Contact Force Measurement Research Articles

Impact of open-irrigated radiofrequency catheter with contact force measurement on the efficacy and safety of atrial fibrillation ablation: a single-center direct comparison

BackgroundIn atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, catheter ablation of pulmonary veins (PVI) is the most effective therapeutic option to maintain sinus rhythm. To improve successful PVI, contact force–sensing (CF) catheters became routinely available. Previous studies did not clearly show superior clinical efficacy in comparison with non-CF catheters.MethodsWe investigated consecutive patients, who underwent index PVI for AF at our hospital between 2012 and 2018. Three hundred and fifty-four patients were ablated without CF. After availability of CF catheters in 2016, 317 patients were ablated using CF. In case of crossover between the groups, follow-up was censored. The primary endpoint was any documented atrial tachycardia (AT) or atrial fibrillation > 30 s after a 3-month blanking period. Secondary endpoints were procedural characteristics and periprocedural complications.ResultsThere was no significant difference between the groups at baseline except hyperlipidemia. After 365 days of follow-up, 67% of patients in the CF group remained free from AF/AT recurrence compared to 59% in non-CF group (P = 0.038). In multivariable Cox regression analysis, non-CF ablation was an independent risk factor for AF recurrence besides age and persistent AF. Total fluoroscopy time (15 ± 7.6 vs. 28 ± 15.9 min) and total procedure time (114 ± 29.6 vs. 136 ± 38.5 min) were significantly lower for CF-guided PVI (P < 0.001). Complication rates did not differ between groups (P = 0.661).ConclusionsIn our study, the AT/AF recurrence rate and pulmonary vein reconnection rate is lower after CF PVI with a similar complication rate but lower total procedure time and total fluoroscopy time compared to non-CF PVI.

A cable driven robotic palpation system with contact force sensing based on cable tension observation.

Prostate Cancer screening based on manual palpation is subjective. Robotic palpation systems can objectively acquire stiffness conditions of the prostate. A 2DoF cable driven robotic system for prostate palpation is proposed. An indirect method to estimate the contact force based on cable tension observation is presented. Kinematic models and a joint angle estimation method to determine the tip position of the probe are derived. Positioning accuracy was verified using an optical marker tracking system and by displacement measurement, respectively. The contact force estimation method was validated on silicone phantom samples. A good consistence between the estimated and measured contact force was observed. The contact force was correlated with the elastic modulus of each silicone phantom. There was also a good agreement between the theoretical and the measured tip position. In the proposed palpation system, the indirect contact force estimation method is viable and holds potential for the stiffness assessment of the prostate. The tip position vital for palpation can be determined through estimated joint angles.

Comparison of the accuracy of contact force measurement in four commercially available force-sensing ablation catheters

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Contact force-sensing catheters are widely used for ablation of cardiac arrhythmias. They allow precise quantification of catheter-to-tissue contact, which is an important determinant of lesion size and durability. Moreover, contact force information reduces the risk for cardiac perforation and is used for estimation of lesion size. However, the accuracy of contact force sensors across different manufacturers has not been validated independently. Objective To compare the accuracy and reproducibility of different force sensing catheters used in cardiac electrophysiology procedures. Methods A force measurement setup containing a heated saline water bath and a catheter fixation mechanism was constructed. The setup allows to accurately measure forces applied to a platform with the catheter. We studied four different catheter models, equipped with the following, unique force-measurement technologies (figure 1): 1) multiple-fiber optical sensor; 2) single-fiber optical sensor; 3) inductive sensor; and 4) magnetic field sensors. For each model, we assessed three catheters. Repeated measurements within the force range of 0g to 60g and at electrode-tissue contact angles of 0°, 45°, and 90° were performed and validated against the force measurement unit of our measurement setup. Results For each catheter, at least 500 measurements at different contact forces (equally distributed across the measurement range of 0 to 60 grams) were performed. Correlation of measured-force to real-force was ρSpearman=0.99 for MFOS, ρSpearman=0.98 for SFOS, ρSpearman=0.99 for IS, and ρSpearman=0.98 for MFS. MFS and SFOS showed a higher variance for high forces and increased intra-catheter variability compared to MFOS and IS. IS overestimated higher contact force at 0° and 30°. MFS and SFOS underestimated contact force for higher forces at 30° and 45° (figure 2). Within a clinical range of 5g to 40g, the catheters reached the following root-mean-square-error, independent of contact angle: MFOS 0.88g ±0.68g, SFOS 2.15g ±1.74g, IS 0.88g ±0.72g, and MFS 1.13g ±1.01g. Conclusion Measured contact by force-sensing catheters correlates well with true exerted electrode-tissue force. Despite an excellent overall correlation, some technologies may be prone to significant errors at higher forces (&amp;gt;10g under-/overestimation of true contact force) with potential clinical consequences related to increased risk of perforation.

