Device for Mechanical Biopsy of Soft Tissue or Mechanical and Textural Analysis of Foods and Materials
- Detailed Technology Description
- Cornell inventors have developed a testing device with two main applications: 1) as a minimally invasive medical diagnostic device, or 2) for use to measure tensile and textural properties of foods and materials.
- Others
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None
- *Abstract
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Cornell inventors have developed a device that has two main applications:
1) It can be used as a minimally invasive medical diagnostic device that measures tensile properties of tissue and can rapidly return a diagnosis based on established benchmarks. Current methods to thoroughly examine soft tissue for disease require explanations or must be inferred from a general analysis. With this new device, diseased and normal tissue can be accurately discerned by measuring differences in the local tensile and/or compressive properties in vivo.
This device applies vacuum pressure and/or microindentation to deform the tissue which is measured through changes in electrical signals (i.e. resistance) measured between paired arrays of microelectrodes positioned opposite each other in the chamber.
2) This device can find an alternative application in measurement of tensile and textural properties of foods and materials. As with its medical application, the device applies vacuum pressure and/or microindentation to deform the food or material that is measured through changes in electrical signals (i.e. resistance) measured between paired arrays of microelectrodes positioned opposite each other in the chamber.
See figure in the Tech Brief document.
Potential Applications
- This device may be useful for evaluating suspicious tissue that has been flagged by a general evaluation or image based screening (e.g. x-ray, ultrasound). By quantifying the material properties of a suspicious tissue in vivo, one can generate a more rapid diagnosis of disease type and progression without inducing damage that could further exacerbate the situation.
- By sampling several areas of tissue, a defined border of diseased tissue can be determined, allowing doctors to remove only the ailing tissue at that time, leaving normal tissue undisturbed.
- The probe design enables detection of both surface and deep tissues that are accessible via standard biopsy devices.
- Biomechanical testing of soft tissues in vivo may provide critical information to guide plastic surgeries.
- It may be possible to add endoscopic technologies to this device.
- Food and materials testing where texture analysis is required.
- *Licensing
- Jeff Fearnjcf55@cornell.edu607-254-4502
- Country/Region
- USA
