KEYWORDS: Teeth, Dental caries, Dentistry, In vitro testing, In vivo imaging, Tissues, Medical imaging, Visualization, Terahertz radiation, Image resolution
TeraHertz Pulse Imaging (TPI) is a relatively new imaging modality for medical and dental imaging. The aim of the present study was to make a preliminary assessment of the potential uses of TPI in clinical dentistry, particularly in relation to caries detection and the detection and monitoring of erosion. Images were obtained in vitro using a new TPI system developed by TeraView Ltd. We present data showing that TPI in vitro images of approximal surfaces of whole teeth demonstrate a distinctive shadowing in the presence of natural carious lesions in enamel. The thickness of this enamel shadowing appears to be related to lesion depth. The use of non-ionizing radiation to image such lesions non-destructively in vitro represents a significant step towards such measurements in vivo. In addition, data is presented which indicates that TPI may have a potential role in the detection and monitoring of enamel erosion. In vitro experiments on whole incisor teeth show that TPI is capable of detecting relatively small artificially induced changes in the buccal or palatal surface of the enamel of these teeth. Imaging of enamel thickness at such a resolution without ionizing radiation would represent a significant breakthrough if applicable in vivo.
Generating images of layered tissue structures can give valuable information to clinicians. However, the provision of accurate imaging of certain tissue structures, like teeth, in 3-dimensions is still a difficult problem. We present a method that relies on the use of pulsed Terahertz radiation to gain 3-dimensional information from teeth samples. The method makes use of Terahertz Pulse Imaging (TPI) to provide depth information. Example images are shown where structures in teeth at depth are rendered. We discuss issues that arise using this imaging method and propose ways in which it could be used in clinical practice.
We demonstrate the application of terahertz pulse imaging for the in-vivo study of human tissue, in this case the upper layers of human skin. The terahertz pulses comprise frequencies from below 100 GHz to over 2 THz and are generated using optical pulse excited semiconductor devices with a conversion efficiency of better than 10-3. The terahertz pulses are used to obtain tomographic information on the skin surface tissue. From the data the stratum corneum thickness and hydration may be mapped or cross-sectional images displayed.
We present Terahertz Pulse Imaging (TPI) results of different human tissue types. Our results are part of an initial study to explore the potential of TPI for biomedical applications. A survey of different tissue types has demonstrated the various contrast mechanisms that are available in TPI, allowing different tissue types to be readily identified. This encourages the pursuit of further studies of TPI for a variety of biomedical applications.
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