A Novel Method for Soft Contact Sensing Based on Electrical Impedance Sensitivity Images

This paper presents a distributed soft contact sensing method based on a sensitivity mapping function, which relates the change in measured voltages to that in the elastomer conductivity due to contact force acting on its surface. The sensitivity-image-based sensing system uses a small number of boundary electrodes with a multiplexer to create different electric-field patterns to generate a series of sensitivity images for machine learning, significantly reducing the number of training data typically obtained with single-point indentation measurements. The mapping function, which does not rely on the knowledge of the electric and conductivity fields during online sensing, can be trained with only a small amount of measured data in the order of the square of electrode number. The proposed method has been experimentally evaluated on two 16-electrode prototypes trained with 129 and 80 data for two typical applications, which are tactile perception on a flat surface and contact force measurement in a model knee joint, respectively. The former verifies the measurement accuracy of the contact position and force magnitude while the latter demonstrates the application of this method for measuring the internal joint forces between two curved surfaces.

Snakes combine vertical and lateral bending to traverse uneven terrain

Terrestrial locomotion requires generating appropriate ground reaction forces which depend on substrate geometry and physical properties. The richness of positions and orientations of terrain features in the 3D world gives limbless animals like snakes that can bend their body versatility to generate forces from different contact areas for propulsion. Despite many previous studies of how snakes use lateral body bending for propulsion on relatively flat surfaces with lateral contact points, little is known about whether and how much snakes use vertical body bending in combination with lateral bending in 3D terrain. This lack had contributed to snake robots being inferior to animals in stability, efficiency, and versatility when traversing complex 3D environments. Here, to begin to elucidate this, we studied how the generalist corn snake traversed an uneven arena of blocks of random height variation five times its body height. The animal traversed the uneven terrain with perfect stability by propagating 3D bending down its body with little transverse motion (11° slip angle). Although the animal preferred moving through valleys with higher neighboring blocks, it did not prefer lateral bending. Among body-terrain contact regions that potentially provide propulsion, 52% were formed by vertical body bending and 48% by lateral bending. The combination of vertical and lateral bending may dramatically expand the sources of propulsive forces available to limbless locomotors by utilizing various asperities available in 3D terrain. Direct measurements of contact forces are necessary to further understand how snakes coordinate 3D bending along the entire body via sensory feedback to propel through 3D terrain. These studies will open a path to new propulsive mechanisms for snake robots, potentially increasing the performance and versatility in 3D terrain.

On Inverse Inertia Matrix and Contact-Force Model for Robotic Manipulators at Normal Impacts

State-of-the-art impact dynamics models either apply for free-flying objects or do not account that a robotic manipulator is commonly high-stiffness controlled. Thus, we lack tailor-made models for manipulators mounted on a fixed base. Focusing on orthogonal point-to-surface impacts (no tangential velocities), we revisit two main elements of an impact dynamics model: the contact-force model and the inverse inertia matrix. We collect contact-force measurements by impacting a 7 DOF Panda robot against a sensorized rigid environment with various joint configurations and velocities. Evaluating the measurements from 150 trials, the best model-to-data matching suggests a viscoelastic contact-force model and computing the inverse inertia matrix assuming the robot is a composite-rigid body.

Parallel Microdispensing Method of High-Viscous Liquid Based on Electrostatic Force.

Parallel microdispensing of high-viscous liquid is a fundamental task in many industrial processes. Herein, a smart printing head is developed, including the probe array, the electric control module, the contact force measurement module, and the extra force balance module. The parallel dispensing of high-viscous liquid in nL level is achieved. The interacting effect between probes on the loading process is analyzed too. According to the result, the interacting effect between probes has a strong influence on the loading process. Therefore, the strategy of serial electrical loading and parallel transfer printing is utilized. Finally, the dependency of transfer printing volume on probe size, etc., is experimentally investigated. The volume of the loaded droplet can be controlled by the lifting velocity of the probe array, and the volume of the transferred droplet can be adjusted by the size of the probe instead of the contact force. The advantage of the proposed method is to realize the highly repeatable parallel dispensing of high-viscous liquid with a relatively simple device.

