From Jaw Tracking towards Dynamic Computer Models of Human Mastication

In this paper, we enhance the model of the human masticatory system presented in [1] by incorporating prescribed movements of the mandible during a chewing cycle. To obtain realistic descriptions of such movements, we have developed a custom-made brace that allows us to use a motion capturing system typically applied to human movement and gait analysis. In this paper, we give a brief description of the approach to collect chewing data with six degrees of freedom, as well as a short discussion on its quality. These data are the foundation of chewing simulations presented in this paper and allow us to study the muscles of mastication within realistic motion. These simulations are based on solving continuum-based equations of finite elasticity using a Finite Element method with cubic Hermite basis functions. We solve for the deformations of the muscles given the location of the mandible at a sequence of time steps. With the use of the motion tracking system, we can realistically simulate a normal chewing cycle. Most importantly, we have an extensible framework to which we can add more detail to further improve our representation of the mastication process.