Robotic Active Capsule Endoscope (RACE): advanced design, fabrication and control

Lead Research Organisation: Queen Mary University of London
Department Name: School of Engineering & Materials Scienc

Abstract

The project will investigate the development of two advanced RACE prototypes, wired and wireless versions, capable of forward, backward and rotational movements in a lower Gastrointestinal (GI) track phantom. The proposed prototypes will be designed and fabricated on the basis of reviewing the limitations of the current prototypes, fabricated using Queen Mary Innovation (QMI) Proof-of-Concept funding, to secure patents as guided by the QMI assigned patent attorney 'Kilburn and Strode'. The current prototypes are facilitated with basic control mechanism and advanced closed-loop control methodologies are required to be designed for smooth navigation of the RACE prototypes based on real-time position and orientation parameters sensing. Two methods will be investigated to obtain real-time position and orientation of the capsule: (i) accelerometer inserted inside the capsule and (ii) fluoroscopy. As a first step, a Proportional Integral and Derivative (PID) control method will be developed and implemented to establish the feasibility of feedback control of the capsule based on the obtained parameters. However, as the overall system is supposed to be highly nonlinear, a nonlinear control approach is expected to achieve better performance. As such, an artificial intelligence (AI) based such as fuzzy-logic based control approach will then be investigated. To reduce the possibility of tissue damage a nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) approach incorporating (i) the model of the capsule and (ii) the model of the interaction dynamics between the capsule and GI tract surface will be investigated.

Publications

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Studentship Projects

Project Reference Relationship Related To Start End Student Name
EP/N50953X/1 01/10/2016 30/09/2021
2105271 Studentship EP/N50953X/1 01/10/2018 30/06/2022 Afsoon Fakhr Abdollahi
EP/R513106/1 01/10/2018 30/09/2023
2105271 Studentship EP/R513106/1 01/10/2018 30/06/2022 Afsoon Fakhr Abdollahi
 
Description The first research objective of this work was to create a way to actively control the capsule for improving the accuracy and precision of the examination. A model for the capsule robot has been developed and then amended with various components such as a piezoelectric element, an electromagnetic motor, and an electric actuator. The models have been used as platforms to develop and simulate a number of control techniques such as open-loop, closed-loop Proportional-Derivative, Linear Quadratic Regulator, first-order Sliding Mode Control, second-order Sliding Mode Control, first-order Integral Sliding Mode Control, first-order Terminal Sliding Mode Control and Model Predictive Control. Additionally, the interaction between the capsule and the environment has been considered and incorporated in the model. To summarise, a new algorithm has been developed for the capsule robot movement. Next, the second objective was to find a controlled actuation technique for the locomotion of the capsule which was achieved by investigating a material selection for the capsule using rare-earth magnets such as Neodymium or Samarium-Cobalt. Lastly, the third objective was to come up with a design for the capsule and modify the current prototype which was obtained by incorporating a piezoelectric component inside it as a power supply.
Exploitation Route The miniature capsule robots had some restrictions which had to be solved before being used as a commercial device for diagnosis in healthcare and hospitals. In general, most researchers have concentrated on the design aspect but have overlooked the control and optimization aspects. The current capsule robots are unable to be stopped at a specific position or guided to a special location for additional examination because their movements are purely passive and based on the peristalsis movement of gastrointestinal tract muscles and gravity. This gap in research motivated me to pursue this research. Consequently, other researchers can use the outcomes to verify the efficacy of the controller through real-time experiments and clinical trials as means to way forward for commercialisation. Each of the controllers needs to be tested through real-time experimentation and their performance need to be compared to select the best one to be used in clinical setting.
Sectors Healthcare