Comparison of clinical bracket point registration with 3D laser scanner and coordinate measuring machine

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to assess the diagnostic value of a laser scanner developed to determine the coordinates of clinical bracket points and to compare with the results of a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). METHODS: This diagnostic experimental study was conducted on maxillary and mandibular orthodontic study casts of 18 adults with normal Class I occlusion. First, the coordinates of the bracket points were measured on all casts by a CMM. Then, the three-dimensional coordinates (X, Y, Z) of the bracket points were measured on the same casts by a 3D laser scanner designed at Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran. The validity and reliability of each system were assessed by means of intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Dahlberg's formula. RESULTS: The difference between the mean dimension and the actual value for the CMM was 0.0066 mm. (95% CI: 69.98340, 69.99140). The mean difference for the laser scanner was 0.107 ± 0.133 mm (95% CI: -0.002, 0.24). In each method, differences were not significant. The ICC comparing the two methods was 0.998 for the X coordinate, and 0.996 for the Y coordinate; the mean difference for coordinates recorded in the entire arch and for each tooth was 0.616 mm. CONCLUSION: The accuracy of clinical bracket point coordinates measured by the laser scanner was equal to that of CMM. The mean difference in measurements was within the range of operator errors

The accuracy of a 3-D laser scanner for crown width measurements

Virtual dental casts have been recently introduced to orthodontics. The problem of capturing the shapes of teeth on study casts may be complicated by the presence of undercut areas and deep grooves

Investigation of terahertz radiation generation from laser-wakefield acceleration

We investigate the generation of terahertz (THz) radiation from laser-wakefield acceleration (LWFA) in a helium gas jet. We consider a three-dimensional setup incorporating a realistic gas density distribution and use particle-in-cell simulations to study the interaction of a femtosecond intense laser pulse with the gas medium. Our results show that LWFA can efficiently produce THz radiation. In the simulations, we use multiple probes to record the electric and magnetic fields arising from the interaction. In addition, we compare the results of fixed and moving window simulation boxes used to capture electromagnetic fields in the THz range. We demonstrate that a moving window with a 600 μm width can be significantly useful for THz studies. We further analyze the spectrum of spatially and temporally resolved electromagnetic radiation and its emission angle. Our results are consistent with experimental data. Our findings provide valuable insights into the potential of LWFA as a strong source of THz radiation

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Via the Spatially Resolved Technique Using Non-Gated Detector

We present a simple setup for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy using the spatially resolved technique (SRLIBS). We show that, without any need for time-gated ICCD and pulse generator, the signal-to-background ratio is enhanced. We develop a homemade spectrograph with a movable slit located at its entrance to detect different parts of the plasma emission. For optimizing the position of the slit, we use the shadowgraphy technique to study the plasma expansion. In this low cost setup, with nanosecond laser pulses, we perform SRLIBS experiments on the plasma induced in air and iron. Our results show that the signal-to-background ratio for iron and air is enhanced up to 15 and 8 times, respectively

Laser Wakefield Electron Acceleration with Polarization-Dependent Ionization Injection

The effect of laser polarization on the laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) of electrons has been investigated in the bubble regime, in particular when assisted by ionization injection. By utilizing linear and circular laser polarizations, we discover that circular polarization leads to a dramatic increase in the electron reproducibility rate and also increases the electron charge and beam divergence, while linear polarization yields higher electron peak energy and more stable beam pointing. Our experimental findings are also supported by three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Our study highlights the potential of laser polarization as a simple and effective tool in controlling LWFA and electron-beam properties depending on applications. © 2023 American Physical Society.11Nsciescopu