By Alasdair M. Christie, BSc, PhD, Head of Resarch & Development, CarieScan Ltd.
The CarieScan PRO is a small, lightweight battery-operated caries detection device that is quick and easy to use, automatically calibrated, and Bluetooth-enabled to capture readings wirelessly. CarieScan PRO offers the earliest possible detection of enamel caries. This unique device provides accurate and repeatable data to monitor caries over time while enabling timely preventive treatment and supporting evidence-based care plans.
The CarieScan PRO is a small, lightweight battery-operated caries detection device that is quick and easy to use, automatically calibrated, and Bluetooth-enabled to capture readings wirelessly. CarieScan PRO offers the earliest possible detection of enamel caries. This unique device provides accurate and repeatable data to monitor caries over time while enabling timely preventive treatment and supporting evidence-based care plans.
* Combination of sensitivity at D3 and specificity at D1 taken from references:1. Pitts et al; Caries Research 2008, vol 42(3) p211. 2. Bader et al; Journal of Dental Education 2001, Vol 65, No 10 p960-968. 3. Bader et al; Journal of Am Dent, 2004, 135 p1413-1426The CarieScan PRO is the first dental diagnostic tool to use the AC Impedance Spectroscopy Technique (ACIST). ACIST passes a low amplitude microamp current through the tooth structure from the sensor tip contact, penetrating the enamel, dentin and pulp to record changes in mineral density, not just at the surface.
The CarieScan PRO measures the electrical impedance using a multiple frequency spectrum over four seconds and compares to a map of reference teeth built up from over six years of research at the universities of Dundee and St. Andrews. The system then presents the probability of disease, giving a result from 0 to 100. This numerical result, coupled with the LED colored inDECAYtor, provides the clinician with repeatable information enabling the dental professional to provide accurate patient based treatment plans. There are significant changes in the impedance response at various stages of the decay process. The impedance of a healthy tooth is generally significantly greater than that of one with a demineralized enamel lesion, which in turn, is significantly greater than that of a tooth with established caries into dentin. As a result, the sensitivity (correct detection of caries) and specificity (correct detection of healthy tissue) of the ACIST technology in detecting these different stages of caries is far higher than any other diagnostic method.The CarieScan PRO provides consistent, reliable data, enabling the clinician to compare readings over time. The comparison data enables the clinician to monitor the effectiveness of treatments along with disease progression, arrest, or regression.
Alasdair M. Christie, BSc, PhD, is the Head of Resarch & Development for CarieScan Ltd., Gateway West, The Technology Park, Dundee, UK. He is responsible for management of all activities of the business relating to the development, design for manufacture, and transfer into production of approved medical products. Qualified with a first degree in chemistry and a PhD in electrochemistry, his early career was established over a decade of postdoctoral research and development of a number of technologies. These ranged from conducting polymer electrolytes to advanced lithium-ion power sources for electric vehicles and mobile device applications.
