Dental biothermophotonics: How photothermal methods are winning the race with X-rays for dental caries diagnostic needs of clinical dentistry

Recent trends in biothermophotonics of teeth are presented. The presentation is centered on the development of clinical-level frequency-domain photothermal radiometry and modulated luminescence to address issues associated with the early diagnosis of demineralization caries in human teeth. Biothermophotonic principles and applications to the detection of the carious state in human teeth as embodied by laser photothermal radiometry are presented and further supported by modulated luminescence. The emphasis is on recent developments with regard to abilities of these techniques to diagnose interproximal lesions between teeth, etching with phosphoric acid and with an artificial demineralization gel in order to simulate early demineralization, as well as demineralization and remineralization of dental crown enamel and root dentin. These are lesions which normally go undetected by X-ray radiographs. Comparisons with X rays, Micro-Computed Tomography (μ-CT) and Transverse Micro-Radiography (TMR) are discussed. A theoretical model involving coupled diffuse photon density and thermal-wave fields is developed and applied to frequency scans from demineralized artificial lesions to produce quantitative values for optical and thermophysical parameters of teeth as well as the thickness of the induced lesion.     

离体龋齿的光热锁相成像检测试验

牙齿龋损是人类一种广泛存在的口腔疾病,如何能够尽早的发现早期龋齿,对患者牙齿龋损的预防与治疗具有重要意义。介绍了基于光热效应的光热锁相热成像技术,光热锁相热成像技术具有无损伤、高效率及探测面积大等优势被广泛应用于各类材料的无损检测。基于光热锁相热成像技术原理对人为模拟龋损的人类离体牙齿组织进行成像检测试验研究。首先开展了对不同模拟龋损位置离体牙齿的光热锁相成像试验,采用防酸指甲油对牙齿组织测试面进行开窗受控龋损(开窗大小为5 mm×5 mm),其中模拟龋损部位分别选择在牙齿组织的邻接面及牙颌面。试验结果显示,牙齿组织模拟龋损位置热波幅值增大,相位滞后增大且光热锁相成像的幅值图与相位图与X射线成像相比对模拟龋损部位表现出高敏感及高特异性;光热锁相成像技术对邻接面龋损比牙颌面龋损具有较高特异性。其次开展了对平滑面牙齿组织样本的多天(0,1,2,4及6 d)模拟龋损光热锁相成像跟踪试验研究,牙齿组织龋损程度采用X射线方法进行量化。试验结果表明,当龋损时间小于6 d时,X射线方法无法对龋损位置进行有效识别,而采用光热锁相热成像技术检测模拟龋损1 d的牙齿组织时,幅值差为3.82,相位差为10.57°,证明光热锁相热成像方法对牙齿组织龋损具有较高敏感性。提取的光热锁相成像幅值与相位与龋损时间具有良好的相关性。     

Surface configuration properties of partially demineralized bio-derived compact bone scaffolds

To further improve surface characteristics of bio-derived compact bone scaffolds (BDCBS), 20% surface demineralization in a controlled manner was applied to the scaffolds. The surface configuration properties and roughness of the partially demineralized BDCBS and non-demineralized BDCBS (n = 12 in each group) were investigated with SEM and atomic force microscopy (AFM) in this study. The result demonstrated that the surface configuration of partially demineralized BDCBS exhibited specific porous micro-structure when compared to the compact structure of non-demineralized BDCBS. Furthermore, the result showed that the surface roughness of the partially demineralized BDCBS was significantly higher than that of BDCBS (P < 0.01). These results revealed that the partial demineralization could improve the surface configuration characteristics of BDCBS.     

