A PERIODONTAL TEMPERATURE AND DEPTH PROBE

THE OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP A PERIODONTAL PROBE CAPABLE OF MEASURING SITE TEMPERATURE AND POCKET DEPTH SIMULTANEOUSLY AND AUTOMATICALLY. THE PROBE IS INTENDED TO BE A RAPID SCREENING DEVICE FOR THE STATE OF PERIODONTAL HEALTH DURING ROUTINE DENTAL EXAMINATIONS. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE INFLAMED SULCUS IS ACCOMPANIED BY ELEVATED SITE TEMPERATURES. POCKET DEPTHS ARE ROUTINELY MEASURED DURING DENTAL OFFICE VISITS. THESE MEASUREMENTS MAY PROVIDE COMPLEMENTARY DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION WITH THE POCKET DEPTH SHOWING PAST DISEASE ACTIVITY, WHILE SITE TEMPERATURE CAN INDICATE CURRENT DISEASE ACTIVITY AND THUS MAY BE A POTENTIAL PREDICTOR OF DISEASE. THE TEMPERATURE-SENSING ELEMENT IS IMBEDDED IN THE PROBE TIP. THE DEMONSTRATED ACCURACY IS 0.1 DEGREES CENTIGRADE, SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE DISEASED-STATE TEMPERATUREELEVATION OF 1 DEGREE CENTIGRADE. THE POCKET DEPTH IS OBTAINED FROM RESISTANCE MEASUREMENT. A SELF-CALIBRATING METHOD ELIMINATES SUBJECT-TO-SUBJECT TISSUERESISTIVITY VARIATIONS. THE POTENTIAL DEPTH RESOLUTION IS 0.25 MM. AUTOMATIC DATA ACQUISITION WOULD PERMIT A FULL-MOUTH, 168-SITE ASSESSMENT IN APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES. THE TIP SHAPE, SIZE, AND PROBING TECHNIQUE ARE SIMILAR TO A CONVENTIONAL PERIODONTAL PROBE. THE PHASE I PROGRAM WILL CONCENTRATE ON THE FABRICATION AND THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE REPRODUCIBILITY AND SENSITIVITY OF THE PROBE. A PRELIMINARYIN VIVO STUDY WILL BE CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE THE DEPTH-PROBE-MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE.