title: Flexible and capsule endoscopy for screening, diagnosis and treatment.
abstract: Endoscopy dates back to the 1860s, but many of the most significant advancements have been made within the past decade. With the integration of robotics, the ability to precisely steer and advance traditional flexible endoscopes has been realized, reducing patient pain and improving clinician ergonomics. Additionally, wireless capsule endoscopy, a revolutionary alternative to traditional scopes, enables inspection of the digestive system with minimal discomfort for the patient or the need for sedation, mitigating some of the risks of flexible endoscopy. This review presents a research update on robotic endoscopic systems, including both flexible scope and capsule technologies, detailing actuation methods and therapeutic capabilities. A future perspective on endoscopic potential for screening, diagnostic and therapeutic gastrointestinal procedures is also presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, 114 ECME, Engineering Center, 1111 Engineering Drive, Boulder, CO 80309-0427, USA.
authors.forename: Levin J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Sliker
authors.forename: Gastone
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ciuti
mesh_terms: D053705:Capsule Endoscopes; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D059015:Wireless Technology / Q000295:instrumentation*
keywords: actuation mechanisms for probe navigation; capsule endoscope locomotion; colonoscopy; diagnostic and therapeutic capability; endoscopic capsule; endoscopy of the gastrointestinal tract; flexible endoscopy; robotic endoscopic systems; screening; wireless capsule endoscopy