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，自19世纪末以来，该技术基本保持不变。早期检测小龋和评价微观釉质裂纹断裂前的两个主要问题，可以解决与应用程序的3-D光学成像技术。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，其方式与超声测量声音反射的方式大致相同，对于牙科成像具有吸引力，因为它允许在不需要电离辐射或外源性对比的情况下以μ m级分辨率评估微观组织形态。然而，OCT还没有准备好在牙科实践中普遍使用，因为它受到几个技术限制，例如成像深度浅，速度慢，以及缺乏专门为牙科使用设计的实用商业探头。在第一阶段的提案中，诊断光子学（DxP）将证明，干涉合成孔径显微镜（ISAM）带来的技术创新，即基于OCT的下一代技术，将克服迄今为止阻止在牙科实践中采用3D光学成像技术的关键缺点。我们将使用现有的DxP手持式ISAM探头系统对离体牙齿标本进行ISAM成像，定量评估传统OCT的性能改进，开发改进的ISAM算法和光学配置，用于极深的景深牙齿成像，并设计专用的口内探头用于第二阶段。在未来的第二阶段工作中，将在体内临床研究中构建和测试专用手持式牙科探头。临床研究将包括评价龋齿识别的诊断准确性和可重复性，区分活动性和非活动性龋齿，釉质裂纹识别和裂纹尺寸测量。这些研究还将评价系统的可靠性和结果的再现性。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有着良好的记录。这种跟踪记录与ISAM的使能技术相结合，为通过技术创新改善牙科护理提供了一个重要的新机会。

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.