The application of magnetic resonance microimaging to the visible light curing of dental resins. Part 2. Dynamic imaging by the FLASH-MOVIE pulse sequence

Fluorescence anisotropy studies of molecularly imprinted polymers

A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) is a biomimetic material that can be used as a biochemical sensing element. We studied the steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence and fluorescence anisotropy of anthracene-imprinted polyurethane. We compared MIPs with imprinted analytes present, MIPs with the imprinted analytes extracted, MIPs with rebound analytes, non-imprinted control polymers (non-MIPs) and non-MIPs bound with analytes to understand MIP's binding behaviour. MIPs and non-MIPs had similar steady-state fluorescence anisotropy in the range 0.11-0.24. Anthracene rebound in MIPs and non-MIPs had a fluorescence lifetime of tau = 0.64 ns and a rotational correlation time of phi(F) = 1.2-1.5 ns, both of which were shorter than that of MIPs with imprinted analytes present (tau = 2.03 ns and phi(F) = 2.7 ns). The steady-state anisotropy of polymer solutions increased exponentially with polymerization time and might be used to characterize the polymerization extent in situ.

A pilot study of a simple photon migration model for predicting depth of cure in dental composite

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to build a photo migration model to calculate the radiant exposure (irradiancextime) in dental composite and to relate the radiant exposure with extent of cure using polymer kinetics models.

METHODS

A composite (Z100, Shade A2) cylinder (21 mm diameter by 15 mm deep) was cured with a tungsten-halogen lamp emitting 600 mW/cm2, 1 mm above the composite for 60s. For each of the 2x1 mm grids along the longitudinal cross section (diameter versus depth), the degree of conversion (DC) and hardness (KHN) were measured to construct the curing extent distribution. The inverse adding-doubling method was used to characterize the optical properties of the composite for the Monte Carlo model simulating the photon propagation within the composite cylinder. The calculated radiant exposure (H) distribution along the cross section was related to the curing extent DC/DC(max) distribution and fitted with two polymer curing kinetics models, the exponential model DC=DC(max)[1-exp((ln0.5)H/H(dc)(50%))] and Racz's model [Formula: see text] , where H(dc)(50%) is a fitting parameter representing the threshold for 50% of the maximum curing level.

RESULTS AND SIGNIFICANCE

The absorption and scattering coefficients of uncured composite were higher than that of cured composite at wavelengths between 420 and 520 nm. A roughly hemi-spheric distribution of radiant exposure in the Monte Carlo simulation result was comparable with the curing profiles determined by both DC and KHN. The relationship between DC (or KHN) and H agreed with the Racz model (r2=0.95) and the exponential model (r2=0.93). The H(dc)(50%) was 1.5(0.1), equal for the two models (P<0.05). The estimated radiant exposure threshold for 80% of the maximum curing level was between 3.8 and 8.8 J/cm2. The simulation results verify that the radiant exposure extends to a greater depth and width for composite with lower absorption and scattering coefficients. Given the optical properties and the geometry of the composite, and the spectrum and the geometry of the light source, the Monte Carlo simulation can accurately describe the radiant exposure distribution in a composite material to predict the extent of cure.

Magnetic resonance imaging of objects with dipolar-broadened spectra using soft excitation pulses

Feasibility of acquiring high-resolution 3D NMR images of objects with dipolar-broadened spectra by using soft excitation pulses is experimentally demonstrated. The models are liquid-crystalline phantoms and a pencil eraser. The pulse sequence is a standard 3D gradient-echo sequence.

Recent topics in NMR imaging and MRI

NMR and NMR imaging (MRI) are finding increasing use not only in the clinical and medical fields, but also in material, physicochemical, biological, geological, industrial and environmental applications. This short review is limited to two topics: (i) new techniques and pulse sequences and their application to non-clinical fields that may have clinical application; and (ii) new trends in MR contrast agents. The former topic addresses pulse sequence and data analysis; dynamics such as diffusion, flow, velocity and velocimetry; chemometrics; pharmacological agents; and chemotherapy; the latter topic addresses contrast agents (CA) sensitive to biochemical activity; CA based on water exchange; molecular interactions and stability of CA; characteristics of emerging CA; superparamagnetic CA; and macromolecular CA.

The application of magnetic resonance microimaging to the visible light curing of dental resins. 3. Stray-field nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (STRAFI)

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the application of stray-field nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (STRAFI) to the visible light curing of dental restorative materials. STRAFI can overcome peak broadening associated with the conventional magnetic resonance microimaging (MRM) of glassy polymers, and has the potential to image dental restorative resins at both low and high degrees of conversion.

METHODS

Cylindrical composite specimens were light-cured from one end to produce some that were fully cured throughout their length and others that were fully cured at one end and uncured at the other. A one-dimensional probe was used to measure the magnetisation in 40 microm thick slices at 100 microm intervals along the length of the specimen. A quadrature pulse sequence was applied and the magnetisation decay recorded in a train of eight echoes.

RESULTS

A value for T(2) could be obtained only for the polymer (59+/-16 microms), therefore the echoes were summed to give an approximate indication of the degree of conversion. The echo sum for the monomer was significantly higher than that for the polymer. Differences in composite shade and cure time produced changes in the cure profiles.

SIGNIFICANCE

STRAFI produced measurements for both monomer and polymer in all stages of conversion that allowed cure profiles to be produced. Summing the decay echoes produced a qualitative measure of the condition of the material in the selected slice. The same data can be used to calculate T(2), a quantitative parameter. This first investigation has demonstrated that STRAFI is well suited to polymerisation studies.