A Soft Robotic Sleeve for Safer Colonoscopy Procedures.

ABSTRACT: Colonoscopy is the gold standard for colorectal cancer diagnosis; however, limited instrument dexterity and no sensor feedback can hamper procedure safety and acceptance. We propose a soft robotic sleeve to provide sensor feedback and additional actuation capabilities to improve safety during navigation in colonoscopy. The robot can be mounted around current endoscopic instrumentation as a disposable "add-on", avoiding the need for dedicated or customized instruments and without disrupting current surgical workflow. We focus on design, finite element analysis, fabrication, and experimental characterization and validation of the soft robotic sleeve. The device integrates soft optical sensors to monitor contact interaction forces between the colon and the colonoscope and soft robotic actuato

SUBMITTER: McCandless M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8132950 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature