Current Cone Beam CT reconstruction algorithms use the processor (CPU) to process the acquired data to generate an image. Graphics processors like NVIDIA Tesla can also process data but at 10-100 times faster than computer processors; however, programming for graphics processors is much harder and only recently it was made possible thanks to technologies from NVIDIA to help programmers do that.

Researchers from the University of California at San Diego were able reduce the amount of radiation to patients by ten folds or more thanks to a new approach for processing x-rays.

Cone Beam CT is not only used for scanning patients but also is used in image-guided radiation therapy (IGRP). Reducing total number of projections, mAs level per projection during a CT scan reduces the total radiation dose delivered to the patient. However, this results often in a noisy and mathematically incomplete data that takes hours to process through iterative processing via the computer’s processor. Because the Cone Beam is used for treatment, fast reconstruction is needed, explains the lead author Xun Jia, who is a post doctoral fellow at UCSD. more…

Sleep Group Solutions (SGS) today announced an agreement with ImageWorks whereby SGS will distribute and promote the NewTom VGi Flex mobile units for Sleep Disorders in the US and Canada. SGS is a leading provider of airway diagnostic technology which serves the needs of physicians and dentists interested in screening, diagnosing and treating sleep apnea and other upper airway disorders.

The NewTom VGi Flex is the only 3D Cone Beam CT system which carries a warranty for installation in mobile environments. Treatment of dental sleep disorders is becoming one of the most added procedures to the dental office. Having a patient treated for dental sleep disorder and providing a NewTom VGi 3D Cone Beam CT scan, the patient can expect a more accurate airway assessment and a quicker and more effective treatment plan. more…

Dental intraoral digital impression systems like CEREC AC , Lava C.O.S , and iTero allow the practitioner to take digital impression of the patient’s teeth and store them in the computer. The practitioner then can use the software to design and fabricate crowns, veneers, onlays and inlays either by sending the data to the lab or the milling machine in the office for on-site fabrication.

Cone Beam CT allows 3 dimensional imaging of the patient’s head and it stores the acquired data  in a volumetric data set. There is no superimposition of anatomical structures and no magnification. Volumetric data set from the Cone Beam CT can be visualized in different ways like MPR slices, volume render, synthetic panoramic, or surface render. Cone Beam CT can be used to aid in diagnosis and treatment planning. more…

Inside Dentistry has published the article “3-D Imaging in Dentistry” that provides a short summary of Cone Beam CT and the recent development of 3D imaging in the dental field. It goes over the use of CBCT in different disciplines, the available guidelines, and the responsibility of the practitioner acquiring the 3D volume.

Hit the link to read the full story.

Via Inside Dentistry

Planmeca has just switched their flat panel detector to V2 sensor. The new sensor offers smaller voxel size compared with V1 sensor. It also features dose reduction – according to Planmeca -.

Newer ProMax CBCT units will come with the newer sensor pre-installed. Older units have the upgrade option available. Name remains the same.

Suni Medical systems has introduced a small field of view CBCT for use in dental and endodontics. Debuted as Suni3D HD, the new CBCT can do 5×5 or 8×5 cm FOV at 0.08 mm voxel size. It should provide high-resolution images 3D images for teeth and surrounding structures.

“Suni has always been interested in the specialized needs of endodontists,” said Paul Tucker, vice president of marketing.

“The small field of view design is perfect for quadrant dentistry, while keeping radiation doses for patients at a minimum,” said Tucker. “The Suni3D HD system is one of the few systems on the market with a 5×5-cm focused field of view meaning lower doses of radiation for the patient and less liability for the doctor.” more…

AFP Imaging and Deborah Vessell, owner of 3D Mobile imaging, are proud to announce the first NewTom VGi mobile 3D Cone Beam CT scanner to operate in the state of Illinois. This adds yet another mobile operation to an ever growing fleet of independently owned mobile Cone Beam CT units across the country which utilizes the NewTom VGi Cone Beam CT.

“The rapidly evolving technologies in dentistry are changing how dentistry is practiced. From diagnosing pathology, delivering care, even how restorations are made, to defining new standards of care, 3D Mobile imaging is the driving force in this new direction and we are excited to be in the middle of it.”

more…

Cone Beam CT is widely used today for dental and maxillofacial diagnosis and treatment planning. CBCT installation bases are now taking a new trend in dentistry beyond imaging centers, dental schools, mobile CBCT and private practice. Dental labs are now investing into CBCT to have scan done at their lab while providing lab work to their clients. CBCT is used mainly nowadays for implant placements as it provides a 3D view for the patient head and mouth. By using Cone Beam CT,  clinicians can have a better view for patient’s teeth, bone and jaws and  it is possible to determine if the patient is suitable to have implants placed immediately or whether a bone graft might be need; thus lowering the risk for complications or implant failure. more…

If you were living on the west coast (starting to sound familiar we know) and if you happen to need a CBCT scan for your patients on the go , today might be your lucky day. The Mobile CT Imaging team will be happy to answer your call. Mobile CT Imaging uses the NewTom VG CBCT scanner to provide your patients with an easy and fast Cone Beam CT scan and they  have partnered with different software companies to facilitate implant planning and image volume visualization. more…

Google Knol CBCT Directory

A major illustrated directory of dental cone beam X-ray services has been published as a service  for patients, dentists and radiologists. Titled CBCT Dental X-ray Services Directory, the guide includes hundreds of free listings for three classes of providers:

• Implantologists / dentists who support CBCT. If they have an in-office CBCT scanner, it is indicated

• Universities / Dental Schools offering CBCT laboratory services

• Private CBCT Laboratories/Clinics

The guide begins with an introduction based on a YouTube video about one of the first CBCT installations in the United States. The dentist being interviewed, Dr. Robert Langlais in this 2001 news piece gets it right:

“Without this imaging, there’s more guesswork involved.”

A quotation from Dr. Steven Guttenberg (pictured) of the Washington Institute for Mouth, Face and Jaw Surgery, drives home the point:

My original impetus for purchasing a CBCT was to assist in the complete evaluation of a site to accept a dental implant. It allowed me not only to appreciate the true location of the inferior alveolar nerve canal and the mental foramen, but also the maxillary sinus and the true proximity to the incisive canal, adjacent teeth, and nasal floor. Plain films allow only the ability to judge the height of the alveolus, but with CBCT I was able to get complete information to a hundredth of a millimeter of not only the alveolar ridge height but also of its width. The CBCT also allows us to appreciate the morphology of that ridge. These are all extremely important factors to have in one’s command prior to implant placement. more…