Design and Validation of an IMU based Handpiece Angulation Measurement System for Guided Dental Implant Surgery

Dental implants are an effective solution for tooth loss, offering long-term success rates exceeding 95%. However, challenges such as surgical complications, improper implant position, and prosthetic inaccuracies persists, often due to operator inexperience or anatomical complexities. Previously, Static Computer-Assisted Implant Surgery (sCAIS) and Dynamic Navigation Systems (DNS) have shown improved precision in implant placement. However, sCAIS often incurs high costs and manufacturing delays, while DNS faces challenges like line-of-sight issues and magnetic interference. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) present a promising alternative, offering real-time orientation feedback with advantages such as low cost, portability, and no line-of-sight restrictions. Despite their potential, research on IMU-based guidance for dental implant placement is limited, with unresolved issues related to accuracy under drilling vibrations, device miniaturization, and clinical usability. This paper presents the design and validation of a compact IMU-based system that measures handpiece angulation in real-time, transmitting mesiodistal and buccolingual orientation data to a wireless clinician-worn watch. A thorough validation was conducted to measure both the static and dynamic accuracies, as well as the response time of the system when exposed to dental handpiece drill vibrations. The impact of the built-in filtering features of the IMU and various tuning parameters on performance was also assessed. The validation results indicate that the IMU-assisted implantology device is a cost-effective and adaptable solution for precise implant placement.