Enabling the future of endoscopic surgery by developing lightweight robotic tools
Source: https://digitalhealth.tu-dresden.de/projects/innovation-projects/endobotics/ Parent: https://digitalhealth.tu-dresden.de/career-education/students/clinicum-digitale/
Interdisciplinary innovation project
EndoBotics
Enabling the future of endoscopic surgery by developing lightweight robotic tools
Medical Need
Gastrointestinal endoscopy has revolutionized medical practices by providing minimally invasive solutions for diagnosing and treating various gastrointestinal diseases. However, despite significant progress in the field, endoscope designs have remained largely unchanged over the past four decades. The primary reason for this stagnation is the use of mechanical bowden cables, which lack electronic control and therefore have significant limitations. Although there are already a few endoscopic robotic systems on the market, none of them have yet become established in everyday clinical practice. They are too expensive, cumbersome and do not really meet clinical needs.
Aim of Project
Our goal is to design and develop the next generation of flexible robotic endoscopic tools with advanced articulation capabilities. Building on our previous experience in developing laparoscopic robotic systems using Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs), we aim to pioneer the creation of more complex and sophisticated robotic endoscopic tools. These innovative instruments will significantly enhance the field of endoscopy, enabling precision and versatility that were previously unattainable.
Developing flexible robotic endoscopy tools and the corresponding intuitive user interfaces
Gastrointestinal endoscopy has revolutionized the diagnosis and therapy of gastrointestinal diseases. Over the past 40 years, however, the design and functional principle have remained virtually unchanged, as have the limitations of endoscopes and endoscopic tools: Mechanical control by long Bowden-cables leads to low precision of movement, an extended dead point at joint zero position, mechanical deterioration, and eventual failure with prolonged use. Furthermore, heavy and cumbersome designs provide no tactile feedback, limiting the surgeon’s ability to navigate and interact effectively.
To address these limitations, we aim to develop next-generation flexible robotic endoscopic tools with articulated joints based on Nitinol (NiTi) actuators. These innovative tools will offer several key benefits, including digital control and integration in a cybermedical context, enhanced maneuverability in confined spaces and integrated physical sensor functions for haptic feedback. Additionally, our tools will enable training and skill transfer through simulation platforms, allowing surgeons to refine their skills in a controlled environment.
The provision of additional data and an intuitive user interface should enable endoscopists to focus fully on the medical aspects of their intervention, enabling more precise, more efficient and novel endoscopic procedures. Our vision therefore has the potential to revolutionize endoscopic surgery and significantly improve patient outcome.
Project Team
University Hospital Dresden, Department of Medicine 1 Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Dr. med. Franz Brinkmann
Dr. med. Maxime Le Floch
TUD Dresden University of Technology, Institute of Semiconductors and Microsystems
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas Richter
Dipl.-Ing. René Körbitz
Leibnitz Institute of Polymer Materials, Departement Materials Engineering (IPF)