Finite Element Modeling of Planus and Rectus Foot Types for the Study of First Metatarsophalangeal and First Metatarsocuneiform Joint Contact Mechanics.

The foot is a highly complex biomechanical system for which finite element (FE) modeling has been used to evaluate its loading environment. However, there is limited knowledge of first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) and first metatarsocuneiform (MTC) joint contact mechanics. Our goal was to develop a framework for FE modeling of the medial forefoot which could accurately predict experimental measurements of first MTP and first MTC joint loading. Simulations of planus and rectus foot types were conducted for midstance of gait. A custom-built force-controlled cadaveric test-rig was used to derive intracapsular pressure sensor measurements of contact pressure, force, and area during quasi-static loading. The FE model was driven under the same boundary and loading conditions as the cadaver. Mesh sensitivity analyses and best-fit calibrations of moduli for first MTP and first MTC joint cartilage were performed. Consistent with previous experimental research, a lower compressive modulus was best-fit to the first MTP compared to first MTC joint at 10 MPa and 20 MPa, respectively. Mean errors in contact pressures, forces, and areas were 24%, 4%, and 40% at the first MTP joint and 23%, 12%, and 19% at the first MTC joint, respectively. The present developmental framework may provide a basis for future modeling of first MTP and first MTC joint contact mechanics. This study acts as a precursor to validation of realistic physiological loading across gait to investigate joint loading, foot type biomechanics, and surgical interventions of the medial forefoot.

Event Augmentation for Contact Force Measurements

Neuromorphic vision sensor is an attractive technology that offers high dynamic range, and low latency which are crucial in robotic applications. However, the lack of event-based data in this field, limits the sensors’ performance in a real-world environments. In this paper, we propose a novel augmentation technique for neuromorphic vision sensors to improve contact force measurements from events. The proposed method shifts a proportion of events across the time domain, ’Temporal Event Shifting’, to augment the dataset. A new set of grasping experiments is performed to validate and analyze the effectiveness of the proposed augmentation method for contact force measurements. The results indicate that temporal event shifting is highly effective augmentation method which improves the models’ accuracy for the contact force estimation by thirty percent without performing new experiments.

Compressive behavior of a natural core

Composite sandwich structures with core cellular materials are widely used in diverse industries such as the aerospace, marine, car, and wind industries due to their good mechanical properties on bending. The growing environmental awareness has increased the interest in the use of materials from biodegradable and renewable sources. During recent years, there has been an increasingly growing interest in the use of agglomerated cork as a core material in sandwich structures, replacing synthetic polymeric foams in specific applications. Among its remarkable combination of properties, we can find a hyperelastic behaviour, low thermal conductivity, low permeability, and good energy absorption and vibration damping properties. Additionally agglomerated cork is produced from the waste of the cork industry, being a renewable and biodegradable material that is environmentally sustainable. The aim of this work is to address the quasi-static and dynamic compression testing of two types of agglomerated cork of different densities, using a servo-hydraulic testing machine and drop weight tower. The mechanical behaviour and energy absorption properties at different strain rates are evaluated from the contact force measurements and estimations of impact kinetic energy. Additionally, Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is used to estimate the variability in the local strain through the test specimen.

Contour Tracking Control for Mobile Robots applicable to Large-scale Assembly and Additive Manufacturing in Construction

In the construction industry, as well as during the assembly of large-scale components, the required workspaces usually cannot be served by a stationary robot. Instead, mobile robots are used to increase the accessible space. Here, the problem arises that the accuracy of such systems is not sufficient to meet the tolerance requirements of the components to be produced. Furthermore, there is an additional difficulty in the trajectory planning process since the exact dimensions of the pre-manufactured parts are unknown. Hence, existing static planning methods cannot be exerted on every application. Recent approaches present dynamic planning algorithms based on specific component characteristics. For example, the latest methods follow the contour by a force-controlled motion or detect features with a camera. However, in several applications such as welding or additive manufacturing in construction, no contact force is generated that could be controlled. Vision-based approaches are generally restricted by varying materials and lighting conditions, often found in large-scale construction. For these reasons, we propose a more robust approach without measuring contact forces, which, for example, applies to large-scale additive manufacturing. We based our algorithm on a high-precision 2D line laser, capable of detecting different feature contours regardless of material or lightning. The laser is mounted to the robot’s end-effector and provides a depth profile of the component’s surface. From this depth data, we determine the target contour and control the manipulator to follow it. Simultaneously we vary the robot’s speed to adjust the feed rate depending on the contour’s shape, maintaining a constant material application rate. As a proof of concept, we apply the algorithm to the additive manufacturing of two-layer linear structures made from spray PU foam. When making these structures, each layer must be positioned precisely on the previous layer to obtain a straight wall and prevent elastic buckling or plastic collapse. Initial experiments show improved layer alignment within 10 % of the layer width, as well as better layer height consistency and process reliability.

Practical wheel/rail tangential contact force model for vehicle dynamics analysis under running in rainy conditions

This paper describes a practical wheel/rail tangential contact force model for railway dynamics analysis under running in rainy conditions. In our previous studies, it was confirmed that experimental results of tangential contact force measurement are agree well with Kalker’s rolling contact theory under dry condition with low humidity around contact surfaces. Here, it can be considered that if the ambient humidity around the contact surface become high infinity, the contact surface is under wet lubrication conditions. On the basis of this assumption, in this study, a practical estimation technique for characteristics of tangential contact force under running in rainy conditions is proposed by combining the relationship between the adhesive coefficient and velocity measured on running experiments using actual railway vehicles and Kalker’s linear rolling contact theory. Therefore, to verify the proposed technique, the tangential contact force measurement experiment using a twin-disk rolling sliding machine was carried out. As a result, it is confirmed that estimated formulae based on the proposed technique are well agreed with experimental results even under different velocity conditions, comparing the relationship between tangential contact force coefficient and slip ratio. From these verified results, the proposed technique is considered to be a practical wheel/rail tangential contact force model for vehicle dynamics analysis under rain conditions, because the proposed technique has the advantage of low calculation cost and can be easily applied to vehicle dynamics analysis based on multibody dynamics theories.

Three-core fiber Bragg grating probe force estimation model for micromanipulation applications.

This paper proposed a three-core fiber Bragg grating (FBG) probe for sub-millinewton contact force measurement of a micromanipulator system. The probe comprises a bundle of three single-core FBGs assembled under the effect of capillary self-assembly. Theoretical relationships between Bragg wavelength and force are calculated based on the assumption of material mechanics. The experimental results show that the probe has a good linear relationship for the measurement of the radial two degrees of freedom contact force, and it is suitable for measuring the radial contact force of 0.1-1 mN. The proposed three-core FBG probe has the characteristics of simple structure, low cost, and better forming stability and sensitivity compared with the four-core structure.

Contact force measurements and local anisotropy in ellipses and disks

Experimental measurements of contact forces are limited to spheres and disks in three and two dimensions, making the evaluation of shape effect and universality of force distributions and comparison between experiments and theories extremely difficult. Here we present precise measurements of vector contact forces in photoelastic ellipses and disks subject to isotropic compression and pure shear. We find the local, instead of the global, stress ratio controls the width of force distributions for forces larger than the mean, regardless of particle shape and preparation protocols. By taking advantage of anisotropic particle shape, we can determine the anisotropic growth of contacts in ellipses subject to isotropic compression, revealing the role of nonaffine particle motions in homogenizing force distributions. Our results uncover the role of local anisotropy in the statistical framework of granular materials and open a regime of exploring the role of particle shape on the mechanical and dynamical properties of granular materials in depth.

Concomitant real-time measurement and correlation of contact force to baseline local impedance and local impedance drops in RF ablation of left and right atrial procedures

