University of Calabria, Doctorate School of Science and Technique B. Telesio, Rende, Italy.
J Biomed Opt. 2012 Jul;17(7):076009. doi: 10.1117/1.JBO.17.7.076009.
Near infrared (NIR) multispectral imaging is a novel noninvasive technique that maps and quantifies dental caries. The technique has the ability to reduce the confounding effect of stain present on teeth. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a quantitative NIR multispectral imaging system for caries detection and assessment against a histological reference standard. The proposed technique is based on spectral imaging at specific wavelengths in the range from 1000 to 1700 nm. A total of 112 extracted teeth (molars and premolars) were used and images of occlusal surfaces at different wavelengths were acquired. Three spectral reflectance images were combined to generate a quantitative lesion map of the tooth. The maximum value of the map at the corresponding histological section was used as the NIR caries score. The NIR caries score significantly correlated with the histological reference standard (Spearman's Coefficient=0.774, p<0.01). Caries detection sensitivities and specificities of 72% and 91% for sound areas, 36% and 79% for lesions on the enamel, and 82% and 69% for lesions in dentin were found. These results suggest that NIR spectral imaging is a novel and promising method for the detection, quantification, and mapping of dental caries.
近红外（NIR）多光谱成像是一种新颖的无创技术，可用于绘制和量化龋齿。该技术具有减少牙齿上存在的污渍混杂效应的能力。本研究旨在开发和验证一种针对组织学参考标准的定量 NIR 多光谱成像系统，用于龋齿的检测和评估。该技术基于在 1000 至 1700nm 范围内的特定波长进行光谱成像。使用了总共 112 颗提取的牙齿（磨牙和前磨牙），并获取了不同波长的咬合面图像。将三个光谱反射图像组合以生成牙齿的定量病变图。将地图在相应组织学切片上的最大值用作 NIR 龋齿评分。NIR 龋齿评分与组织学参考标准显著相关（Spearman 系数=0.774，p<0.01）。在发现无龋区域的检测灵敏度和特异性分别为 72%和 91%，釉质病变的检测灵敏度和特异性分别为 36%和 79%，牙本质病变的检测灵敏度和特异性分别为 82%和 69%。这些结果表明，NIR 光谱成像是一种新颖且有前途的龋齿检测、量化和定位方法。
