Bite Force Mapping Based on Distributed Fiber Sensing Network Approach

Abstract

Bite force measurements are crucial in the realm of biomedical research, particularly in the areas of dentistry and orthodontic care. Various intraoral devices have been used to assess biting force, but each has limitations and drawbacks. Fiber optic sensors (FOSs) offer advantages such as electrical inertness, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and high sensitivity. Distributed fiber optic sensing allows an increase in the number of sensing points and can interrogate numerous reflections from scattering events within an optical fiber. We present four dental bites with heights of 6 mm, which enabled bilateral measurements. U-shaped sensors were prepared by embedding fibers into silicone by folding a single-mode fiber into four lines and multiplexing eight parallel nanoparticle-doped fibers. Dental bite models were created using two silicone materials (Sorta Clear 18 and Sorta Clear 40). The developed sensors were calibrated by applying weights up to 900 g, resulting in a linear response. Experiments were conducted to compare the efficacy of the dental bites. The collection of massive data was enabled by constructing a 2D map of the dental bites during multi-point sensing.