Real-time near IR (1310 nm) imaging of CO2 laser ablation of enamel.
The high-transparency of dental enamel in the near-IR (NIR) can be exploited for real-time imaging of ablation crater formation during drilling with lasers. NIR images were acquired with an InGaAs focal plane array and a NIR zoom microscope during drilling incisions in human enamel samples with a lambda=9.3-microm CO(2) laser operating at repetition rates of 50-300-Hz with and without a water spray. Crack formation, dehydration and thermal changes were observed during ablation. These initial images demonstrate the potential of NIR imaging to monitor laser-ablation events in real-time to provide information about the mechanism of ablation and to evaluate the potential for peripheral thermal and mechanical damage.
Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, School of Dentistry, CA 94143-0758, USA. cynthia.darling@ucsf.edu
Cynthia L
CL
Darling
Daniel
D
Fried
D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D054020:Lasers, Gas / Q000009:adverse effects; D008963:Molar / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared