A Polymeric Piezoelectric Tactile Sensor Fabricated by 3D Printing and Laser Micromachining for Hardness Differentiation during Palpation
Tactile sensors are important bionic microelectromechanical systems that are used to implement an artificial sense of touch for medical electronics. Compared with the natural sense of touch, this artificial sense of touch provides more quantitative information, augmenting the objective aspects of se...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Micromachines |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/13/12/2164 |
| _version_ | 1827637671012335616 |
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| author | Chang Ge Edmond Cretu |
| author_facet | Chang Ge Edmond Cretu |
| author_sort | Chang Ge |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Tactile sensors are important bionic microelectromechanical systems that are used to implement an artificial sense of touch for medical electronics. Compared with the natural sense of touch, this artificial sense of touch provides more quantitative information, augmenting the objective aspects of several medical operations, such as palpation-based diagnosis. Tactile sensors can be effectively used for hardness differentiation during the palpation process. Since palpation requires direct physical contact with patients, medical safety concerns are alleviated if the sensors used can be made disposable. In this respect, the low-cost, rapid fabrication of tactile sensors based on polymers is a possible alternative. The present work uses the 3D printing of elastic resins and the laser micromachining of piezoelectric polymeric films to make a low-cost tactile sensor for hardness differentiation through palpation. The fabricated tactile sensor has a sensitivity of 1.52 V/mm to mechanical deformation at the vertical direction, a sensitivity of 11.72 mV/HA in sensing material hardness with a pressing depth of 500 µm for palpation, and a validated capability to detect rigid objects buried in a soft tissue phantom. Its performance is comparable with existing piezoelectric tactile sensors for similar applications. In addition, the tactile sensor has the additional advantage of providing a simpler microfabrication process. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:05:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5a32e7b7a55d4a4a88de3c716bff1d67 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-666X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:05:04Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Micromachines |
| spelling | doaj.art-5a32e7b7a55d4a4a88de3c716bff1d672023-11-24T16:45:16ZengMDPI AGMicromachines2072-666X2022-12-011312216410.3390/mi13122164A Polymeric Piezoelectric Tactile Sensor Fabricated by 3D Printing and Laser Micromachining for Hardness Differentiation during PalpationChang Ge0Edmond Cretu1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, CanadaDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, CanadaTactile sensors are important bionic microelectromechanical systems that are used to implement an artificial sense of touch for medical electronics. Compared with the natural sense of touch, this artificial sense of touch provides more quantitative information, augmenting the objective aspects of several medical operations, such as palpation-based diagnosis. Tactile sensors can be effectively used for hardness differentiation during the palpation process. Since palpation requires direct physical contact with patients, medical safety concerns are alleviated if the sensors used can be made disposable. In this respect, the low-cost, rapid fabrication of tactile sensors based on polymers is a possible alternative. The present work uses the 3D printing of elastic resins and the laser micromachining of piezoelectric polymeric films to make a low-cost tactile sensor for hardness differentiation through palpation. The fabricated tactile sensor has a sensitivity of 1.52 V/mm to mechanical deformation at the vertical direction, a sensitivity of 11.72 mV/HA in sensing material hardness with a pressing depth of 500 µm for palpation, and a validated capability to detect rigid objects buried in a soft tissue phantom. Its performance is comparable with existing piezoelectric tactile sensors for similar applications. In addition, the tactile sensor has the additional advantage of providing a simpler microfabrication process.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/13/12/2164piezoelectric tactile sensorpalpationlaser micromachiningelastomer 3D printingbionic MEMStissue hardness differentiation |
| spellingShingle | Chang Ge Edmond Cretu A Polymeric Piezoelectric Tactile Sensor Fabricated by 3D Printing and Laser Micromachining for Hardness Differentiation during Palpation Micromachines piezoelectric tactile sensor palpation laser micromachining elastomer 3D printing bionic MEMS tissue hardness differentiation |
| title | A Polymeric Piezoelectric Tactile Sensor Fabricated by 3D Printing and Laser Micromachining for Hardness Differentiation during Palpation |
| title_full | A Polymeric Piezoelectric Tactile Sensor Fabricated by 3D Printing and Laser Micromachining for Hardness Differentiation during Palpation |
| title_fullStr | A Polymeric Piezoelectric Tactile Sensor Fabricated by 3D Printing and Laser Micromachining for Hardness Differentiation during Palpation |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Polymeric Piezoelectric Tactile Sensor Fabricated by 3D Printing and Laser Micromachining for Hardness Differentiation during Palpation |
| title_short | A Polymeric Piezoelectric Tactile Sensor Fabricated by 3D Printing and Laser Micromachining for Hardness Differentiation during Palpation |
| title_sort | polymeric piezoelectric tactile sensor fabricated by 3d printing and laser micromachining for hardness differentiation during palpation |
| topic | piezoelectric tactile sensor palpation laser micromachining elastomer 3D printing bionic MEMS tissue hardness differentiation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/13/12/2164 |
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