title: Biocompatible Pressure Sensing Skins for Minimally Invasive Surgical Instruments.
abstract: This paper presents 800-μm thick, biocompatible sensing skins composed of arrays of pressure sensors. The arrays can be configured to conform to the surface of medical instruments so as to act as disposable sensing skins. In particular, the fabrication of cylindrical geometries is considered here for use on endoscopes. The sensing technology is based on polydimethylsiloxane synthetic silicone encapsulated microchannels filled with a biocompatible salt-saturated glycerol solution, functioning as the conductive medium. A multi-layer manufacturing approach is introduced that enables stacking sensing microchannels, mechanical stress concentration features, and electrical routing via flexcircuits in a thickness of less than 1 mm. The proposed approach is inexpensive and does not require clean room tools or techniques. The mechanical stress concentration features are implemented using a patterned copper layer that serves to improve sensing range and sensitivity. Sensor performance is demonstrated experimentally using a sensing skin mounted on a neuroendoscope insertion cannula and is shown to outperform previously developed non-biocompatible sensors.
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA. He is now with Helbling Precision Engineering, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA ( badeaslava@gmail.com ).
authors.forename: Veaceslav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Arabagi
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA. He is now with GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI 53188 USA ( ouajdi.felfoul@gmail.com ).
authors.forename: Ouajdi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Felfoul
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA. He is now with Human Design Medical LLC, Charlottesville, VA 22902 USA ( andrewgosline@gmail.com ).
authors.forename: Andrew H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Gosline
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Wyss Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA ( rjwood@eecs.harvard.edu ).
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA ( pierre.dupont@childrens.harvard.edu ).
authors.forename: Pierre E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Dupont
keywords: Pressure sensing arrays; biocompatible sensors; sensing skins; surgical instruments