Physiological phantoms incorporating feedback sensors and sensing materials
Disclosed herein are physiological phantoms incorporating sensors and sensor materials integrated with a tissue phantom of an anatomical part. The sensors and sensor materials include small diameter optical fibers containing Bragg gratings, thermochromic materials, electrical strain gauges, flexible strain gauges, shape sensing cables, electrochromic materials and etc. The sensors and sensing materials may mimic tissue as part of the tissue phantom. They may mimic the directionality, density, elasticity of the anatomical tissues they may be mimicking. The sensors and sensing materials may be sensitive to strain, heat, electricity, shape, light, and etc. similar to what may occur during medical procedures using various medical devices and tools such as a scalpel, a needle, a deep brain stimulation probe, a port used in brain or spinal surgery and etc.
1. A sensorized tissue phantom for performing a mock surgical procedure, comprising: a tissue phantom mimicking an anatomical part, the tissue phantom comprising at least one sensorized portion configured to provide feedback metric when said at least one sensorized portion is interacted during a mock surgical procedure, said at least one sensorized portion comprising at least one sensor, the at least one sensor comprising a sensing material, the at least one sensing material mimicking tissue as a part of the tissue phantom, the at least one sensing material mimicking at least one of directionality, density, and elasticity of the tissue, and the sensing material comprising at least one electromagnetic radiation source and at least one of: at least one fluorophore, at least one photo-reactive material, at least one thermally-reactive material, at least one electrochromic material, and at least one radiochromic material, wherein the at least one electromagnetic radiation source is embedded in, and in close proximity to, a preselected portion of said tissue phantom corresponding to a preselected anatomical section of said anatomical part; and a detector configured to detect electromagnetic radiation signals emitted by the at least one electromagnetic radiation source.
2. The sensorized tissue phantom of claim 1 , wherein said at least one sensorized portion represents at least one of: at least one anatomical location, at least one selected biomechanical property, at least one physical shape, and at least one anomalous physiological structure undergoing the mock surgical procedure of at least one portion in said anatomical part.
3. The sensorized tissue phantom of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one sensor comprises a plurality of sensors disposed in said at least one sensorized portion,
wherein the plurality of sensors is distributed throughout said at least one sensorized portion,
wherein the plurality of sensors is coupled with a communication channel, and
wherein the detector is coupled with the plurality of sensors by way of said communication channel.
4. The sensorized tissue phantom of claim 3 , further comprising a computer processor coupled with said detector, said computer processor programmed to visually display an output from each said at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors.
5. The sensorized tissue phantom of claim 4 , further comprising an audio alarm device coupled with said computer processor.
6. The sensorized tissue phantom of claim 3 ,
wherein said communication channel comprises at least one optical fiber,
wherein said plurality of sensors comprises: a plurality of Fiber Bragg gratings spaced along said at least one optical fiber and a light source coupled with said at least one optical fiber, and
wherein said detector is configured to detect a spectral response from light reflected by said plurality of Fiber Bragg gratings.
7. The sensorized tissue phantom of claim 3 ,
wherein the communication channel comprises an optical fiber,
wherein the optical fiber is coupled with a light source,
wherein said detector comprises an optical time domain reflectometer, and
wherein said optical time domain reflectometer detects a reflected light signal trace.
8. The sensorized tissue phantom of claim 3 ,
wherein said communication channel comprises at least one electrical wire,
wherein each said at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors further comprises at least one electrical strain gauge, and
wherein said detector detects strain experienced by each said at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors.
9. The sensorized tissue phantom of claim 3 ,
wherein said communication channel comprises at least one electrical wire,
wherein each said at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors further comprises an organic semiconductor strain gauge, and
wherein said detector detects strain experienced by each said at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors.
10. The sensorized tissue phantom of claim 3 , wherein, the sensing material comprises said at least one fluorophore which is embedded in the tissue phantom, and the at least one optical fiber operates as the communication channel, and wherein the at least one optical fiber is coupled with at least one light source, and the at least one light source configured to excite the at least one fluorophore embedded in the tissue phantom, such that, upon at least one condition of a breakage and a local bend, due to contact with a given optical fiber, light is emitted into the tissue phantom to excite the at least one fluorophore in close proximity to a location of said condition.
11. The sensorized tissue phantom of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors represents at least one of: an anatomical location, at least one selected biomechanical property, at least one physical shape, at least one anomalous physiological structure undergoing the mock surgical procedure of at least one portion in said anatomical part.
12. The sensorized tissue phantom of claim 1 ,
wherein said detector comprises a probe insertable into the preselected portion of said tissue phantom, and
wherein said detector is configured to detect electromagnetic radiation from said preselected portion of said tissue phantom.
13. The sensorized tissue phantom of claim 12 ,
wherein said detector is coupled with an audible speaker, and
wherein the audible speaker is configured to emit an audible signal when said detector detects electromagnetic radiation indicative of a location said preselected portion of said preselected portion of said tissue phantom.
14. The sensorized tissue phantom of claim 1 , wherein the sensing material is sensitive to selected stimuli.
15. The sensorized tissue phantom of claim 14 , wherein said sensing material represents at least one of: an anatomical location, at least one selected biomechanical property, at least one physical shape, at least one anomalous physiological structure undergoing the mock surgical procedure of at least one portion in said anatomical part.
16. The sensorized tissue phantom of claim 14 , wherein said sensing material, sensitive to selected stimuli, comprises at least one of: an electrically sensitive material, a pressure sensitive material, an optically sensitive material, a thermally sensitive material, a radiation sensitive material, and a sound sensitive material.