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Strain Sensor Troubleshooting Guide

Pre-strain of sensor

For organs such as the bladder or colon, pre-strain of the sensor is crucial for proper operation. Without applying a pre-strain appropriate for the target organ a user will experience a "dead zone" where the sensor will fold or bend instead of stretching and relaxing, with no change in sensor capacitance. Appropriate pre-strain levels were seen as 15% for use on the colon.

Sensor size

Even for large animal organs (e.g. sheep bladder), a smaller sensor may be necessary in order to reduce surgical incision sizes. In addition, if a sensor is used with the CapSense board attached, work with the surgeon to ensure that there is sufficient space to place both the sensor and board.

Wire fragility

Small wires connecting the sensor with implanted or external electronics can be very fragile and break off during surgery. Ensure that any wires are robust enough to handle rough surgical placement. One recommendation is to always place wires inside of a TPU tube that is infilled with silicone.