title: Microgroove cushion of robotic endoscope for active locomotion in the gastrointestinal tract.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The robotic endoscope the advantage of active locomotion in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, but lacks a suitable contact device to improve the locomotion efficiency and safety.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper proposes a microgroove cushion for the robotic endoscope to improve its active locomotion ability in the GI tract. Coupons with different microgrooves were designed and tested to verify the contact efficiency of the grooves. Based on experimental investigations, uniform oblique grid grooves were suggested, because they could generate gteater friction than other proposed microgrooves on the intestinal surface. To improve the contact safety of the robotic endoscope, a cushion-type contact device was designed and fabricated. The microgroove cushion was tested under the use of a custom-built robot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An experiment in a rigid tube showed that the robot with cushion had a static friction 65% higher than the robot without cushion; an experiment in the in vitro colonic tract showed that the robot without the cushion produced a more obvious contact appearance than with the cushion. It can be seen that the microgroove cushion provides the robotic endoscope with efficient and safe contact ability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The microgroove cushion is a useful addition to the development of a contact device for the robotic endoscope in the GI tract, although requiring further improvements.
authors.affiliation: 820 Institute, Department of Instrument Science and Engineering, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, People's Republic of China. pompon_gp@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Guozheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Zhiwu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Pingping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D017276:Friction; D006801:Humans; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation; D009038:Motion; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013499:Surface Properties; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation; D013552:Swine