NON-INVASIVE SYSTEM FOR MEASURING THE BIOMECHANICAL PRO-PERTIES OF SOFT TISSUE

Goal
The specific goal of this project is to develop a Virtual Reality based diagnostic system for medical examination of the human abdomen. It is expected that the system could be used in conjunction with telemedicine systems for remote applications.

The primary need that will be met by this research is to accurately convey the essential components of abdominal exam information to a distant consultant. Current decision making in emergency telemedicine systems relies on the observed patient examination by a trained assistant at the remote site. Our data shows a high rate of patient transfers from the remote site staffed by nurses and paramedics due to an uneasiness of emergency physicians with this examination's ability to rule out serious disease. Having accurate, sensitive and objective information at the point of decision making by the consultant is essential to avoiding the discharge of a possible appendicitis or other intra-abdominal crisis. It will be important to create a graphical, virtual user interface for the presentation of abdominal findings from the Data Glove. It is essential that this or any clinical diagnostic system have a strong scientific sense of what is a normal abdominal examination and high sensitivity for serious disease, both in patient's with or without a complaint of abdominal pain. Combining this objective and consistent information from the system with the impressions of the on-site remote assistant in a teaching environment provides a mechanism to precept and educate physician extenders (nurses particularly) to more accurately obtain and relay this critical information.

Abstract
The Data Glove is a non-invasive tool developed to measure the physical characteristics of soft tissue during palpation. The uniqueness of this device is its ability to measure the force and depth of indentation while allowing the user to maintain their sense of touch. The Data Glove enhances the information currently obtained during a palpation exam. This device transforms what is currently a qualitative exam into a quantitative diagnostic procedure.

The Data Glove has widespread healthcare applications. The ability to manipulate objects within a virtual environment in real-time will allow researchers to create accurate simulations of many medical procedures. The ability for a medical professional to practice a procedure multiple times prior to performing it on a patient will both enhance the skill of the individual while reducing the risk to the patient. The Data Glove and its graphical user interface will allow the user to visualize the data collected and in turn enhance their diagnostic ability. The data collected with this device can also be used for comparative studies between different physicians. The Data Glove now makes it possible to track changes in tissue properties over time with an electronic record of the exam. The Data Glove touches all facets of medicine from training medical professionals and enhancing diagnostic methods to improving therapeutic measures.
The Data Glove helps us understand the complex nature of soft tissue mechanics. Accurate information about the material properties of biological tissue enable us to develop mathematical models that allow for further investigation into the behavior of these tissues under various compressive loads.
Not only are we just beginning to understand the relationship between tissue structure and mechanical properties, we are beginning to understand how to use this information to design new non-invasive devices and tests that will have a direct impact on health care practices.

Sponsors
Center for Transportation Injury Research
NYSTAR
Tactus Technologies
National Highway Administration.

Publications
[1] Mayrose J., Chugh K., Kesavadas T., Material Property Determination of Sub-surface Objects in a Viscoelastic Environment, Biomedical Sciences Instrumentation, 2000;36:313-317.

[2] Mayrose J., Kesavadas T., Narayanasamy S.K., A One-Dimensional Approach to Viscoelastic Material Stiffness Calculations, Advances in Bioengineering, 1999;BED-Vol. 43:227-228.

Pending Publications
[1] Mayrose J., Kesavadas T., Chugh K., Ellis D.G., A Non-invasive System for Measuring the Biomechanical Properties of Soft Tissue, Submitted, Journal of Biomechanical Engineering.

[2] Mayrose J., Kesavadas T., Narayanasamy S.K., A One-Dimensional Approach to Viscoelastic Material Stiffness Calculations, Advances in Bioengineering, 1999;BED-Vol. 43:227-228.