Wi-Fi and gap-toothed smiles
p2p news / p2pnet: Missing front teeth may look cute on kids, but they aren’t so popular with adults.
However, tiny Wi-Fi units built by Canadian scientists may make unwanted gap-toothed smiles a thing of the past in the not too distant future, not to mix metaphors.
“Hockey players, rejoice!” – say researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada. Because using low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), they’ve created a miniaturized system-on-a-chip to stimulate jaw growth and dental tissue healing.
TEC Edmonton, the U of A’s tech transfer service provider, has filed the first patent in the US and the research team hopes to complete the miniaturized device by next year.
Behind the development are doctors Tarak El-Bialy from the faculty of medicine and dentistry, and Jie Chen and Dr. Ying Tsui from the faculty of engineering.
“It’s very exciting because we have shown the results and actually have something you can touch and feel that will impact the health of people in Canada and throughout the world,” says Chen.
The wireless design of the ultrasound transducer means the miniscule system-on-a-chip packed in biocompatible materials will fit comfortably inside someone’s mouth, says the univesity, adding:
“The unit will be easily mounted on an orthodontic or ‘braces’ bracket or even a plastic removable crown. The team also designed an energy sensor that will ensure the LIPUS power is reaching the target area of the teeth roots within the bone.”
See:
University of Alberta – Ultrasound may help regrow teeth, June 28, 2006
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