Medit, a Korean digital imaging company, is renowned for its evolution in the dental industry marked by its series of innovative dental products. The Medit i600 intraoral scanner is one of the newest additions to this portfolio, following their highly successful T-series lab scanners and a series of intraoral scanners.
The Journey to i600
The i600 was unveiled along with the i700 wireless scanner in April 2022, serving as an unexpected and affordable solution in the realm of intraoral scanning. Developed as a successor to the acclaimed i500, the i600 stands out with numerous upgrades across various aspects. Notably, the i600 shares several features with the i700, including the scanner body, optical engine, scanning tips, and cable.
Design Aspects and Technical Specifications
In terms of size and ergonomics, the Medit i600 parallels the i700, measuring 248 x 44 x 47.4 mm and weighing 245 g. The scanner is designed to ensure comfortable handling, with easily accessible buttons. The scanning heads, identical to the ones used in the i700, are fully reversible and can endure autoclaving up to 100 times. Medit also released a smaller scanner head option for patients with smaller mouths. Being a wired scanner, the i600 is essentially a plug-and-play device that connects to a suitable laptop or computer via USB. When connected directly to a laptop via USB-C, there’s no need for an additional power box or power socket.
Performance and Features
Given its affordability, the i600 delivers a commendable performance, especially when it comes to full arch scans. Its capabilities extend to a range of scans, including quadrant scans, full-arch scans, edentulous scans, and implant scans. Completing full arch scans in under 40 seconds, the scanner exhibits excellent performance even when scanning edentulous sites.
Comparing the i600 and i700
When comparing the i600 with the i700, there are four main differences to consider. The first is the absence of UV-C LED technology in the i600. While this technology, which aids in scanner disinfection, is present in the i700, its practical relevance is up for debate, and many users overlook it. The second difference is the i600’s lack of a remote control button, a feature in the i700 that enables hands-free software navigation.
In terms of frames per second (FPS), the i600 is capped at 35 FPS, while the i700 can scan up to 70-75 FPS. This discrepancy may affect the smoothness of the scanning process, but it generally doesn’t impact clinical practice. Lastly, the i600 lacks an HD mode, a feature in the i700 that offers higher scan mesh density. This mode primarily contributes to aesthetic improvements rather than accuracy and doesn’t impact scanning speed.
Conclusion
The Medit i600 is a cost-effective intraoral scanner that offers an impressive performance for its price point. The scanner shares many features with its higher-priced sibling, the i700, with the few differences generally having little impact on day-to-day clinical use. If these differences are not a primary concern for you, the i600 offers an affordable and efficient solution for intraoral scanning, making it a worthy consideration for your dental practice.