Page 418 - Flexible Robotics in Medicine

412 Chapter 18
Table 18.6: Satisfactions with needs were weighed between the four prototypes.

Cook HMM
flexible disposable UShare Medical, Inc.
biopsy biopsy disposable automatic
Needs Importance EndoGoose forceps forceps biopsy gun
Actively bendable section 1 XXXX
Forceps able to prevent 1 XXXX XX XX XXX
contamination
Single-handed use 2 XXXXX XXX XXX XXX
Compatible with various 3 XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX NA
endoscope models
The number of crosses indicates how far each need was satisfied, with one cross being the least satisfied, and five crosses
the most satisfied.

The interrelationship between the various important features of the prototype is shown in
Table 18.5 The active bending section of the endoscope has a quick response time for
bending and minimizes the duration of the biopsy procedure. The forceps have the ability to
prevent contamination and infection. The device can be operated with a single hand due to
its small size and portable feature. Although the device has numerous advantages, it does
not possess the ability to be compatible with other endoscopes. This could be overcome by
designing the forceps with more general dimensions and medical-grade materials, which are
being followed by major endoscope manufacturers.

18.4.2 Metrics and satisfaction benchmarking

From benchmarking (Table 18.6), it can be seen that the main plus points of the EndoGoose
are patient comfort, forceps ability to prevent contamination, single-handed use, ease of use,
and the presence of an actively bendable section. However, there is still room for
improvement, such as the ability to be bent with more degrees of freedom.
The Cook flexible biopsy forceps and HMM disposable biopsy forceps can be used in a
single hand, but the ease of use is much lower than using the EndoGoose. This is because
they are all passively bendable forceps. The current flexible biopsy forceps uses a slider
mechanism or a push and pull mechanism to open and close the forceps. Without an active
bending mechanism, more attempts are needed to position the forceps correctly while
opening and closing of the forceps at the same time. However, with the EndoGoose, the use
of a gooseneck tube allows the actively bending region to be rigid even after being bent.
Furthermore, its intuitive mechanism allows the joystick to position the forceps accurately
before using the slider to open and close the forceps, which allows for a simple single-
handed operation and thus reduces the need for extra manpower.

The “nail-clipper” front and razor-sharp teeth allow for cutting the tissue out, whereas in
the other cup designs, grab and pull the tissue out simply. The cutting action is much