Flies Species Recognition For Maggot Therapy Using Neural-Expert Technique Nursyafinaz Md Yusoff Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences Universiti Teknologi MARA 40450 Shah Alam Selangor, Malaysia finaz06@yahoo.com Nurzeatul Hamimah Abdul Hamid Shamimi A Halim Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences Universiti Teknologi MARA 40450 Shah Alam Selangor, Malaysia {nurzeatul, shamimi}@tmsk.uitm.edu.my Abstract— Maggot Debridement Therapy (MDT) has been recognized as one of the effective alternative treatment to enhance healing and to decrease the mortality associated with underlying injury. One of the most important procedures in performing MDT is to use the correct maggot from suitable species. In this case, maggots from the incorrect species would consume the live tissue instead of the dead tissue. Hence, this is highlighted as one of the difficulties in implementing MDT. Currently the process of identifying flies is done manually by experts or by using DNA traits. We explored and developed another procedure to recognize the species using hybrid neuro- expert technique. The percentage of correctness using standard back propagation neural network yields 94.4% accuracy. By adapting the neuro-expert technique, the prototype accuracy is 100%. Keywords-components; Maggot Debridement Therapy (MDT); Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN); Neuro-expert; Flies recognition I. INTRODUCTION Maggot Debridement Therapy (MDT) has been implemented for centuries. The infestation of wounds by species of fly larvae refers as maggot has been recognized to debride, enhance healing and decrease the mortality of underlying injury [1]. In Malaysia the flies that is commonly used is the Lucilia cuprina species. It is really important for the researchers to recognize the type of flies that can be used to ensure the correct maggot to be used in the therapy for the better treatment of the patient and a fast healing process. The current method for recognizing the species of flies is by physical or morphological traits of the adult flies and its larvae. This method is perform by experts and might consume time as the examination is manually done by the entomologists. Other method for species identification of flies is based on genetic examination or DNA [2]. This system will be the first application for identifying the flies’ species using neural-expert system with back-propagation algorithm (BPNN). II. MAGGOT DEBRIDEMENT THERAPY A. Maggot Therapy Practices Maggot therapy also known as Maggot Debridement Therapy (MDT) has been used as a traditional way of cleansing and healing infected wounds. Mayan Indians wrapped wounds with a dressing made of sun-exposed beef blood that would pulsate, apparently with maggots [3]. MDT was successfully and routinely performed by thousands of physicians until the mid 1940's, when its use was supplanted by the new antibiotics and surgical techniques that came out of World War II. Maggot therapy was occasionally used during the 1970's and 1980's, when antibiotics, surgery, and other modalities of modern medicine failed. Recently, maggot therapy has become more popular among the Malaysian citizen. There are even several specialist laboratories that produce maggots for clinical and research purposes. These Maggots are then supplied to clinical centers worldwide for the treatment of chronic wounds, such as leg ulcers, pressure sores, diabetic and necrotic ulcers, as well as infected surgical wounds, burns and trauma injuries [4]. B. The Flies There are two main species of flies used for MDT; Lucilia sericata and Lucilia cuprina. However Lucilia cuprina is most common in Malaysia as Lucilia Sericata is not found in tropics climate. According to [5] Lucilia cuprina can be easily identify by the metallic outer appearance and reddish eyes, have a shiny green or greenish/blue abdomen with bronze/coppery reflections, body shape is round to oval and their length varies from 4.5–10 millimeters, have two pairs of wings, and has bristles on the meron, in addition to the arista, hair on the terminal antennal segment being plumose, strong dorsal setae, and black thoracic spiracle. Other than that, the Lucilia cuprina can also be identified by using the rDNA and looking at the fine structure of the Lucilia cuprina egg shell. Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on IT & Multimedia at UNITEN (ICIMU 2011) Malaysia 14 – 16 November 2011 978-1-4577-0989-0/11/$26.00 ©2011 IEEE