The vibration device created by Hiroshima
University researchers can be slipped onto any
surgical tool and vibrate against the surgeon’s palm,
improving the ability to sense the details of a patient’s
[5] internal tissues and organs. The PZT Actuator may
improve patient outcomes by allowing surgeons
to better understand their patients’ bodies during
minimally invasive surgeries.
A small vibrating device added to surgical tools
[10] could improve surgeons’ sensitivity to different shapes
and textures inside their patients’ bodies. Engineers
from Hiroshima University have designed the small
vibrating device to attach to any existing hand-held
surgical tool and be used instantly, without requiring
[15] extra training for doctors.
During minimally invasive surgeries, surgeons
rely on long, thin, metal tools to explore their patients’
bodies. Such laparoscopic surgeries benefit patients
by reducing the size of surgical cuts and minimizing
[20] scarring. On the other hand, surgeons can no longer
use their fingers to directly touch patients to sense
essential information about their organs.
“We started this work six years ago, trying to
enhance human fingertip sensitivity, but in 2012 I had
[25] the idea that increased sensitivity could be valuable
during minimally invasive surgeries. Typical medical
tools obtain information about the patient’s condition.
There are very few devices that aim to enhance the
doctor’s skill”, said Yuichi Kurita, Ph.D., lead author
[30] of the study and Associate Professor at Hiroshima
University.
The vibrator, called PZT Actuator, attaches to a
surgeon’s favorite surgical tool and vibrates in the
surgeon’s palm at a constant rate. The vibrations
[35] are so subtle they cannot be sensed. However, this
constant, uniform vibration enhances the surgeon’s
sensitivity to other, irregular sensations. The natural
variations of touching different tissues with a metal
tool may normally be too subtle for the surgeon to
[40] detect, but the constant vibrations supplied by the PZT
Actuator boost the sensation to a noticeable level.
Volunteers were blindfolded and asked to use
surgical forceps with the PZT Actuator attached to
the handle to identify different textures of sandpaper
[45] and find a small Styrofoam ball inside a cup filled with
silicone. These tests mimic detecting tissue texture
and identifying a solid tumor.
The results of these tests and other analyses
revealed that there is a range of vibration intensity that
[50] significantly improves anyone’s sensitivity. The tool
does not need to be fine-tuned to each user’s unique
sense of touch, meaning the PZT Actuator should be
robust and simple to use.
The PZT Actuator remains safe for patients
[55]because the device is only on the handles of the
surgeon’s tools, not inside the patient’s body. The
vibrations are so subtle that they do not shake the
tool. The electrical power supply is also safe for
doctors and patients.
[60] “Our next set of experiments will confirm the
usefulness of the PZT Actuator in surgical situations.
Before we can give this tool to surgeons, we must also
develop a method to maintain good hygiene of the
device so it is always safe for patients,” said Kurita.
[65] The research team responsible for the PZT
Actuator includes mathematical and medical
engineers. Researchers first tested the device through
mathematical modeling using calculations of four
types neurons and their response to different levels
[70] of mechanical stimulation. The mathematical term
describing the phenomena of a constant undetectable
signal enhancing a simultaneous irregular signal is
called the stochastic resonance effect.
Available at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/ 08/160801092956.htm. Retrieved on: Aug. 21st, 2016. Adapted.
In the text fragment “Volunteers were blindfolded and asked to use surgical forceps with the PZT Actuator attached to the handle” (lines 42-44), the word blindfolded indicates that the volunteers were
