Tactile sensor method for thoracoscopic detection of intrapulmonary nodules

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Surgical Technology
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Accurate localization of small, invisible pulmonary nodules during thoracoscopic surgery remains challenging.
• Current methods may have limitations in detecting non-palpable lesions.
• Novel sensor technologies are needed to improve intraoperative guidance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a tactile sensor for quantifying object hardness.
• To assess the efficacy of this tactile sensor in detecting invisible pulmonary nodules during thoracoscopic surgery.
• To determine the diagnostic accuracy of the tactile sensor method for pulmonary nodules.

Main Methods:

• Development of a tactile sensor measuring hardness via resonance frequency changes (delta f).
• Application of the sensor during thoracoscopic surgery to map lung surface hardness.
• Correlation of tactile sensor signals (spikes in delta f) with nodule locations.
• Intraoperative diagnosis of detected nodules.

Main Results:

• The tactile sensor successfully detected 42 pulmonary nodules (32 indeterminate, 10 metastatic) in 37 patients.
• Nodule detection was achieved by identifying spikes in the delta f curve corresponding to specific pleural locations.
• All detected nodules, except two, were previously identified via computed tomography.
• Intraoperative diagnosis confirmed 28 benign tumors and 4 primary carcinomas among the indeterminate nodules.

Conclusions:

• The developed tactile sensor provides a viable method for quantifying tissue hardness.
• This tactile sensor technology facilitates the thoracoscopic detection of small, invisible pulmonary nodules.
• The method offers a promising alternative for improving nodule localization and diagnostic yield in minimally invasive lung surgery.