ETD

• add-on
• capsule
• colonoscopy
• magnetic

In this work, a magnetic add-on system, that aims to be compatible with current endoscopic capsules, has been developed. Since the 2000s, technological developments have led to the market the introduction of minimally invasive ingestible capsules, that allow diagnosis within the gastrointestinal tract as an alternative to the low-tolerated standard colonoscopy. The main limitation of such devices is due to the passive locomotion determined by peristalsis and by the impossibility of the doctor to actively control and manipulate the device on the region of interest. A valid alternative to overcome this limitation is to make the capsules active, by equipping them with a system that can be controlled from the outside. For this purpose, an ideal choice is a locomotion by magnetic guidance rather than onboard actuators. The design specifications have been considered to use the device in the colon tract. The obtained results demonstrated that the friction force measured corresponds to reference values and simulations’ outcomes; furthermore, the successful navigation test demonstrates the effective active locomotion of the capsule inside an in-vitro setup.