Dental biothermophotonics: A quantitative photothermal analysis of early dental demineralization

Photothermal Radiometry (PTR) is applied as a safe, non-destructive, and highly sensitive tool for the detection of early enamel demineralization. Teeth were treated sequentially with artificial demineralization to simulate controlled mineral loss. PTR frequency scans were performed at the same surface spot before and after each treatment. After 4 days of demineralization, the signal changed significantly compared to sound enamel scans. A coupled diffuse-photon-density-wave and thermal-wave theoretical model was developed to describe the biothermophotonic phenomena in the turbid medium consisting of a demineralised layer, sound enamel, and dentin. As a result of the fittings, thermal and optical properties of the layers were obtained.     

Alterations in enamel remineralization in vitro induced by blue light

Blue light, especially from LED devices, is a very frequently used tool in dental procedures. However, the investigations of its effects on dental enamel are focused primarily on enamel demineralization and fluoride retention. Despite the fact that this spectral region can inhibit enamel demineralization, the effects of the irradiation on demineralized enamel are not known. For this reason, we evaluated the effects of blue LED on remineralization of dental enamel. Artificial lesions were formed in bovine dental enamel blocks by immersing the samples in undersaturated acetate buffer. The lesions were irradiated with blue LED (455 nm, 1.38 W/cm², 13.75 J/cm², and 10 s) and remineralization was induced by pH-cycling process. Cross-sectional hardness was used to asses mineral changes after remineralization. Non-irradiated enamel lesions presented higher mineral content than irradiated ones. Furthermore, the mineral content of irradiated group was not significantly different from the lesion samples that were not submitted to the remineralization process. Results obtained in the present study show that the blue light is not innocuous for the dental enamel and inhibition of its remineralization can occur.     

Femtosecond laser drilling of alumina ceramic substrates

In the paper, the result on femtosecond laser drilling of alumina ceramic substrate was reported. The effects of various laser parameters such as different focus position, traverse speed, drilling pattern, pausing time, etc. on the drilled hole quality in terms of surface finish, heat affected zone (HAZ), hole circularity, debris, microcracks were studied. The quality of laser-drilled holes on alumina ceramic substrates was evaluated with optical microscope, SEM/EDX, and X-ray μ-CT analysis. The optimum drilling conditions were identified. High-quality laser-drilled holes on alumina ceramic substrates were demonstrated. The developed process has potential application in manufacturing of alumina substrate based electronic devices.     

Recombination zone and efficiency in bipolar single layer light-emitting devices: a numerical study

The efficiency of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) is closely related to the position and width of recombination zone (RCZ) in the emission layer. Based on the drift–diffusion theory of carrier motion in semiconductors, we developed a numerical model for the position and width of the RCZ in bipolar single layer OLEDs. The calculation results show that for a given operation voltage, the position and width of the RCZ are determined by the mobility difference of electrons and holes, and the energy barrier at the two contacts. When the anode and cathode contact are both ohmic, then RCZ will be near the electrode, from which the low-mobility carriers are injected, and the smaller the mobility difference, the wider the RCZ, and the width of RCZ will be maximal when the mobility of holes and electrons are equal. When the anode contact is Schottky, while the cathode contact is ohmic, then the position and width of RCZ will be determined by both the mobility difference and hole–injection energy barrier. When μ _p<μ _n, the RCZ will be at the anode side. When μ _p>μ _n, then RCZ will move away from the anode and become wider, with the increase of the hole injection barrier. For a given hole–injection barrier and mobility of holes and electrons, the position and width of RCZ change with the applied voltage.     

Study of the effects of unsupervised over‐the counter whitening products on dental enamel using μ‐Raman and μ‐EDXRF spectroscopies

The purpose of this in vitro study was to assess whether the mineralization degree and elemental content in tooth enamel are altered when bleaching the teeth with two different over‐the‐counter bleaching gels, exceeding the recommendations of the manufacturer. In order to perform this evaluation, 12 healthy teeth were used, six samples were treated with Teeth Whitening Home Kit, and the other six samples were treated with WHITE! (Bingo‐UK) bought in online shopping sites, for the period of 39 days. The pH of each product and the elemental content of each sample, before and after, were obtained by energy dispersive X‐ray spectrometry and phosphate (PO₄^3‐) profile was evaluated with Raman spectroscopy. Data was analyzed accordingly to a pre‐established plan with a mixed‐model ANOVA for repeated measures, significance was set at 5%. Both products were markedly acidic and below enamel critical level of 5.5. Moreover, seven days after treatment, demineralization was significant, wherein at the end of the study the degree of demineralization seems to be permanent. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Caries resistance of lased human root surface with 10.6 μm CO2 laser-thermal,morphological, and microhardness analysis

