ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Traditional flexible endoscopes are sophisticated medical devices that require frequent and expensive maintenance. Therefore, their implementation within low-income and rural regions is challenging due to their high cost, complex sterilization process and poor portability. AIMS: This paper aims to develop an endoscopic platform that is low-cost, disposable and portable, with the primary goal of reducing gastric cancer-related mortality among low- and middle-income communities through wider access to regular screening programs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The endoscope employs a custom microvalve to switch between hydraulic actuation of a spatial bending fluidic actuator and water-jet actuation. Three alloy wires with buckle attachments are connected to a pneumatic balloon which facilitates reversible shape-locking of the actuator, and thus supports stable scanning by water-jet actuation. Distal tip of the device has an internal charge-coupled device camera for inspection. RESULTS: Experiments demonstrated a 58% increase in the workspace after introduction of the water-jet and more than three times the load-locking ability variation. Phantom experiment was also conducted for performance comparison with a traditional endoscope. CONCLUSION: By controlling the pressure of supplied water and the inflation of locking balloon, the endoscope achieves a satisfactory workspace and a remarkable shape-locking ability, demonstrating its potential clinical value in improving the prospects for upper gastrointestinal tract disease screening, especially gastric cancer.
Subject(s)
Endoscopes , Water , Endoscopy , Equipment Design , Gastrointestinal Tract , HumansABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Flexible endoscopes have become an important tool for the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer. However, there are several limitations to the use of endoscopes in rural areas, including their high cost, poor portability, and unstable platform. METHODS: This paper presents a novel low-cost outer sheath for stomach screening. The sheath uses braided shape memory polymer (SMP) tubes with a water-jet to control the stiffness and bending motion. The insertion part of the prototype is 250 mm long with a maximum outer diameter of 16 mm and incorporates an internal charge-coupled device camera. RESULTS: We have tested the workspace and stiffness of the outer sheath. The prototype has also been validated with phantom and ex vivo porcine stomach experiments. CONCLUSIONS: By controlling the water-jet and temperature of the braided SMP tubes, the outer sheath achieves a large workspace and a remarkable variability in stiffness, demonstrating the potential clinical value of the outer sheath system.
