Fiber optic distributed sensing network for shape sensing-assisted epidural needle guidance
Amantayeva A. Adilzhanova N. Issatayeva A. Blanc W. Molardi C. Tosi D.
November 2021MDPI
Biosensors
2021#11Issue 11
Epidural anesthesia is a pain management process that requires the insertion of a miniature needle through the epidural space located within lumbar vertebrae. The use of a guidance system for manual insertion can reduce failure rates and provide increased efficiency in the process. In this work, we present and experimentally assess a guidance system based on a network of fiber optic distributed sensors. The fibers are mounted externally to the needle, without blocking its inner channel, and through a strain-to-shape detection method reconstruct the silhouette of the epidural device in real time (1 s). We experimentally assessed the shape sensing methods over 25 experiments performed in a phantom, and we observed that the sensing system correctly identified bending patterns typical in epidural insertions, characterized by the different stiffness of the tissues. By studying metrics related to the curvatures and their temporal changes, we provide identifiers that can potentially serve for the (in)correct identification of the epidural space, and support the operator through the insertion process by recognizing the bending patterns.
Distributed sensors , Epidural anesthesia , Epidural needle , Fiber-optic shape sensors , Optical fiber sensor , Smart surgical instruments
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School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, 010000, Kazakhstan
Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 181/A, Parma, I-43124, Italy
Université Côte d’Azur, INPHYNI, CNRS UMR7010, Avenue Joseph Vallot, Nice, 06108, France
National Laboratory Astana, Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioinstruments, Nur-Sultan, 010000, Kazakhstan
School of Engineering and Digital Sciences
Department of Engineering and Architecture
Université Côte d’Azur
National Laboratory Astana
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