Although the cariostatic effects of CO₂ laser on enamel have been shown, its effects on root surface demineralization remains uncertain. The objectives of this in vitro research was to establish safe parameters for a pulsed 10.6 μm CO₂ laser and to evaluate its effect on morphological features of the root surface, as well as on the reduction of root demineralization. Ninety-five human root surfaces were randomly divided into five groups: G1-No treatment (control); G2—2.5 J/cm²; G3—4.0 J/cm²; G4—5.0 J/cm²; and G5—6.0 J/cm². Intrapulpal temperature was evaluated during root surface irradiation by a thermocouple and morphological changes were evaluated by SEM. After the surface treatment, the specimens were submitted to a 7-day pH-cycling model. Subsequently, the cross-sectional Knoop microhardness values were measured. For all irradiated groups, intrapulpal temperature changes were less than 1.5°C. Scanning electron microscopy images indicated that fluences as low as 4.0 J/cm² were sufficient to induce morphological changes in the root surface. Additionally, for fluences reaching or exceeding 4.0 J/cm², laser-induced inhibitory effects on root surface demineralization were observed. It was concluded that laser energy density in the range of 4.0 to 6.0 J/cm² could be applied to a dental root to reduce demineralization of this surface without compromising pulp vitality.     

金属/多孔硅/单晶硅(M/PS/Si)微结构的电学特性

采用双槽电化学腐蚀法制备多孔硅层,然后在多孔硅表面沉积形成金属电极,制备出M/PS/Si微结构.利用SEM分析多孔硅的表面形貌,通过测试其I-V特性分析M/PS/Si微结构的电学特性.结果表明:由Pt做电极形成的M/PS/Si结构,表现出非整流特性.M/PS/Si结构的I-V曲线由线性区和非线性区组成,多孔硅孔隙率越高的M/PS/Si结构的I-V特性曲线线性区越宽.由Cu做电极形成的M/PS/Si结构,表现出整流特性.其整流比随多孔硅孔隙率增加而减小. 关键词： M/PS/Si微结构 孔隙率 I-V特性')" href="#">I-V特性 欧姆接触     

Theoretical investigation of static and dynamic characteristics of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with incorporated two-dimensional photonic crystals

A dynamical model of oxide-confined Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) with two-dimensional photonic crystals (PCs) incorporated within them so called PC-VCSELs is presented and used to optimise designs for high-power single-mode operation. Three PC-VCSEL designs are considered: (I) with holes in the top DBRs, (II) with PC holes situated between their DBRs and (III) with PC holes etched through the entire VCSEL. A simulated design for a PC-VCSEL of type (I) with holes of d = 2 μm diameter, a = 4 μm lattice constant (d/a = 0.5) and 2.2 μm depth was found to improve the single mode behaviour but not enough to establish single mode behaviour for large apertures. The modulation behaviour was not degraded by the PC. Simulations of type (II) and (III) PC-VCSELs, with the same parameters, have shown multimode operation and degraded modulation properties. Simulations of PC-VCSELs of type (III) with holes of d = 0.2 μm diameter and a = 0.4 μm lattice constant (d/a = 0.5) have shown improved modulation properties and enhanced single mode power for small apertures. In simulation, PC-VCSELs incorporating multiple PC-defects have shown order of magnitude increases in the single mode output power. However, the modulation properties of these VCSELs show degradation due to gain saturation and hopping of the optical modes localized within the PC defects.     

