VIDEO: This robot catches diseases by crawling in the stomach like a snake, will give accurate reports to doctors without dissection

The stomach and large intestine are present on both sides of it, due to which it is difficult for conventional cameras to reach here. Problems of bleeding, tumors, wounds or blockage in the small intestine are becoming common. If not detected on time, this problem takes the form of fatal cancer.

At present, ‘double-balloon enteroscopy’ technique is used to examine this part. In this process, the doctor pushes the camera forward by alternately inflating and deflating two balloons. This method is very slow and doctors have to continuously work with their hands.

Mechanical Engineer from MIT and this Study Co-author Giovanni Traverso said, ‘Our biggest challenge was how to investigate this narrow part of 20 to 25 feet long in a completely automated way.’ To solve this problem, scientists learned from the structure of nature.

How did scientists prepare this robot by taking inspiration from the movement of a snake?

Engineers deeply studied the way snakes move to design this robot. Snakes alternately contract and expand the muscles on both sides of their body. Apart from this, the scales or layers present on the snake’s skin give it grip to move on slippery surfaces.

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How do the Japanese kirigami art and the high-tech tools inside the robot work?

The head and back part of this robot have been inspired by the Japanese paper art ‘Kirigami’. In this art the paper is not only folded but special cuts are made in it. With the help of this special design, the ends of the robot grip the inner wall of the intestines and then release them.

MIT researcher Ahmed Mujtaba Jebran told‘Due to kirigami technology, the robot gathers the strength to move forward without putting pressure on the delicate intestinal tissues.’

Many small medical tools have been fitted inside the hollow body of this robot. It has a high-definition micro camera which sends live pictures. Along with this, a special sprayer for spraying medicine has also been added to it. To identify the disease, it is provided with small clippers which immediately cut the tissue sample of the suspicious lump. This robot is connected to the external control system through a thin cable. Doctors can also easily operate it with a remote device like X-Box controller.

What kind of results did the doctors get in the trials conducted on pig bodies?

Scientists conducted the first practical test of this technology on live and anesthetized pigs. The internal structure of the pig’s digestive system is very similar to that of the human body. During the test conducted in the lab, this robot successfully traveled in the intestines of a pig for 11 minutes continuously. During this, the robot sent real-time pictures of the intestines to the doctors’ screens. Along with this, it delivered liquid medicine at the designated location and also safely took out tissue samples for biopsy.

Scientists believe that this technology will change the face of medical endoscopy in the future. Earlier in the year 2021, scientists of Macau University had created a spider-inspired capsule robot which was controlled with magnets.

However, this new snake robot from MIT gives doctors more control and capability inside the body. After completion of its trials on the human body, it can prove to be a boon in the early detection of stomach cancer.