Acoustic Differentiation Of Dental Soft- And Hard Tissues Using Remote Speckle-Analysis During Er:Yag Ablation

The Er:YAG laser has gained significant interest in the field of oral surgery due to its high water absorptivity, precision and patient acceptance. However, its application is limited by the lack of a contact-free feedback system which would enable safe laser guidance. In this work, a potential new, robust feedback modality based on speckle-analysis is presented which detects the acoustic signals produced during laser surgery. Oral soft- and hard tissue samples are investigated ex-vivo for its differentiation capability using the speckle modality. This technique might help to broaden the clinical application of Er:YAG lasers.