SBIR Phase I: Brillouin Microscopy for Early Detection of Dental Caries

这个SBIR一期项目的更广泛/商业影响将应用布里渊光谱（一种测量样品中声速的光学方法）来早期检测龋齿（蛀牙）。虽然布里渊光谱已经被用于研究其他材料，但它还没有被用于研究牙釉质中的龋齿。然而，初步的数据和理论模型表明，该技术可以有效地检测早期的龋齿病变。一旦发展起来，这种方法将能够尽早发现牙齿中的龋齿，再矿化治疗可以有效地用于逆转龋齿的进展，从而大大减少对钻孔、蛀牙填充、根管和种植体的需求。在广泛的商业应用后，这一概念将从根本上改变牙科实践，并使其专注于预防而不是干预。这将通过减少对痛苦或不舒服的牙科手术的需要来改善患者的体验，从而提高患者的满意度和对两年一次的牙科检查的依从性。据估计，这些系统和相关耗材的总潜在市场在美国每年价值近20亿美元，在全球每年价值约50亿美元。该项目提出布里渊光谱作为一种检测早期龋齿的新方法。与现有的方法相比，布里渊光谱的优势在于它可以直接检测早期龋齿中与脱矿相关的牙釉质软化。理论上，这种正在申请专利的方法对诸如污渍、结石和斑块等混杂因素更具鲁棒性，同时保持光学检测的显着优势：它是非电离的、非破坏性的、非接触的，允许灵活的检测几何形状。本提案的总体目标是验证布里渊光谱作为一种新的、经济有效的、可靠的诊断方法，在早期积极识别龋齿病变。为了实现这一目标，该项目提出了两个步骤：首先，对布里渊光谱对早期龋齿的敏感性进行受控的体外表征。龋齿将通过ph循环方案逐渐诱导，以创造生理上真实的脱矿。其次，将评估常见的和潜在的混杂因素的影响，如染色、水合作用和光的入射角。期望得到的数据将最终支持布里渊光谱在早期龋齿检测中的进一步发展。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader/commercial impact of this SBIR Phase I project will apply Brillouin spectroscopy (an optical method of measuring the speed of sound in a sample) to the early detection of dental caries (cavities). While Brillouin spectroscopy has been used to study other materials, it has not been used before to study caries in the dental enamel. However, initial data and theoretical models suggest that the technology can effectively detect early carious lesions. Once developed, this method will be capable of detecting caries in teeth early enough that remineralization treatments can be effectively used to reverse caries progression, thus sharply reducing the need for drilling, cavity filling, root canals, and implants. Upon widespread commercial adoption, this concept would fundamentally change dental practice, and allow it to focus on prevention instead of intervention. This will improve the patient experience by reducing the need for painful or uncomfortable dental procedures, thereby increasing patient satisfaction and compliance with bi-annual dental exams. The total addressable market for these systems and associated consumables is estimated to be worth nearly $2 billion per year in the United States, and around $5 billion per year worldwide.The project proposes Brillouin spectroscopy as a new modality of detecting early caries. The advantage of Brillouin spectroscopy over existing methodology is that it directly detects the enamel softening associated with demineralization in early caries. This patent-pending method is theorized to be more robust to confounding factors such as stains, calculus, and plaques, while maintaining the significant advantages of optical detection: it is non-ionizing, non-damaging, and non-contact, allowing for flexible detection geometry. The overall objective of this proposal is to validate Brillouin spectroscopy as a new, cost-effective, reliable diagnostic method of positively identifying carious lesions at an early stage. To achieve this goal, the project proposes two steps: First, a controlled, in vitro characterization of the sensitivity of Brillouin spectroscopy to early caries will be conducted. The caries will be induced incrementally by a pH-cycling protocol to create physiologically realistic demineralization. Second, the influence of common and potential confounding factors, such as staining, hydration, and incident angle of the light will be assessed. The expectation is that the resulting data will conclusively support the further development of Brillouin spectroscopy for early caries detection.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.