Abstract Introduction Radiofrequency (RF) ablation is performed in various arrhythmias. Still, arrhythmia recurrence is a challenging problem, not only in atrial fibrillation (AF). One reason for arrhythmia recurrence is suspected to be due to remaining gaps. Measurement of local impedance (LI) and change of LI during RF application can be used as a predictor and surrogate for successful ablation. Another tool, used for the last couple of years, estimating sufficient tissue contact is provided by catheters with real-time contact force (CF) measurement. The new INTELLANAV STABLEPOINT™ catheter by Boston Scientific was recently introduced combing both strategies. We sought to investigate the parallel measurement and correlation of LI and CF in real-time during left atrial (LA) and right atrial (RA) procedures. Methods We included the first n=20 patients who underwent LA ablation for AF or atypical atrial flutter and n=7 patients who underwent RA procedures for atrial flutter or atrial tachycardia and analysed retrospectively procedural data. For every RF delivery RF duration, CF, baseline LI, minimal LI, LI drop, as well as minimal LI and LI drop after 5 and 10 sec was documented. Only RF deliveries with stable contact (ablation without delay) were included. We then correlated baseline LI to LI drop (maximum, after 5 sec, after 10 sec) and to the documented CF at baseline. Results A total of 27 procedures was analysed. In total, 777 RF deliveries (663 in LA, 114 in RA) were documented with a mean RF duration of 21.7 sec. Mean baseline LI was 148.4 Ω, minimal LI 130.6Ω, LI after 5 sec 135.0 Ω and LI after 10sec 132.5 Ω. Mean complete LI drop was 17.8 Ω (13.4 Ω after 5 sec, 15.8 Ω after 10 sec). Mean CF was 15.5g. We could see a significant positive correlation between average CF and LI drop (p&amp;lt;0.01) (figure 1A), as well as between average CF and LI drop after 5 sec (p&amp;lt;0.01) and after 10 sec (p&amp;lt;0.01). Also, for baseline LI we could see a significant strong positive correlation to LI drop (p&amp;lt;0.001) (figure 1B), LI drop after 5 sec (p&amp;lt;0.001) and after 10 sec (p&amp;lt;0.001). Baseline LI did not correlate to average CF. Baseline LI was significantly higher in RA, when compared to LA (152.5Ω vs. 147.7Ω; p&amp;lt;0.05). LI drop did not differ between RA and LA procedures (17.8Ω vs. 17.7Ω), whereas mean RF duration per RF application was significantly longer in LA compared to RA procedures (22.8sec vs. 15.3sec; p&amp;lt;0.001) and applied CF was also higher in LA compared to RA procedures (16.0Ω vs. 12.8Ω; p&amp;lt;0.001). Conclusion Parallel real-time measurement of LI and CF is providing further insights into ablation biophysics. Based on these results the CF values might provide a prediction of subsequent lesion formation. A combination with LI measurement seems to be useful to prevent insufficient lesions, predisposing to gap formation and associated with arrhythmia recurrence, but also to potentially guarantee a higher safety by visualizing the applied CF and consecutive LI drop. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None. Figure 1

A Soft Tactile Sensor Based on Magnetics and Hybrid Flexible-Rigid Electronics.

Tactile sensing is crucial for robots to manipulate objects successfully. However, integrating tactile sensors into robotic hands is still challenging, mainly due to the need to cover small multi-curved surfaces with several components that must be miniaturized. In this paper, we report the design of a novel magnetic-based tactile sensor to be integrated into the robotic hand of the humanoid robot Vizzy. We designed and fabricated a flexible 4 × 2 matrix of Si chips of magnetoresistive spin valve sensors that, coupled with a single small magnet, can measure contact forces from 0.1 to 5 N on multiple locations over the surface of a robotic fingertip; this design is innovative with respect to previous works in the literature, and it is made possible by careful engineering and miniaturization of the custom-made electronic components that we employ. In addition, we characterize the behavior of the sensor through a COMSOL simulation, which can be used to generate optimized designs for sensors with different geometries.

Vision-based tire deformation and vehicle-bridge contact force measurement

Accurate measurement of vehicle-bridge contact force is the promise of rapid vehicle-induced bridge impact testing. This paper proposed a cost-effective vertical tire force measurement method based on computer vision and the long and short-term memory (LSTM) neural network. The main contribution of this paper includes two aspects: (1) Circle Hough transform was adopted to monitor tire deformation and vehicle speed from videos of the tire sidewall. Besides, the perspective transformation was employed to eliminate vehicle-induced camera motion; (2) Using tire deformation, vehicle speed, and tire pressure as the input, vertical tire force is estimated through the LSTM neural network. Finally, a detachable vehicle-mounted computer vision system was developed. Experiments, including laboratory and field tests, were conducted. The estimated vertical tire forces show good agreement with the reference values, demonstrating the potential for applying the proposed method to rapid vehicle-induced bridge impact testing.

