Researchers have developed a nature-inspired pressure sensor to improve minimally invasive surgery.
Drawing inspiration from nature's intricacies, a team from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has pioneered an aero-elastic pressure-sensing breakthrough that promises to reshape the landscape of pressure detection.
eAir is an aero-elastic pressure sensor designed to overcome the challenges inherent in existing technologies, such as issues regarding precision and consistency.
Current deficiencies threaten to translate into substantial errors and are often exacerbated by the rigidity of the materials used.
Under the guidance of Associate Professor Benjamin Tee from the NUS College of Design and Engineering and the NUS Institute for Health Innovation & Technology, the team turned to nature’s ‘lotus leaf’ effect, where water droplets glide effortlessly off the leaf’s surface due to its minuscule, water-repellent structures.
Mimicking this effect, the team engineered a sensor to improve the sensing performance significantly.
Associate Professor Tee said: ‘The sensor, akin to a miniature capacity meter, can detect minute pressure changes – mirroring the sensitivity of a lotus leaf to the extremely light touch of a water droplet.’
Employing an innovative ‘air spring’ design, the eAir sensor contains a trapped layer of air, forming an air-liquid interface upon contact with the sensor's liquid. As external pressure increases, this air layer compresses.
A surface treatment results in a frictionless interface movement within the sensor, triggering a change in electrical signals that accurately reflects the exerted pressure.
The eAir devices can be made relatively small – at a few millimetres and comparable to existing pressure sensors.
The real-world applications of this novel technology are wide-ranging.
For instance, in laparoscopic surgery where precise tactile feedback is indispensable, incorporating eAir sensors could lead to safer surgical procedures, ultimately enhancing patient recovery and prognosis.
The sensor also offers a less intrusive method for monitoring intracranial pressure, a critical metric in neurological cases. The technology could transform patient experiences in managing brain-related conditions by providing a minimally invasive solution.
The NUS team has filed a patent for the eAir sensor technology in Singapore.
Photo Caption - Associate Prof Benjamin Tee (centre), together with Dr Cheng Wen (left) and Wang Xinyu (right), have developed a novel aero-elastic pressure sensor called ‘eAir’ (gold strips on the panel held by Associate Prof Tee). This technology promises increased precision and reliability and can be applied to minimally-invasive surgery and implantable sensors.
Credit: National University of Singapore
