Development of a double-balloon endoscope with double-bending structure and basic research for automatic colon insertion

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K12712
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90130:Medical systems-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Science
• Principal Investigator: Takamatsu Toshihiro 東京理科大学, 研究推進機構生命医科学研究所, 講師 (10734949)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 大腸内視鏡 / ロボティクス / ダブルバルーン / 3Dプリンター

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Currently, endoscopic examinations can only be performed by medical doctor skilled in operating endoscopes. Therefore, there is a need for a colonoscope that is disposable and can be inserted automatically so that anyone can safely examine the colon without feeling pain as with conventional endoscopic insertion.
In this study, in order to establish the basic technology, we developed a structure with two balloons, each of which is driven by multiple curvatures of the two tubes to obtain propulsive force in a direction off the coaxial axis.
As a result of an insertion study on a colon model, a one-man insertion to the cecum was successfully performed by one person by operating the outer and inner cylinder curvatures, inflating and deflating the outer and inner cylinder balloons, and pushing and pulling the inner cylinder with one hand using a controller, and by pushing the outer cylinder with the other hand.

Free Research Field

医用工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では，大腸挿入の簡易化を目的として，外筒・内筒が独立して電動で湾曲駆動するダブルバルーン内視鏡を開発し，非医療従事者一名の操縦で大腸モデルを走破可能であることが実証された。今回考案した構造を基盤として，適切な材料選定や微細加工によって操作精度を向上させ，より直感的なインターフェースに改良することで，従来の内視鏡挿入よりも容易かつ安全に挿入できる可能性を持っている。そして，AIなどが操縦の一部または全て担うようになれば，内視鏡現場で期待されている完全な内視鏡挿入の自動化も期待できる。