Design of an extensible colonoscope

Colonoscopy is the standard medical diagnosis method used to detect abnormalities in the colon. Early diagnosis of these abnormalities is crucial for colorectal cancer treatment to succeed. Even though colonoscopy is very successful at diagnosis, this hard procedure may lead to discomfort and possible complications on the colon wall. Colonoscopy requires physical effort and may take up to one hour. In this thesis, a novel colonoscope consisting of a flexible and extensible shaft and corresponding feeding mechanisms are presented. The extensible colonoscope is steered from the tip in 3-dimensional space. It navigates through the colon via growth by means of a miniaturized version of a pneumatic actuator developed in a parallel study. The shaft consists of different concentric segments built around the actuator tubings in order to supply certain amount of rigidity while still being flexible enough to bend at certain radii. At the feeding side, the feeding mechanisms work together to control and advance the tip. Unlike the conventional colonoscopy procedures, force providing forward motion tot eh colonoscope is applied at the tip. Thus, pressure on the colon wall is expected to be reduced eliminating anyserious complications.