Automated dental drilling system prototype

In recent times, biomedical technology has received a major boost due to advancements in electronics. Sophisticated surgical instruments and patient monitoring devices have not only eased the burden on the doctors shoulders but have also taken patient care to a whole new level. However, the field of dentistry is yet to experience a major surge of technological innovation particularly when it comes to drilling in dental surgery. This paper presents a prototype of a fully automated system which employs extreme precision in drilling operations. The software employs image processing to obtain accurate parameters from CT scan images of the patients' teeth. These parameters are then passed to the hardware unit comprising of an ARM7-based embedded system which controls the drilling mechanism. Furthermore, keeping in mind the safety of the patient, the system will have a dynamic feedback mechanism to make real time corrections to compensate for disturbances which may displace the target unpredictably.