Sopro LIFE Evaluation is Complete

Since mid-February I've been using and tinkering with Acteon's SoproLIFE caries detection system. The device received FDA approval in January 2010, so I was fortunate enough to be one of the first to use it.

Impressions

1. A nice 2 in 1 device that features visual caries detection and an intraoral camera in the same unit. Simply pushing a button shifts it from detection to I/O camera and back again.
2. The clinical images are impressive. In both modes the photos are clear. Acteon makes great intraoral cameras with superb optics.
3. Caries detection is reliable with glowing red being seen where decay is present.
4. Use during treatment is predictable. The device has an adjustment for the focal length so that the depth of field is clear when working in proximal boxes or deep carious lesions. Using the device to check for caries during prepping is faster and more reliable than caries detector solutions.
5. The images can be saved so that areas can be monitored over time if the doctor chooses remineralization therapy.

Drawbacks

1. While the fluorescence images are nice, the device does not have the ability via software to produce "weather radar" maps of decay.
2. The capture button on the device is actually an area where you swipe a finger to freeze and capture. I've found this to be a bit touchy which means I usually end up taking some pictures that have no value. They are easy to delete, but it would be nice if they didn't get taken to begin with.

Overall

A strong product which performs as advertised. Having 2 cameras in one is a big plus. Patient education would be easier with the "weather radar", but patients can still understand the images. If you are in the market for a caries detection system, you should put Acteon's Sopro LIFE on your list to check out.

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Sopro LIFE evaluation to begin this week...

I'm a huge fan of digital caries detection. It's one of my passions and I love what it means to my patients. Over the past few years I've been lucky enough to have given quite a few lectures on the subject and I'm thrilled that the field keeps expanding with new ideas and devices.

Enter the Sopro LIFE. This is the newest player in the market, having received FDA clearance just over a month ago. The Sopro LIFE combines a caries fluorescing array of LED's in the body of an intraoral camera. The user can see the fluorescence of decay on the monitor while putting the device over the tooth.

The LED array is also capable of emitting a regular white light and the device can also function as a regular intraoral camera.

The device arrived in my office on Friday and I'm going to start putting it through some clinical tests this week. Hopefully I'll have an idea of how it performs before I have to leave for the Chicago Midwinter Meeting on Wednesday. If you're planning on coming to my Caries Detection lecture on Friday, I'll have a tad bit of info about it in the lecture.

More information will come as the testing progresses.

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