Soft Robotics for Early Detection and Treatment of Cancer

The talk will focus on Robotic Flexible Endoscopy and the level of computer assistance required to minimize the mental burden on the operator. Flexible endoscopy enables clinicians to reach deep inside the human body to diagnose and treat mortal diseases, such as cancer. Unfortunately, conventional flexible endoscopes are difficult to operate, often traumatic for the patient, extremely expansive, and prone to the risk of viral and bacterial cross-contamination. Robotic flexible endoscopes – a sub-class of medical continuum robots – have the potential to revolutionize the field by offering an easy-to-use, safe, affordable and low-risk alternative for procedures such as gastrointestinal endoscopy.  During the talk, we will discuss robotic flexible endoscopy platforms under development at the STORM Lab to transform medical robotics. We will also explore different levels of computer assistance designed to improve the user experience and facilitate adoption by healthcare operators.