Development of endoscopic robot and experiment in the large intestine of dead swine

This paper describes the development of an endoscopic robot. A number of patients of a colorectal cancer increase. However, colorectal cancer can be cured completely if they are discovered and treated early with a large intestine endoscope. In inspecting the large intestine, doctors use the endoscope because it can supply the air and water, and treat the large intestine. However, because the large intestine is so long and has a slack as the sigmoid colon and transverse colon, doctors must straighten the slack in order to insert the endoscope. Because of this hard operation, patients feel pain and get uncomfortable. In addition, the training is needed about 150 times, even if experienced doctors, it spends one hour for this operation. In this study, in order to solve these problems, we developed endoscopic robot with artificial rubber muscle using peristaltic crawling. Unlike another endoscopic robot, our robot can attach the endoscope. For other function of the endoscope, moving forward automatically and pulling up the slack can be feasible. In this study, we confirmed that the robot can pull up the sigmoid colon of the large intestine model that is arranged in the human body model. Next, in order to move forward in the large intestine of dead swine, we fabricated new mechanism. Then, we executed two experiments: one is the experiment of moving forward, and other is the experiment of pulling up the intestine. From those experimental results, the moving forward and pulling motion was confirmed.

[1]  Taro Nakamura,et al.  Development of a pneumatic artificial muscle based on biomechanical characteristics , 2003, IEEE International Conference on Industrial Technology, 2003.

[2]  Shuichi Wakimoto,et al.  Fabrication and basic experiments of pneumatic multi-chamber rubber tube actuator for assisting colonoscope insertion , 2010, 2010 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[3]  Norihiko Saga,et al.  Development of a Pneumatic Artificial Muscle Based on Biomechanical Characteristics , 2008, Adv. Robotics.

[4]  Elizabeth V. Mangan,et al.  Development of a peristaltic endoscope , 2002, Proceedings 2002 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.02CH37292).

[5]  Taro Nakamura,et al.  Development of a Peristaltic Crawling Robot Based on Earthworm Locomotion , 2006, J. Robotics Mechatronics.

[6]  Norihiko Saga,et al.  Elucidation of propulsive force of microrobot using magnetic fluid , 2002 .

[7]  Yuki Hori,et al.  PERISTALTIC CRAWLING ROBOT WITH ARTIFICIAL RUBBER MUSCLES FOR LARGE INTESTINE ENDOSCOPY , 2009 .

[8]  G. Yan,et al.  A Wireless Robotic Endoscope for Gastrointestine , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Robotics.

[9]  Taro Nakamura,et al.  Development of peristaltic crawling robot using magnetic fluid on the basis of locomotion mechanism of earthworm , 2002, SPIE Micro + Nano Materials, Devices, and Applications.

[10]  Paolo Dario,et al.  A New Mechanism for Mesoscale Legged Locomotion in Compliant Tubular Environments , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Robotics.

[11]  M. Shikanai,et al.  Development of a robotic endoscope that locomotes in the colon with fle xible helical fins , 2009, 2009 Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society.

[12]  Taro Nakamura,et al.  Development of Peristaltic Crawling Robot with Artificial Rubber Muscles Attached to Large Intestine Endoscope , 2012, Adv. Robotics.

[13]  Taro Nakamura,et al.  Position and Force Control Based on Mathematical Models of Pneumatic Artificial Muscles Reinforced by Straight Glass Fibers , 2007, Proceedings 2007 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[14]  Taro Nakamura,et al.  Development of a peristaltic crawling robot using magnetic fluid on the basis of the locomotion mechanism of the earthworm , 2004 .

[15]  Joel W. Burdick,et al.  The development of a robotic endoscope , 1995, Proceedings 1995 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. Human Robot Interaction and Cooperative Robots.