Acquisition and Analysis of the 3D Mandibular Movement using a Device based on Electromagnetic Sensors and a Neural Network

Abstract

In Dental Medicine, the study of the mandibular movement has an important role in oral rehabilitation as it allows the diagnosis of pathologies in the temporomandibular joint and the definition of adequate treatment plans. In this paper, a new device specially developed for the acquisition and analysis of the 3D mandibular movement is presented. As its main support structure is adopted a facial arc and electromagnetic sensors are employed to acquire the mandibular movement. To transform into 3D cartesian coordinates the electrical signals outputted by the sensors used a neural network is employed. A custom made computational application was developed to display and analyze the movement acquired. The device developed reveals to be easy to use, comfortable for patients and capable of being produce at an affordable price.