Low Cost Tri-modal Intra-oral camera for Early Detection of Caries and Cracks

描述（由申请人提供）：在牙科实践的早期阶段准确检测正在发展的病变并量化病变的能力将为牙医提供早期预防性治疗的机会;在尽可能早的阶段正确诊断牙齿骨折有助于采取更保守的治疗方案并改善预后。我们提出了一种三模式成像技术，集成偏振反射，荧光，并与近红外（NIR）透照成像模式的早期龋齿检测和牙齿裂纹检测。每种成像模态都基于不同的对比机制，并且在检测龋齿、着色、牙垢和牙齿结构的其他性质变化方面彼此相关和/或互补。因此，三模态成像技术将对蛀牙更敏感，并且将在检测脱矿牙齿区域时提供更高的特异性，同时具有来自每种模态的互补信息。结合偏振近红外反射成像和近红外透射成像，三模态成像技术在检测牙齿裂纹方面将更加敏感，因为偏振反射成像收集牙齿内部的散射光，而透射成像检测牙齿内部的散射光。 光散射和透照的局部变化。除了个别的反射影像、荧光影像、透照影像外，本研究将以荧光比率影像、荧光影像与偏光反射影像的比率影像来探讨龋齿病灶的对比度增强。我们也将探讨最佳的近红外波长的偏振反射成像和透射成像在牙齿裂纹检测。我们将展示三模态口腔内相机的建议概念，并验证其在龋齿和牙齿裂纹检测中的性能。第一阶段项目的成果是用于龋齿和裂纹检测的三模式成像技术以及低成本和紧凑型口腔内相机的概念，该概念将在第二阶段实施，用于临床前研究。该项目的核心优势之一是强大的跨学科研究团队。它汇集了系统开发，检测电子学和产品商业化的研究人员（周博士），开发口腔内摄像机和光学技术的研究人员（梁博士）以及心脏病学专家和评估各种光学技术在检测，诊断和龋齿管理中的专家（Amaechi博士）。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The ability to accurately detect the developing lesions at early stage in dental practice and to quantify the lesions will provide dentists with the opportunity of initiating early prophylactic treatment; correct diagnosis of a fractured tooth in is earliest possible stage encourages more conservative treatment options as well as an improved prognosis. We propose a tri-modal imaging technique integrating polarized reflectance, fluorescence, and with the near-infrared (NIR) transillumination imaging modalities for early caries detection and tooth crack detection. Each imaging modality is based on distinct contrast mechanism and correlates with each other and/or complements each other in detecting caries, stain, calculus, and other property changes of tooth structure. Therefore, the tri-modal imaging technique will be more sensitive to tooth decay and will provide higher specificity in detecting demineralized tooth regions with the complementary information from each modality. With polarized NIR reflectance imaging and NIR transillumination imaging, the tri-modal imaging technique will be more sensitive in detecting tooth crack because the polarized reflectance imaging collects the scattered light inside the tooth and the transillumination imaging detects the local variation in light scattering and transillumination. In addition to individual reflectance imge, fluorescence image, and transillumination image, we will investigate the contrast enhancement of caries lesion with fluorescence ratio imaging and ratio imaging between the fluorescence image and polarized reflectance image. We will also investigate the optimal NIR wavelength for polarized reflectance imaging and transillumination imaging in tooth crack detection. We will demonstrate the proposal concept of tri-modal intra-oral camera and verify its performance in detection of caries and tooth crack. The result of this Phase I project is the tri-modal imaging technique for caries and crack detection and the concept of a low cost and compact intra-oral camera which will be implemented in Phase II for pre-clinical study. One of the core-strengths of this project is the strong interdisciplinary research team. It brings together the researcher in system development, detection electronics, and produce commercialization (Dr. Zhou), the research in developing intra-oral camera and optical technologies (Dr. Liang) and the expert in Cardiology and in evaluating various optical technologies in detection, diagnosis and management of caries (Dr. Amaechi).