Non-contact 3D Topography Measurement of Soft Tissue Mechanics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining mechanical properties of materials, especially soft tissues, are inadequate for in-vivo measurements during minimally invasive surgery, as they often require direct contact, are invasive, or impractical for quick anomaly detection.
Innovation Solution
A non-destructive method using a probe to deform the material surface while recording the 3D topography of the deformation, allowing for the calculation of bulk mechanical properties and localization of anomalies without direct contact, using a combination of mechanical devices or gas/liquid jets with 3D topography acquisition systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If direct contact methods are used to measure mechanical properties of soft tissues, then measurement precision can be improved, but invasiveness and difficulty of operation during minimally invasive surgery increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces direct mechanical contact measurement systems with an optical measurement system. A camera captures images of the tissue surface before and after applying a known force, and image processing algorithms calculate displacement and mechanical properties without requiring physical contact probes inside the surgical field. This substitution enables non-invasive measurement during minimally invasive surgery while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary optical field (camera imaging) between the force application and measurement process. Instead of using physical probes to directly measure tissue deformation, the system uses light to capture surface topology changes, which are then processed to derive mechanical properties. This intermediary approach allows measurement without direct mechanical contact during surgery.
2Productivity
If bulk measurement methods are used to determine mechanical properties, then measurement speed can be improved, but ability to detect localized anomalies decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the measurement process into two distinct phases: bulk property measurement and localized anomaly detection. The system first applies a distributed force field across the tissue surface and captures the resulting deformation pattern. Image processing then separates the analysis into bulk mechanical property extraction and localized anomaly identification, enabling both functions to be performed efficiently in a single measurement cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional point-by-point mechanical measurement to a full-field optical measurement approach. By capturing the entire tissue surface topology in two dimensions and analyzing the deformation field, the system simultaneously obtains both bulk mechanical properties and localized anomaly information, effectively adding spatial dimensionality to the measurement process.
3Measurement precision
If material removal or direct contact with instruments is used for in-vivo measurement, then measurement precision can be improved, but tissue damage and invasiveness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical contact instruments with an optical measurement system that uses light to capture tissue surface topology. This substitution eliminates the need for physical probes or material removal, enabling precise in-vivo measurement without causing tissue damage or increasing invasiveness during minimally invasive surgery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an optical copy (image) of the tissue surface topology instead of physically interacting with the tissue. By capturing and analyzing images of the tissue surface before and after force application, the system obtains measurement data without direct contact or material removal, thereby preventing tissue damage while maintaining measurement precision.
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 rapid, non-invasive measurement of mechanical properties and anomaly detection in soft tissues during surgery, providing detailed spatial models of surface deformations for accurate mechanical property assessment.
Implementation Method 1
a probe is applied to a material surface to impart a deforming pressure
Implementation Method 2
the resulting changes in topography are used to compute the bulk mechanical properties of, and anomalies within, the material
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods deform the surface of the material with a probe, such as a mechanical device or a gas/liquid jet, while optically recording in detail the three-dimensional (3D) topography of the resulting surface deformation. The probe effectively applies a forcing function to the material, the attributes of which are known by performing calibrations prior to use or by direct measurement while it is applied. The topography is effectively the system output that is measured as indicative of the underlying mechanical properties of the material. In one application, systems and methods that apply a pressure in-vivo to human tissue and analyze a three-dimensional topography of the resulting surface deformation to identify localized inhomogeneities and anomalies in the human tissue.