High frequency miniaturized transducer for facial and lingual full-mouth human imaging including third molars
Suhel Khan1, Pei Yun Tsai1, Baiyan Qi1
1Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
Abstract:
Photoacoustic/ultrasound (PA/US) imaging can enable noninvasive periodontal diagnosis, but conventional probes are bulky and couple poorly, limiting access to posterior teeth. We developed a miniaturized dual-mode toothbrush-shaped transducer with a couplant sleeve for real-time PA/US imaging across the full human dentition. In vivo imaging of impacted third molars quantified gingival thickness and impaction angle. PA tests with methylene blue showed a 0.25 mM detection limit and 19.32% a relative standard deviation (RSD) across nine tubes, indicating uniform laser emission, enabling pocket-depth assessment without probing. Customized delay-and-sum beamforming improved resolution to 57±1.92 μm (axial) and 81±9.66 μm (lateral), significantly surpassing the default system.
