<title>Instrument for measuring human biting force</title>

Abstract

Alongside EMG activity, biting force is the primary parameter used for assessing the biting problems of dentulous patients and patients with dentures. In a highly conductive oral cavity, dielectric measurement methods are preferred, for safety reasons. The maximum biting force for patients with removable dentures is not more than lOO...300 N. We report here on an instrument developed for measuring human biting force which consists of three units: a mouthpiece, a signal processing and interface unit (SPI) and a PC. The mouthpiece comprises a sensor head of thickness 3.4 mm, width 20 mm and length 30 mm contsructed of two stainless steel plates and with a fibre optic microbending sensor between them. This is connected to the SPI unit by a three-metre fibre optic cable, and the SPI unit to the PC by a RS connection. A computer program has been developed that includes measurement, display, zeroing and calibration operations. The instrument measures biting force as a function of time and displays the time-dependent force profile and maximum force on a screen or plots it in hard copy. The dynamic measurement range of the mouthpiece is from 0 to 1000 N, and the resolution of the instrument is 10 N. The results of preliminary clinical measurements and repeatability tests are reported.

In-vivo biomedical monitoring by fiber-optic systems

“…The system is managed by a personal computer with software providing display, zeroing, and calibration. The dynamic range is 1-1000 N with a resolution of 10 N, which is satisfactory for the application [65].…”

From conventional sensors to fibre optic sensors for strain and force measurements in biomechanics applications: A review

“…FOS were also applied in dental biomechanics. One of the first applications was a mouthpiece system capable of measuring bite forces, with a microbend sensor (Kopola et al, 1995), ranging from Fig. 7.…”

Fiber optic intensity-modulated sensors: a review in biomechanics

“…One of the first applications in biomechanics was in dentistry. In 1995, Kopola et al [96], from the University of Oulu (Finland), proposed a device to measure human biting forces consisting of a mouthpiece, made of two stainless steel plates, and a microbending fiber optic sensor placed between them. The sensor was able to measure forces ranging from 0 to 1000 N with a resolution of 10 N [96].…”