Pressure-Assisted Tissue Stiffness Sensing Without Tissue Sampling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for measuring tissue stiffness are limited to the surface and require visual placement, lacking tactile feedback, and are inaccurate due to tissue alteration during sampling, making it difficult to assess healthy and diseased tissues in minimally invasive surgery.
Innovation Solution
A pressure-assisted, steerable, and conformable device with integrated imaging and pressure sensors for non-destructive, minimally invasive stiffness measurement, allowing real-time evaluation of tissue stiffness in vivo and ex vivo.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If tissue sampling is performed for stiffness measurement, then measurement data can be obtained, but tissue structure is altered and measurement accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical tissue sampling with optical coherence elastography (OCE) techniques that use light waves to measure tissue stiffness. The OCE system uses a light source, interferometer, and detector to non-invasively quantify tissue mechanical properties by measuring wave propagation through the tissue, eliminating the need for physical tissue removal and preserving tissue integrity while providing accurate stiffness measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an optical intermediary (light waves) to mediate the measurement of tissue stiffness. Instead of directly mechanically probing or sampling the tissue, the system uses light as an intermediary carrier to probe tissue mechanical properties through wave propagation measurements, allowing indirect but accurate assessment of stiffness without physical tissue disruption.
2Measurement precision
If visual placement methods are used for surface tissue measurement devices, then device placement is simple, but measurement coverage and accuracy are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces visual placement methods with image-guided robotic positioning systems that use pre-operative imaging (CT, MRI) to automatically calculate and guide device placement. The system processes imaging data to determine optimal measurement locations and autonomously positions the measurement device, eliminating reliance on surgeon visual estimation and manual placement while improving measurement accuracy and coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements real-time feedback loops where the robotic system continuously monitors device position relative to the pre-planned measurement locations using imaging guidance, and automatically adjusts positioning to achieve precise alignment. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures accurate device placement without requiring complex manual manipulation by the surgeon.
3Measurement precision
If robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery is used, then surgical precision and patient outcomes are improved, but tactile feedback for tissue assessment is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces tactile feedback with quantitative optical elastography measurements that objectively assess tissue stiffness. The OCE system provides numerical stiffness values and spatial maps that compensate for the loss of tactile sensation, allowing surgeons to accurately differentiate between healthy and pathological tissues through objective mechanical property measurements rather than subjective touch.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the qualitative tactile information into quantitative mechanical parameters (stiffness modulus, wave propagation speed) that can be precisely measured and displayed. By converting the lost tactile dimension into measurable physical parameters through optical wave analysis, the system provides equivalent or superior information for tissue assessment compared to manual palpation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate and rapid quantification of tissue stiffness without altering native tissue structure, facilitating precise identification and removal of diseased tissues during robotic surgery.
Implementation Method 1
applying a pressure to the compression head; detecting a response at the tissue of interest in response to the pressure applied
Data Source
AI summary
A minimally invasive device, containing a pressure channel, camera, and optical fiber imaging probe, to measure the stiffness of tissues in vivo and ex vivo is disclosed. To measure tissue stiffness in vivo, the device is inserted into a patient and navigated to a tissue of interest, where stiffness is evaluated by applying suction and measuring the elongation or by applying compression force and measuring the compression of the tissue. Biopsies can be taken for further analysis, or tissue can be removed using an ablation laser. Small fluorescent molecules or therapeutics can also be delivered for improved visualization and targeted treatment. As such, this technology may be used to evaluate the stiffness of biomaterials as well as tissues and organs that are difficult to access, allowing for simultaneous diagnosis, treatment, and excision of diseased tissues.