PHOTOACOUSTIC NON-DESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION AND IMAGING OF CARIES IN DENTAL SAMPLES

Journal Article · Mon Feb 22 00:00:00 EST 2010 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3362256· OSTI ID:21371016

Li, T; Dewhurst, R J ^[1]

---

1. Photon Science Institute, University of Manchester, Alan Turing Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL (United Kingdom)

Dental caries is a disease wherein bacterial processes damage hard tooth structure. Traditional dental radiography has its limitations for detecting early stage caries. In this study, a photoacoustic (PA) imaging system with the near-infrared light source has been applied to postmortem dental samples to obtain 2-D and 3-D images. Imaging results showed that the PA technique can be used to image human teeth caries. For non-destructive photoacoustic evaluation and imaging, the induced temperature and pressure rises within biotissues should not cause physical damage to the tissue. For example, temperature rises above 5 deg. C within live human teeth will cause pulpal necrosis. Therefore, several simulations based on the thermoelastic effect have been applied to predict temperature and pressure fields within samples. Predicted temperature levels are below corresponding safety limits, but care is required to avoid nonlinear absorption phenomena. Furthermore, PA imaging results from the phantom provide evidence for high sensitivity, which shows the imaging potential of the PA technique for detecting early stage disease.

• OSTI ID: 21371016
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1211, Issue 1; Conference: Review of progress in quantitative nondestructive evaluation, Kingston, RI (United States), 26-31 Jul 2009; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3362256; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
CARIES
DIAGNOSTIC USES
HUMAN POPULATIONS
IMAGES
NEAR INFRARED RADIATION
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PHOTOACOUSTIC EFFECT
REFLECTION
SENSITIVITY
TEETH
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION
THERMOELASTICITY
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
ELASTICITY
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
INFRARED RADIATION
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
ORAL CAVITY
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
POPULATIONS
RADIATIONS
USES