Air-float palpation probe for tissue abnormality identification during minimally invasive surgery

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Surgical Technology
• Optical Instrumentation

Background:

• Accurate intraoperative assessment of tissue stiffness is crucial for surgical procedures, particularly for tumor identification.
• Existing palpation methods can be limited by non-planar tissue surfaces and require precise force control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel optical fiber-based palpation probe for measuring soft tissue stiffness distribution.
• To enable accurate indentation depth measurement on non-planar tissue surfaces during surgery.
• To assist surgeons in identifying tumor presence, location, and size through real-time stiffness mapping.

Main Methods:

• A near-frictionless palpation probe utilizing optical fiber technology was designed.
• The probe measures indentation depth, reaction force, and probe orientation relative to the tissue surface.
• Tunable force range and external adjustment capabilities were incorporated for versatile application.
• Performance was validated using simulated soft tissues and tumor identification experiments on non-flat surfaces.

Main Results:

• The probe accurately measured tissue stiffness distribution, generating elasticity models with minimal inaccuracies from surface variations.
• Tumor identification experiments successfully located and sized tumors on non-flat tissue surfaces.
• The probe demonstrated capability in detecting tumors with stiffness ratios as low as 2.1.

Conclusions:

• The optical fiber palpation probe offers a novel solution for intraoperative tissue characterization.
• Its ability to handle non-planar surfaces and detect subtle stiffness variations enhances surgical precision in tumor detection.
• This technology has significant potential to improve surgical outcomes by providing real-time, accurate tissue elasticity information.