IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, VOL. BME-24, NO.

6, NOVEMBER 1977

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Figure 2. Example of readout from a 31-week premature infant. The

recorder was triggered by an apnea alarm, followed shortly by a heart
rate alarm. From top to bottom: marking channel for apnea alarm,
respiration, ECG, marking channel for heart rate alarm. Chart speed.
5 mm/s.
syndrome: Clinical and laboratory observations," Pediatrics, Vol.
50, pp. 646-654, 1972.
3. Anonymous, "Infant apnea monitors," Health Devices, pp. 3-24,
1974.
4. P. H. Perlstein, N. K. Edwards, H. D. Atherton and J. M. Sutherland, F-D
"Computer-assisted newborn intensive care," Pediatrics, Vol. 57, pp.
494-501, 1976.
5. 1. W. DuBrow, J. W. Chen and P. W. K. Wong, "Bradycardia preced-
ing apneic attacks in low-birthweight infants," Clinical Pediatrics,
F-D Fig 1. Unplana r
Vol. 15, pp. 119-122, 1976.
6. C. Guilleminault, R. Ariagno, M. Souquet and W. C. Dement,
"Abnormal polygraphic findings in near-miss sudden infant death," Fig. 1. Uniplanar Force System.
Lancet, pp. 1326-1327, 1976.
7. P. G. Katona and J. R. Egbert, "Cardiac monitoring and sudden
infant death syndrome," Proc. 27th ACEMB, Vol. 6, p. 303, 1974.
8. 1. M. Stein and D. C. Shannon, "The pediatric pneumogram: A
new method for detecting and quantitating apnea in infants,"
Pediatrics, Vol. 55, pp. 599-603, 1975.

A Device for Determining the Mechanical Behavior

of Orthodontic Appliances
DAVID J. SOLONCHE, CHARLES J. BURSTONE,
AND RAY VANDERBY, JR.

Abstract-A device for measuring uniplanar force systems from

orthodontic appliances is described. The device can be used to rapidly
determine forces and moments from appliances which are statically
indeterminate.

INTRODUCTION Fig. 2. System for Measuring Uniplanar Forces and Moments.

