Multi-functional Capsule Endoscope for Gastro-intestinal Tract

Diagnosis using a flexible endoscope in gastro-intestinal tract becomes very important. In addition, the endoscope is a basic tool of diagnosis and treatment for digestive organ. However, the operation of endoscope is very labor intensive work and gives patients some pains. Therefore, the video capsule endoscope is developed for the diagnosis of digestive organs. For its conveniences for diagnosis, the video capsule endoscope comes into the spotlight. Besides the video function, various functions of capsule endoscope were proposed such as locomotion, wireless power transfer, biopsy and drug delivery, biological signal sensing and so on. Among the proposed functions, we focused on locomotive ability and pressure signal sensing in the gastro-intestinal tract. This paper describes our recent research activities which are aimed to enable locomotion and pressure signal sensing in gastro-intestinal tract by the fusion of biomedical, microsystem and robotic technologies