A microcomputer system for collecting and processing physiological information about the masticatory system.

Abstract

A software system has been written for IBM PC, XT, AT and compatible computers to be used for data collection, analysis and display. The system supports the sampling and processing of data for jaw movement tracks, myoelectrical activities of masticatory muscles, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and occlusal sounds and bite force, etc. The package includes the following functions: calculating displacement, velocity, curvature, and curvature center of jaw movement trace, analyzing myoelectrical signals in amplitude integration, root mean square and power spectrum, processing TMJ sounds and occlusal sounds and bite force, analysing jaw movement traces and myoelectrical activities during mastication simultaneously, determining the maxillomandibular relations, etc. The program also provides versatile formatting capability for video, printing and plotting of data, and graph creation. The most of the above programs have flexibility and adaptability to other physiological signal processes.