A Robotic Biopsy Device for Capsule Endoscopy

This paper introduces a robotic biopsy device for capsule endoscopes. The proposed device consists of three modules for the complete process of biopsy, which includes monitoring the intestinal wall by a tissue monitoring module (TMM), aligning onto a polyp by an anchor module (AM), and sampling of the polyp tissue by a biopsy module (BM). The TMM utilizes a trigonal mirror as well as an on-board camera; since the TMM continuously takes images through lateral apertures, an operator such as a medical doctor is able to anchor the capsule endoscope onto the polyp and biopsy it with the visual feedback in real-time. When the operator finds a polyp using the TMM and the frontal camera of a capsule endoscope, then the AM is used to approach the polyp for biopsy. When the AM is in use, outriggers are extruded by shape-memory-alloy (SMA) springs, which results in the swelling of capsule endoscope body. In addition, an alignment module, which is a part of the AM, rotates the body of the capsule endoscope such that the biopsy razor can be aligned onto the polyp. Then, the BM excises a part of the polyp and seals the aperture, and the capsule endoscope continues exploring the intestine. The concept and working principles of the proposed device are introduced in this paper and are verified by a prototype that successfully integrates the three modules.