MARCH 19, 2009--Lantis Laser Inc. (Denville, NJ) says it has signed an exclusive agreement with the Regents of the University of California for light-based technology called "Near-infrared Transillumination Imaging of Early Dental Decay." The NIR imagingtechnology is the subject of a PCT patent-pending application; it was researched and developed over the past five years under the direction of Daniel Fried, PhD, professor of Biomaterials and Bioengineering in the Department of Preventive and Restorative Dentistry at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Dentistry. The agreement covers both human and animal dentistry.
Stan Baron, President & CEO of Lantis said, "NIR Imaging is the perfect technology to integrate with Lantis' OCT Dental Imaging System, currently under development, as it can be used to screen for decay and defects in teeth and OCT can then be used to obtain more detailed microstructural information to aid in diagnostic decisions. We believe that the significant benefits of the integrated system will be very apparent to dentists. NIR and OCT use the same light source so there are obvious pricing economies in a combined system."
Dr. Craig Gimbel, Clinical Director at Lantis added that, "Research clearly indicates that NIR Imaging as a screening modality provides significantly more detailed information, particularly on the occlusal (biting) surfaces, than currently used x-ray, digital or conventional. We have been aware of the benefits of NIR technology for some time and recent advancements in sensor technology now make commercialization possible, at an economic cost. We feel that we have reached the point where the full potential of light-based diagnostic imaging technology can now be exploited to create highly advanced and economical diagnostic imaging modalities for dentistry."
Lantis expects that the NIR Imaging System will be available in 2010 and will be integrated with its OCT Dental Imaging System, as well as being available as a stand-alone system. OCT can generate images of both teeth and gums, while NIR can only be used to image teeth above the bone line. Both modalities will provide chairside, real-time images at a higher resolution than x-ray and images can be stored in the patient digital file. Lantis management foresees that light-based imaging will become the dominant imaging modality in the dental office.
To learn more visit the Lantis Laser website.
Posted by Barbara G. Goode, [email protected], for BioOptics World.