Fovean has received a new patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its vibration technology to assess dental health. The system can work with or obviate the need for x-rays while providing diagnosis of tissue conditions, according to the company.
U.S. patent No. 8,460,216 covers the company's "percussion tapping" technology, which induces vibrations in a first body object using a vibratory transducer, picks up vibrations transmitted by the vibratory transducers at a receiver, captures vibrations from a second body object and compares the captured vibrations against a database of known tissue characteristics, and generates a diagnostic report.
The system is designed to help healthcare providers make better treatment decisions, the company noted in a press release. For example, it may help practitioners:
- Determine if tissue, teeth, or tooth structure is cracked from disease or overloading.
- Locate perforations through a tooth during root canal therapy or during restorative procedures.
- Determine key locations to place pins to select areas that will minimize the chance of cracking the tooth or minimize the possibility of causing nerve damage.
- Determine, once a pilot hole has been made, whether an opening into the nerve has inadvertently been made.
- Test sealants for leakage or decay and identifying hidden pit caries.
The system can establish objective readings or findings that can be used as a baseline recorded in a patient's chart for future comparisons, according to Fovean.
