Page 90 - Flexible Robotics in Medicine

74 Chapter 3

matrix. Besides reducing the tip diameter, we can miniaturize the entire prototype with a
smaller housing. This will increase the portability of the prototype for greater convenience.

Additionally, FlexDiamond will be ergonomically designed with buttons and a joystick to
provide a better user interface. With future refinement to both the hardware and software of
the prototype, FlexDiamond holds promising potential as a home-based, self-administered
in vivo surveillance kit for the detection of NPC.

Safety levels must be highly regarded to prevent an immune response from the user after
the endoscope has been inserted into the body. As such, the materials used for
FlexDiamond must be biocompatible, nontoxic, nonbiodegradable, and wear resistance.
Besides biocompatibility issues, we should take into account other factors affecting the
safety level of the prototype. For instance, the outer material and the inner cables of the
endoscope must be able to withstand high tensile force without breakage. In the case of
breakage, it can cause part of the endoscope to be trapped in the user’s body, compromising
the safety and comfort level of the user. Hence there is a need for careful material selection
to ensure safety.
The prototype should be sterilized using a suitable method of sterilization. Bioburden needs
to be reduced during each step of the manufacturing process to achieve a sterility assurance
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level of 10 . Proper procedures in compliance with international standards should be in
place to check for sterility after sterilization.

FlexDiamond is an innovative, highly functional, and tangible prototype that aims to
provide a platform for subjects to undergo NPC monitoring from the convenience of their
homes. With better functional capabilities than many of the existing prototypes,
FlexDiamond can allow subjects to conduct the endoscopy procedure with ease. Moreover,
it eliminates subject dependency on the clinician, confers excellent convenience for the
subjects, results in a substantial reduction in medical cost, and lowers the burdens of the
health care sector.

Acknowledgment

This work was in part supported by the National Key Research and Development Program, The Ministry of
Science and Technology (MOST) of China (No. 2018YFB1307703).

References

[1] National Cancer Institute, Nasopharyngeal Cancer Treatment, 2014.
[2] American Cancer Society, American Cancer Society. Retrieved, November 06, 2014, from Join the fight
against cancer: ,http://www.cancer.org/cancer/nasopharyngealcancer/detailedguide/nasopharyngeal-cancer-
what-is-nasopharyngeal-cancer., n.d.
[3] Health Promotion Board, Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, n.d.
[4] National Cancer Centre of Singapore Pte Ltd, Nose Cancer (Nasopharynx Cancer), 2012.