An Origami-Inspired Endoscopic Capsule with Tactile Perception for Early Tissue Anomaly Detection

TL;DR

This paper introduces an origami-inspired endoscopic capsule with tactile sensors and passive movement capabilities, enabling early detection of small intestinal nodules with high accuracy, improving upon traditional video-based methods.

Contribution

The novel origami capsule integrates tactile sensing and shape-changing movement for early nodule detection, advancing endoscopic technology beyond visual analysis.

Findings

Detects nodules >3mm with 100% accuracy

Uses tactile sensors and particle filter for data processing

Can passively navigate the intestine for comprehensive inspection

Abstract

Video Capsule Endoscopy (VCE) is currently one of the most effective methods for detecting intestinal diseases. However, it is challenging to detect early-stage small nodules with this method because they lack obvious color or shape features. In this letter, we present a new origami capsule endoscope to detect early small intestinal nodules using tactile sensing. Four soft tactile sensors made out of piezoresistive material feed four channels of phase-shifted data that are processed using a particle filter. The particle filter uses an importance assignment template designed using experimental data from five known sizes of modules. Moreover, the proposed capsule can use shape changes to passively move forward or backward under peristalsis, enabling it to reach any position in the intestine for detection. Experimental results show that the proposed capsule can detect nodules of more than 3mm diameter with 100% accuracy.