Sensing Technology for the Subsurface Characterization of Biological Materials

This study aims to develop an experimental and computational platform for the viscoelastic characterization of layered soft tissues ( e.g. skin) on a millimeter scale. This would be accomplished via i) the scale reduction of the Spectral Analysis of Surface Waves (SASW) testing methodology rooted in engineering geophysics, and ii) the development of a 1cm x 1cm PolyVinylidine DiFluoride (PVDF) transducer which would contain an array of parallel, string-shaped PVDF sensors adhered to the tissue. To reconstruct the layered tissue properties, a full-waveform, viscoelastic back-analysis of Rayleigh (surface) waves will be developed and tailored to meet the needs of the transducer.

Intellectual merit: A novel, low-cost sensor array for the quantification of surficial tissue motion will be developed. The utility of the new transducer will be enhanced through a sophisticated back-analysis which would facilitate effective viscoelastic ``profiling'' of subcutaneous tissues.

Broader Impacts: The proposed study would a) foster the collaboration among several engineering disciplines, b) help understand the relationship between the mechanical tissue response on a millimeter scale and its cell-level counterpart, and c) help delineate the spatial extent of skin cancer which may extend as much as 15 mm beyond the visible edge.