Abstract
Abstract
Background
Tissue healthiness could be assessed by evaluating its viscoelastic properties through localized contact reaction force measurements to obtain quantitative time history information. To evaluate these properties for hard to reach and confined areas of the human body, miniature force sensors with size constraints and appropriate load capabilities are needed. This research article reports on the design, fabrication, integration, characterization, and in vivo experimentation of a uniaxial miniature force sensor on a human forearm.
Methods
The strain gauge based sensor components were designed to meet dimensional constraints (diameter ≤3.5mm), safety factor (≥3) and performance specifications (maximum applied load, resolution, sensitivity, and accuracy). The sensing element was fabricated using traditional machining. Inverted vat photopolymerization technology was used to prototype complex components on a Form3 printer; micro-component orientation for fabrication challenges were overcome through experimentation. The sensor performance was characterized using dead weights and a LabVIEW based custom developed data acquisition system. The operational performance was evaluated by in vivo measurements on a human forearm; the relaxation data were used to calculate the Voigt model viscoelastic coefficient.
Results
The three dimensional (3D) printed components exhibited good dimensional accuracy (maximum deviation of 183μm). The assembled sensor exhibited linear behavior (regression coefficient of R2=0.999) and met desired performance specifications of 3.4 safety factor, 1.2N load capacity, 18mN resolution, and 3.13% accuracy. The in vivo experimentally obtained relaxation data were analyzed using the Voigt model yielding a viscoelastic coefficient τ=12.38sec and a curve-fit regression coefficient of R2=0.992.
Conclusions
This research presented the successful design, use of 3D printing for component fabrication, integration, characterization, and analysis of initial in vivo collected measurements with excellent performance for a miniature force sensor for the assessment of tissue viscoelastic properties. Through this research certain limitations were identified, however the initial sensor performance was promising and encouraging to continue the work to improve the sensor. This micro-force sensor could be used to obtain tissue quantitative data to assess tissue healthiness for medical care over extended time periods.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Computer Science Applications,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging,Biomedical Engineering
Reference44 articles.
1. SEER. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program Stat Facts: Bladder Cancer. 2020. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/urinb.html. Accessed 2 Aug 2021.
2. PDQ® Adult Treatment Editorial Board. Bladder Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version - National Cancer Institute. 2021. https://www.cancer.gov/types/bladder/patient/bladder-treatment-pdq#section/all. Accessed 09 Aug 2021.
3. Lai W, Cao L, Tan RX, Tan YC, Li X, Phan PT, Tiong AMH, Tjin SC, Phee SJ. An Integrated Sensor-Model Approach for Haptic Feedback of Flexible Endoscopic Robots. Ann Biomed Eng. 2019; 48(1):342–56. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10439-019-02352-8.
4. Sozer C, Ghorbani M, Alcan G, Uvet H, Unel M, Kosar A. Design, Prototyping and Control of a Flexible Cystoscope for Biomedical Applications. IOP Conf Ser Mater Sci Eng. 2017; 224(1):012050. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/224/1/012050.
5. Georgescu D, Alexandrescu E, Mulţescu R, Geavlete B. Cystoscopy and Urinary Bladder Anatomy. Endoscopic Diagn Treat Urinary Bladder Pathol. 2016:1–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-802439-3.00001-3.
Cited by
4 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献