Noninvasive Dental Implant Imaging System

描述（申请人提供）：牙种植体是牙科发展最快的领域。然而，高并发症发生率导致显著的发病率、成本和失望。术前更好地了解软组织厚度和硬组织轮廓可以显著降低并发症发生率。目前用于植入手术的软组织厚度测量技术涉及使用尖锐探针或放射照相对脆弱软组织进行机械穿透，这不是软组织测量的最佳选择。提出了一种无创超声成像系统，可以通过实现：(1)准确的无创术前软组织厚度测量，包括软组织移植物；(2)识别重要的表面骨骼特征，如孔；(3)骨缺损或骨开孔的鉴定；(4)通过精确测量上覆组织厚度来精确定位埋置愈合植入物。超声非常适合这种应用，因为：(a)它可以在手术前或手术中实时使用；(b)数据直接位于正在对病人进行成像的确切位置，并由牙医直接查看；（三）非侵入性和无电离辐射；(d)它可以用一种廉价的便携式仪器进行。如果成功，该系统有望通过减少外科、修复和美学并发症所需的昂贵辅助程序的需求，降低种植体治疗的总体社会成本；在2005-06年度，需要进行15万次辅助手术。此外，该系统将提高常规种植结果的质量和可预测性（特别是促进微创无瓣手术的使用），这对牙医和患者都很重要。第一阶段SBIR的目的是证明一种用于牙科种植手术的无创超声成像系统的技术可行性。超声波系统最终将被设计为具有b扫描换能器的特点，该换能器提供高质量的2D图像，封装在符合人体工程学的手持部件中，具有定制的系统电子设备和简单的显示器，所有这些都在便携式，低成本的系统中。该方法的技术可行性将在第一阶段SBIR工作中实现(1)根据先前的工作设计b扫描超声装置；(2)利用猪颌进行体外研究；(3)利用ROC曲线分析测量和检测统计量。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Dental implants are the fastest growing field in dentistry. However, high complication rates result in significant morbidity, cost, and disappointment. Better pre-operative knowledge of soft tissue thickness and hard tissue contour could dramatically cut complication rates. Current soft tissue thickness measurement techniques for implant procedures involve somewhat inaccurate mechanical penetration of the delicate soft tissues with sharp probes or radiography which is not optimal for soft tissue measurements. A noninvasive ultrasound imaging system is proposed that can potentially improve implant procedures by enabling: (1) accurate non-invasive preoperative measurement of soft tissue thickness, including soft tissue grafts; (2) identification of important surface bony features such as foramina; (3) identification of bony defects or fenestrations; and (4) precise location of buried healing implants with precise measurement of overlying tissue thickness. Ultrasound is ideally suited for this application, because: (a) it can be used in real-time before or during surgeries; (b) data is directly located to the exact site being imaged on the patient, as directly viewed by the dentist; (c) it is non- invasive and without ionizing radiation; and (d) it can be performed with an inexpensive and portable instrument. If successful, the system is expected to lower the overall societal cost of implant therapy by decreasing the need for expensive adjunctive procedures necessitated by surgical, prosthodontic and esthetic complications; 150,000 such adjunctive procedures were required in 2005-06. Additionally, the system will improve the quality and predictability of routine implant outcomes (especially facilitating the use minimally invasive flapless surgery) - important to both dentists and patients. The objective of this Phase I SBIR effort is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of a noninvasive ultrasound imaging system for dental implant procedures. The ultrasound system will ultimately be designed to feature a B-scan transducer that provides high quality 2D imagery, packaged in an ergonomic hand piece, with customized system electronics and simple display, all in a portable, low cost system. Technical feasibility of the approach will be achieved in this Phase I SBIR effort by (1) designing a B-scan ultrasound setup, based from prior work; (2) performing in-vitro studies using porcine jaws, and (3) analyzing measurement and detection statistics using ROC curves. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Dental implants are the fastest growing field in dentistry, but there is currently a high complication rate resulting in the need for a great many adjunctive procedures and less than optimal functional and esthetic outcomes. A noninvasive ultrasound imaging system has the potential to improve site assessment, treatment planning, surgical procedure, and uncovery by enabling accurate identification and measurement of soft tissue thicknesses, bony defects and dehiscences, mental and other foramina, jawbone thickness, and the precise location of buried healing implants. If successful, the system is expected to lower the overall societal cost of implant therapy, facilitate minimally invasive flapless surgery, and improve the quality and predictability of routine implant outcomes - important to both dentists and patients.