Tactile Distinction of an Artery and a Tumor in a Soft Tissue by Finite Element Method

Abstract

Tactile detection of a tumor and an artery in a tissue and distinction of a healthy artery from a stenotic artery, using finite element method, are presented. Four 2D models of tissue have been created: tissue itself, tissue including a tumor (TIT), tissue including a healthy artery (TIHA), and tissue including a stenotic artery (TISA). After solving four models with similar boundary conditions and loadings, the 2D tactile mappings and stress graphs for upper nodes of models, which have key importance for transferring tactile data, were explored. Then, by comparing these results, if the stress values of nodes were constant and equal, tissue is unlikely to have any tumor or artery embedded. Otherwise, if the stress graph included a peak, the tissue had a tumor or an artery. Additionally, it was observed that the stress graph of tissue including an artery is time-dependent in comparison with the tissue including a tumor. Further, it was concluded that a stenotic artery had larger stress peak than a healthy artery.