A Conceptual Model of Dual-Mode Tomography Technique for Dental Diagnostics: Ultrasound and Light Propagation Analysis.

Abstract

Many advanced imaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray Computed Tomography, Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Ultrasound, Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), and the most recent, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), have been developed for identifying dental tissues images and detecting changes in early carious lesions. Some modalities use high doses of radiation and energy to obtain more information, which may be harmful to patient’s health. Most early commercial OCTs had drawbacks such as its bulky size and limited image resolution. In order to overcome these concerns, this paper presents a dual-mode tomography technique that combines OCT and ultrasound method using the COMSOL Multiphysics. The application of an ultrasound device helps overcome the limitation of OCT in detecting the penetration depth of a caries lesion. Several simulations were performed to analyse the light and ultrasonic propagated waves with different diameters of carious lesions. In response to this goal, the combination data of OCT and ultrasound provide a 3D image which offers the best approach for displaying and examining changes in the oral cavity.