Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for detecting the presence of caries in teeth using visible light

US4479499A · kind A · utility

271Cited by
1References
2Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJan 29, 1982
Grant dateOct 30, 1984
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 29, 2002

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2021/6484
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for detecting the presence of caries in human teeth using visible light. The tooth is exposed to light of relatively narrow bandwidths. The light from the tooth is preferably examined by two photomultipliers or visually each examining a different wavelength. Caries are detected when the difference in the intensity of the light from the tooth at those two wavelengths changes in a predetermined manner.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.