Digitizing abdominal palpation with a pressure measurement and positioning device

Area of Science:

• Medical instrumentation
• Diagnostic technology
• Physical examination techniques

Background:

• Abdominal physical examination is crucial for diagnosing acute abdominal pain.
• Manual palpation lacks uniformity in force and location, hindering consistent assessment.
• Existing methods for quantifying palpation are often complex or use expensive equipment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an integrated system for quantifying palpation pressure and location during abdominal examinations.
• To provide objective, quantifiable data to supplement subjective patient feedback and examiner assessment.
• To establish a more standardized and reproducible method for abdominal palpation.

Main Methods:

• An integrated system using a force sensor and a general web camera was developed to measure palpation pressure and track contact location.
• The system recorded pressure data, displaying average and maximum pressure via a pressure/time curve.
• Clinical trials were conducted on 23 healthy participants, applying light and deep forces in four-quadrant and nine-region schemes.

Main Results:

• The system successfully recorded and displayed palpation pressure and location data.
• Average pressures for light and deep palpation were recorded across different schemes (e.g., 0.506 N and 0.552 N in the four-quadrant scheme).
• No significant difference in force level was found between the four-quadrant and nine-region schemes; two minor dermal reactions were noted.

Conclusions:

• The proposed integrated system offers a cost-effective and accurate method for quantifying abdominal palpation.
• The system's data has the potential to serve as a reference for developing future digital abdominal palpation devices.
• Standardized palpation data can enhance computer-aided diagnosis and improve patient evaluation for abdominal pain.