“Cyber Physical System Technology for the Monitoring of Orthodontic System Functioning”

The present research project aims at designing, implementing and validating a cyber physical system (CPS) for the real time monitoring and analysis of diverse static and dynamic aspects during the functioning of the stomatognathic system. The main focus of the proposed project relates to the understanding of the most important aspects of what happens in the oral cavity during physiological and non physiological tasks, before, during and after orthodontic treatments and how this could influence malocclusions, orofacial pain, masticatory muscles pain and respiratory problems, with the ultimate scope to support clinicians/researchers in their decision making process. To achieve these goals, a highly multidisciplinary approach based on established scientific expertise related to the stomatognathic system, advanced sensor monitoring techniques, cognitive decision making systems as well as a substantial knowledge of CPS and cloud computing (CC) paradigms. This body of knowledge can be achieved through the involvement of 2 Research Units (RU) of the University of Naples Federico II, the Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Production Engineering (DICMaPI) and the Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Stomatological Sciences (Neuroscience Dept) which are able to provide complementary expertise in diverse fields: role of the muscles and articulation during functioning; etiology of malocclusion, temporomandibular disorders, respiratory problems and cephalea; multiple-sensor monitoring; knowledge based systems for decision making; CPS and CC. The main distinctive feature of this project is the new design, implementation and validation of a CPS for the monitoring of stomatognathic system functioning comprising a platform grounded on cloud web services (MoSSy platform) for cognitive decision making based on advanced processing of multiple sensor signals provided by customized monitoring systems applied to diverse clinical fields for the treatment of muscular-skeletal disorders that are associated with temporomandibular joint disorders, occlusal changes, and tooth loss. The project methodologies are based on sensor monitoring and control of the forces and pressures generated by the tongue, the lips, the cheeks and the masticatory muscles. To this purpose, a customizable and portable multi-sensor system endowed with advanced signal processing comprising high speed sensorial data detection and analysis will be design and implemented for application in the oral cavity. Moreover, a database containing information on the experimental test campaigns and the related sensorial data will be constructed using cloud-based web services. The MoSSy platform for remote analysis of sensorial data stored in the database will be developed, implemented and validated through an integrated knowledge based decision making system for customizable stomatognathic system control. This system will be developed as an intelligent system based on cognitive paradigms such as neural networks (NN), fuzzy logic (FL), expert systems (ES), etc., to provide support to the clinicians/researchers in their decisions. The input/output data will be sent via Internet protocols to the on-demand web-based cloud service system of the MoSSy platform where the cognitive decision making system will provide the response to support the selection of the proper action to be taken in each oral condition monitored by the applied multi-sensor system. The sensor monitoring system to be implemented will be based on piezoelectric material and/or electrical strain gauge micro sensors. The sensor signal outputs, related to the forces and pressures in the oral cavity, will be analyzed using advanced signal processing techniques for feature extraction and selection, sensor fusion, pattern vectors construction for cognitive decision making paradigms (e.g. NN, FL, ES, etc.). The above signal processing and decision making procedures will be developed using software tools (e.g. MatLab, LabView, etc.) as well as fast programming languages such as C++ to reduce the computational time. To realize a real time sensor monitoring system for stomatognathic data control, CPS represent a remarkably fitting approach referring to next generation embedded ICT systems endowed with control, monitoring and data gathering functions interconnected and collaborating, allowing to make up a "smarter", more intelligent, less invasive and more reliable stomatognathic monitoring and control system. Accordingly, a ground-breaking goal of the proposed project is represented by the implementation of a CPS architecture using CC to assist the clinicians/researchers in their clinical decision process. CC will play a significant role in realizing the continuous updating of the knowledge base to create an integrated cognitive decision making system for patient specific rehabilitative therapy of stomatognathic system pathology.