Dental Laser Selective Caries Removal via Pulse Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dental caries treatment methods using rotary cutting devices or Er:YAG lasers struggle to selectively separate sound and carious parts, often requiring skilled intervention and risking damage to intraoral soft tissues.
Innovation Solution
A dental therapy apparatus employing a laser light source emitting wavelengths between 5.7 to 6.6 μm, controlled by a pulse-driving mechanism that adjusts pulse width and repetition frequency, allowing for selective cutting of carious parts while minimizing impact on sound tissues, using a quantum cascade laser for efficient and precise treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a pulsed laser with short pulse width and high repetition frequency is used to increase cutting speed, then carious parts can be removed more efficiently, but intraoral soft tissues may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of laser parameters by allowing real-time adjustment of pulse width and repetition frequency based on treatment requirements. The controller modifies laser output characteristics during operation to optimize cutting performance while preventing soft tissue damage, transitioning from fixed parameters to adaptive parameter control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes physical parameters of the laser system by selecting specific wavelength ranges (5.7-6.6 μm) that selectively interact with carious dentin while minimizing absorption by soft tissues. Additionally, the pulse width and repetition frequency are adjusted as controllable parameters to balance cutting efficiency and tissue safety.
2Reliability
If conventional rotary cutting devices or Er:YAG lasers are used, then dental caries can be treated, but sound and carious parts cannot be separated selectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by exploiting the different optical absorption properties of carious versus sound dentin at the selected wavelength range. The laser light selectively interacts with carious tissue, which has different water content and structural characteristics, enabling precise targeting of affected areas while preserving healthy enamel and dentin.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves multi-functionality by using a single laser system that can perform both cutting of carious parts and selective preservation of sound tissues. The wavelength-variable laser covers a range (5.7-6.6 μm) that provides both effective caries removal and selective interaction with different dental tissues.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables minimally invasive and precise dental therapy by selectively cutting carious parts with reduced damage to surrounding tissues, including hemostatic effects to manage bleeding, thus providing a more effective and less invasive treatment approach.
Implementation Method 1
a laser light source emitting laser light having a wavelength within a wavelength region of 5.7 to 6.6 μm
Implementation Method 2
selectively cut the carious part
Implementation Method 3
a pulse width shorter than a thermal relaxation time of an area irradiated with the pulsed laser light and a repetition frequency lower than that corresponding to the thermal relaxation time
Implementation Method 4
thermal relaxation time of an area irradiated with the pulsed laser light
Implementation Method 5
the soft tissue can coagulate when the surroundings of the irradiated area attain a fixed temperature or higher due to the thermal diffusion, thereby yielding a hemostatic effect
Data Source
AI summary
A dental therapy apparatus which enables a dental therapy more surely and less invasively is provided. A dental therapy apparatus (10A) comprises a laser light source (11) emitting laser light (L) having a wavelength within a wavelength region of 5.7 to 6.6 μm; a controller (12) pulse-driving the laser light source and controlling at least one of pulse width and repetition frequency of pulsed laser light emitted from the laser light source; and an irradiation optical system for irradiating a tooth (20) including a carious part (21) with the light emitted from the laser light source. In this dental therapy apparatus, the controller controls at least one of the pulse width and repetition frequency of the pulsed light, so as to selectively cut the carious part (21).