It is well known that forces from orthodontic appliances
are statically indeterminate {1}. Many investigators {1}-{3}
have studied force systems from orthodontic appliances with
various systems. The recent trend {2}, {3} has been toward
analytical solutions, in which the digital computer techniques
of finite elements and finite differences are used to approxi-
mate the complicated mechanics.
No analytical model can stand without a theoretically sound
foundation and sufficient experimental data to corroborate it.
Since analytical solutions must make idealizing assumptions
with respect to end conditions, geometry, and material proper-
ties as well as ignoring their associated statistical variations, a
precise method for experimentally determining forces from
orthodontic appliances would therefore be of great value. In
addition to its value as an experimental tool, the ability to
simply calibrate orthodontic appliances and provide data
tables for the commonly used devices would be a boon to the
clinician.
Manuscript received July 12, 1976.
The authors are with the Department of Orthodontics, School of
Dental Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farming-
ton, CT 06032.
METHOD
A system for measuring uniplanar forces and moments
(Fig. I) delivered by orthodontic appliances was developed in
the Bioengineering Laboratory of the Department of Ortho-
dontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Connecticut
Health Center (Fig. 2). Forces and moments are converted to
linear and angular displacements respectively, and then trans-
duced to electrical signals. These signals are multiplexed and
displayed on an X-Y plotter for analysis. The appliance to be
tested is mounted in two chucks (Fig. 3). Each chuck is
attached to an angular displacement transducer (TRANS-TEK,
Ellington, Ct.) whose movable member is restrained by a
torque element, so that the angular displacement sensed by the
transducer is proportional to the torque applied by the ap-
pliance. One of the transducers is mounted on a movable
carriage (Velmex, E. Bloomfield, N.Y.), whose motion can be
controlled by a variable speed motor and monitored by an
LVDT displacement transducer (TRANS-TEK). The other
transducer is mounted on a cantilever beam whose vertical
displacements are proportional to force and are monitored by
COMMUNICATIONS
Fig. 3. "T " Loop Mounted in Chucks for Testing.
another LVDT (TRANS-TEK). Thus the force delivered by
the appliance as it is activated by the moving carriage can be
measured.
Data from the two torque transducers and the force trans-
ducer are fed through an electronic switch (Heath Co., Benton
Harbor, Mich.) to one axis of an X-Y plotter (Houston Instru-
ment, Houston, Texas) and plotted versus the data from the
displacement transducer (Fig. 4). The displacement transducer
was calibrated against a gage block. The other transducers
were calibrated by deadweight techniques. All transducers
showed repeatability and linearity better than 1%. Minimum
resolvable force (reading from X-Y plotter)= g, torque = 5
g * mm, displacement = 0.01 mm.
Various spring configurations were tested in order to con-
firm our method. When straight wires 0.406 mm (.0 16 in) in
diameter, 30 mm long (1.18 in) were rigidly clamped in the
chucks and one end displaced, both forces and moments were
within 2% of the calculated value. With cantilever loading
there was less than 2% error in the force system in comparison
to the theoretical. This system has been used to test various
orthodontic configurations including alignment loops and
retraction springs {4}- {7}.
CONCLUSION
The "spring tester" allows for rapid and accurate determina-
tion of uniplanar force systems from orthodontic appliances.
Data from this device, besides providing accurate data to the
clinician, will allow for the corroboration of analytical models
and rapid evaluation of new designs.
REFERENCES
{l} Burstone, C. J. and Koenig, H. A. Force systems from an ideal
arch. Am. J. Orthod., 65: 270-289,1974.
{2} Koenig, H. A. and Burstone, C. J. Analysis of generalized curved
beams for orthodontic applications. J. Biomechanics, 7: 429-
435, 1974.
{3} Yang, T. Y. and Baldwin, J. J. Analysis of space closing springs in
orthodontics. J. Biomechanics, 7: 21-28, 1974.
{4} Solonche, D. J., Vanderby, R., Ratches, J. and Lai, C. A device
for determining force-moment characteristics of orthodontic ap-
pliances. International Association for Dental Research 54th
General Session, 1976.
{5} Kim, S., Burstone, C. J. and Solonche, D. J. Effect of design
parameters on moment/force ratio of retraction spring, I.A.D.R.,
1976.
{6} Vanderby, R., Burstone, C. J., Solonche, D. J. and Ratches, J.
Experimentally determined force systems from vertically activated
orthodontic loops. I.A.D.R., 1976.
Fig. 4. Example of Data Plotted on X-Y Plotter. Channels 1 & 3 are
torque, Channel 2 is force (notations are net millivolt change at
given displacement).
{7} Vanderby, R., Burstone, C. J. and Solonche, D. J. Experimentally
determined force systems from vertically activated orthodontic
loops. In Press.
A Method for Designing an Instrument System Controller
JAMES L. LITTLEPAGE
Abstract-A systematic approach to designing a controller for a
scanning cytophotometer is described. The approach, applicable to
most instrument control requirements, is used to ensure that the
various instrument subunits will operate together as a reliable system
and that the system itself will operate reliably with other external
systems such as computers. The instrument functional objectives are
developed through a series of steps into a logic diagram that is easily
implemented in hardware. This approach is most suitable to instru-
ments that must perform a sequence of automatic operations on
command. It may be used independently or with a microprocessor
to provide both fixed and programmable capability in instrument
control.
INTRODUCTION
Effective, reliable control of instrument-system operation is
an important part of instrument design. Modern instruments
are usually designed to execute one or more operation se-
quences automatically on command. The ability to execute a
sequence of operations as a result of a single command greatly
reduces the amount of repetitive information transfer required
between the instrument system and the operator or computer.
The sequence controller is a key element in the design of an
Manuscript received August 17, 1976; revised January 10, 1977.
This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Energy Re-
search Development Administration under Contract W-7405-ENG-48.
The author is with the Biomedical and Environmental Research
Program, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, University of California,
Livermore, CA 94550.