Abstract
Palpation techniques are widely used in medical procedures to detect the presence of lumps or tumors in the soft breast tissues. Since these procedures are very subjective and depend on the skills of the physician, it is imperative to perform detailed a scientific study in order to develop more efficient medical sensors to measure and generate palpation parameters. In this research, we propose an optical-based, artificial palpation sensor for lesion characterization. This has been developed using a multilayer polydimethylsiloxane optical waveguide. Light was generated at the critical angle to reflect totally within the flexible and transparent waveguide. When a waveguide was compressed by an external force, its contact area would deform and cause the light to scatter. The scattered light was captured by a high-resolution camera and saved as an image format. To test the performance of the proposed system, we used a realistic tissue phantom with embedded hard inclusions. The experimental results show that the proposed sensor can detect inclusions and provide the relative value of size, depth, and Young's modulus of an inclusion.
Highlights
According to the American Cancer Society, more than 178,000 women and 2,000 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year; international statistics report an estimated 1,152,161 new cases annually
We introduce an optical-based, artificial palpation sensor with a noninvasive, non-ionized, and easy-to-use breast cancer screening system
To emulate the human finger layer, a multilayer optical waveguide was fabricated as the main sensing probe
Summary
According to the American Cancer Society, more than 178,000 women and 2,000 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year; international statistics report an estimated 1,152,161 new cases annually. The complexities involved due to internal and external factors have not yet been fully quantified in various studies using thermal imaging techniques Another important technique involves the use of the elastic properties of inclusion and determination of their effect on the deformation and stress fields at the top surface of the tissue and bottom surface of the tactile sensor. By way of modern technology, the palpation sensor takes this one step further in being able to quantitatively measure what is felt as an image that shows such parameters as its Young’s modulus, the diameter of the tumor, and its depth This is a cost-effective system; it is portable and requires minimal training of the operator.
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