Development of a Palpation Sensor for Detecting Prostatic Cancer

提出了一种检测前列腺癌和前列腺肥大的触觉传感器，并对其作为触诊传感器的功能进行了实验研究。该传感器是一个组件的层状介质与两个PVDF（聚偏氟乙烯）补丁嵌入在软基质材料。传感器的基本特性已被研究，通过使用一个线性平移阶段，推动传感器对物体具有恒定的行程和振荡频率。实验结果表明，随着物体刚度的增大，内膜与外膜的积分输出电压之比减小。临床试验也显示了该探针作为紧凑型触诊传感器的良好功能。该传感器仍处于实验阶段，但计划将传感器安装到人工机器人手指上，目的是在3-4年内开发出一种用于检测体内和非侵入性前列腺癌和肥大的自动传感系统。

A tactile sensor that detects the prostatic cancer and hypertrophy has been proposed and its function as the palpation sensor has been studied experimentally. The sensor is an assembly of layred media with two PVDF (polyvinylidine fluoride) patches embedded in the soft matrix material. The fundamental characteristics of the sensor have been investigated by using a linear traslation stage that pushes the sensor against the object with constant stroke and oscillation frequency. It has been verified that the ratio of the integrated output voltage of inner PVDF film to that of the outer film becomes smaller as the stiffness of the object increases. The clinical test also revealed the favorable function of the present probe as a compact palpation sensor.The sensor is still experimental, but the plan is to install the sensor onto an artificial robotic finger with the aim of developing an automatic sensing system for detecting the prostatic cancer and hypertrophy in vivo and non-invasively within 3-4 years.