Self-propelling robot endoscope ‘could make bowel cancer screening comfortable’

A soft robotic device that moves through the body like a worm could make bowel cancer screening much more comfortable by reducing pain and and discomfort, according to the scientists developing it.

Researchers at Imperial College London said they have created a new type endoscope that is soft, flexible, and capable of extending and curling on its own inside the body.

Around 900,000 colonoscopies – which involves an endoscope being passed through the bottom – are performed every year in the UK, the majority of which are for screenings for bowel cancer.

The procedure is invasive and more than 75% of patients develop significant pain, according to Nisha Patel, a consultant gastroenterologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in London, who is running clinical trials with the device.

She said: “We know patients experience either discomfort or pain during the procedure and this affects uptake of further procedures and patient experience.

The experts are also hoping that compared to current endoscopes, which requires specialist skills, their self-propelling robotic version will be easier to use and could, in future, be deployed in GP surgeries or outpatient clinics.

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Source: The Independent, 18 June 2023