An active endoscope with small sweep volume that preserves image orientation for arthroscopic surgery

An active endoscope with small sweep volume that preserves image orientation for arthroscopic surgery:

Abstract

Background

Microsurgery is generally performed in narrow spaces with limited movement. Endoscopes that allow for angle changes have been developed using elastic materials, but they require a large bending space. We propose a new endoscope with a small sweep volume for angle changes.

Methods

We fabricated a prototype with a thumb‐operated joystick. The image sensor is attached to the tooltip. The image signal is input to a motor control board which computes inverse kinematics and transforms it into joint angle values. Each axis is positioned according to these values.

Results

The tooltip sweeping volume was 104 mm³. Surgeons at Asan Medical Center used our endoscope to obtain images of the biceps tendon and subscapularis joints of a cadaver.

Conclusion

Currently, a low‐resolution image sensor is attached to endoscope tooltips. In the future, we will develop a high‐resolution image module equipped with an ultra‐small Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) sensor.

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