Development, Optimization and Clinical Evaluation Of Algorithms For Ultrasound Data Analysis Used In Selected Medical Applications.

The assessment of soft and hard tissues is critical when selecting appropriate protocols for restorative and regenerative therapy in the field of dental surgery. The chosen treatment methodology will have significant ramifications on healing time, success rate and overall long-time oral health. Currently used diagnostic methods are limited to visual and invasive assessments; they are often user-dependent, inaccurate and result in misinterpretation. As such, the clinical need has been identified for objective tissue characterization, and the proposed novel ultrasound-based approach was designed to address the identified need. The device prototype consists of a miniaturized probe with a specifically designed ultrasonic transducer, electronics responsible for signal generation and acquisition, as well as an optimized signal processing algorithm required for data analysis. An algorithm where signals are being processed and features extracted in real-time has been implemented and studied. An in-depth algorithm performance study has been presented on synthetic signals. Further, in-vitro laboratory experiments were performed using the developed device with the algorithm implemented in software on animal-based samples. Results validated the capabilities of the new system to reproduce gingival assessment rapidly and effectively. The developed device has met clinical usability requirements for effectiveness and performance

The High Frequency Ultrasonic Diagnostic System for Hard and Soft Tissue Specific Assessments in Dentistry

The numerical assessment of dental tissues is essential when selecting a relevant treatment protocol in the field of dentistry. This will have significant ramifications on the restoration quality of dental tissues. The aim of the research study presented in this thesis was to validate applicability and obtain non-invasively, quantitative data for hard and soft tissue thickness in dental applications. An ultrasonic system was developed and assembled for the purpose of these experiments. Numerous laboratory trials were conducted to validate system performance against traditional and destructive methods of assessment. Ultrasonic measurements were found to yield similar values to those obtained from invasive methods. Results obtained in these experiments have validated potentials of ultrasound as a supplementary diagnostic tool for dental healthcare