Design and control of an autonomous bendable tip for colonoscopy

Abstract

12International audienceAbstract Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is becoming one of the most important research areas in the field of medical robotics. The colonoscope is an example of a medical instrument that meets the needs of MIS. In this report, we present a new colonoscope tip, a system whose aim is to avoid perforation and haemorrhage of the colon wall which sometimes occur during medical procedures. It facilitates the surgeon's manoeuvrability, reducing operating time and increasing safety. This typical mechatronic system has been named EDORA (French acronym for Extrémité Distale à ORientation Automatique/distal tip with automated orientation). It is electropneumatically driven and comprised three metal bellows positioned 120° apart; three optical sensors placed on the upper plate of EDORA allow autonomous navigation of the colonoscope within the intestine. In this paper, we present the design of EDORA, describe geometrical and dynamical models, validate the models and present the results of travel through a curved tube

A Hand-Held Device for Controlling a Mounted, Motor Driven Colonoscope1

“…The chambers are bound by a plates located at the ends and the midpoint of the structures. Three optical fiber sensors are placed at the tip (also spaced 120 degrees apart) to detect the colon wall and provide the means of determining how to maneuver [22]. The automated tip can be seen in Figure 14.…”

“…Figure 15 shows the open-loop response, which appears to settle relatively quickly. These tests led to a closed loop test that consisted of inserting the automated tip into a clear tube that was positioned to have a slight bend [22]. The results from the distance sensors can be seen in Figure 16.…”

“…However, future development is needed to reduce the size of the design in order to match an endoscope or colonoscope's diameter. Furthermore, a new scope must be developed to incorporate this new tip [22].…”