A novel local impedance algorithm and contact force sensing to guide high power short duration radiofrequency ablation is efficient and safe for circumferential pulmonary vein isolation

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Introduction Local impedance (LI) drop can predict sufficient lesion formation during radiofrequency ablation (RF). Recently, a novel ablation catheter technology able to measure LI and contact force has been made available for clinical use. High power short duration (HPSD) RF ablation has been shown to be feasible for atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation with short procedure time. We used LI drop and plateau formation to guide duration of 50 Watt RF power applications for circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). Methods Consecutive patients with indication for de novo AF ablation (n = 32, age 65 ± 10 years) with paroxysmal (n = 16) or persistent (n = 16) AF underwent ultra high density 3D mapping of the left atrium and catheter ablation. Thereafter, ipsilateral PV encircling with 50 Watt RF-applications targeting an interlesion distance of ≤ 6mm and a contact force of 10-30g was performed. Duration of HPSD RF application between 7-15s was guided by impedance drop &amp;gt;20 Ohm and plateau formation of LI. Further ablation strategy was left to the investigator’s discretion. Esophageal temperature measurement was performed using a three thermistor catheter with temperature cut off 39.0°C. In case of temperature rise or very near esophageal contact to the circumferential line, RF application time was shortened to 7s. Patients underwent adenosine testing after PVI. Previously we performed all types of AF ablation using an LI guided HPSD ablation without contact force measurement capability in 80 patients. Results Complete PVI was achieved in all pts with only 13.5 ± 4.3 min cumulative RF application duration and an ablation procedure duration of 46.5 ± 10.4 min with the novel LI measuring catheter. First-pass isolation of ipsilateral veins was achieved in 75% of circles. Recurrence of PV conduction during waiting period (20min) and adenosine testing occured in 25% of circles, and was reablated in most patients with a single spot of HPSD application. Using 94 ± 36 RF application per patient, mean maximum LI drop was 23.6 ± 4.0 Ohm. Reconnected fibers were associated with low LI drop due to instability of contact in most cases due to breathing in case of difficult sedation of the patients. No serious complications occurred in all 32 pts using HPSD with the novel contact force catheter design. Conclusion Guiding of HPSD RF ablation by LI is highly efficient and safe. A novel local impedance algorithm in combination with contact force sensing enable short PVI times with low early recurrence of PV conduction. Prediction of permanent lesions seems possible and the only limitation seems to be unstable RF catheter contact due patients breathing. Follow up have to be waited.

Visiflex: A Low-Cost Compliant Tactile Fingertip for Force, Torque, and Contact Sensing

We present the Visiflex, an inexpensive compliant tactile fingertip capable of contact localization and 6 degree-of-freedom (dof) contact force and torque measurement. Because manipulation of rigid or nearly-rigid objects requires compliance at the contact, we build compliance directly into the Visiflex in the form of a well-characterized 6-dof flexure between the fingertip and the base of the Visiflex. This compliance also allows the use of a 6-dof position sensor to measure forces and torques transmitted through the fingertip. The position sensor is a camera, and the same camera is used to detect contact locations on the fingertip via frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR). Our tests indicate that typical errors in contact location detection are less than 1 mm and typical errors in force sensing are less than 0.3 N. A video of the Visiflex can be found online.

The initial run-in and long-term drift of the adhesive force between polycrystalline silicon MEMS sidewalls

In this paper we measure the evolution of adhesion between two polycrystalline silicon sidewalls of a microelectromechanical adhesion sensor during three million contact cycles. We execute a series of AFM-like contact force measurements with comparable force resolution, but using real MEMS multi-asperity sidewall contacts mimicking conditions in real devices. Adhesion forces are measured with a very high sub-nanonewton resolution using a recently developed optical displacement measurement method. Measurements are performed under well-defined, but different, low relative humidity conditions. We found three regimes in the evolution of the adhesion force. (I) Initial run-in with a large of cycle-to-cycle variability, (II) Stability with low variability, and (III) device-dependent long term drift. The results obtained demonstrate that although a short run-in measurement shows stabilization, this is no guarantee for long-term stable behavior. Devices performing similarly in region II, can drift very differently afterwards. The adhesion force drift during millions of cycles is comparable in magnitude to the adhesion force drift during initial run-in. The boundaries of the drifting adhesion forces are reasonably well described by an empirical model based on random walk statistics. This is useful knowledge when designing polycrystalline silicon MEMS with contacting surfaces.