Lina Wakako

Force Sensor Attachable to Thin Fiberscopes/Endoscopes Utilizing High Elasticity Fabric

An endoscope/fiberscope is a minimally invasive tool used for directly observing tissues in areas deep inside the human body where access is limited. However, this tool only yields visual information. If force feedback information were also available, endoscope/fiberscope operators would be able to detect indurated areas that are visually hard to recognize. Furthermore, obtaining such feedback information from tissues in areas where collecting visual information is a challenge would be highly useful. The major obstacle is that such force information is difficult to acquire. This paper presents a novel force sensing system that can be attached to a very thin fiberscope/endoscope. To ensure a small size, high resolution, easy sterilization, and low cost, the proposed force visualization–based system uses a highly elastic material—panty stocking fabric. The paper also presents the methodology for deriving the force value from the captured image. The system has a resolution of less than 0.01 N and sensitivity of greater than 600 pixels/N within the force range of 0–0.2 N.

Three-axis force visualizing system for fiberscopes utilizing highly elastic fabric

This paper presents a novel force sensing system for fiberscopes. The key features of the system are its low cost, high resolution, small size, and ability to measure three-dimensional force. A previous study described a novel force sensing system that could be attached to a very thin fiberscope, based on a force visualization mechanism utilizing panty stocking fabric - a highly elastic material. However, this system measures force in only one direction. In this paper, the system is extended to measure forces in any of three directions. The system is targeted for application to neurosurgical examinations. It may also be useful for other medical and non-medical examinations that involve the use of fiberscopes.

Construction of twin staple-core spun yarn with two points of yarn formation in one twisting process

In order to diversify the structure of spun yarn as textile material and to develop novel composite spun yarn with good functionality, we investigated how to construct single yarn with a twin staple-core and sheath structure and/or adopt the production method of triplet spun yarn using an experimental ring spinning frame. Fundamentally, the unique spinning conditions were not only the arrangement and the distances of three rovings and the twist level of yarn, but also the types of staple fibers. The following results were obtained: (1) by adopting the production method of triplet spun yarn with three rovings under the spinning condition with two differing roving distances, the yarn combining side-by-side and sheath-core structures could be constructed by two points of yarn formation and one twisting process without the device for controlling of spinning tension; (2) in the spinning method of twin staple-core spun yarn, it was necessary to control the difference between spinning tensions of the sheath layer and the twin staple-core layer with side-by-side structure under the spinning condition with the lower twist level of yarn and the greater difference between two roving distances; (3) for combining the twin staple-core and the sheath layers, it was important not only to control the greater length of drafted fiber strands for the sheath layer, but also to choose the cut length of the sheath and the core fibers.