Development of a structural-color type sensor to detect lesion hardness and grasping state for flexible endoscope operation

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K20722
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 90130:Medical systems-related
• Research Institution: Kagawa National College of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Maeda Yusaku 香川高等専門学校, 機械工学科, 講師 (00803404)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 触覚センサ / 構造色 / 低侵襲治療 / 軟性内視鏡

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we developed the tactile sensor based on structural color change depending on the information. The response of the developed sensor element to triaxial load was obtained, and the load resolution of 1 mN and the measurement range of 25 mN for vertical load were confirmed. We also obtained the response for A5 and A45 samples, which correspond to the actual hardness of biological tissue. From these evaluation results, we succeeded in realizing the capability to measure the vertical load and the frictional force in the range of up to 5N grasping force assumed in medical forceps.

Free Research Field

生体医工学・計測

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

構造色式センサと，内視鏡カメラの組み合わせによる計測は単一の内視鏡視野から送気圧や温度，鉗子の把持状態や接触箇所の硬さなどの複数の情報を，医師の必要に応じて，同時に取得可能であり，構造的には，現行の内視鏡構成に対してセンサチップの追加のみで実現できる。このことは，センサの無線化に対する一般的なアプローチである，無線素子や電池を使用する場合に比べ，実装体積を小さくできることから，軟性内視鏡治療への応用において，多様な計測への拡張性の高い技術である。