title: Nonmetallic rigid-flexible outer sheath with pneumatic shapelocking mechanism and double curvature structure.
abstract: Single port access (SPA) surgery is a laparoscopic procedure using only one transumbilical-placed port. Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) offers the possibility of surgery without visible scars. To address the access and stability problems in SPA and NOTES, we developed a device called rigid-flexible outer sheath. This sheath can be switched between flexible and rigid modes by a novel pneumatic shapelocking mechanism, and it has a double curvature structure that enables it to flex in four directions at the distal end and three directions on the rigid-flexible shaft. The insertion part of the prototype is 300 mm long with a 20 mm outer diameter, and the part is equipped with four working channels. In vivo experiments using a swine show that the outer sheath has high potential for solving access and stability problems. We expect that the outer sheath will be useful for SPA and NOTES.
authors: Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, Japan. sasiyou@atre.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors: Siyang
authors: S
authors: Zuo
authors: Ken
authors: K
authors: Masamune
authors: Kenta
authors: K
authors: Kuwana
authors: Morimasa
authors: M
authors: Tomikawa
authors: Satoshi
authors: S
authors: Ieiri
authors: Takeshi
authors: T
authors: Ohdaira
authors: Makoto
authors: M
authors: Hashizume
authors: Takeyoshi
authors: T
authors: Dohi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008422:Materials Testing; D057605:Natural Orifice Endoscopic Surgery / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D013552:Swine