A Novel Robotic Meshworm With Segment-Bending Anchoring for Colonoscopy

This letter introduces the design and evaluation of a novel worm-inspired, multisegment robotic endoscope with multiple degrees of freedom segments. The novelty of this design is that the robot is able to drive forwards and backwards, anchor itself, steer while inside a tubular structure and control the orientation of an end-mounted camera all by bending its flexible segments. The mechanical design is shown and a sensing system based on Hall Effect sensors is incorporated. In a simulated colon, a top speed of 1.21 mm/s was achieved, equivalent to roughly 38% of the theoretical maximum. These results are discussed and further improvements are suggested, followed by general concluding remarks.

[1]  Fabrizio Stracci,et al.  Colorectal Cancer Screening: Tests, Strategies, and Perspectives , 2014, Front. Public Health.

[2]  Thomas Rösch,et al.  nature publishing group ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS 1075 High Cecal Intubation Rates With a New Computer- Assisted Colonoscope: A Feasibility Study , 2022 .

[3]  Kaspar Althoefer,et al.  Elastic mesh braided worm robot for locomotive endoscopy , 2014, 2014 36th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society.

[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]  Peter B Cotton,et al.  Colonoscopy: practice variation among 69 hospital-based endoscopists. , 2003, Gastrointestinal endoscopy.

[6]  R. Webster,et al.  Advanced technologies for gastrointestinal endoscopy. , 2012, Annual review of biomedical engineering.

[7]  G. Passoni,et al.  Functional Evaluation of the Endotics System, a New Disposable Self-Propelled Robotic Colonoscope: in vitro tests and clinical trial , 2009, The International journal of artificial organs.

[8]  J. Dam,et al.  Computer-Assisted Colonoscopy (The NeoGuide Endoscopy System): Results of the First Human Clinical Trial (“PACE Study”) , 2007, The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

[9]  Z. Halpern,et al.  The Aer-O-Scope: Proof of the Concept of a Pneumatic, Skill-Independent, Self-Propelling, Self-Navigating Colonoscope in a Pig Model , 2006, Endoscopy.

[10]  Paolo Dario,et al.  A SMA actuated artificial earthworm , 2004, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2004. Proceedings. ICRA '04. 2004.

[11]  P. Culmer,et al.  Quantitative assessment of colorectal morphology: Implications for robotic colonoscopy. , 2016, Medical engineering & physics.

[12]  H. Pohl,et al.  A motor-driven single-use colonoscope controlled with a hand-held device: a feasibility study in volunteers. , 2008, Gastrointestinal endoscopy.

[13]  Paolo Dario,et al.  Modeling and Experiments on a Legged Microrobot Locomoting in a Tubular, Compliant and Slippery Environment , 2006 .

[14]  R. Wood,et al.  Meshworm: A Peristaltic Soft Robot With Antagonistic Nickel Titanium Coil Actuators , 2013, IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics.

[15]  Paolo Dario,et al.  Development of a biomimetic miniature robotic crawler , 2006, Auton. Robots.

[16]  G. Passoni,et al.  Functional Evaluation of the Endotics System, a New Disposable Self-Propelled Robotic Colonoscope: in vitro tests and clinical trial , 2009, The International journal of artificial organs.

[17]  Guozheng Yan,et al.  Design of a wireless anchoring and extending micro robot system for gastrointestinal tract , 2013, The international journal of medical robotics + computer assisted surgery : MRCAS.

[18]  R Jakobs,et al.  In vitro evaluation of forces exerted by a new computer-assisted colonoscope (the NeoGuide Endoscopy System). , 2006, Endoscopy.

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