ELECTROCHEMICAL DIAGNOSIS OF PERIODONTAL DISEASE

IT IS PLANNED TO MEASURE PERIODONTAL DISEASE ACTIVITY VIA QUANTIFICATION OF CERTAIN BY-PRODUCTS OF BACTERIAL METABOLISM IN THE INFECTED POCKET. IT IS KNOWN THAT AN ANEROBIC ENVIRONMENT PROVIDES A NECESSARY CONDITION FOR AN ACTIVE DISEASE, BUT THIS CONDITION MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT. OTHER RELEVANT CHEMICAL CONDITIONS MAY INVOLVE THE PH AND CONCENTRATIONS OF H2S AND HS . HENCE, AN "ACTIVITYINDEX" BASED ON THESE CONCENTRATIONS, INDICATING THE PRESENCE AND ACTIVITY OF THE DISEASE, WILL BE DEVELOPED. THE MEASUREMENT WILL UTILIZE A DISPOSABLE DENTAL PROBE TIP CONTAINING ELECTRODES CAPABLE OF MEASURING PO2, PH, AND (H2S). THE ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES WILL BE CHRONOAMPEROMETRY AND POTENTIOMETRY CONTROLLED BY MICROPROCESSOR-BASED CIRCUITRY. THE PROBE WILL BE PLACED IN THE INFECTED POCKET, AND RAPIDLY (UNDER 10 SECONDS) AND SIMULTANEOUSLY THE CONCENTRATIONS MENTIONED ABOVE WILL BE DETERMINED AND ELECTRONICALLY CORRELATED INTO THE ACTIVITY INDEX. PHASE I WILL BE DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WORKING PROBE PROTOTYPE WITH PRELIMINARY CLINICAL STUDIES. PRODUCTION METHODOLOGIES, COMPREHENSIVE CLINICAL STUDIES, AND STEPS TOWARD FDA APPROVAL WILL BE THE SUBJECT FOR A PHASE II CONTINUATION.