Tactile Pressure Sensors in Medical Devices

Tactile sensing is a valuable modality in the medical device industry.  And PPS tactile array pressure sensor technology has many unique features that can deliver innovative solutions:

Ultra-Sensitive	Full-scale range as low as 3 psi measures the lightest touch
Thin	Active area thickness < 2 mm
Conformable	Unique construction can allow tight, 2-axis bending
Customizable	Specify almost any shape for a perfect fit

But many applications require sensor customization and integration extending well beyond our standard product line.  To serve these needs, PPS maintains broad capabilities in electronics engineering, software development, and systems integration.  The Case Studies below illustrate how PPS has delivered custom tactile array pressure sensor products and OEM solutions in a wide range of medical device applications.

Tactile Pressure Sensors in Breast Cancer Screening

Differences in tissue hardness are one of the key indicators of cancerous lesions.  Medical Tactile, Inc. (MTI) sought to leverage this fact to develop an accurate, low-cost device to complement existing options for breast cancer detection.  To achieve this goal, MTI required a tactile array sensor with unparalleled sensitivity and repeatability. MTI turned to PPS and our TactArray technology.  PPS engineers developed a device nearly 5 times more sensitive than the human sense of touch in detecting lesions under the skin's surface.  The result is SureTouch, the world's first tactile sensing device FDA-cleared for breast cancer documentation. MTI is now selling SureTouch world-wide, with the hope of making affordable breast cancer screening available to every woman---and saving lives in the process.

Breast Cancer Detection

Gastrointestinal Diagnostics with Tactile Sensors

Sierra Scientific Instruments (SSI) teamed with PPS to take a quantum leap forward in gastrointestinal diagnostic equipment. SSI's pioneering ManoScan 360 uses an advanced tactile sensing system based entirely on  PPS technology.  SSI and PPS collaborated for 2 years developing a circumferential pressure sensor suitable for measuring the pressures applied by muscles in the GI tract.  The resulting catheter provides 36 sensing elements, improving on the state-of-the-art by nearly a factor of 10!  SSI holds an exclusive license from PPS for the use of this innovative technology and is currently exploring new products to exploit the its novel capabilities. Dr. Sushil K. Gupta, Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the Guthrie Clinic, stated after observing the product in operation: "ManoScan is going to rewrite the textbooks on GI manometry."  And Dr. Gupta's prediction has been correct.  With no prior revenue, within 3 years SSI became the world's leading seller of GI manometry systems.

Esophageal Catheter

Surgical Probes with Tactile Pressure Sensors

Nowhere is the sense of touch more important than on a surgeon's hands.  But in the case of minimally invasive techniques, which offer so many other benefits, it is totally lost.  Researchers at Purdue University sought to regain this critical sense for the case of lung probes and turned to PPS for an answer. Engineers at PPS designed a unique tactile sensing pad and installed it onto the tip of a surgical tool.  The pad contains 48 pressure points in a novel cylindrical form factor only 10 mm in diameter and 40 mm long.  Special materials were utilized to meet stringent FDA regulations and all system electronics and interconnects were  configured for packaging with the existing surgical tools. Using this innovative Remote Palpation System (RPS), researchers at Purdue were able to demonstrate ground-breaking techniques in thorascopic surgery.

 

Contact PPS today to find out how our tactile sensors can improve your automotive application.