Deformable sensor with deformation feedback, and system and method using the same

A biomedical system, comprising:

• a biomedical sensor having a deformable body panel, at least one first ultrasonic transducer attached to the deformable body panel, at least one second transducer attached to the deformable body panel, and a displacement sensor in communication with the deformable body panel, wherein the displacement sensor is configured to sense deformation of the deformable body panel;
• wherein the biomedical sensor is disposable in a default configuration wherein the deformable body panel is disposed in a non-deformed state when the biomedical sensor is not applied to a skin surface of a subject, and in the non-deformed state the at least one first ultrasonic transducer and the at least one second ultrasonic transducer are disposed relative to one another in a known first spatial transducer configuration;
• wherein the biomedical sensor is disposable in a deformed configuration in which the deformable body panel is applied to the skin surface of the subject and is deformed and wherein in the deformed configuration the at least one first ultrasonic transducer and the at least one second ultrasonic transducer are disposed relative to one another in a second spatial transducer configuration different than the known first spatial transducer configuration;
• and
• wherein the displacement sensor is configured to produce signal information indicative of a difference between the known first spatial transducer configuration and the second spatial transducer configuration;
• and
• a controller in communication with the biomedical sensor and a memory storing instructions, which instructions when executed cause the controller to:
• determine the difference between the known first spatial transducer configuration and the second spatial transducer configuration using the signal information from the displacement sensor;
• and
• produce information representative of the relative positions of the at least one first ultrasonic transducer and the at least one second ultrasonic transducer within the deformed configuration using the determined difference.

A method of using a deformable biomedical sensor, comprising:

• providing a biomedical sensor having a deformable body panel, at least one first ultrasonic transducer attached to the deformable body panel, at least one second transducer attached to the deformable body panel, and a displacement sensor in communication with the deformable body panel, wherein the displacement sensor is configured to sense deformation of the deformable body panel, and wherein the biomedical sensor is disposable in a default configuration wherein the deformable body panel is disposed in a non-deformed state when at rest and prior to application to a skin surface of a subject, and in the non-deformed state the at least one first ultrasonic transducer and the at least one second ultrasonic transducer are disposed relative to one another in a known first spatial transducer configuration;
• attaching the biomedical sensor to a skin surface of the subject in an applied configuration, wherein in the applied configuration the at least one first ultrasonic transducer and the at least one second ultrasonic transducer are disposed relative to one another in a second spatial transducer configuration;
• using the displacement sensor to determine any difference between the first spatial transducer configuration and the second spatial transducer configuration;
• and
• producing information representative of the relative positions of the at least one first ultrasonic transducer and the at least one second ultrasonic transducer within the deformed configuration using the determined difference.