Prototype of USB Flexible Endoscope for Training Based on the Task of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopy Surgeons Tasks: Simulation and Design

The article emphasizes the critical role of flexible endoscope handling in the training of gastroenterologist surgeons, while highlighting the limitations posed by workload and restricted access to surgical simulators. To address these challenges, the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopy Surgeons (SAGES) developed the Fundamentals of Endoscopy Surgery (FES) program, which assesses essential skills through tasks such as retroflexion, surgical target identification, and loop reduction. The EndoNavSkill 01 system, currently in the conceptual phase, includes a medium-sized gastric model, a flexible endoscope, and a computerized interface that provides real-time control, visualization, and data recording. The endoscope tip has two additional degrees of freedom (DOF) and a 20 mm diameter. The tip is 150 mm long and has a working channel for 3 mm instrumentation. It has been tested with a commercial biopsy forceps. Preliminary tests demonstrated that the system achieved 180-degree retroflexion with half a turn of the control knobs, successfully visualizing the gastric cavity entry. Regarding precision, the endoscope's positional errors were recorded as 0.50% along the X-axis, 0.90% along the Y-axis, and 1.15% along the Z-axis. Additional metrics recorded included the time required to complete tasks, surgical target identification, extraction task, and the endoscope's path in coordinates 3D. EndoNavSkill 01 is a master's project currently in development and distinguishes itself by allowing the use of real instruments, unlike virtual simulators that rely on idealized conditions and are often prohibitively expensive. Although the prototype has met key design objectives such as achieving retroflexion and verifying the working channel's functionality, further testing and development are required to optimize the system and confirm its suitability for clinical environments.