Visual-Tactile Sensing for Minimally Invasive Palpation

Research output: Contribution to book/Conference proceedings/Anthology/ReportConference contributionContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

We present a compact, low-cost solution for palpation and imaging in minimally invasive surgery and other applications requiring a small diameter. The design, called CERVA, employs a soft 8 mm silicone lens profile at the tip of a flexible endoscope. The surface is semi-relective: when illuminated from inside, light reflects to create a high-resolution tactile display. When illuminated externally, the camera can perform direct imaging of tissue. A compelling application is cervical colposcopy, where the combination of imaging and tactile display may help to identify high-risk cervical regions. We demonstrate the tactile capabilities of the sensor by comparing contact areas to classical models and through an in vivo tissue classification task. Using a phantom created to simulate stage 1A cervical cancer, we also demonstrate the imaging capabilities through visual inspection in comparison to images taken using an endoscope without the tactile dome. Our results suggest that CERVA is a promising solution to improve the accuracy of minimally-invasive palpation for data sharing between populations.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 2026 Design of Medical Devices Conference, DMD 2026
PublisherAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Number of pages5
ISBN (electronic)978-0-7918-8943-5
Publication statusPublished - 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

Conference

Title2026 Design of Medical Devices Conference
Abbreviated titleDMD 2026
Duration20 - 22 April 2026
Website
LocationUniversity of Minnesota
CityMinneapolis
CountryUnited States of America

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0001-9430-8433/work/219977176

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • cervical cancer, endoscopy, robotic assisted surgery, Tactile sensing, vision-based tactile sensing