The 2024 Seed Program for AI, Computing, and Data Science award has been awarded to two researchers from Texas A&M University: Dr. Jaesung Lee, an assistant professor in the Wm Michael Barnes '64 Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Dr. Yuxiao Zhou, an assistant professor in the J. Mike Walker '66 Department of Mechanical Engineering.
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In a competitive cycle with 39 entries from researchers from three institutions, their study, "Toward Smart Orthopedic Surgery Planning by using Physics-Informed Machine Learning," was chosen as one of the top 10 proposals.
Dental implant surgeries are crucial for improving quality of life, especially in the elderly. However, its performance depends on achieving adequate mechanical stress levels in the surrounding bone during chewing to minimize bone loss due to insufficient loading and bone fracture due to overload.
Implant success is hindered by delayed bone healing, age-related bone loss in older people, and varied bone stiffness. Current methods for assessing bone stiffness are typically intrusive, computationally expensive, or inaccurate, necessitating novel and practical patient-specific solutions.
Our model will revolutionize surgical planning by delivering personalized, computationally efficient treatment plans with predictable outcomes.
Dr. Yuxiao Zhou, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University
Dr. Zhou and Dr. Lee are working on a hybrid biomechanical physics-informed machine learning model. Their approach combines experimentally recorded bone deformation data with underlying physics and a strong machine learning framework to provide exact, individualized predictions of mechanical stress in the bone. This breakthrough provides a useful tool for planning patient-specific dental surgery, enhancing bone healing, and ensuring long-term implant success.
“Our model will revolutionize surgical planning by delivering personalized, computationally efficient treatment plans with predictable outcomes,” added Dr. Zhou.
The project also emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, utilizing Dr. Lee's expertise in machine learning for healthcare systems to solve a long-standing clinical problem. The success of this work has the potential to expand beyond dental implants, providing advances in other surgical applications in healthcare.
This award recognizes Texas A&M's commitment to research in AI, computing, and data science that leads to real-world solutions.