The two-jet angular distribution probing virtual exotics at hadron colliders

Heavy virtual exotics, affecting the QCD quark-scattering amplitudes, can best be probed by the normalized two-jet angular distribution at the LHC, the SSC and the Fermilab Tevatron. As typical examples we considerSU(3) _L SU(3) _R axigluons andE ₆ diquarks compared to the more familiar quark effective contact terms. We propose optimal jet pseudorapidity and invariant-mass cuts in order to enhance the signal at the future colliders. The discovery limits thus obtained, are studied in terms of energy and luminosity for each machine, comparatively.Supported in part by a CEC Science Program (Contract no. SC1-CT91-0729)     

Argon laser induced changes to the carbonate content of enamel

Argon laser irradiation can be used to cure orthodontic brackets onto teeth in significantly less time than conventional curing lights. In addition, it has been shown that the argon laser seems to impart a demineralization resistance to the enamel. The purpose of this study was to use surface science techniques to ascertain if this demineralization resistance is possibly a result of a decrease in the carbonate content of enamel. Eleven mandibular third molars previously scheduled for extraction were collected and used in the present study. The teeth were sectioned in two and randomly assigned to either the argon laser (457-502 nm; 250 mW cm⁻²) or the control (no treatment) group. The sections assigned to the argon laser group were cured for 10 s and analyzed. To exaggerate any potential changes the experimental sections were then exposed to a further 110 s of argon laser irradiation. Surface analysis was performed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). The results showed no statistically significant change in the carbonate content of enamel after argon laser irradiation (p > 0.05). Thus, it is suggested that any demineralization resistance imparted to the enamel surface by argon laser irradiation is not due to alterations in carbonate content.     

A Disulfide-Linked Naphthalimide Dimer for Hg(II) Detection in Aqueous Solution

A disulfide linked naphthalimide dimer probe was designed for mercury ion (Hg²⁺) recognition in this work. The recognition was based on the strong affinity of mercury for sulfur. The experimental results revealed that the probe exhibited high selectivity and sensitivity toward Hg²⁺ in comparison to other metal ions via a turn-on and reversible response to Hg²⁺ in neutral buffer solution. More importantly, the probe demonstrated a linear response for Hg²⁺ over a concentration range from 0 to 150 μM with a detection limit of 0.38 μM, which is just the limit of the safe concentration for humans. Upon addition of 150 μM Hg²⁺, the enhancement of fluorescence reached a maximum (∼7-fold). The performances of the probe indicated that it could meet the selectivity requirements for biomedical and environmental application and also was sensitive enough to detect Hg²⁺ in environmental and biological samples.     

Magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) and long repetition time spin-echo MR imaging in multiple sclerosis

Purpose: To study whether application of magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) improves visibility and detection of multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions on long repetition time (TR) conventional spin-echo (CSE) or fast spin-echo (FSE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.Material and methods: In 20 patients and 5 controls, MR images were obtained using long repetition time CSE and FSE sequences with and without MTC. Signal-to-noise ratios of normal appearing white matter (NAWM) and selected lesions, and contrast-to-noise ratios between lesions and NAWM, were calculated. Lesions were counted and total lesion volume was measured in a blinded fashion for each sequence.Results: In controls, MT effect in white matter (16.3% vs. 12.2%) was higher for CSE than for FSE (p < 0.01). Application of MTC to either CSE or FSE resulted in a significantly lower decrease in signal intensity of NAWM in patients compared to white matter in controls (p < 0.01). Furthermore, in patients signal intensity of lesions was less decreased than signal intensity of NAWM (p < 0.01). Compared to sequences without MTC, contrast-to-noise ratios were significantly higher on both CSE (10.9%) and FSE (6.3%) when MTC was applied (p < 0.01). Despite better visibility, the number of lesions detected on either sequences did not increase when MTC was applied. For CSE with MTC, we found an almost equal number of lesions and for FSE with MTC, we found even less lesions (p < 0.01). Total lesion volume did not change significantly when MTC was applied.Conclusion: Although contrast between lesions and NAWM improved when magnetization transfer contrast was applied, this did not increase detection of MS lesions on either CSE or FSE MR imaging.     

