# Optical Methods for Lesion Activity Assessment

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2021 · $383,563

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
The overall objective of this proposed research is to develop methods for the clinical
assessment of lesion structure and activity. New imaging technologies employing non-
ionizing radiation are needed to aid in caries diagnosis and management. It is not
sufficient to simply detect caries lesions, methods are needed to assess the lesion
activity and determine if chemical intervention is needed. Measurements of lesion
structure and the optical and dimensional changes to lesions that occur during
dehydration offer the potential for lesion activity assessment during a single examination.
The central hypothesis underlying this proposal is that there are structural differences
between active and arrested lesions and these differences can be quantified using near-
IR (NIR) imaging methods. The objectives of this proposal will be achieved through the
following specific aims: (1) To test the hypothesis that NIR reflectance measurements
during lesion dehydration are more sensitive to changes in lesion structure and activity
than existing methods and that NIR imaging can be used to assess the activity of
coronal caries lesions in vivo. (2) To test the hypothesis that cross-polarization OCT
(CP-OCT) can be used to assess changes in lesion structure and activity in the pits and
fissures of primary teeth before and after chemical intervention. (3) To test the
hypothesis that CP-OCT can be used to assess the activity of lesions on root surfaces
and monitor the efficacy of conservative intervention in vivo.
Success of this proposal will provide methods for assessing the activity of lesions in a
single examination and for monitoring the efficacy of chemical intervention, thereby
enabling the use of new intervention therapies to avert cavitation and restoration.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10169407
- **Project number:** 5R01DE027335-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Daniel Fried
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $383,563
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10169407

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10169407, Optical Methods for Lesion Activity Assessment (5R01DE027335-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10169407. Licensed CC0.

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