	US 11,793,452 B2
	Method of visualizing and quantifying remineralization
Matthew Richtmyer, Pennington, NJ (US); Chantel Tester, Belle Mead, NJ (US); and Daniel Queiroz, Belle Mead, NJ (US)
Assigned to Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., Skillman, NJ (US)
Filed by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., Skillman, NJ (US)
Filed on Oct. 1, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/61,432.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/910,024, filed on Oct. 3, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0100495 A1, Apr. 8, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 5/00 (2006.01); G06T 11/20 (2006.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01)

CPC A61B 5/4547 (2013.01) [A61B 5/0075 (2013.01); G06T 7/0012 (2013.01); G06T 11/206 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10064 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30036 (2013.01)]

10 Claims

1. A method of assessing remineralization and/or demineralization in a tooth model comprising the steps of:

(a) exposing a tooth model to calcium and a calcium-binding fluorophore comprising calcein, either sequentially or simultaneously, under conditions sufficient to produce a remineralized/demineralized tooth model;

(b) exposing the remineralized/demineralized tooth model of step (a) to a non-calcium binding fluorophore comprising sulforhodamine B and/or at least one rhodamine to produce an enhanced tooth model; and

(c) assessing remineralization, demineralization, or both on the enhanced tooth model by determining the presence, location and/or relative magnitude of the calcium binding fluorophore and the non-calcium binding fluorophore on the enhanced tooth model.