The system combines two devices:
One emits a special high-energy visible (HEV) light that
makes healthy tissue inside the mouth appear blue or green,
while abnormal tissue appears red to black. The light
“excites” specific parts of the tissue generating autofluores-
cence, and the quantitative changes in the autofluorescence
correlate to the degree of malignant changes.
The second device is a high-resolution micro-endoscope that
allows the dentist or physician to examine suspicious areas
microscopically in real time, moving the probe to look for
cells that appear crowded or too large — a bad sign, but valu-
able for choosing biopsy sites.
Vigneswaran and Eric Yang, an MD-PhD student at Baylor
College of Medicine and Rice University, are testing the new
system in patients who come to the School of Dentistry with
oral lesions.
With funding from the National Institutes of Health and the
Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas, Yang and
Vigneswaran conducted a study to see if the device would affect
diagnostic accuracy among faculty dentists, community den-
tists, and dental residents. All groups performed better when
they used the new system. The study appeared in the August
2018 edition of Cancer Prevention Research.
Vigneswaran said the system has a few issues to be resolved to
improve diagnostic capability. He and his collaborators will
work on that with the next round of funding. “These two
devices, when put together, will really help our community den-
tists,” he added, “not just here, but around the world.”
Rhonda Whitmeyer is communications manager at UTHealth School of Den-
tistry at Houston. Contact her at [email protected].
www.houstondentistrymagazine.com
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