📌 Preparation Before PIM Scan
To acquire accurate PIM data, understanding the PIM Solution, advance preparation and the correct scan strategy are essential.
Before starting the scan, be sure to review the PIM Solution documentation.
In particular, you must verify the compatibility between the MUA placed in the patient's mouth and the PIM scanbody you intend to use in advance.
1. Attaching the PIM Guide
- Remove the Scanner tip from the scanner and attach the PIM Guide.
- The PIM Guide can be attached in only one orientation and offers three angle settings. Adjust the angle as appropriate for each case.
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Level 1 (Default) |
Level 2 |
Level 3 |
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Angle |
10°~20° (freely adjustable) |
55° |
90° |
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Recommended |
Place the guide on the patient's chin for maxillary/mandibular PIM scanning. |
Place the guide on the patient's chin for maxillary PIM scanning. Place the guide on the patient's philtrum for mandibular PIM scanning. |
Perform PIM scanning without resting the guide on the patient. |
2. Scanbody Placement
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Attach an L-Type Scanbody |
Attach with the Unique Pattern Visible |
Remove Blood and Saliva |
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Attach an L-type scanbody to the posterior-most MUA first. Using an L-type scanbody improves scanning convenience and PIM data accuracy. * If an L-type scanbody cannot be attached due to implant placement or other factors, an SQ-type scanbody may be used instead. |
Attach the scanbody so that its unique pattern is clearly visible within the scan area. |
Before scanning, remove any blood or saliva from the scanbody. |
3. Soft Tissue Retraction
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To ensure that the PIM scanbody are clearly visible, a retractor must be placed before PIM scan.
In mandibular cases, the tongue may obscure the unique patterns on the PIM scanbody. Retract the tongue before or during scanning using one of the methods below.
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Tongue Retraction Methods | ||
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Position the Tongue Below the L-type Scanbody |
Lift the tongue toward the palate |
Retract the Tongue with an Instrument |
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Retract the tongue by positioning it below the L-type scanbody. |
Have the patient place the tongue against the palate so it does not obscure the unique patterns on the PIM scanbody. |
Use an instrument such as a dental mirror, tweezers, or suction tip to depress and retract the tongue. |
📌 Basic PIM Scan Strategy
1. Recommended Scanner Position
It is recommended to maintain a distance of 11 cm between the scanner and the scanbody.
Use the support bar on the PIM Guide to maintain the proper distance between the scanbody and the PIM Guide.
- While maintaining the proper distance between the scanbody and the scanner, adjust the angle so that the unique patterns on both the top and front of the scanbody are visible.
2. Scan The PIM Scanbody
- Positioning the Scanbody in the Live View:
- When the countdown begins, adjust the scanner position so that the unique patterns on all scanbody are clearly visible and centered in the live view.
- Make sure the scanbody are not shifted to one side of the live view.
- Scan the PIM Scanbody:
- When the countdown ends, begin scanning by moving the scanner broadly from side to side.
- The PIM scanbodies will not be recognized if the scanner is held stationary. Move the scanner freely from side to side and up and down to detect the scanbodies.
- During scanning, there is no need to hold the scanner and PIM Guide in one fixed position, move their position and angle freely so that the unique patterns on the scanbody remain clearly visible.
- If the scanbody are positioned deep in the oral cavity, adjust the length of the PIM Guide to scan them.
- However, if the scanbody are too close to the scanner, the scanner may not focus accurately on the unique patterns.
- Once sufficient accuracy has been achieved, the scanbody are displayed in green. Continue scanning until all PIM scanbody are displayed in green.
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Scanbody Accuracy Criteria | |
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SQ Type |
L Type |
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▶️ PIM Scanbody Scan Video
📌 PIM Align Scan
1. Aligning the PIM Scanbody Data with the Base Data
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Perform an alignment scan to align the PIM scanbody data with the base data.
Before scanning, make sure the scanner tip mirror is clean. If it is contaminated, wipe it with a clean cloth before scanning.
- Begin the alignment scan at the gingival area in the posterior or anterior region.For edentulous cases, begin scanning using anatomical landmarks such as the palatal rugae or retromolar pad.
- Then, scan in a zigzag pattern, focusing on the unique patterns on the top and front of the scanbody.
- It is recommended to include the entire arch in the scan. In particular, make sure both L-type scanbody are recognized.
- When the scanbody recognized during the PIM stage match those recognized during the alignment stage by at least 30%, alignment is completed and the data is displayed in green.
- When the scanbody data turns green, indicating that the two datasets are aligned, end the scan.
▶️ PIM Scanbody & Base Data Alignment Scan Video