Abstract: While colorectal cancer (CRC) is a treatable disease with a relative five-year survival rate of 90% if detected in the early and localized stage, it remains the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. for both men and women. Despite the recent efforts in wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) to decrease the invasiveness of the requisite colon cancer screening procedure, the colonoscopy remains the gold standard for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. A colonoscopy procedure, which involves the insertion of a scope through the anus, rectum and colon to locate and remove precancerous polyps, can be uncomfortable and even painful for patients, with the potential to result in tissue damage and in rare cases, perforation of the colon. This procedure can also be physically tasking for physicians, and even experienced surgeons may struggle to visualize the entire colon due to insertion problems or patient pain. While WCE’s offer an alternative to the colonoscopy, these devices rely purely on passive locomotion and imaging with no ability to interact with tissue to perform biopsy or therapy procedures. Robotic capsule colonoscopes (RCCs) hope to improve upon these devices, allowing for active mobility and tracking. Robust mobility for an RCC will allow for not only polyp identification and localization, but also the implementation of biopsy/therapy solutions. Many attempts have been made at achieving robust locomotion for an RCC, including magnetically linked, inchworm and legged. Our group has had success with wheeled and treaded RCCs, and this work focuses on the development of a wheeled robotic capsule with differentially driven wheels to allow for more precise positioning, turning, and traction control.
Prendergast, J.M., Perry, A., Rentschler, M.E., “Benchtop Testing of a Novel Robotic Capsule with Differential Drive Capabilities.” ASME Journal of Medical Devices. 9(3): 030935(2 pp), 2015.