Development of an Intraoral Optical Probe for the Microscopic Evaluation of Denta

描述（由申请人提供）：现代牙科实践中的诊断成像仍然主要依赖于目视检查或 X 射线照相，这项技术自 1800 年代末以来基本保持不变。小龋齿的早期检测和牙釉质微观裂纹的评估是应用 3D 光学成像技术可以解决的两个主要问题。光学相干断层扫描 (OCT) 是一种光学成像技术，它测量光反射以形成 3D 图像，其方式与超声波测量声音反射的方式非常相似，它对牙科成像很有吸引力，因为它允许以米级分辨率评估微观组织形态，而无需电离辐射或外源对比度。然而，OCT 尚未准备好在牙科实践中普遍使用，因为它受到一些技术限制，例如成像深度浅、速度慢以及缺乏专门为牙科设计的实用商业探针。在这一第一阶段提案中，Diagnostics Photonics (DxP) 将展示干涉合成孔径显微镜 (ISAM)（基于 OCT 的下一代技术）带来的技术创新，将克服迄今为止阻碍 3D 光学成像技术在牙科实践中采用的关键缺点。我们将使用现有的 DxP 手持式 ISAM 探头系统对离体牙科标本进行 ISAM 成像，定量评估相对于传统 OCT 的性能改进，开发改进的 ISAM 算法和光学配置以实现极深景深牙科成像，并设计用于 II 期的专用口内探头。在未来的第二阶段工作中，将构建专用手持式牙科探针并在体内临床研究中进行测试。临床研究将包括评估龋齿识别的诊断准确性和可重复性、活动性和非活动性龋齿的区分、牙釉质裂纹识别和裂纹尺寸测量。这些研究还将评估系统的可靠性和结果的可重复性。 DxP 的临床、工程和业务专家在成功实施创新医学成像技术并将其引入临床实践方面拥有良好的记录。这一业绩记录与 ISAM 的支持技术相结合，为通过技术创新改善牙科护理带来了重要的新机会。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Diagnostic imaging in modern dental practice still relies mainly on visual inspection or x-ray radiography, a technology that remains largely unchanged since the late 1800s. The early detection of small caries and the evaluation of microscopic enamel cracks prior to facture are two major issues that may be addressed with the application of 3-D optical imaging techniques. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), an optical imaging technology that measures light reflections to form a 3-D image in much the same way that ultrasound measures sound reflections, is attractive for dental imaging because it permits the evaluation of microscopic tissue morphology at ¿m-scale resolutions without the need for ionizing radiation or exogenous contrast. OCT is not yet ready for general use in dental practice, however, as it suffers from several technical constraints such as shallow imaging depth, slow speed, and the lack of practical commercial probes designed specifically for dental use. In this Phase I proposal, Diagnostic Photonics (DxP) will demonstrate that the technical innovations brought about by interferometric synthetic aperture microscopy (ISAM), the next-generation technology built on OCT, will overcome key shortcomings that have prevented the adoption of 3-D optical imaging technology in dental practice to date. We will perform ISAM imaging of ex vivo dental specimens with an existing DxP handheld ISAM probe system, quantitatively evaluate the performance improvement over conventional OCT, develop improved ISAM algorithms and optical configurations for extreme depth-of-field dental imaging, and design a dedicated intraoral probe for use in Phase II. In future Phase II work, the dedicated handheld dental probe will be constructed and tested in an in vivo clinical investigation. Clinical studies will include the evaluation of diagnostic accuracy and repeatability of caries identification, differentiation between active and inactive caries, enamel crack identification, and crack size measurement. These studies will also evaluate the reliability of the system and reproducibility of the results. The clinical, engineering, and business experts at DxP have a demonstrated track record of successfully implementing innovative medical imaging technologies and introducing them into clinical practice. This track record, when combined with the enabling technology of ISAM, yields a significant new opportunity to improve dental care through technical innovation.