Research on micro robot for colonoscopy.

For diagnosing the colon's pathologies micro-invasively or non-invasively actively, an autonomous prototype of the earthworm-like robot for colonoscopy was designed according with the principle of the bionics and manufactured using precision process technology. In-Vitro experiments in pig colon were made. This micro robot for colonoscopy was drove directly by elecmagnetic linear driver. The mobile cells were joined with two degree-of-freedom joints and the whole body was flexible. The direction of movement and the angle of imaging can be controlled by the shape memory alloy (SMA). In experiments, locomotion efficient was analyzed carefully. In-vitro experiments in pig colon demonstrated that the micro robot can navigate though the colon by itself reliably and freely, which was useful to the application of robot for colonoscopy in the clinic.