World First as Robot Carries Out Crown Prep on Human Subject
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- Published: Friday, 02 August 2024 10:13
- Written by Peter Ingle
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A US start-up has announced that an AI-controlled autonomous robot has performed an entire procedure on a human patient for the first time.
The system, built by Boston start-up company Perceptive, uses a hand-held 3D volumetric scanner, to form a 3D model of the mouth, including the teeth, gums and ‘even nerves under the tooth surface’, using optical coherence tomography (OCT).
OCT uses light to build its volumetric models, which come out at high resolution, and also detects cavities automatically at a claimed accuracy rate near 90%.
Once this is done, the (currently human) dentist and patient can discuss what needs doing – but once those decisions are made, the robotic dental surgeon takes over. It plans out the operation, and then does it.
The first procedure was to prepare a tooth for a single crown. Some GDPUK readers will baulk at Perceptive’s claim that this generally takes two-hours. But they might struggle to complete the task in the time taken by the “robo-dentist” which is close to 15 minutes. The initial video provided by the company showing the drilling portion, reveals that it looks very much like the computer numerical control (CNC) machines used across many industries.
As the AI race in dentistry grows more heated, Perceptive is aiming to automate each stage of a dental visit, from imaging to treatment recommendations, to the actual surgical procedure.
The company which recently came out of stealth mode, announced that it has received $30 million in funding to work on a dental system that includes a hand-held imaging machine, an AI algorithm to help diagnose and suggest treatment, and a surgical robot to complete the procedure. Investors include Pacific Dental Services, start-up specialist Y Combinator, and Ed Zuckerberg, a dentist who also happens to be the father of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Pacific Dental Services is involved with nearly 1000 practices across 24 US states, and while the words support and partner appear on its website the exact nature of the relationship is not immediately clear. Their strapline “Together, we are transforming the dental industry” seems fitting.
Perceptive claim the machine can work safely "even in the most movement-heavy conditions," and that dry run testing on moving humans has all been successful. “We’re excited to successfully complete the world’s first fully automated robotic dental procedure,” says Dr. Chris Ciriello, CEO and Founder of Perceptive. “This medical breakthrough enhances precision and efficiency of dental procedures, and democratizes access to better dental care, for improved patient experience and clinical outcomes. We look forward to advancing our system and pioneering scalable, fully automated dental healthcare solutions for patients.”
Karim Zaklama, DDS, a general dentist and member of Perceptive’s clinical advisory board said that the system will transform dentistry: "The patient experience will be better because of streamlining procedures and enhancing patient comfort. The advanced imaging capabilities, particularly the intraoral scanner, provide unparalleled details which will enable us to diagnose issues earlier with greater accuracy and allow us to connect with patients more effectively. This efficiency allows us to focus more on personalized patient care and reduces chair time, enabling us to treat more patients effectively.”
Perceptive has not yet released any clinical data that it will ultimately need to submit to the Food and Drug Administration before selling the product to dentists. Chris Ciriello, said that the company is around five years away from submitting to the FDA.
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