Tactile sensing and guidance system

A method of locating an insertion site using a tactile sensing device,

• the tactile sensing device comprising:
• a base comprising:
• a scanning track;
• a carriage configured to slide along the scanning track, the carriage comprising an alignment guide;
• a scanhead mounted to the carriage;
• a sensor array attached to the scanhead, the sensor array comprising one or more pressure sensors, each pressure sensor configured to output a voltage signal in response to a change in pressure;
• and
• a monitor device, comprising:
• a display screen operatively coupled to the sensor array, the display screen configured to display:
• a pressure map representing a target tissue location in an individual based upon the voltage signals output by the one or more pressure sensors;
• and
• a computing device comprising a processor operatively coupled to the sensor array and the monitor device, and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium with a computer program including instructions executable by the processor causing the processor to:
• i) convert the voltage signals from the sensor array into the pressure map and display the pressure map on the display screen and ii) output an alignment guide location on the display screen;
• and
• the method comprising:
• a. sliding the carriage over a target tissue location;
• b. depressing the scanhead into the target tissue location to capture a pressure map image on the display screen;
• c. releasing the scanhead;
• d. sliding the carriage toward an unmapped area of the target tissue location;
• and
• e. repeating steps (b) to (d) until a pressure map is displayed across the target tissue location.