Magnetic Anchored and Guided Endoscope (MAGS) for Single Incision Surgery

Researchers

Prof. Li Zheng
Prof. Li Zheng
Mr. LI Jixiu
Mr. LI Jixiu
Prof. Calvin NG Sze Hang
Prof. Calvin NG Sze Hang
Dr. CHENG Truman
Dr. CHENG Truman
Prof. Philip CHIU Wai Yan
Prof. Philip CHIU Wai Yan

Introduction

Conventional laparoscopes are poorly designed for single port surgery, plagued by the following problems:
1. The long rigid body limits camera motion and the surgeon's field of view.
2. It occupies much port space. Requiring bigger incision or additional incision on patient’s body
3. They collide with other instruments and interrupt the surgeon’s workflow.

This project solves the issues above, with a magnetic anchored intelligent endoscope that can track surgical instruments automatically.

A robot arm controls an external magnet above the patient’s chest. Inside the patient, an endoscope is guided by the magnetic force. The endoscope stays just beneath the chest wall, working as the surgeon's eyes above the surgical scene, similar to a CCTV camera attached to the ceiling.
 

The Main Impact

1

Unlike rigid laparoscopes that are limited by the point of insertion, the magnetic endoscope can be guided by the robot to move across the chest wall, and provides many perspectives. An A.I. assisted instrument detection allows this system to track the surgeon’s tools. In the figure, the autonomous function is used to complete a mock-up resection on lung samples inside a human chest simulator. With the A.I. assistant, surgeons can work intuitively without worries of endoscope control. 

(Left) The robotic magnet controller. (Right) The magnetic anchored endoscope prototype (5cm)

Lung wedge resection successfully performed using the system with A.I. assisted autonomous instrument. Test was completed inside a human chest simulator.

2

This system has also been tested in human cadaver, showing its feasibility inside the human body.

3

The system provides the following major benefits over conventional options.
•    More freedom inside patient and better views for surgeon
•    Autonomous instrument tracking
•    Avoids port crowding, ideal for single port surgery.
•    Prevents collision with other instruments.
•    Deploy multiple cameras (multi-view of surgical target)
With these benefits, the system is expected to improve surgeons’ workflow in single port surgery, and Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS).

Feasibility demonstration of magnetic anchored endoscope inside a human cadaver