Near-infrared transillumination for the imaging of early dental decay
OwnerDaniel Fried, Robert Jonesinventors
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Abstract
A method for detecting tooth decay and other tooth anomalies wherein a tooth is transilluminated with a near-infrared light source preferably in the range from approximately 795-nm to approximately 1600-nm, more preferably in the range from approximately 830-nm to approximately 1550-nm, more preferably in the range from approximately 1285-nm to approximately 1335-nm, and more preferably at a wavelength of approximately 1310-nm, and the light passing through the tooth is imaged for determining an area of decay in the tooth. The light source is a fiber-optic bundle coupled to a halogen lamp or more preferably a superluminescent diode, and the imaging device is preferably a CCD camera or a focal plane array (FPA).
Claims26
A method for detecting tooth anomalies, comprising:
- transilluminating a tooth with light having a wavelength in the range from approximately 795-nm to approximately 1600-nm;
- and
- imaging light passing through said tooth for determining an anomaly in said tooth.
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A method of detecting tooth decay, comprising:
- transilluminating a tooth with a near-infrared light source having a wavelength in the range from approximately 795-nm to approximately 1600-nm;
- detecting intensity of light passing through said tooth at a plurality of spatial positions;
- comparing detected light intensity for at least a portion of said spatial positions;
- and
- designating an area of said tooth exhibiting a lower detected light intensity than an at least partially surrounding area as an area of tooth decay.
A method of detecting tooth decay, comprising:
- transilluminating a tooth with a near-infrared light source having a wavelength in the range from approximately 795-nm to approximately 1600-nm;
- detecting intensity of light passing through said tooth at a plurality of spatial positions;
- developing a spatial profile of said detected light intensity;
- using said spatial intensity profile, identifying areas in said tooth exhibiting intensity gradients;
- and
- designating said area of said tooth exhibiting intensity gradients as an area of tooth decay.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.