Magnetic Actuation for Wireless Capsule Endoscopy in a Large Workspace Using a Mobile-Coil System

摘要

Current wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) is limited in the long examination time and low flexibility since the capsule is passively moved by the natural peristalsis. Efforts have been made to facilitate the active locomotion of WCE using magnetic actuation and localization technologies. This work focuses on the motion control of the robotic capsule under magnetic actuation in a complex gastrointestinal (GI) tract environment in order to improve the efficiency and accuracy of its motion in dynamic, complex environments. Specifically, a magnetic actuation system based on a four-electromagnetic coil module is designed, and a control strategy for the system is proposed. In particular, the proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control parameters and current values are optimized online and in real time using the adaptive particle swarm optimization (APSO) algorithm. In this paper, both simulations and real-world experiments were conducted using acrylic plates with irregular shapes to simulate the GI tract environment for evaluation. The results demonstrate the potential of the proposed control methods to realize the accurate and efficient inspection of the intestine using active WCE. The methods presented in this paper can be integrated with current WCE to improve the diagnostic accuracy and efficiency of the GI tract.