Sensor for Measuring the Contact Force From Human Myenteric Contractions for In Vivo Robotic Capsule Endoscope Mobility

Multiple research groups are investigating the feasibility of miniature, in vivo, untethered robots that are capable of traversing the gastrointestinal (GI) tract for the purpose of diagnosing pathologies, acquiring biometrics, and performing next-generation minimally invasive surgical procedures [1]. This effort has been hindered by the lack of knowledge concerning the biomechanical properties of the intraluminal environment and in particular, the lack of understanding of the active, live response of bowel tissue to so-called Robotic Capsule Endoscopes (RCEs). To the authors' knowledge, current research of the contact force exerted by the bowel tissue on an RCE has focused exclusively on in vitro testing of excised tissue. To create a unified model of the intraluminal environment, however, greater understanding of the tissue's active response is needed and to this end, the authors have established a comprehensive program for characterizing this as well as other in vivo forces [2-5]....