Robotic endoscope

Citation

(2001), "Robotic endoscope", Industrial Robot, Vol. 28 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2001.04928ead.007

Robotic endoscope

Keywords: Patents, Robots, Surgery

Applicant: Ng; Wan Sing, Mimosa Walk, SingaporePatent number: US6,162,171Publication date: 19 December 2000Title: Robotic endoscope and an autonomous pipe robot for performing endoscopic procedures

A robotic endoscope for performing endoscopic procedures in a tubular organ is presented. The invention to provide a robotic endoscope and an autonomous pipe robot capable of advancing in an elongated passage having rigid or elastic, tubular wall, where the articulated joints allow the robot to conform to the different bends and curvature found in the organs of a human body. The endoscope comprises of: a plurality of segments, connected together by a plurality of flexible articulated joints, having a distal end; a plurality of flexible linear actuators attached, skewed sideways with respect to the longitudinal axis of said robot, circumferentially round each segment; a central cavity running longitudinally through said robotic endoscope which houses a plurality of optical fibres, a water/air hose, an instrumentation channel and a plurality of electrical wires associated with an imaging means being mounted at the distal end of the robotic endoscope; and a network of tributary channels for the distribution of pressure to said linear actuators.