Sarvazyan Noune, Francy Brendan, Egorov Vladimir
Advanced Tactile Imaging Inc., Trenton, NJ, USA.
Pelviperineology. 2023 Apr;42(1):28-42. doi: 10.34057/ppj.2023.42.01.2022-5-2.
Vaginal Tactile Imaging is a novel technology that creates a visual map of the female pelvic floor based on its biomechanical properties. The vaginal tactile imager is a medical device built on this technology to assist clinicians in diagnosis and prognosis of pelvic floor conditions and treatment from detailed characterization of vaginal tissue elasticity, pelvic support and function. This information is presented in the form of tactile images, a format in which pressure mapping is combined with spatial dimensions. The dynamic pressure patterns are combined using two opposing areas along the vaginal walls during Valsalva maneuver, voluntary and reflex muscle contraction, and involuntary relaxation. Based on these measurements, the biomechanical integrity score of the pelvic floor was developed and introduced to facilitate clinical interpretation of the complex data. This article begins with a brief overview of the tactile imaging for a broad spectrum of applications, clinical research findings and their respective impact. Then the article focuses on the evolution of the technology and its progressive development for the female pelvic floor disorders characterization and diagnostics, including evaluation of surgical intervention. Finally, future possibilities for tactile imaging are discussed, including applications in obstetrics and a fusion with ultrasound imaging.
阴道触觉成像技术是一项新颖的技术，它基于女性盆底的生物力学特性创建视觉图谱。阴道触觉成像仪是基于该技术制造的医疗设备，旨在通过对阴道组织弹性、盆腔支撑及功能的详细表征，辅助临床医生对盆底疾病进行诊断、预后评估及治疗。这些信息以触觉图像的形式呈现，这种格式将压力映射与空间维度相结合。在瓦尔萨尔瓦动作、自主和反射性肌肉收缩以及非自主放松过程中，沿着阴道壁的两个相对区域组合动态压力模式。基于这些测量结果，开发并引入了盆底生物力学完整性评分，以促进对复杂数据的临床解读。本文首先简要概述触觉成像在广泛应用、临床研究结果及其各自影响方面的情况。然后文章重点关注该技术的演变及其在女性盆底疾病表征和诊断方面的逐步发展，包括手术干预评估。最后讨论了触觉成像的未来可能性，包括在产科的应用以及与超声成像的融合。
