A flexible sensor system using resonance technology for soft tissue stiffness measurements : evaluation on silicone

• One of the most common forms of cancer amongmen in Europe and the United States is prostate cancer. Thecancerous tissue is less soft, and has different biomechanicalproperties compared to healthy tissue. It has been shown thattactile sensors can be used to distinguish this difference. If apiezoelectric sensor is set to oscillate at its resonance frequencythrough a feed back circuit, a frequency shift is observed whenthe sensor comes in contact with a surface. This shift can becorrelated to the stiffness of the tissue. A flexible instrumenthas been developed, with which it is possible to scan both flatand spherical bodies and where the sensor can be tilted to havedifferent contact angles. Measurements performed in thisstudy on flat silicone discs of different stiffness showed arelationship between both the frequency shift and theimpression depth for the different silicone discs, when aconstant force was applied. The results are promising forfuture studies on silicone with different geometries and finallyon prostate tissue to complete the evaluation.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Medicinteknik -- Medicinsk laboratorie- och mätteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Medical Engineering -- Medical Laboratory and Measurements Technologies (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Resonance sensor

Piezoelectric

Prostate cancer

Detection

Frequency shift

Medical engineering

Medicinsk teknik

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