Can OCT Imaging and FE Simulations assist us Tackle Fingertip micromechanics?
Despite advancements in imaging techniques, it remains challenging to interpret OCT observations of deeper skin layers under the fingertip surface, even more so when digital image correlation (DIC) aims to analyze deformations near tactile mechanoreceptors. In this work, a novel approach is adopted allowing us to connect OCT imagery to 2D finite element (FE) simulations of the deformation of the fingertip cutaneous tissues under tangential loading scenarios. Numerical predictions help deduce local stresses in the stratum corneum and viable epidermis from the experimental measurements of the average in-plane strain. Questions remain however about deformations in the direction perpendicular to OCT scans, which motivate ongoing efforts to collect 3D OCT data. Ultimately, this interdisciplinary approach holds the potential for unraveling the complexities of tactile perception and enhancing our understanding of touch at the micro-scale.