Claims
- 1. A method of assessing tooth structure using laser based ultrasonics comprising:
generating ultrasonic acoustic waves using a pulsed laser that emits a beam; focusing the beam of the pulsed laser onto a desired area on the surface of a tooth thereby creating ultrasonic acoustic waves within the bulk and on the surface of the tooth structure; optically detecting the acoustic waveforms generated within and on the surface of the tooth structure using optical interferometric detection means; and processing the detected acoustic waveforms to assess the internal and surface structure of the tooth.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the pulsed laser is comprised of a short pulse CO2 laser.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the pulsed laser is comprised of a short pulse laser that operates in region of absorption for the tooth structure.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the pulsed laser is comprised of a short pulse laser that operates in a region of absorption of a film that is placed on the surface of the tooth.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a laser vibrometer
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a Fabry-Perot interferometer.
- 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a Mach-Zender interferometer.
- 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a photo-refractive interferometer.
- 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of an intensity feedback interferometer.
- 10. The method of claim 1 wherein measurements are taken in an epicentral configuration in which the pulsed laser and the optical interferometric detection means are on opposite sides of the tooth.
- 11. The method of claim 1 wherein measurements are taken in a non-epicentral configuration in which the pulsed laser and the optical interferometric detection means are on opposite sides of the tooth.
- 12. The method of claim 1 wherein measurements are taken in which the pulsed laser and the optical interferometric detection means are on the same side of the tooth.
- 13. The method of claim 1 further comprising triggering the detection of the acoustic waveforms within the tooth structure using a high-speed photodetector that samples the output of the pulsed laser.
- 14. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing step comprises:
forwarding the acoustic waveforms detected by the optical interferometric detection means to an oscilloscope; and analyzing the arrival times and amplitudes of wavefronts within a waveform as presented on the oscilloscope.
- 15. The method of claim 1 wherein the tooth surface requires no special preparation.
- 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the beam of the pulsed laser is focused onto the surface of a tooth via a lens apparatus.
- 17. An apparatus of assessing tooth structure using laser based ultrasonics comprising:
a pulsed laser that generates a beam of ultrasonic acoustic waves; a lens that focuses the beam of the pulsed laser onto a desired area on the surface of a tooth thereby creating ultrasonic acoustic waves within the bulk and on the surface of the tooth structure; optical interferometric detection means that detect the acoustic waveforms generated within and on the surface of the tooth structure; and an oscilloscope that processes the detected acoustic waveforms to assess the internal structure of the tooth.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the pulsed laser is comprised of a short pulse CO2 laser.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the pulsed laser is comprised of a short pulse laser that operates in region of absorption for the tooth structure.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the pulsed laser is comprised of a short pulse laser that operates in a region of absorption of a film that is placed on the surface of the tooth.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a laser vibrometer.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a Fabry-Perot interferometer.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a Mach-Zender interferometer.
- 24. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a photo-refractive interferometer.
- 25. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a intensity feedback interferometer.
- 26. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein measurements are taken in an epicentral configuration in which the pulsed laser and the optical interferometric detection means are on opposite sides of the tooth.
- 27. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein measurements are taken in a non-epicentral configuration in which the pulsed laser and the optical interferometric detection means are on opposite sides of the tooth.
- 28. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein measurements are taken in which the pulsed laser and the optical interferometric detection means are on the same side of the tooth.
- 29. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a high-speed photodetector that triggers the detection of the acoustic waveforms within and on the surface of the tooth structure by sampling the output of the pulsed laser.
- 30. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising processing means that analyze the arrival times and amplitudes of wavefronts within a waveform.
- 31. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the tooth surface requires no special preparation.
- 32. A method of generating ultrasonic acoustic waves within and on the surface of a tooth comprising:
generating ultrasonic acoustic waves using a pulsed laser that emits a beam; and focusing the beam of the pulsed laser onto a desired area on the surface of a tooth thereby creating ultrasonic acoustic waves within and on the surface of the tooth structure.
- 33. The method of claim 32 wherein the pulsed laser is comprised of a short pulse CO2 laser.
- 34. The method of claim 32 wherein the pulsed laser is comprised of a short pulse laser that operates in region of absorption for the tooth structure.
- 35. The method of claim 32 wherein the pulsed laser is comprised of a short pulse laser that operates in a region of absorption of a film that is placed on the surface of the tooth.
- 36. The method of claim 32 wherein the tooth surface requires no special preparation.
- 37. The method of claim 32 wherein the beam of the pulsed laser is focused onto the surface of a tooth via a lens apparatus.
- 38. A method of detecting and processing ultrasonic acoustic waves within and on the surface of a tooth comprising:
optically detecting the acoustic waveforms within and on the surface of the tooth structure using interferometric detection means; and processing the detected acoustic waveforms to assess the internal structure of the tooth.
- 39. The method of claim 38 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a laser vibrometer.
- 40. The method of claim 38 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a Fabry-Perot interferometer.
- 41. The method of claim 38 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a Mach-Zender interferometer.
- 42. The method of claim 38 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a photo-refractive interferometer.
- 43. The method of claim 38 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a intensity feedback interferometer.
- 44. The method of claim 38 wherein said processing step comprises:
forwarding the acoustic waveforms detected by the optical interferometric detection means to an oscilloscope; and analyzing the arrival times and intensities of wavefronts within a waveform as presented on the oscilloscope.
- 45. An apparatus for generating ultrasonic acoustic waves within and on the surface of a tooth comprising:
a pulsed laser that generates a beam of ultrasonic acoustic waves; and a lens that focuses the beam of the pulsed laser onto a desired area on the surface of a tooth thereby creating ultrasonic acoustic waves within and on the surface of the tooth structure.
- 46. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein the pulsed laser is comprised of a short pulse CO2 laser.
- 47. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein the pulsed laser is comprised of a short pulse laser that operates in region of absorption for the tooth structure.
- 48. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein the pulsed laser is comprised of a short pulse laser that operates in a region of absorption of a film that is placed on the surface of the tooth.
- 49. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein the tooth surface requires no special preparation.
- 50. An apparatus for detecting and processing ultrasonic acoustic waves within and on the surface of a tooth comprising:
optical interferometric detection means that optically detect the acoustic waveforms generated within and on the surface of the tooth structure; and an oscilloscope that processes the detected-acoustic waveforms to assess the internal and/or surface structure of the tooth.
- 51. The apparatus of claim 50 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a laser vibrometer.
- 52. The apparatus of claim 50 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a Fabry-Perot interferometer.
- 53. The apparatus of claim 50 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a Mach-Zender interferometer.
- 54. The apparatus of claim 50 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a photo-refractive interferometer.
- 55. The apparatus of claim 50 wherein the optical interferometric detection means is comprised of a intensity feedback interferometer.
- 56. The apparatus of claim 50 further comprising processing means that analyze the arrival times and intensities of wavefronts within a waveform.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/261,090, filed Jan. 11, 2001 entitled “Assessment of Tooth Structure Using Laser Based Ultrasonics”.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/US02/01138 |
1/10/2002 |
WO |
|