Characterization of enamel caries lesions in rat molars using synchrotron X‐ray microtomography

Dental caries is a ubiquitous infectious disease with a nearly 100% lifetime prevalence. Rodent caries models are widely used to investigate the etiology, progression and potential prevention or treatment of the disease. To explore the suitability of these models for deeper investigations of intact surface zones during enamel caries, the structures of early‐stage carious lesions in rats were characterized and compared with previous reports on white spot enamel lesions in humans. Synchrotron X‐ray microcomputed tomography non‐destructively mapped demineralization in carious rat molar specimens across a range of caries severity, identifying 52 lesions across the 30 teeth imaged. Of these lesions, 13 were shown to have intact surface zones. Depth profiles of fractional mineral density were qualitatively similar to lesions in human teeth. However, the thickness of the surface zone in the rat model ranges from 10 to 58 µm, and is therefore significantly thinner than in human enamel. These results indicate that a fraction of lesions in rat caries possess an intact surface zone and are qualitatively similar to human lesions at the micrometer scale. This suggests that rat caries models may be a suitable analog through which to investigate the structure of surface zone enamel and its role during dental caries.     

Synthesis of Yb-doped Ba(Ce,Zr)O3 ceramic powders by sol–gel method

This study was aimed to synthesize a ceramic electrolyte of BaCe_0.76Zr_0.19Yb_0.05O_2.975 using acetate and chloride precursors. The transparent sol was stable for more than 10 months but only 3 months for the gel. The dried gel was characterized using thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry, particle analyzer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy/dispersive X-ray (SEM/EDX) analysis. Thermal behavior analysis showed three steps of weight losses. All the processes were exothermic reactions as shown by derivative thermogravimetric analysis signal. Two groups of particle size were observed in the particle size distribution for the sample in the form of sol and powders ranging from 100 to 1,100 nm. A high purity single-phase sample with orthorhombic structure was identified by XRD. The theoretical density estimated from the unit cell parameters was 6.40 g cm⁻³. SEM of the powdered sample showed homogeneous distribution of particles and the grains size were in the range of 0.7–1.3 μm. EDX data revealed that the residue of small amount of chloride (≈0.25%) was still present in the final product of the compound.     

牙齿组织光热动态特性仿真与试验研究

调制激光作用牙齿组织发生散射形成光子密度波, 而由于光热效应产生热波, 基于一维介质辐射传输漫射近似方程与一维热传导方程建立了调制激光作用牙齿组织半透明混合介质的一维热波数学模型. 利用该模型仿真分析了牙齿龋损特性参数(牙釉质龋损层光吸收系数、散射系数、热扩散系数及龋损深度)对光热辐射动态响应特性的影响与规律. 利用红外探测器(HgCdTe, 2–12 μm)记录808 nm半导体激光激发牙齿组织产生的热波信号, 由锁相放大器计算热波信号的幅值与相位. 通过频率扫描试验获得了牙齿组织的光热动态响应, 利用多参数最佳统计拟合方法得到了牙齿组织特性参数. 结果表明光热辐射测量对牙齿组织不均匀性和龋损特性均具有较高敏感性与特异性.     

Influence of the Ar8+ and O6+ ion implantation on the recombination parameters of p and n type implanted Si samples investigated by means of the photothermal infrared radiometry

This paper presents the influence of Ar⁸⁺ and O⁶⁺ ion implantation on the recombination parameters of n and p type Si samples. These parameters were determined from the fitting of theoretical characteristics to the experimental photothermal radiometric (PTR) characteristics. We found that with the increasing ion implantation doses (i) the changes of the bulk recombination lifetimes and the carrier diffusivity were not observed; (ii) the increasing of the surface recombination velocities and the parameter A were observed. This paper also proves that it is possible to interpret the experimental PTR characteristics with a relatively simple effective model of a PTR signal.