Characterization of Circumference and Internal Pressure of a Penis by Using Stretchable Capacitive Sensors and a Penis Dummy for Diagnosing Erectile Dysfunction

An erection is a common phenomenon for a healthy man. If a man has difficulty achieving an erection, the fast and accurate diagnosis of the erectile dysfunction is needed to assure quality of life. An erection diagnosis can be quantified by the change in penis circumference and rigidity. In this study, a capacitive band-type sensor is developed to estimate the circumference and rigidity of penis. Specifically, rigidity is represented by the internal pressure. Furthermore, to verify the sensor performance, a penis dummy is fabricated to mimic a human penis, and the blood pressure in a human penis is simulated by air pressure in the dummy. The results show that the deformation of the dummy causes the deformation of the sensor, which is indicated by a change in sensor capacitance. Moreover, the circumference and rigidity (i.e., internal pressure) can be reasonably estimated through the change in capacitance. Specifically, the estimated internal pressure is consistent with real internal pressure with high R 2 value over 0.993 regardless of variables such as material properties of the sensor.