Miniaturisation and Evaluation of the SoftSCREEN System in Colon Phantoms

Screening of the lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract is of paramount importance for the early detection of precancerous lesions in the intestine, with an impact on reducing the high death rate of patients affected by cancer worldwide. Colonoscopy, i.e. standard procedure for screening the colon, is effective in reducing the incidence of colorectal cancer worldwide, nonetheless, this procedure remains an invasive method of screening, that typically causes discomfort and requires sedation for the patient. The SoftSCREEN system, a tethered robotic capsule designed for colonoscopy, aims to enable minimally invasive diagnosis of intestinal diseases through its innovative design that incorporates elastic tracks for locomotion and inflatable toroidal chambers for adaptable geometry to match the local lumen of the GI tract. After demonstrating the viability of the proposed design in a large-scale proof of concept in our previous work, the authors present here a miniaturised version of the SoftSCREEN system. We assess its performance in multiple phantom tests and evaluate the effect of pressure regulation on its locomotion. The conducted extensive tests demonstrate the capability of the soft robot to move inside intricate passages, capture internal images, and adjust its geometry to optimise traction. The results underscore the potential of the proposed design, offering promising advancements in the development of a robotic platform for efficient front-wheel locomotion and accurate intestinal screening.