Synchronization enhanced force microscopy for clinical tumor tissue mechanical characterization

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Oncology

Background:

• Mechanical properties of tissues and cells are key indicators of physiological and pathological states.
• Existing mechanical measurement techniques often face limitations such as bulkiness and ex vivo constraints.
• Accurate, in situ mechanical characterization is crucial for disease diagnosis and surgical guidance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-precision, miniaturized all-silicon resonant microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) force sensor for biological tissue mechanical characterization.
• To evaluate the sensor's performance in measuring surface Young's modulus of human gastric tissues.
• To demonstrate the potential clinical applications of the sensor in distinguishing between normal, tumor, and fibrotic tissues and in surgical navigation.

Main Methods:

• Development of an all-silicon resonant MEMS force sensor utilizing electromagnetic excitation for stable atmospheric operation.
• Integration of a high-Q resonator synchronization enhanced technique to improve sensor resolution and reduce detection noise without sensitivity loss.
• Application of the sensor to perform non-destructive surface Young's modulus tests on human gastric tissue samples.

Main Results:

• The developed MEMS force sensor demonstrated high precision and stability in atmospheric conditions.
• Mechanical differences in surface Young's modulus were successfully identified among normal, tumor, and fibrotic human gastric tissues.
• The measurement process was confirmed to be gentle and non-destructive, preserving tissue integrity.

Conclusions:

• The all-silicon resonant MEMS force sensor offers a novel, high-precision tool for characterizing tissue mechanics.
• The identified mechanical differences provide valuable indicators for distinguishing between morphologically similar gastric tissues in clinical settings.
• The sensor holds significant potential for guiding minimally invasive surgery, particularly in gastric cancer operations.