In Kees Studies, I take part in University of Twente research myself. This time I head to the operating room of the TechMed Centre on campus, where the Robotics and Mechatronics group tests a robotic colonoscope. And today, I get to steer it.
Why use a robot for a colonoscopy?
Marjon Kuipers, a technician in the group, explains that the doctor holds a large device and manoeuvres its long tube by hand. For an entire procedure, that is physically hard work. Reviews suggest more than half of these doctors deal with pain or injuries in their neck, back, shoulders or hands.
With a robot, the machine makes the movements and the doctor steers with a joystick from a comfortable seat. Robotic precision could also help to spot more abnormalities. And a robot that pushes less hard and corrects in small steps could make the procedure gentler, meaning less sedation for you.
What is it like to steer a robotic colonoscope?
Then Artur Gąsienica, also a technician, shows me the controller. It mimics the pushing, pulling and twisting a doctor does with a regular colonoscope. Moving it up and down bends the tip, and a second control rotates the whole scope. My task as "clinician for the day" is to reach the end of a model colon.
Eight minutes later, I am there. Artur is impressed, because trained staff have not always performed that well. Whether that says more about me or about the controller, I will leave to the researchers.
Will robots do colonoscopies on their own?
The robot I steered is part of Intelligent Robotic Endoscopes (IRE), a European project running until 2028. Nine partners, including Danish medical device maker Ambu, are teaching robotic colonoscopes to navigate more independently, using data from more than 2,000 real colonoscopies. The doctor keeps oversight. In Twente, researchers develop soft robots with built-in sensors to make the procedure safer.
This work was supported by the Horizon Europe project Intelligent Robotic Endoscopes (IRE) for Improved Healthcare Services (Grant Agreement No. 101135082). Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
