Time-correlated single-photon counting fluorescence lifetime confocal imaging of decayed and sound dental structures with a white-light supercontinuum source.
We report the demonstration of time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) to ex vivo decayed and healthy dentinal tooth structures, using a white-light supercontinuum excitation source. By using a 100 fs-pulsed Ti:Sapphire laser with a low-frequency chirp to pump a 30-cm long section of photonic crystal fibre, a ps-pulsed white-light supercontinuum was created. Optical bandpass interference filters were then applied to this broad-bandwidth source to select the 488-nm excitation wavelength required to perform TCSPC FLIM of dental structures. Decayed dentine showed significantly shorter lifetimes, discriminating it from healthy tissue and hard, stained and thus affected but non-infected material. The white-light generation source provides a flexible method of producing variable-bandwidth visible and ps-pulsed light for TCSPC FLIM. The results from the dental tissue indicate a potential method of discriminating diseased tissue from sound, but stained tissue, which could be of crucial importance in limiting tissue resection during preparation for clinical restorations.
McConnell
G
G
Centre for Biophotonics, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 27 Taylor Street, Glasgow, G4 0NR, UK. g.mcconnell@strath.ac.uk
Girkin
J M
JM
Ameer-Beg
S M
SM
Barber
P R
PR
Vojnovic
B
B
Ng
T
T
Banerjee
A
A
Watson
T F
TF
Cook
R J
RJ
D003731:Dental Caries / Q000473:pathology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D055095:Optics and Photonics / Q000295:instrumentation; D014070:Tooth / Q000033:anatomy & histology*