Dynamic analysis of a vibrating indentation probe for in-situ bowel cancer diagnosis

Bowel cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, underscoring the critical need for accurate staging. Various methods and tools are being developed to improve the precision and efficiency of bowel cancer diagnoses. This paper studies the development of an indentation probe to measure the mechanical properties of bowel cancer through dynamic analysis. A genetic algorithm is used to determine the parameters of the indentation system by analysing displacement frequency responses obtained from experiments. Additionally, experimental backbone curves are estimated from the indentation probe’s vibration data which are compared against theoretical expressions to approximate the stiffness of test samples. The results obtained from these methods are validated by comparing them with force–displacement outcomes obtained from Instron tests, demonstrating the properties of the samples. The study confirms the potential of the indentation probe to accurately measure stiffness, supporting its future integration into a colonoscope once the probe is appropriately miniaturised.