THE HAPTIC LENS AS A PALPATION INSTRUMENT
with sponsorship by
MICROSOFT CORPORATION


Project Objectives

Design Issues

Final Design

Results

Project Schedule

Pictures

Team PSU PALPATION, Spring 2001
Members from Left to Right (click name to email)
Bob Roland, John Patalak, Seth Pankratz, Matt Heffner, Jung Ahn
-Team email

Executive Summary

    The advent of biomedical technology has enabled the instrumentation of many medical diagnostic procedures previously relegated to human, and in many cases, error-prone tasks. Palpation, or examination through the sense of touch, does not presently enjoy a wide selection of instrumentation and is most often the subject of a physician's hands-on procedure where documentation is hand-written with few traceable metrics.  It is proposed here to employ a tactile input device, the Haptic Lens, and such an instrument.  This device will digitize, in real-time, a 3D surface profile in the presence of a compliant force.  Through an understanding of the technology behind the Haptic Lens, team PSU PALPATION will design, build and operate such a device so as to be valuable to a physician when diagnostics involve palpation.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr.  Mary Frecker, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Penn State University
Last Updated 4/16/01
 

Not withstanding any language to the contrary, nothing contained herein constitutes nor is intended to constitute an
                  offer, inducement, promise, or contract of any kind. The data contained herein is for informational purposes only and is
                  not represented to be error free.  Some content of this site is provided courtesy of the inventor,
Michael Sinclair, Microsoft Research.  Patent information for the haptic lens can be found at Patent 5459329.