EndoVine: Soft Robotic Endoscope for Colonoscopy

Colorectal cancer is among most commonly diagnosed cancers, and colonoscopy is essential for its
early detection. However, standard rigid instruments are intrusive and scarcely tolerable by patients. To
overcome this limitation, we propose EndoVine, a soft tip-extruding pressure-driven robot. A doublesleeved
air-inflated chamber allows an inner channel for flexible instrument insertion. Moreover,
extrusion from the tip limits the friction along the colon walls. Finally, the mechanical structure is
designed to be disposable to prevent infections, and a preliminary mechanism for automatic retraction
of the robot is introduced. We also show preliminary experiments on a realistic colon model.
Ameya,Pore,[e-mail],University of Verona
Nicola,Piccinelli,[e-mail],University of Verona
Giacomo,De Rossi,[e-mail],University of Verona
Matteo,
Piano,[e-mail], Tutto Riparazioni di Piano Matteo
Daniele,Meli,[e-mail],University of Verona
Diego,Dall'Alba,[e-mail],University of Verona
Riccardo,Muradore,[e-mail],University of Verona
Paolo,Fiorini,[e-mail],University of Verona