest on the market.
Compared to the iTero Element 5D, the iTero Lumina is 50% lighter, has a three times wider field of capture, and a 45% lighter wand - pretty exciting!
What is interesting to see in the photos is that the Lumina does NOT seem to be wireless.
Here are some other key features of the iTero Lumina released by the company:
Can capture images from multiple angles at once, allowing faster, smoother, and more accurate scans.
It has a larger capture distance range (up to 25mm), making it easier to scan tricky regions of the mouth, such as narrow or deep palates, edentulous spaces, and partially erupted teeth. - we are curious how it will filter cheeks, tongues etc.
Captures more detailed 3D models and images that remove the need for the bulky digital cameras and cheek retractors required for traditional intraoral photos.
Provides a more ergonomic scanning experience and removes barriers some dentists had with adoption.
The smaller, lighter wand offers a more comfortable experience - great for child and teen patients.
Overall, it seems like a great step forward for Align Technology.
The previous iTero scanners were decent, but as mentioned, they were far too big in today's market. Furthermore, the user interface and workflow aspects were convoluted - especially for restorative purposes.
This seems to have been sorted out with new software releases, and now, with new scanner hardware, will iTero be a big name in intraoral scanning again and not just known for Invisalign?
We’re excited to find out.
The company has announced a global broadcast on February 15th for more detailed information on the scanner; we’ll be doing a write-up of the event, so keep an eye out!
I’ll definitely be doing a review of this scanner as well.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!