Needle Puncture Detection Using Vibroacoustic Sensing in Layered Phantoms

Abstract This study evaluates the use of vibroacoustic (VA) sensing to detect material transitions during needle insertions into layered synthetic phantoms. Experiments were conducted using foams with different pore densities and configurations including internal cavities. Time-domain and wavelet analyses showed that denser foams produced more frequent vibrational events, while less dense foams resulted in sparser signals. In setups with elastic membranes and cavities, differences in time-frequency patterns were observed: high-frequency activity appeared after membrane rupture but was absent in cavity insertions. These results support the use of VA sensing to identify mechanical changes during minimally invasive procedures.