據(jù)1月30日的《科學(xué)》雜志內(nèi)法國(guó)的研究人員報(bào)告說,，除了幫助人們抓住東西之外，我們指尖的皮膚紋脊還能幫助我們感受精細(xì)的質(zhì)地以及某一表面的極小的物體,。以往的研究已經(jīng)顯示,，這一感覺精細(xì)特質(zhì)的能力（即分辨不到200微米的寬度，大約相當(dāng)于一根人類毛發(fā)的寬度）涉及在我們的手指細(xì)察某一表面時(shí)皮膚的振動(dòng),。
為了研究這些振動(dòng)是如何轉(zhuǎn)化為一種實(shí)際的感覺,，Julien Schiebert 及其同僚研發(fā)出了一種覆蓋了一個(gè)可延展的彈性蓋帽的力學(xué)傳感器，該彈性蓋帽可以像我們的指尖那樣呈平滑或是脊?fàn)畹穆∑?。?dāng)該“指紋化的”傳感器對(duì)多種圖案化的表面進(jìn)行摩擦?xí)r,，摩擦所產(chǎn)生的振動(dòng)的頻率與某種被稱作“帕氏小體”（Pacinian corpuscles）的皮膚神經(jīng)末梢所能察覺的頻率一樣。這些小體與感覺神經(jīng)元相連,，而其一旦激活的話會(huì)給腦部發(fā)出信號(hào),。（人們已知帕氏小體與感覺精細(xì)質(zhì)地有關(guān)。而感受粗糙質(zhì)地的是另外一種類型的神經(jīng)末梢,。）研究人員報(bào)告說,，那些指紋化的表面（但不是平滑的表面）看來能夠放大及過濾某種振動(dòng)頻率，使得神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)能夠探測(cè)到該信號(hào),。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Science Published Online January 29, 2009 DOI: 10.1126/science.1166467
The Role of Fingerprints in the Coding of Tactile Information Probed with a Biomimetic Sensor
J. Scheibert 1, S. Leurent 1, A. Prevost 1, G. Debrégeas 1*
1 Laboratoire de Physique Statistique de l'ENS, UMR 8550, CNRS–ENS–Université Paris 6 & Paris 7, 24 rue Lhomond F–75231 Paris, France.
In humans, the tactile perception of fine textures (spatial scale <200 μm) is mediated by skin vibrations generated as the finger scans the surface. To establish the relationship between texture characteristics and subcutaneous vibrations, a biomimetic tactile sensor has been designed whose dimensions match those of the fingertip. When the sensor surface is patterned with parallel ridges mimicking the fingerprints, the spectrum of vibrations elicited by randomly textured substrates is dominated by one frequency set by the ratio of the scanning speed to the inter-ridge distance. For human touch, this frequency falls within the optimal range of sensitivity of Pacinian afferents which mediate the coding of fine textures. Thus, fingerprints may perform spectral selection and amplification of tactile information that facilitate its processing by specific mechanoreceptors.
