Research on the tactile sensor to provide sense of human finger to the minimally invasive medical instruments

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K12796
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90150:Medical assistive technology-related
• Research Institution: Wakayama University
• Principal Investigator: Miki Hirofumi 和歌山大学, システム工学部, 准教授 (20403363)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 触覚センサ / 高分解能 / 圧電PVDF / 微細加工

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Through numerical analysis, we confirmed the effects of the sensor structure and the arrangement of sensing elements on the sensitivity and cross-talk of the sensor output when piezoelectric PVDF is used as the sensing element of a target tactile sensor. To understand the microfabrication characteristics of the sensing material are essential when design and realizing an optimal structure for the device. We applied wet etching technology to the piezoelectric PVDF film to realize fine patterns with line widths of several μm to several tens ofμm and found that the alignment between the etching mask aperture lines and the g31 direction of piezoelectric PVDF is the key to realize high resolution array sensors. In addition, we found the feasibility of realizing a three-dimensional microstructure of piezoelectric PVDF by anisotropic wet etching.

Free Research Field

MEMS

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

MEMS技術を駆使しウェットエッチング手法を用いて，従来微細加工が困難とされてきた圧電PVDFフィルム上に線幅数μm～数十μmの微細パターンの実現や異方性エッチング特性を生かした3次元微細構造の実現を可能にすることにより，圧電PVDF材料に関する知識や理論において新しい可能性を見出すことが考えられる．また，低侵襲医療用触覚センサの応用に限らず，高い空間分解能と感度を必要とする高度のマイクロセンサデバイスとしてより広い応用への波及効果が期待できるので社会的あるいは産業面におけるインパクトは大きいのではないかと考える．