A robot has been created that will make colonoscopy less painful and faster

Traditional endoscopy methods can cause discomfort and pain. In the USA, all colonoscopies use

deep anesthesia, which increases cost andrisk. In the UK, where conscious sedation is preferred, many colonoscopies are not completed due to patient discomfort, increasing the risk of undiagnosed cancer. In Russia, the use of anesthesia or sedation during research is rather an exception to the rule.

The new technology uses a magnetic capsulewith a built-in imaging function that is propelled forward through the body by the external magnetic arm of the robot. The robot's creator explains that the design features front-wheel drive and a highly flexible body. There are sensors inside the device that tell us where the capsule is, which is very important for the correct positioning of the external magnet and its forward movement.

The operator uses the camera in the capsule tomove it forward or backward with the joystick, as when driving a car. The joystick makes it easy to learn how to operate the system as it will be familiar to users - it is very similar to a game console controller. The ease of use of the new technology will enable faster implementation of the new design.

Professor Pietro Valdastri with his development

“We can also levitate the capsule so that itdidn't even touch the fabric. The camera allows the operator to look both backward and forward, which is not possible with a conventional endoscope, so that polyps and cancers can be seen hidden behind the folds of the gastric column, ”explains Professor Valdastri.

The system can also work autonomously with oneby pressing a button, and the operator only needs to go off-hook. This will speed up the procedure by about two minutes to reach the end of the colon, allowing the gastroenterologist to use the flexible head of the device to look for signs of cancer while removing the endoscope. Experts hope that faster procedures will shorten the current waiting time for the procedure, and that most procedures will not be interrupted due to pain.

British-funded technologyResearch Council EPSRC, Cancer Research UK and the US National Institutes of Health, has been preclinically tested. The team plans to begin human trials in 2020 with a patient group in Leeds to test pain response and ease of use, followed by multicenter international trials with academic partners at Vanderbilt University, the University of Turin and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

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