Inherent silicone based sensor elements for actively deformable, fluidically actuated medical devices

该项目的目的是对医疗仪器用导电硅树脂制成的顺应性传感器元件进行基础研究。其基础是使用用于耳蜗植入物（CI）的电极载体（EC）的示例将顺应性执行器系统集成到医疗仪器中的初步工作。作为逻辑上一致的修改，在该后续项目中，关于器械插入期间变形状态和/或与周围组织的相互作用力的反馈将遵循固有的、同样符合要求的传感器技术（通过材料和功能的一致性）。为了在集成传感器的情况下获得顺应性仪器的优点，仅使用由导电硅树脂制成的柔顺传感器元件。这种材料与仪器和已开发的执行器系统的基本材料一样灵活。此外，该材料具有导电性，因此其电阻会随着材料的伸长而变化。在后续项目中，应研究顺应性传感器技术的可能性和局限性。重点是识别相关的设计参数，这必须考虑到在设计过程中的感官领域，以及开发的分析模型为基础的综合方法固有的传感器技术。这还包括建立用于成形、构造和接触传感器元件的必要方法。由于仪器的缩放，体现为一个顺应性的杆状流体机械致动器（FMA），在建模的框架内，不同尺寸的仪器被认为是。这是为了利用小型化的限制。作为具有传感器的FMA的示例，选择CI系统的电极载体是因为对小型化和仔细的插入过程的特别苛刻的要求。为了开发植入物与周围组织之间的接触力的相互作用和规律，以及可以由传感器系统检测到的内部变形，电极载体的数值模型通过实验研究进行验证，并在迭代过程中进一步开发。对于必要的，现实的模型，耳蜗的生理特性实验确定和人类耳蜗的形态多样性是categorized.Finally，工作结果在一个功能演示设置的CI电极载体与固有的传感器技术，可以被驱动。之后，该项目中开发的基本原理也将为传感、流体驱动的顺应性内窥镜和导管奠定基础，从而为进一步的外科应用奠定基础。

The aim of the project is the basic investigation of compliant sensor elements made of conductive silicone with regard to medical instrumentation. The basis for this is the preliminary work on the integration of a compliant actor system into the medical instruments using the example of an electrode carrier (EC) for cochlear implants (CI). As a logically consistent amendment, within this follow-up project the feedback about deformation states and / or interaction forces with the surrounding tissue during insertion of the instruments is to be followed by an inherent, likewise compliant sensor technology (by means of material and functional coherence).In order to obtain the advantages of compliant instrumentation despite the integration of sensors, only compliant sensor elements made of conductive silicone are used. This material is just as flexible as the basic material of the instruments and the already developed actuator system. Additionally, the material is electrically conductive so that it changes its electrical resistance as a function of the material elongation.Within the follow-up project, the possibilities and limitations of compliant sensor technology shall be investigated. The focus are the identification of relevant design parameters, which must be taken into account in the design process of sensory areas, as well as the development of an analytical-model-based synthesis method for inherent sensor technology. This also includes the establishment of necessary methods for shaping, structuring and contacting the sensor elements. Due to the scaling of the instrumentation, embodied as a compliant rod-shaped fluid-mechanical actuator (FMA), within the framework of modeling, differently sized instruments are considered. This is intended to exploit the limits of miniaturization. As an example of a FMA with sensors, the electrode carrier of a CI system is chosen because of the particularly demanding requirements for miniaturization and the careful procedure of insertion. In order to develop the interactions and laws of contact forces between the implant and the surrounding tissue, as well as the internal deformations that can be detected by the sensor system, the numerical models of the electrode carrier are verified with the experimental investigations and further developed in an iterative process. For the necessary, realistic models, physiological characteristics of the cochlea are determined experimentally and the morphological diversity of the human cochlea is to be categorized.Finally, the work results in a functional demonstrator setup of an CI electrode carrier with inherent sensor technology and which can be actuated. Afterwards, the fundamentals developed in the project will also form a basis for sensorized, fluidically actuated compliant endoscopes and catheters and thus for further surgical applications.