A Flexible Endoscopic Surgical System: First Report on a Conceptual Design of the System Validated by Experiments

Abstract

Background:Surgery is a standard diagnostic and therapeutic procedure.However, its technical difficulty and invasivenessposeproblems that are yet to besolvedevenby current surgical robots. Flexibleendoscopescanaccess regionsdeep inside thebodywith less invasiveness thansurgical approaches. Conceptually, this ability can be a solution to some of the surgical problems. Methods: A flexible (surgical) endoscopic surgical system was developed consisting of an outer and two inner endoscopes introduced through two larger working channels of the outer endo-scope. The concept of the system as a surgical instrument was assessed by animal experiments. Results: Gastric mucosa of the swine could be successfully resected using the flexible endo-scopic surgical system, thereby showing us the prospect and directions for further development of the system. Conclusion: The concept of a flexible endoscopic surgical system is considered to offer some solutions for problems in surgery. Key words: surgical robot – endoscopic surgery – surgery – robotics – endoscope