On May 31, 2018, Dr. Stephen Abrams and Dr. Andreas Mandelis were nominated for the 2018 Manning Innovation Award in recognition for their work in creating The Canary System™. The Canary System is a laserbased device which finds small cavities and cracks in teeth before they are large enough to be seen on x‐rays. Additionally, The Canary System is also used in dental offices to find decay under old fillings, sealants, braces, crowns and it can examine the interior of root canals. Clinical trials have verified that The Canary System is more accurate than x‐rays for detecting decay between teeth.
“It has been a long journey from the first discussion on how we could create a device that could accurately detect tooth decay without exposing patients to x‐rays” said Dr. Abrams. “The Canary System integrates technology developed by Dr. Mandelis into a clinical system that can diagnose, measure and record tooth decay at the earliest stages. The Canary System has a camera, so patients can see the tooth surface, and a voice that reports on the findings of each examination. Canary examination results are easy to understand, unlike the small black patches on x‐ray images, giving patients the confidence to accept treatment recommendations and the motivation to adhere to home management routines.”
“The core technology, PTR‐LUM, involves shining a low powered laser on a tooth and then measuring the heat and glow from the tooth. During a 5 second scan over 520,000 measurements are taken and the Canary Number is calculated from these measurements.” said Dr. Koneswaran Sivagurunathan, who oversees research and product development for The Canary System.
“I am so pleased that our core technology is being used to improve oral health” says Dr. Mandelis, Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto and director of the Center for Advanced Diffusion‐Wave and Photoacoustic Technologies. “This is the Canadian solution to a very common oral disease and will improve the oral health of patients worldwide.”
Since 1982, the Ernest C. Manning Awards Foundation has been building a culture of innovation in Canada by discovering, honouring and rewarding Canadian innovators of all ages, and across all sectors. As a national charity, they take great pride in their ability to discover and support home‐grown innovation heroes.
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