Creating a handheld scanner for better dental care
Official title: Developing an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) based handheld intraoral scanner for dentistry
Funded at Perceptive Technologies, INC. · NIH-11003269 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new handheld scanner that uses special light technology to create quick and accurate 3D images of your mouth, making it easier and faster for you to get the dental care you need.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Perceptive Technologies, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $838,114 |
| NIH project number | 5R44DE033316-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11003269 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals seeking dental care who may have previously avoided treatment due to cost or time constraints.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have no interest in dental care or those with severe dental conditions requiring immediate intervention may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing a handheld intraoral scanner using optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology to improve dental care accessibility and efficiency. The scanner aims to provide quick, accurate 3D imaging of patients' oral health, helping both patients and insurers understand the need for dental treatments. By reducing the time and cost associated with dental visits, this innovation seeks to encourage more individuals to seek necessary dental care and accept treatment plans. The approach is designed to be user-friendly and comparable to existing dental scanning technologies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could make dental care more affordable and accessible, leading to better oral health outcomes for patients.
How similar studies have gone: Similar approaches using advanced imaging technologies in dentistry have shown promise, indicating potential for success in this novel application.
Where this research is happening
-
Perceptive Technologies, INC.
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kang, Wei — Perceptive Technologies, INC.
- Study coordinator: Kang, Wei
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.