Journal Article

Miniaturized electromechanical devices for the characterization of the biomechanics of deep tissue

Guo, Xu, Yu, Xinge, Madhvapathy, Surabhi, Myers, Daniel J., Ji, Bowen, Xu, Shuai, Bai, Wubin, Won, Sang Min, Li, Dengfeng, Zhou, Jingkun, Chang, Jan-Kai, Song, Enming, Zhang, Xinyuan, Rogers, John A., Ning, Xin, Xia, Yu, Lee, Yujin, Baek, Janice Mihyun, Luan, Haiwen, Kim, Jae-Hwan, Huang, Yonggang, Mei, Yongfeng, Yao, Kuanming, Han, Mengdi, Avila, Raudel, Xie, Zhaoqian, Chen, Huang-Yu

2021

Overview

Evaluating the biomechanics of soft tissues at depths well below their surface, and at high precision and in real time, would open up diagnostic opportunities. Here, we report the development and application of miniaturized electromagnetic devices, each integrating a vibratory actuator and a soft strain-sensing sheet, for dynamically measuring the Young’s modulus of skin and of other soft tissues at depths of approximately 1–8 mm, depending on the particular design of the sensor. We experimentally and computationally established the operational principles of the devices and evaluated their performance with a range of synthetic and biological materials and with human skin in healthy volunteers. Arrays of devices can be used to spatially map elastic moduli and to profile the modulus depth-wise. As an example of practical medical utility, we show that the devices can be used to accurately locate lesions associated with psoriasis. Compact electronic devices for the rapid and precise mechanical characterization of living tissues could be used to monitor and diagnose a range of health disorders. Electromagnetic devices involving a vibratory actuator and a soft strain-sensing sheet can dynamically measure the Young’s modulus of skin and of other soft biological tissues at depths of millimetres.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: 631/1647/1888 / 631/61 / 9/10 / Actuators / Adult / Aged / Animals / Biological materials / Biomechanical Phenomena / Biomechanics / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedical Engineering/Biotechnology / Biomedicine / Elastic Modulus / Electrochemical Techniques - instrumentation / Electrochemical Techniques - methods / Electromechanical devices / Electronic devices / Electronic equipment / Humans / Hydrogels - chemistry / Mechanical properties / Middle Aged / Miniaturization / Modulus of elasticity / Performance evaluation / Psoriasis / Skin / Skin - chemistry / Skin - metabolism / Soft tissues / Swine / Vibration / Young Adult